Reimagine Our Time

Reimagine Our Time to Reinvigorate Learning

The group will revisit the Reimagine Our Time to Reinvigorate Learning (RTRL) recommendations outlined in the 2019 strategic plan NEXT and approved by the board of governors. Recognizing that the challenges of COVID-19 have already significantly altered the ways in which we have planned for, and performed, our academic work, this group will review and consider the practical implications of the RTRL proposals and their implementation. This will include the following objectives:    

  • Increase the credits awarded per contact hour 
  • Reduce the overall cost for students by cutting the time required for degree completion
  • Create more time for students to work independently outside of class 
  • Support student wellness
  • Free up classroom space
  • Identify opportunities for flexibility within the schedule

While it is beyond the purview of the group’s work, it is important to note that once the School realizes instructional savings through the eventual reduction of courses, we will determine how to reallocate the funds saved to better support students and/or part- and full-time faculty.

Reimagine Our Time to Reinvigorate Learning Process

The Reimagine Our Time Group began its work in 2021 by familiarizing its members with the time plan developed during its recent strategic planning process, NEXT. In 2019, the strategic planning steering committee, School president, and Board of Governors approved the proposal to award more credits to undergraduate students for their course contact time, even as many details of the initiative remained to be developed. After reviewing the work of NEXT, the Reimagine Our Time Group subsequently discussed how best to operationalize the plan in a way that met students’ desire for course variety, did not negatively impact existing departmental requirements, preserved existing financial aid opportunities, and created an opportunity for creating new skills-based mini-courses. The group also devoted significant attention to analyzing whether credit hour changes to studio courses made sense for academic courses as well. 

To date, the group has worked with the Registrar, student financial services, and a range of faculty from studio and academic departments. Future conversations will include the Academic Structure Group, Curriculum Committee, and Space Group.

Reimagine Our Time to Reinvigorate Learning Timeline

  • Conversations with aligned departmental clusters (academic/studio) and/or interdisciplinary groups: spring and summer 2021 (as necessary) 
  • Recommendations submitted: late fall 2021

Once recommendations are submitted, we expect departments will need at least a year to work with faculty to adjust their curricular offerings to align with the proposal. 

Reimagining Our Time Membership

Chair: Dawn Gavin
 
Rebekah Champ
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Academic Advising
ARC Curriculum and Resource Share Subcommittee

Celeste Collins
Senior Administrative Director, Contemporary Practices, Low-Res MFA, and Academic Spine
Advisory Council on Staff Engagement / Department Heads

Danny Floyd
Lecturer, Visual and Critical Studies
Lecturer Rep.-at-Large / FBS Part-Time Concerns / FBS Fiscal Affairs / FBS Exhibitions & Exhibition Studies / Department Heads

Abigail Glaum-Lathbury
Assistant Professor, Fashion Design
Chair, FBS Handbook Committee

Oliver Shao
Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts 
School Climate Committee / Institutional Review Board 

Nicole Marroquin
Associate Professor, Art Education
Fiscal Affairs

Dwayne Moser
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
Dean’s Cabinet / Co-Chair of FBS Curriculum Committee / Department Heads / ARC Curriculum and Resource Share Subcommittee

Lorraine Peltz
Associate Professor, Adjunct, Arts Administration and Policy and Contemporary Practices
Part-Time Liaison Rep / Part-Time Concerns / FBS Handbook Committee / School Climate Committee / Department Heads

Gretchen Talbot
Dean of Administration, Budget and Planning 

Jim TerMeer
Associate Professor, Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects and Chair, Designed Objects
Full-time Rep.-at-Large / FBS / Part-Time Concerns / Academic Steering Committee / FBS Curriculum Committee / FBS Fiscal Affairs / FBS IRTC / Department Heads