Two Quarter Design Studio

Dear Third Year Students:

Thank you to those students who were able to send email messages to provide feedback on the proposed two-quarter third year studios for winter and spring quarters 2010. We receive roughly 18 emails with a range of views regarding this issue. After careful consideration of this issue, this is what I have decided to do, for this academic year:

1. Move Forward with Improvements to the Registration System for Third Year Students

Starting spring quarter 2010, third year design and practice sections will be closed during the priority phase of registration. Design sections will remain closed during the rotation phase, but students will be able to enroll in the linked activity sections (SQ '10 it will be ARCH 342). Students will be able to enroll in the co requisite design sections during the open phase. This should make it easier to enroll in other courses during the priority and rotations phase of registration.

During the winter quarter 2010, the third year faculty will survey second and third year students to obtain feedback on several proposals for changing the current registration system. We understand your frustration and we will do the best we can to make changes for the next academic year. We ask you to assists us and be mindful that any changes will need to take into consideration the large scale of the third year and also provide an equitable strategy for students to make course selections that are an improvement to the current registration system. I have attached the survey results that were conducted the end of last year regarding registration system feedback.

2. Move forward with the Two Design Studios that will "Pilot" a Two-Quarter Third Year Studio for WQ & SQ 2010

The nature of a "pilot" program is not to involve all of the students and this is why we are piloting this two-quarter approach to explore ways of improving the building systems integration into the design studio projects. Professors Fowler and Cabrinha have volunteered for this pilot and continue to be excited about participating. Unfortunately, given the way that the registration system currently works, we need to use the existing system of priorities for this selection. As mentioned in the earlier email, there is some urgency in moving ahead with this pilot, since as a faculty we have been charged with re assessing the effectiveness of the entire curriculum as we prepare for our next accreditation and university's internal review visit in 2011, and third year has been indentified as a key area of the curriculum to look at.

3. Continue to Make Improvements to The Third Year

As you saw with the first time fast paced presentations that were held before WQ '10 registration began, there is an interest of the third year faculty to provide students with more information about the faculty's teaching strategies and quarter project overviews so students can make more informed choices before registration. These presentations will continue before each registration cycle. Initiatives that the third year faculty have accomplished over the years that all should be aware of are:

- The "Best of Show" end of winter quarter review (now in its fourth year) where outside jury members are invited for a day-long review of show cased talent of the third year students.

- All third year faculty have posted their pedagogical/teaching strategies for teaching third year design and activity courses on the department’s Web Site.

Additional initiatives that are currently in the planning stages for this year are the following: - The requirement that all third year students develop a quarterly portfolio of work accomplished in the design studio and activity courses.

- Adoption of an “evaluation rubric”, so all students are clear as to what

criteria are being used across all studios for assessing what has been learned.

Henri T. de Hahn

To view the Third Year Registration System Survey Results

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