I just recently completed a very positive 3rd Year Review at Syracuse University! My final meeting was with the Deans of the School of Education (SoE) and the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), as well as with the Chairs of the Department of Art in VPA, and of Teaching & Leadership in SoE. Near the end, after all the dialogue and the recommendations, the Chair of Teaching & Leadership asked a very pointed question, paraphrased here: "James, if you could look ahead 30 years from now, when your work at SU is drawing to a close, what do you want people to know and understand about the Department of Art Education at Syracuse University?"
I answered, but as it typical for me, when I had an opportunity to reflect further later on in the day, I was able to construct a much fuller response:
"30 years from now, this is what I want to be said of our approach to arts & design education at Syracuse University. I want it to be said that our art education teachers were trained to do more than teach students to make beautiful objects and artifacts, or express themselves, or critique visible social structures. More than this, I want it to be said that our teachers were trained to lead students as partners in the development of beautiful and needful objects, to express both themselves and their communities and contexts, to critique the visible and also envision the not-yet-visible at the cusp of creation.
I want it to be said that our students were trained to facilitate curriculum opportunities in and out of school, affording their students the resources and agency to give form to new ideas and material usages, inform current thinking, and transform our uncertainties and unknowns into possibilities and benefits.
I want it to be said that our students did so in collaboration with colleagues in entirely unrelated disciplines.
I want it to be said that our students took the risks involved with mutating hybrid educational enterprises, methods, and techniques—and with purposely leaving unfinished drafts and sketches for others to complete.
I want it to be said that our students understood that the great benefit of diversity and inclusion is its expansion of the gene pool for the next great moment of shared human genius.
Finally, I want it to be said that our students practiced and approached the idea of art in education not only as a noun, but as a verb, adjective and adverb. In other words, once again making relevant our common age-old methodology for comprehending the world, navigating pathways through it, and modifying the syntax, trajectory and interpretation of our meaningful events along the way. It is art that bends possibilities into purpose and unbraids the most stubborn structures into newly generative questions.
Toward that end, 30 years later, Art Education at SU continues to strive to be socially responsive and responsible."
JHRolling
