Periodic Review Report To the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education

Presented by The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

June 1, 2003 George Campbell Jr., Ph.D., President

Commission action preceding this report: Reaffirmation of accreditation following the decennial self-study and team visit

Date of the evaluation visit: April 19-22, 1998

PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

The past five years have been characterized by intense global turmoil and revolutionary change – technologically, socially, po- litically and economically – creating stimulating opportunities for higher education as well as daunting challenges. Located in Lower Manhattan, little more than a mile from Ground Zero, The Cooper Union has experienced particular stresses in recent years, and the Cooper Union community has welcomed the chance presented by this Periodic Review Report for reflection and introspection. The College is eager to articulate the changes it has made to address the unique issues faced by the institution, to reaffirm its ongoing commitment to academic excellence and to outline plans for a secure financial infrastructure to support that commitment. Planning for the preparation of this Periodic Review Report was coordinated by the Academic Council of the College and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board, with input from faculty, students, staff and trustees. Early discussions led to a consensus on the approach and work plan for producing the document. A Periodic Review Report Working Group, with representation from all sectors of the community, and an editor were selected. The production process began within each of the aca- demic and administrative departments under the leadership of the Deans and department heads, with input from all constitu- ents. Each organized an effort within his or her respective unit to prepare a preliminary report based on the guidelines in the Middle States Handbook on Periodic Review Reports. This ef- fort involved the participation of faculty, staff and students. The editor assembled the inputs into a draft Periodic Review Report and distributed it to the working group for review and comment. The editor redrafted the document based on the group’s input and made a second draft available to the entire Cooper Union community for comment. A final edit was made, taking into account the community’s comments.

PERIODIC REVIEW REPORT WORKING GROUP

Eleanor Baum, Dean, Albert Nerken School of Engineering Simon Ben-Avi, Associate Dean, Albert Nerken School of Engineering Richard Bory, Dean, Admissions and Registrar Peter Buckley, Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Lawrence Cacciatore, Assistant to the President for Administrative Affairs George Campbell Jr., President Tim Corbett, Student, School of Art Gerardo del Cerro, Director of Assessment and Innovation Ronni Denes, Vice President for External Affairs David Gersten, Professor, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Purvi Gandhi, Student, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Glenn Gross, Electrical Engineering Technician, Albert Nerken School of Engineering Vito Guido, Professor, Albert Nerken School of Engineering Robert Hawks, Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer Linda Lemiesz, Dean, Student Services Elizabeth O’Donnell, Associate Dean, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Christine Osinski, Professor, School of Art Basil Papavassiliou, Student, Albert Nerken School of Engineering Robert Rindler, Dean, School of Art Anthony Vidler, Dean, Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Ulla Volk, Director, The Cooper Union Library David Weir, Acting Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preparation of This Report Periodic Review Report Working Group

Tab 1. Executive Summary ...... 1

Tab 2. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ...... 6

Historical Background ...... 6 The Cooper Union Today ...... 10

Tab 3. Administration and Governance ...... 15

Tab 4. Institutional Planning and Finance ...... 17

Tab 5. Admissions ...... 31

Tab 6. Student Services ...... 35

Tab 7. External Affairs ...... 42

Tab 8. Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture ...... 54

Tab 9. School of Art ...... 88

Tab 10. Albert Nerken School of Engineering ...... 130

Tab 11. Humanities and Social Sciences ...... 176

Tab 12. Continuing Education ...... 185

Tab 13. Outreach ...... 189

Tab 14. The Library ...... 192

Tab 15. Outcomes Assessment and Institutional Research ...... 198

Tab 16. Conclusion ...... 242

Tab 17. Middle States Commission Institutional Profile 2002-2003

Tables and Figures in Text

Figure 1. Map of Rezoned Cooper Union Properties ...... 19 General Large Scale Development Plan Figure 2. Computer-Generated Rendering of ...... 20 The Cooper Union Neighborhood General Large Scale Development Plan Table 1. Summary of Current and Future Use of Space ...... 22 By Function and Square Footage Table 2. The Cooper Union FY 1998-FY 2008 ...... 29 Operating Budgets – Revenue Table 3. The Cooper Union FY 1998-FY 2008 ...... 30 Operating Budgets – Expenditures Table 4. Admissions 1998-2003 ...... 32 Table 5. Enrollments 1998-2002 ...... 33 Figure 3. External Affairs Organization Chart ...... 43 Table 6. Contributions Analysis ...... 44 Table 7. The Campaign for Cooper Union ...... 45 Capital Project and Endowment Goals Figure 4. The Campaign for Cooper Union ...... 46 Volunteer Leadership Organization Chart Table 8. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 60 And Visiting Critics 1997-1998 Table 9. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 62 And Visiting Critics 1998-1999 Table 10. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 63 And Visiting Critics 1999-2000 Table 11. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 64 And Visiting Critics 2000-2001 Table 12. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 65 And Visiting Critics 2001-2002 Table 13. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers ...... 66 And Visiting Critics 2002-2003 Table 14. School of Architecture ...... 74 Exhibitions 1999-2002

Table 15. School of Architecture ...... 74 Publications 1999-2002 Table 16. School of Art ...... 115 Student Satisfaction With the Academic Program Table 17. School of Engineering ...... 132 Staffing Profile 2002-2003 Table 18. School of Engineering ...... 132 Student Profile 2002-2003 Table 19. School of Engineering ...... 133 Degrees Granted 1991-2002 Table 20. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics ...... 138 Assessment and Continuous Improvement Table 21. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics ...... 139 Professional Development Table 22. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics ...... 140 Educational Technology Table 23. School of Engineering ...... 147 Degree-Granting Departments Table 24. School of Engineering ...... 147 Support Departments Table 25. School of Engineering Advisory Board ...... 148 Table 26. School of Engineering...... 152 Workshops Offered in 2002-2003 Table 27. School of Engineering ...... 155 Summary of LEAP Enrollment Academic Years 1999-2002 Table 28. The Cooper Union Research Foundation ...... 165 Current Projects 2002-2003 Table 29. The Cooper Union Research Foundation ...... 165 New and Pending Proposals Table 30. The Cooper Union Research Foundation ...... 166 New Awards Table 31. Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty ...... 181 Table 32. Gateway/School of Engineering ...... 200 Projects at Cooper Union Assessment Summary Figure 5. Assessment and Feedback Process ...... 202

Table 33. School of Engineering ...... 203 Schoolwide Assessments Institutionalized at Cooper Union Figure 6. The Process of Assessment Courses ...... 205 Table 34. School of Engineering ...... 207 An Example of a Chart for Course Assessment Table 35. Institutionwide Learning Outcomes ...... 219 Graduating Senior Survey Table 36. The School of Architecture ...... 225 Assessment Plan Table 37. The School of Art ...... 233 Assessment Plan

Appendixes

Appendixes are contained in the individually labeled files that accompany this report. Page numbers in the right-hand column below indicate the place in the text of the report where each appendix is referenced.

Appendix A. Strategic Plan ...... 2 Appendix B. Cooper Union Federation of ...... 16 College Teachers Contractual Agreement Appendix C. The Cooper Union Consolidated ...... 28 Financial Statements for FY 2001 and FY 2002 Appendix D. President’s Council Profiles ...... 47 Appendix E. The Campaign for Cooper Union ...... 47 Case Statement Appendix F. At Cooper Union ...... 50 Redesigned Alumni Magazine Appendix G. Selected Press Clippings (17) ...... 52 Appendix H. Selected Videos (2) ...... 52 Electronic Coverage Appendix I. President’s Report 2001 ...... 53 Appendix J. The Cooper Union View Book, CD-ROM ...... 53 Appendix K. School of Architecture Publications (3) ...... 73

Appendix L. Senior Student Exhibition Flyer ...... 94 School of Art Appendix M. All-Student Exhibition Flyers (3) ...... 94 School of Art Appendix N. Adjunct Faculty Handbook ...... 99 School of Art Appendix O. Guest Artists and Critics: ...... 101 Intradisciplinary Seminar Flyer, School of Art Appendix P. Gwathmey/Katz Chair Catalogs (2) ...... 102 School of Art Appendix Q. Lubalin Center Flyers (5) ...... 104 School of Art Appendix R. Saturday Outreach Program Flyers (2) ...... 115 School of Art Appendix S. Summer Residency Brochure ...... 122 School of Art Appendix T. Exhibition Catalogs (3) ...... 124 School of Art Appendix U. Humanities and Social Sciences ...... 178 Revised Core Curriculum Appendix V. Humanities and Social Sciences ...... 182 Evaluation Form and Cover Memo Appendix W. CooperArts Brochure ...... 188 Appendix X. FORUM, Continuing Education and ...... 188 Public Programs

Executive Summary

In this Periodic Review Report, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art reaffirms its commitment to the ideal of an all-honors college and its unique mission: offering an education of the first rank in architecture, art and engineering and a guaranteed full-tuition scholarship for each student. The Cooper Union admissions process, which accepts students based on merit alone, remains among the most selective in the country, and its academic programs continue to be ranked in the top tier of American specialized colleges. A dedicated faculty, exceptional students, small class sizes, student-faculty ratio of 7.5, and studio- and project-based curricula shape an extraordinary environment for learning and creative thinking at Cooper Union. Reponses to the 1998 MSA review. The College has been substantially strengthened since 1998 by the arrival of a new President and, under his leader- ship, an energized and committed response to the comments of the MSA evalua- tion team. Each of the issues raised by the team is covered in context throughout this report and is summarized below. Institutional mission and structure. The new President, who took office in July 2000, has made considerable progress in addressing the organizational and structural issues raised, streamlining operations, strengthening centralized functions, and establishing clear lines of authority and responsibility. The 1998 MSA review identified the need for a strong, explicit and coher- ent overall institutional mission as distinct from the well-defined missions in place for The Cooper Union’s individual academic divisions; a more tightly structured administrative organization; and improved institutional planning, communication and decision-making processes to reinforce the well-defined governance structures of the individual academic divisions. The new President restructured the Office of the President, redesigned the administrative structure, and established a Cabinet, Academic Council, and Academic Deans Council as the principal institutionwide governance bodies, which are further elaborated on in the administration and governance section of this report. In addition, the President appoints institutional groups or task forces to deal with specific issues as needed, such as the Technology Planning Task Force, or Architect Selection Committee for new construction. The administration has created a number of new forums for interaction and communication across the institution. Most important, the President holds at least semiannual institutionwide forums on the state of The Cooper Union, along with colloquia on critical issues of broader academic and social concern. Less formal opportunities have been designed to foster cross-cutting collaboration. For example, the Chairs of the individual curriculum committees now have monthly discussions with the President on interdisciplinary academic program ideas and opportunities.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 1 Since the 1998 MSA review, the academic community has conducted a review and revision of the institutional mission statement, which was adopted by the Board of Trustees in September 2000 and can be found on page 10. The institution also completed a comprehensive strategic planning process, the plan serving as the basis for a capital campaign case statement published in April 2003. The strategic plan is included with this report as Appendix A. The new administration implemented a vigorous annual review and sal- ary review program for all staff. The faculty as a whole remains organized as a bargaining unit under a contractual agreement with Cooper Union that was revised and renegotiated in 2002. The President and Vice President for Business Affairs meet monthly with bargaining unit representatives. In addition, three of the four faculties have separate governances that are consistent with the contract and that are, like the contract, approved by the Board of Trustees. Institution- wide committees that include faculty are established through negotiations with the bargaining unit. The bargaining unit contract and the individual governances continue to guide the tenure and promotions process; however, the Deans now apply consis- tent guidelines, including materials for review, criteria and standards. While consistent, the guidelines have been designed to recognize and accommodate the inherent differences between evaluating the creative work of architecture and art faculty, scholarly publications of humanities and social sciences faculty, and research outcomes of engineering and science faculty. The new administration has also instituted a substantial reorganization of the Board of Trustees and its processes and procedures since the last MSA review, with a rewriting of the Bylaws to reflect the changes. Board members now have term limits. Deans and student representatives have been added to the Academic Affairs Committee. Board meetings are quarterly two-day meetings, with committee meetings throughout the first day. At the end of the first day, there is a focused discussion on a topic of importance to the College, to which Deans and often faculty members and students are invited, followed by a dinner. All new Trustees now participate in an orientation program that gives them a comprehensive overview of the College, its administrative operations and its academic programs. Public perception. The 1998 MSA review suggested that public perception might be enhanced, noting that, “Cooper Union is one of New York’s best-kept secrets.” While it is certainly true that Cooper Union is not a household name, that kind of recognition is not considered to be essential to the fulfillment of its mission. Along with the names of other small, prestigious colleges, such as Oberlin, Swarthmore, Haverford or Williams, Cooper Union is not likely to ever become widely known to the average person, particularly because the College does no recruitment advertising. Among professionals in architecture, art, engineering and science, however, The Cooper Union has long been well known and highly celebrated. Its distinguished graduates who have ascended to leader-

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 2 ship positions in their professions, and their often passionate acknowledgement of the institution’s contribution to their careers, ensure a measure of visibility for Cooper Union. When Daniel Libeskind won the competition to design the new World Trade Center site, for example, he made a point in his numerous inter- views to publicly recognize the importance of his education at Cooper Union, as did Russell Hulse on winning the Nobel Prize in Physics. Admissions statistics for Cooper Union attest to the fact that the College is also well known among exceptional high school students aspiring to be archi- tects, artists or engineers. In addition, job placement statistics confirm that major employers in New York and other key cities, as well as high-tech locations such as Silicon Valley, know and deeply respect the institution. Prestigious fellowships to graduate schools worldwide and other honors confirm the College’s reputation in the academic community and among foundations that support scholarly activities. Cooper Union seniors have received ten Fulbright Scholar- ships over the past five years, an unprecedented number for a single institution of higher education of any size. Such recognition notwithstanding, the new administration embraced the importance of a focused and effective communications and media relations strategy. To that end, the Communications Department was restructured in 2000 to create a new, comprehensive Public Affairs Department. With the support of one of New York’s top public relations firms, the new organization has been highly successful in raising Cooper Union’s public profile on a national level, through print and electronic media placements. These include numerous articles in The New York Times and institutional profiles on cable and network televi- sion. Tapes of recent programs and a selection of articles are included in the appendix. Great Hall. The historic role of the Great Hall at Cooper Union was cited in the 1998 MSA review as an important asset that was not being optimally utilized. Since then, the College’s public programs have been completely over- hauled. A new Director, reporting to the Vice President of External Affairs, was hired in 2001, and the programs have been revitalized to broad critical acclaim. A CooperArts Program, now in its third year, provides a deliberately eclectic series of events. They feature cutting-edge performing arts and the spoken word and often attracts a capacity audience to the 1,000-seat Great Hall. Performances have included Jason Robert Brown, Ursula Oppens, the Brentano String Quartet, a Jazz Extravaganza, a Salsa Spectacular and more. Prominent speakers have included Benoit Mandelbrot, William Styron, and Brian Greene and panel discussions have included the final design teams competing for the commission to redevelop the World Trade Center site. Public programs such as CooperArts provide cultural enrichment for The Cooper Union community, an extraordinary public service to New York City and an important educational experience for students. At the same time, they also

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 3 substantially contribute to Cooper Union’s visibility and offer a vehicle for highlighting the academic programs and broader contributions of the College. Academic programs. Issues related to academic programs cited in the 1998 MSA review centered on lack of coordination across the academic divisions. This problem has been addressed largely through the restructuring of the administra- tion with a much stronger institutionwide management. The specific issue of coordinating offerings between the School of Art and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, for example, has been addressed by more inclusive curricu- lum committees that include members of both faculties. New issues that surface are reviewed immediately at monthly meetings of the Academic Deans Council, comprised of the President and four academic Deans. The academic programs of the College are being imbued with a new vital- ity as major new academic initiatives are being planned in several areas. The most dramatic changes will occur in the School of Engineering, which will also occupy entirely new facilities in 2007. The changes include a more flexible Bachelor of Engineering degree curriculum, with new areas of concentration and more emphasis on the life sciences. In addition, digital technology is having a significant impact on the curriculum in both the School of Architecture and the School of Art. New master’s degree programs are planned in Architecture and master classes for professionals are being introduced in Art with the possibility of expanding to graduate degree programs. An institutionwide outcomes assess- ment program, building on the programs already in place in the School of Engi- neering, is being implemented, with the goal of providing ongoing feedback and continuous improvement in pedagogy, educational delivery and content. Facilities. The 1998 MSA review noted space limitations at the College, specifically in Architecture and Art. While additional square footage would indeed be welcome, the limitations were to a large extent a function of space management and inefficient scheduling. The physical facilities at Cooper Union are the envy of urban institutions, particularly in New York City. While the individual studio spaces for all architecture students and for all art students above freshmen, for example, could be improved, the notion of a college providing individual studios for students is widely regarded as an unusual luxury. The College’s facilities are, in fact, among the attributes that attract exceptional students to Cooper Union. On the other hand, the need for more space for faculty offices and lounges continues to be an issue across the institution. This space deficit will be addressed with the planned 30 percent increase in usable space when a new academic building replaces two existing buildings in 2007. Library. The library was cited in 1998 as another example of a loosely managed, and therefore somewhat disconnected, institutionwide function. The library is now under new management and reports to the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. Responding to the MSA review, the College formed a Library Committee to provide direct communication among the library, the four academic

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 4 faculties and the student body. A collection development policy now exists and there is a formal procedure for faculty input into the library collection and operations policies. The library has converted almost all of its older collection into electronic format and is offering greatly enhanced computer access and electronic resources. Assessment. The 1998 MSA review noted substantial progress in the area of assessment. Since then, an even more rigorous, quantitative Outcomes As- sessment Program has been developed and is in various stages of implementation in the four academic divisions. The program is described comprehensively in the outcomes assessment section of this report. Finances. Perhaps the most significant issue raised in the 1998 MSA re- view was the persistent operations deficit that has plagued the institution for virtually its entire 144-year history, but particularly over the past 15 years. Although the financial challenges of an all-scholarship institution are consider- able during an economic downturn, the institution has a solid plan for meeting its financial needs and for emerging from the downturn with both a sustainable financial structure and new state-of-the-art academic facilities in each of the three professional schools. The new administration’s four-point plan to address this problem is discussed in detail in the section on institutional planning and finance. Several major milestones in the plan have already been achieved. A professional development staff has been established, and annual contributions had almost tripled by 2002. Expense budgets have been reduced by 10 percent through restructured and more efficient central operations, staff reductions and hiring and salary freezes. A long-term lease has been signed for one of Cooper Union’s major undeveloped properties. The master plan for two other underde- veloped properties and necessary zoning variances have been approved by City Planning, and a capital campaign to raise funds for a new academic building has been initiated. The financial plan will achieve a surplus budget in 2007 and all elements for a sustainable financial infrastructure for the College for the foreseeable future will be in place by 2009.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 5 The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Historical Background The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was established in the decade preceding the Civil War. Its founder, the inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper, had little formal education; however, he recognized the critical value of higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility. Having amassed a personal fortune, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to provide a first-rank education “as free as air and water” for exceptional students who might not otherwise be able to afford such an education. His vision included a commitment to public engagement in critical social issues and to an egalitarian ethos.

Dedicated to “the future improvement of humankind,” The Cooper Union was the first private institution of higher education in the nation to admit students based exclusively on merit; the first to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity or national origin; the first to provide a free education to every admitted student, before free public education at the precollege level became public policy; and the first to offer a free reading room, the forerunner of the public library, open to all the city’s people. The early evening courses at Cooper Union – in art and science, history, philosophy, politics and government – were the prototype for the opportunities offered today in continuing education classes throughout the country.

When The Cooper Union opened in New York City in 1859, the physical structure of the original building was a testament to Peter Cooper’s genius. Now a national landmark and widely referred to as one of New York’s grand monu- ments, the Foundation Building exemplified not only his dedication to social mobility through education, but his recognition of the power of technology and the importance of art and design. The tallest building in New York City in 1859, this first “skyscraper” was also the first building to be designed with a rolled iron I-beam infrastructure and the first to house an elevator shaft top to bottom, although the passenger car for such a shaft had not yet been developed.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 6 This new radical urban institution was strategically located at the cross- roads separating rich Manhattanites from poor. The south portico of the Founda- tion Building faced the top of the Bowery, a symbolic welcome to the immigrants and economically disenfranchised of the Lower East Side. Students entering from the south would emerge through the north portico, transformed by education, to build new lives in the fashionable neighborhoods on Fifth Avenue. While at Cooper Union, they would be taught to walk in the footsteps of Peter Cooper and to sustain his legacy, to embrace the ethics of philanthropy and social responsibil- ity, to share their success and to create opportunities for those who would follow.

Because Cooper Union was both tuition-free and committed to excellence, a Cooper Union education changed the fortunes of entire families in a single generation. For the men who rode their bicycles over the Brooklyn Bridge to Cooper Union’s night school, it meant a move from factory floor to engineer’s bench, a ticket to the middle class purchased with an education they wouldn’t have been able to afford except for Cooper Union. For the city’s women who were invited to study at its School of Art, it meant self sufficiency and self respect, a career with real promise and real wages at a time when women were still denied equal access to educational opportunities.

African-Americans, although their numbers were small, were also af- forded entry to previously closed careers through Cooper Union. Important black scholars and artists were trained here during a period in American history when it was almost impossible for African-Americans to get a college education of any kind. Well-known artist Annie Walker, who exhibited in the Parisian salons in the 1890’s was an alumna. Daisy Brown, the first African-American woman to get a degree in engineering in the United States, graduated from Cooper Union in 1904; she was third in her class and the only woman. Augusta Savage, noted sculptor during the early 20th century; Palmer Hayden, an important Harlem Renaissance painter; and Roy de Carava, the first African-American photogra- pher to win a Guggenheim Fellowship, are all alumni of Cooper Union.

It was not only the students who benefited from a Cooper Union educa- tion but the society to which they made so many major contributions. Just a few examples follow:

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 7 Cooper Union engineering alumni have fulfilled society’s most basic needs – from the electric light of Thomas Edison (1870s), whose only formal schooling was at Cooper Union, to the restoration of power after September 11, 2001 by Con Edison’s president, Kevin Burke (’72); from the water that flows out of city faucets thanks to Walter Sinnott’s (’52) work on the Croton Water System to the construction of New York City’s Water Tunnel No. 3 under the leadership of George Fox (’40). They have formulated society’s codes – from Felix Frank- furter’s (1889) decisions as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to Charles Schaffner’s (’41) writing of the New York City Building Code. They have made fundamental contributions to science and technology. Russell Hulse (’70) won the Nobel Prize in Physics, Israel Taback (’43) led the Viking Project that landed two spacecraft on Mars, Howard Flagg (’74) and Ben Itri (’74) developed and commercialized DSL, digital subscriber loop technology, and Chuck Hoberman (’79) developed a revolutionary design for collapsible structures that was exempli- fied by his unfolding arch for the 2002 Olympics.

Cooper Union alumni have had a powerful influence on 20th century architecture, on the education of architects and on the social significance of architecture – from Dean John Hejduk’s Wall House to Ricardo Scofidio (’55) and Elizabeth Diller’s (’79) Blur Building, from Lynda Simmons’s (’63) Phipps Houses to Shigeru Ban’s (’84) refugee homes, from Arthur Rosenblatt’s (’52) additions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Daniel Libeskind’s (’70) Jewish Museum in Berlin and his winning entry for rebuilding the World Trade Center site. Six of the seven semi-finalist architecture firms and both finalists in the competition for the World Trade Center site included a Cooper Union alumnus or faculty member as a principal.

Cooper Union alumni include major figures in the world of art, such as Lee Krasner (’29), Alex Katz (’49), Tom Wesselmann (’59), and Philip Taaffe (’77). Cooper Union alumni have created powerful graphic icons that project a complexity of meaning, such as Milton Glaser’s (’51) “I Love New York” and Julian LaVerdiere’s (’93) contribution to the “Tribute in Light” following the attack on the World Trade Center. They have shaped and reflected our percep-

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 8 tions of the times, as in Jay Maisel’s (’52) book, Twin Towers, Ed Sorel’s (’51) covers for The New Yorker and Seymour Chwast’s political cartoons on the Op- Ed pages of The New York Times. Roger Mosconi’s (’67) groundbreaking Mean Joe Green TV spot broke the barrier of race in television commercials as the first time that an African-American was used in a mainstream television spot.

Cooper Union alumni are counted among the nation’s most distin- guished educators. Among these are Al Carnesale (’57), Chancellor at UCLA; Toshiko Mori (’76), Chair of the Architecture Department at Harvard; Stan Allen (’80), Dean of Architecture at Princeton; and Peter Lynch (’84), Chairman of the Architecture Department at Cranbrook. Cooper Union alumni have taught us not only to develop our intellects but also our imaginations, as in the work of Joshua Lionel Cowen (1870s), inventor of Lionel Trains; Evan Hunter (’46), author of “Blackboard Jungle”; and Martin Charnin (’55 ), producer of “Annie.”

One of Peter Cooper’s goals was to bring the richness of the arts, culture, intellectual discourse and civic engagement not only to students but to the broader New York City community as well. He included in his building a central gathering place, the Great Hall, where 3,000 people could stand to hear free lectures by speakers whose views were reshaping society. From the very begin- ning, the Great Hall offered a forum that encouraged freedom of thought, free- dom of expression and challenges to the status quo.

In 1859 no social issue was more important than the issue of slavery, and Cooper Union quickly became a center of abolitionist activity. On December 15, 1859, anti-slavery leaders Wendell Phillips and George Cheever came to the Great Hall for a ceremony honoring the memory of John Brown, who had been hanged just two weeks earlier for his raid on Harper’s Ferry. It set an immediate tone of radicalism and democratic freedom.

On February 27, 1860, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “Right Makes Might” speech in the Great Hall. In addition to Phillips, Cheever and Lincoln, Frederick Douglass also rallied abolitionists here, and it was here that Douglass celebrated Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 9 Cooper Union went on to become home to a number of other important social movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was headquarters for Susan B. Anthony, Victoria Woodhull, Elizabeth Stanton and the women’s suffrage movement. Housing reform and the New York tenement house law were ham- mered out in the Great Hall. The American Red Cross was born here. Labor unions were formed in the Great Hall where, in 1877, they gathered to bring the nation’s railroads to a halt. In 1909, young female shirtwaist workers launched the “uprising of the twenty thousand,” which began the enormous struggle to improve working conditions in the city’s garment industry. In 1910 the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People was organized in the Great Hall, where, in the years that followed, W. E. B. DuBois challenged the nation to live up to its promise of freedom.

The Great Hall has provided a forum for American presidents after Lin- coln from Ulysses S. Grant to Bill Clinton, for authors from Harriet Beecher Stowe to Salmon Rushdie, for scientists from Thomas Huxley to Benoit Mandle- brot, and for many others.

The Cooper Union Today Cooper Union today carries forward Peter Cooper’s vision as it provides cutting- edge leadership in architecture, art and engineering. A new mission statement was developed in response to recommendations from the 1998 MSA evaluation team and was adopted in 2000 to provide a unifying touchstone for the College overall as it moves into the 21st century.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, through outstanding academic programs in architecture, art, and engineering, prepares gifted students admitted on merit to make enlightened contributions to society. Cooper Union pro- vides all students with full-tuition scholarships, close contact with a distinguished and creative faculty, and a rigorous, hu- manistic learning environment stimulated by the process of de- sign and enhanced by the urban setting. As an intellectual and cultural center, The Cooper Union of- fers public programs that enrich the civic and artistic life of New York City. Founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper, philanthropist, The Cooper Union advances its historic commitment to science

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 10 and art through intellectual, practical, and artistic applications for the future.

The mission statement incorporates and promotes the ideals of this all-honors college, including an ongoing commitment to provide a full-tuition scholarship for every admitted student, now valued at $26,000 annually. It also reflects The Cooper Union’s original charter requiring that the institution offer academic programs as good as those offered by any college “now established or herein after to be established,” and the goal of providing access to high quality higher educa- tion for exceptional students who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

The academic programs at Cooper Union today are extremely highly rated. Those that are reviewed by U.S. News and World Report are perennially ranked among the top three in the nation, and The Princeton Review ranks the institution among the top three most selective higher education institutions of any kind. Still accepted on the basis of merit alone – no legacy, no athletic prowess, no patronage can win a seat in the freshman class – the young men and women who enter The Cooper Union are among America’s most promising and creative scholars. They come to Cooper Union because they anticipate a peer group unequaled in passion, focus, analytical skill and artistic vision. They seek membership in a community of equals, committed to intellectual growth, freedom of thought and creative expression. They value Cooper Union’s promise of exceptional professional development in architecture, art and engineering and the opportunity to engage intensely in the fabric of life of one of the great urban centers in the history of civilization.

To fulfill its promise as a leader, the College conducts a continuous re- view and refinement of its curricula. One of the major academic programs now being planned is a significant restructuring of the engineering curriculum. Changes in the environment over the latter half of the 20th century – the perva- sive impact of computer and information technology, the rapid advances in science and engineering, the increasing importance of the life sciences – and the projected scientific breakthroughs in the coming years suggest that fundamental changes in engineering education are essential. Tomorrow’s technology leaders must possess a depth of knowledge in the fundamentals of mathematics and the

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 11 natural sciences including biology; an unprecedented breadth of problem-solving and design skills; the ability to integrate information from a range of traditional engineering disciplines; a carefully nurtured spirit of creativity; highly effective communication, management, teamwork, entrepreneurial and business skills; and a deeply ingrained commitment to ethics and humanism.

The Albert Nerken School of Engineering will institutionalize a structure that has been evolving in the school for several years through close faculty- student interactions and the advisement process. The engineering curriculum will move from a set of traditionally focused engineering departments to a flexible, highly integrated program. Beginning with the class of 2007, students will continue to have the option of selecting either the Bachelor of Engineering or the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree. However, Bachelor of Engineering students will select from several “concentrations” rather than a traditional major in a highly structured department, with the flexibility to develop individualized courses of study. This will permit students to focus on those emerging areas that will shape the technological landscape of the future, as well as on traditional engineering subdisciplines.

Prospective students have responded with great enthusiasm to the new program, as exemplified by the largest early admissions class ever with a 100 percent yield for the Fall 2003 term and an overall increase of 17 percent in applications.

Other changes in curriculum are also under discussion among all four faculties. With the barriers separating architecture, art and engineering becom- ing increasingly porous, and the fields themselves more interdependent, the need for cross-disciplinary studies becomes ever more apparent. The College has the opportunity to centralize operations and to reduce duplication of effort while ultimately producing the creative designers of the new century. The case for increased focus on the common ingredients that bind the schools together is compelling and is being actively discussed.

A major asset of the College is its size. Although a renewal of physical fa- cilities is actively being planned, no major change in the number of students or

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 12 the overall size of the plant is anticipated. The architectural elegance of the Foundation Building, along with state-of-the-art labs, equipment and studios, provides an exceptional learning environment. Class sizes are small, with fewer than 1,000 students and 252 full-time, proportional-time and adjunct faculty. The student/FTE faculty ratio is about 7.5, yielding individualized attention, advising and mentoring for students.

The creative energy that suffuses The Cooper Union’s classrooms exists in complete symbiosis with the heady urban environment that is its campus. For the students who choose Cooper Union and for the faculty drawn by its rich, vibrant milieu, New York City as workshop, as studio and laboratory and as stimulus to the imagination is a crucial part of the attraction. Offering the opportunity to live and work at the crossroads of several great universities, New York City is a nexus of cultural, intellectual and technological opportunities unduplicated in the world.

Anchored in the East Village, historic center for radical thought, artistic innovation and social change, The Cooper Union campus today comprises ap- proximately one-half million square feet located in three main academic build- ings: the Foundation Building, which has recently undergone a complete exterior restoration, the Abram Hewitt Memorial Building and the Engineering Building. In addition, the campus includes 27,000 square feet of rented space housing administrative offices, a 200-bed dormitory, and the historic Stuyvesant Fish House, a 6,500-square-foot townhouse donated to the College. The townhouse serves as the President’s residence, with space and facilities that are used for many institutional events during the course of the year.

Convenient to the city’s mass transit system, the campus offers direct ac- cess throughout Manhattan and beyond. Within minutes of passing through the Cooper Union portals, students can wander New York’s world-renowned muse- ums of fine art and natural history, science and technology, pop culture and ethnic heritage, new media and old masters. They can explore the city’s galleries, experience its theater, attend its lectures. They are just a quick subway ride from Wall Street, from Madison Avenue’s advertising and design firms, from mid-

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 13 town’s great architectural treasures and corporate headquarters and from the remarkable multicultural neighborhoods of its boroughs.

The movement goes both ways. Just as Cooper Union students migrate into the city, the enormous talent that exists outside the institution’s walls exerts significant influence on the education within. Engaging exceptional practicing professionals as adjunct faculty, The Cooper Union offers students the opportu- nity to work one-on-one with leading architects, artists and engineers in an environment combining the best of the academy and the conservatory. The curriculum evolves constantly as the innovations emerging in the professions feed back into the classroom.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 14 Administration and Governance

Soon after the Middle States evaluation team visit in 1998, the Cooper Union administration was substantially restructured. After a national search, a new President was appointed in the fall of 1999 who, as President-Elect, immediately became involved in the major decisions and operations of the College. Officially taking office in July 2000, he reorganized the Office of the President, redesigned the administrative management structure, and strengthened the Development operations and Office of External Affairs, consolidating Public Affairs, Alumni Relations and External Programs.

Other major changes in personnel since 1998 have included the appoint- ment of Ronni Denes, Vice President for External Affairs; Anthony Vidler, Dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, following the retirement of the late Dean John Hejduk; and David Weir as Acting Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, following the resignation of John Harrington, who was named Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The senior leadership team of the institution now consists of the Presi- dent, Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer, Vice President for External Affairs and Special Assistant to the President, and Secretary to the Board (currently vacant), who form the Cabinet; the Dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, Dean of the School of Art, Dean of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, who form the Academic Deans Council; the Dean of Students and the Dean of Admissions and Records.

The entire group forms the Academic Council, which meets monthly throughout the year, serving as the overall planning group for the institution. Ad hoc subcommittees of the Academic Council are formed as needed to carry out various assignments, reporting back to the council and often including other members of the community. The President also meets with the Academic Deans Council on a monthly basis to coordinate academic matters that cut across the institution. The Cabinet meets weekly. In the new management structure, nine individuals – the Deans, Vice Presidents and Special Assistant – report directly

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 15 to the President. While that is still a significant number, it has been reduced considerably from the previous unwieldy 17.

The new administration also implemented new processes for ongoing as- sessment and continuous improvement, including a rigorous, institutionwide annual work review and salary review program for all staff. It initiated planning for institutionwide expansion of student outcomes assessment, which had already been implemented in engineering. It also undertook a study of universities with effective programs, including post-tenure reviews.

The faculty is organized as an AFL-CIO bargaining unit, the Cooper Un- ion Federation of College Teachers (CUFCT), which has a contractual agreement with The Cooper Union covering the terms and conditions of employment. (See Appendix B.) In addition, three of the individual faculties are internally organ- ized under a set of governances that are consistent with the contract. The President and Vice President for Business Affairs meet monthly with the leader- ship of the CUFCT to discuss contractual matters and any “labor-management” issues. In addition, the President meets monthly for breakfast with a small group of faculty members for informal discussion.

The students elect a Student Council, each school having its own council whose members also serve on the Joint Student Council and on various school committees. The President meets regularly with the Administrative Chairs of the Student Council. In addition, the President and the Chairman of the Board meet regularly with three elected student representatives – one from each of the schools.

The Board of Trustees consists of 21 members and meets quarterly. Com- mittees of the board include the Executive Committee, Committee on Trustees, Academic Affairs Committee, Investment Committee, Development Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, and Master Planning Committee. Ad hoc committees are formed on an as-needed basis. Each committee meets typically around the time of the full board meeting, with the exception of the Executive Committee, which meets between board meetings. The Academic Affairs

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 16 Committee includes the Deans and one student representative from each of the schools.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 17 Institutional Planning and Finance

The new administration, created in the summer of 2000, immediately faced two critical issues: the needs for upgraded facilities and for improved financial health.

Upgrading Facilities A review of the physical plant clearly indicated a pressing need for upgraded facilities in some areas. The Foundation Building, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, was already in the midst of a total exterior restoration to save it from the deterioration caused by weathering, water damage and sheer age. Undertaken with an unwavering commitment to architectural integrity and conservation, the project has now restored the building’s facade to its early elegance. The surface has been replenished with brownstone from the country’s oldest operating quarry, supplier of the original skin. In May 2001 the New York Landmarks Conservancy presented the College with its highest honor, the Lucy G. Moses Award, for this preservation effort. The New York Times, referring to the building as one of New York’s grand monuments, featured the restoration project in a front-page article. The interior of the building had been completely renovated in prior years and provides what can only be described as a spectacular environment for the study of architecture and art, with respect to studios, facilities, equipment and classrooms.

The Foundation Building is just the first of Cooper Union’s three major academic buildings that needed to be brought into the new century. The Albert Nerken School of Engineering is housed in a building completed in 1959; the shell and its systems were designed almost 50 years ago without foreknowledge of the enormous technological infrastructure required to support a top-tier engineering in 2003. In addition, the building has an inefficient patchwork of energy systems. Retrofitted to accommodate to the severe constraints of the original design and to maintain Cooper Union’s programs at the cutting edge, the engineering building today is an expensive, limiting and inefficient structure for delivering those programs.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 18 The Hewitt Building also has severe deficiencies related to antiquated construction and layout. Completed in 1912, the structure is underbuilt based on existing zoning. The building’s foundation has been determined to be a key obstacle to expanding the existing structure, which consists of only the first two of a planned six stories. The building has an excessively large ground-floor lobby, hallways and stairwells that greatly reduce usable square footage. Other physical deficiencies include lack of an elevator, severely outmoded and inefficient energy systems, unenclosed exit stairs, and issues regarding compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Under the new administration, the College initiated a major planning process, incorporating some ideas that had previously been under discussion, to accomplish several key goals:

Renew outdated and obsolete academic facilities infrastructure.

Improve operating efficiency by eliminating duplication of effort be- tween departments.

Reposition real estate assets to best accommodate long-term financial health.

Revamp the engineering curriculum and design new academic facilities to accommodate the curriculum.

Develop commercial space to encourage mutually beneficial collabora- tion between Cooper Union’s academic resources and the private sec- tor.

Demonstrate excellent urban design, energy efficiency and sensitivity to community concerns.

The College developed a Master Plan that identified the need for significant structural changes as central to the College’s academic future. Figures 1 and 2 present two views of Cooper Union properties that are part of a significant rezoning effort in the Cooper Square area approved by the City Planning Com- mission, the City Council and the Office of the Mayor in the fall of 2002 as part of that plan.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 19 Figure 1. Map of Rezoned Cooper Union Properties General Large Scale Development Plan

North

South

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 20 Figure 2. Computer-Generated Rendering of the Cooper Union Neighborhood

Page 21

To make the most of its restructuring potential, the physical planning process at Cooper Union provides for the following:

Consolidate the academic functions of both the current Hewitt and School of Engineering buildings into one new leading-edge academic facility on the Hewitt site.

Reposition 51 Astor Place, the engineering site, for development as an innovative mix of commercial, retail and academic uses. The approved zoning change on this site configures the building’s bulk to accommo- date neighborhood character, as an outcome of community participa- tion in the official city review process.

Consolidate academic and commercial functions by moving develop- ment rights between sites. Table 1 on page 22 provides greater detail on current and future use of space.

51 Astor Place. A new structure on the 51 Astor Place property will house mostly commercial office space, with 62,486 square feet of academic space consisting largely of an auditorium and administrative offices. One aim is to move The Cooper Union administrative offices, now housed in leased space at 30 Cooper Square, to new space at 51 Astor Place. Approximately 13,000 square feet of ground-level retail space will be also included at this location.

Conceptualized during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which is New York City’s key public review process, a new public open space will anchor the site’s southeast corner, creating a public plaza at one of New York’s most distinct intersections, Astor Place and Third Avenue. An essential component of the building’s general envelope mandated by the ULURP process, the public space will be designed with the input of community stake- holders.

One goal of Cooper Union’s physical planning initiatives is to connect building design to the adjacent streetscape settings. The Astor Place/Cooper Square neighborhood is among the most unique and active in New York City. As a key crossroad between the East and West Village, as well as a gateway to downtown, the area has a unique roadway configuration that deviates from the

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 22

surrounding grid. (See Figure 1.) The angular convergence of streets near Astor Place and Fourth Avenue creates an unusual and active urban environment. At the same time, excess asphalt and the sense of Cooper Square as a thoroughfare rather than a destination, present particular urban design challenges.

Table 1. Summary of Current and Future Use of Space By Function and Square Footage

Existing Future Site Program Program Engineering Site (lot 36,117 sf) 51 Astor Place

Academic 151,590 62,4861 Commercial 0 286,8981 Retail 1,400 13,0021 Total 152,990 362,3861 Hewitt Site (lot 18,175 sf)

Academic 68,390 183,5751 Retail 0 10,0001 Total 68,390 193,5751 Foundation Building

Academic 174,850 174,8501 Total 174,850 174,8501 30 Cooper Square

Academic – administration 27,0002 01 Stuyvesant Fish House

Academic – administration 6,500 6,5001 Residence Hall

Student housing 48,390 48,3901 Retail 19,730 19,7301 Total 68,120 68,1201

Total Academic 429,030 427,4111

Total Commercial 0 286,8981

Total Retail 6,800 42,7321

(1) Includes estimated mechanical allowance. (2) Leased space to be vacated.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 23

Specifically, Peter Cooper Park, to the south of the Foundation Building, has been developed as a small neighborhood green seating area that is main- tained, in part, by the College. Cooper Union has sought community input on improving the design and usability of the park. That process is expected to continue into the future, as the College has received funding for community participation in design upgrades.

The Hewitt site. Planning and preliminary layout design for the new aca- demic building on the Hewitt site is actively under way, with the task of integrat- ing curricular change into the new structure a paramount consideration in the planning process. A detailed database of existing uses has been developed, and a series of in-depth interviews with all key academic stakeholders has been conducted. Some central requirements have emerged as plans for specific space needs have been coordinated with ongoing academic planning. These include: maximizing floor plan openness and flexibility; planning for the unexpected, including rapid technological change; maximizing student and faculty collabora- tive opportunities; and ease of floor plan reconfiguration.

The Cooper Union Master Plan essentially defines building size, envelope and design guidelines. The culmination of more than three years of work, the plan was reshaped and significantly altered during the official seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Supporting the official process, Cooper Union undertook a major outreach effort, working directly with a Joint Task Force of Community Boards 2 and 3, which met approximately monthly for more than two years. The ULURP process itself included public review sessions and hearings as well as intense involvement and negotiation with the local community and city agencies and officials – including neighborhood representa- tives, community boards, the City Planning Department, City Council members, state senators and the Borough President.

Planning for the new structures has included active assessment of cur- rent and future energy use and environmental impacts. As the College identifies areas of improved financial performance, energy planning will be a major focus, including potential onsite heat and power systems, as well as broad implementa- tion of green building design and technologies.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 24

In this vein, Cooper Union has solicited active interest from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in sponsor- ing energy studies and prospective implementation of green building and onsite heat-and-power systems for planned buildings. NYSERDA is a state-level agency whose mission is to provide support for energy efficiency, onsite power and related green building efforts statewide. Both direct technical and financial assistance are available, providing matching funds for energy consultants as well as significant capital funding for both green building system incremental costs and onsite combined heat and power systems. NYSERDA is now actively review- ing a Cooper Union proposal to support energy planning consulting, focusing on the prospects for an onsite power system supplying College-owned buildings in the Cooper Square area. Integrating these innovative energy technologies with the College’s curriculum is being actively explored by the architecture and engineering schools. Hands-on access to leading-edge technologies – from solar systems and fuel cells to innovative glazing and designs maximizing natural daylighting – is a particularly exciting prospect.

Improving Financial Health While other institutions may increase enrollments and raise tuition, The Cooper Union remains steadfast in its commitment to providing a full-tuition scholarship to every admitted student. This unique mission places unusual demands on the institution’s financial infrastructure. Among the exacerbating factors are the financial pressures associated with the technology-intensive requirements of academic programs in architecture, art and engineering, along with the high cost of operating in New York City. Moreover, Cooper Union’s endowment has not kept pace with the escalating costs of higher education, defining the second critical issue for the new administration.

The College has for more than a decade struggled with structural deficit spending on the order of $10 million annually more than current revenues (operating plus capital), an issue addressed by the 1998 Middle States evaluation team. During the economic expansion of the 1990s, the deficit spending was covered by unusually high investment returns. The new administration recog-

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 25

nized that this was not a viable long-term strategy. There was, in fact, an urgent need to develop a comprehensive financial plan to align expenses and revenues and to create a sustainable financial infrastructure for the foreseeable future.

The new administration developed a four-point financial plan that included:

Development of underutilized real estate assets.

Improvements in operating efficiency and fiscal restraint.

Expansion of annual giving to the institution.

The launch of a capital campaign.

The initial plan was focused largely on the opportunity to increase reve- nues. It also specified a time frame that did not envision the collapse of financial markets and the degree of economic decline that subsequently occurred.

The financial plan accompanied a year-long strategic planning effort, be- gun in September 2000, that assumed a reasonably stable economic environment. The process produced an individual “portfolio” analysis for each of the adminis- trative departments and academic divisions of the College. A retreat with the Academic Council (Deans, Vice Presidents and President’s office) yielded an integrated plan with an agreed-upon set of priorities that gained the support of the Board of Trustees. However, the planning process was peremptorily inter- rupted by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent acceleration of the economic decline that was already in progress. This had a dramatic and immediate impact on Cooper Union’s financial circumstances, unraveling an imminent, major real estate deal. A new and even more urgent short-term planning process and budgetary review was initiated to deal with the immediate issues the College now faced.

Given the declining state of the economy, losses in the security markets and an uncertain fund-raising environment, much more attention would now have to be devoted to cost reduction. Compelled to eliminate the structural deficit within a more compressed time frame, the College committed to making strategic decisions that would not only reduce costs but also reflect the very best thinking of the academic community on the future of higher education. The intense

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 26

discussions with Deans, faculty, students and administrators that followed led to a creative restructuring of operations that will yield substantial cost reductions over the next two years. The restructuring represents affordable, innovative directions that will preserve Cooper Union’s place at the forefront of undergradu- ate education in architecture, art and engineering. While some pain has been involved, including salary freezes agreed to by the faculty union, modest work- force reductions and the elimination of nonessential costs, the plan will allow Cooper Union to focus resources on its strengths, and in some cases to bring about welcome strategic changes that are necessary for leadership in under- graduate education as the 21st century unfolds.

Curriculum considerations with financial implications include the devel- opment of new graduate programs that would generate revenues. Undergradu- ates will continue to receive full-tuition scholarships, but graduate programs will be tuition-based. Details of this initiative can be found in the reports of each of the schools (Tabs 8, 9 and 10).

While the specifics were substantially revised in response to the new eco- nomic climate, the fundamental conceptual framework of the four-point financial plan remained intact. Quantitatively, in the fiscal year 2003 operating budget, expenses were reduced by $0.4 million or 1.2 percent. The operating budget for 2004 includes a further reduction of $2.5 million for a total two-year reduction of 5.6 percent. Additional reductions are planned for fiscal year 2005. Many of the reductions are outside of the academic programs, focusing instead on public programs, including performing arts series, public lectures and exhibitions that are not integral to the student experience.

On the revenue side of the ledger, the effort to expand annual contribu- tions has been enormously successful. Setting a new record in each of the last three years, giving to Cooper Union reached $11.5 million in fiscal year 2000 and $14.9 million in 2001. In fiscal year 2002, a year in which there was great pressure on charitable giving because of 9/11, contributions reached a heartening $21.4 million.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 27

With respect to Cooper Union’s real estate assets, lease payment obliga- tions on the Chrysler Building are rapidly increasing, from $12.7 million in fiscal year 2002 to $21.2 million in 2008. By the end of 2002, the development plans for other real estate assets that experienced a setback after 9/11 had been restruc- tured and were back on track. In consonance with Peter Cooper’s original vision of using commercial rents to support the College, The Cooper Union has signed a long-term agreement to lease 26 Astor Place, currently a parking lot, to The Related Companies. Related has engaged the celebrated architectural firm, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects llc, to design a residential building for the site. The new lease will provide $11 million by the end of calendar year 2003 and enhance Cooper Union’s real estate portfolio with a steady annual revenue stream of about $1.3 million to the institution’s operating budget. The College is also divesting several property holdings this year, valued at about $10 million. The properties are purely investment holdings in the Cooper Square area, not suitable for the future development of academic facilities.

Finally, the commercial component of the proposed new building at 51 Astor Place is expected to yield a one-time long-term lease payment of approxi- mately $25 million and operating revenues on the order of $2.5 million annually beginning in 2009. The new academic building on the Hewitt site will also contain 10,000 square feet of retail space with anticipated revenues of $250,000 in 2007 and $500,000 annually thereafter. The highly politicized New York City approval process engaged the concerted efforts of alumni, faculty, students and staff, many of whom provided compelling testimony in support of the project during the public hearings. The lease of 26 Astor Place and the commercial components of the two new buildings are major milestones in Cooper Union’s four-point plan to achieve financial stability, while, at the same time, positioning the College for renewal of academic programs and facilities.

While Cooper Union’s comprehensive real estate plans include renewal of its academic facilities and a substantial annual contribution to the bottom line, they also offer the opportunity to transform the community centered around Cooper Square. Within the constraints imposed by the zoning regulations and by city planning, an important goal is to ensure that the three new buildings reflect

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 28

the very highest levels of architecture and urban design. The selection of Gwathmey Siegel for the initial project at 26 Astor Place is a reflection of Cooper Union’s commitment to that goal.

The fourth component of the financial plan is a $250 million capital cam- paign over ten years, to be announced later this year. Beyond shoring up the College’s endowment and supporting the operating budget, the campaign will enable the construction of the new academic building designed for a 21st century curriculum. When the campaign has been completed, the College will have a financial infrastructure that will maintain the full-tuition scholarship policy, allow appropriate investment in new programs and permit sustained growth for the foreseeable future. The Cooper Union entered the quiet phase of the cam- paign in July 2000 and has raised more than $40 million to date.

A schedule showing operating revenues and costs over the past five years and projections for the next five years follows, in Tables 2 and 3. The tables indicate a declining deficit reaching a crossover in academic year 2006-2007 and surpluses thereafter. The Cooper Union consolidated financial statements for FY 2001 and FY 2002 can be found in Appendix C.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 29

Table 2. The Cooper Union FY 1998-FY 2008 Operating Budgets Revenue ($000)

FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Final Final Final Final Final Projected Preliminary Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated I. EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL A. Income from Endowment: Chrysler Building – Rent 2,815 5,500 5,500 5,500 5,700 5,901 6,101 6,250 6,280 6,300 6,350 Chrysler Building – Tax 6,378 6,585 6,584 6,768 7,010 8,013 9,662 10,81 12,11 13,50 14,83 Equivalency 4 2 8 2 26 Astor Place – Tax 0 0 0 0 0 89 89 89 650 1,300 1,300 Equivalency Hewitt Retail Rent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 250 500 Astor Place Holding Corpora- (133) (194) 13) (172) (144) (136) (240) (224) (211) (197) (176) tion Unrestricted Investment 2,613 2,762 2,822 2,552 2,212 545 956 1,013 1,200 1,350 1,350 Income Sub-Total 11,673 14,653 14,919 14,648 14,778 14,412 16,568 17,942 20,031 22,511 24,156

B. Other Income Fees 1,184 1,165 1,304 1,370 1,528 2,184 2,654 2,690 2,783 2,878 2,975 New York State Bundy Aid 124 100 100 101 118 100 90 90 90 90 90 Annual Giving 1,777 2,000 2,800 2,311 2,625 2,577 2,950 3,142 3,362 3,597 3,849 Unrestricted Gifts and 830 1,200 2,300 3,055 2,600 5,340 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 Bequests Other Income 344 350 506 1,408 537 573 466 466 500 500 500 Income Transferred from 1,884 2,602 2,621 2,108 3,334 1,122 1,947 2,064 2,188 2,319 2,458 Restricted Student Aid 530 580 700 618 750 1,059 637 675 716 759 804 Sub-Total 6,673 7,997 10,331 10,971 11,492 12,955 11,244 11,627 12,139 12,643 13,176

Total E & G Revenue 18,346 22,650 25,250 25,619 26,270 27,367 27,812 29,569 32,170 35,154 37,332

Page 30

II. AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES

Student Housing 974 1,063 1,063 1,256 1,306 1,410 1,612 1,693 1,693 1,693 1,693 TOTAL REVENUES 19,320 23,713 26,313 26,875 27,576 28,777 29,424 31,262 33,863 36,847 39,025

Page 31

Table 3. The Cooper Union FY 1998-FY 2008 Operating Budgets Expenditures ($000)

FY FY FY FY FY March 03 Revised FY FY FY FY 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 FY 2003 FY2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Final Final Final Final Final Projected Preliminary Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated I. EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL School of Art 2,516 2,714 3,093 3,413 3,580 3,306 2,725 2,725 2,806 2,891 2,977 School of Architecture 1,820 2,048 2,072 1,859 2,211 2,256 2,079 1,900 1,957 2,016 2,076 School of Engineering 4,030 4,419 4,673 4,771 5,066 5,077 4,122 4,077 4,199 4,325 4,455 Humanities 1,205 1,366 1,436 1,448 1,571 1,430 1,115 1,175 1,210 1,247 1,284 Academic Support 805 913 934 951 1,082 1,086 941 941 969 998 1,028 Extension and Public Service 497 510 599 721 922 1,074 933 961 990 1,019 1,050 Library 649 684 700 708 777 779 691 712 733 755 778 Student Services 1,072 1,141 1,275 1,269 1,334 1,319 1,214 1,292 1,331 1,371 1,412 Alumni Relations 584 614 736 653 641 638 615 600 618 637 656 Development 616 1,160 685 834 1,156 1,606 1,195 1,231 1,268 1,306 1,345 Physical Plant 2,821 2,889 3,354 3,790 4,035 3,883 3,673 3,783 3,897 4,014 4,134 Administration 2,038 2,122 2,427 2,552 2,987 2,887 2,766 2,942 3,030 3,121 3,215 General Expense 1,321 1,274 1,521 1,872 2,399 1,978 2,628 2,907 2,994 3,084 3,176 Staff Benefits 3,812 3,947 4,796 6,421 5,664 5,860 5,920 6,198 6,384 6,575 6,773 Student Aid 530 580 700 618 750 575 620 639 658 677 698 Total E & G Expenditures 24,316 26,381 29,001 31,880 34,175 33,754 31,237 32,083 33,044 34,036 35,057

II. AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES & TRANSFERS Equipment 50 50 60 60 60 25 25 50 50 50 50 Debt Service 1,332 1,333 1,280 1,489 1,454 1,512 1,476 1,368 1,368 1,368 1,368 Student Housing 502 492 580 588 716 684 684 700 728 750 772 Total 1,884 1,875 1,920 2,137 2,230 2,221 2,185 1182, 2,146 2,168 2,190 TOTAL E & G AFTER TRANSFERS 26,200 28,256 30,921 34,017 36,405 35,975 33,422 34,201 35,190 36,204 37,247 Certiari Amortization 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 0001, 1,000 0 0 0 0 0 Total Surplus/(Deficit) (7,880) (5,543) (5,608) (8,139) (9,829) (8,198) (3,999) (2,937) (1,328) 644 1,779

1. Depreciation and amortization expenses are not included in the operating budget but do appear as operating expenses in the financial statements. 2. VSIP expenses are not reflected above.

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Admissions

The Office of Admissions and Records, together with the Office of the Registrar, provides a system of multifaceted academic support services: recruitment, application, admission, registration, room scheduling, degree audit and gradua- tion certification, academic standing verification and transcript production, as well as data production for federal, state and industry surveys for institutional research. The Registrar is also the chief certifier for financial aid matters.

In addition to its formal, defined responsibilities, the Office of Admissions and Records serves the Cooper Union community in two additional areas. It joins with Student Services to provide counseling, career and graduate school research, and letters of recommendation for currently enrolled students. It also certifies all international students to appropriate agencies. Especially now, this function requires the maintenance of separate records and a current awareness of con- stantly changing regulations. Admissions and Records is usually the point of first contact between the institution and international students and becomes their local resource throughout their careers at Cooper Union.

The admissions process must be viewed in the context of the institution’s tradition of faculty control over who is and who is not admitted. While the nuance of the process changes according to school, the Office of Admissions and Records acts as a facilitator for each. It creates the pool, assembles the application documentation, applies the guidelines provided by each Admission Committee, verifies the decisions and notifies all candidates.

All decisions are faculty-based. In each school, Admissions and Records assumes a varying role in the process. In Architecture and Art, the office provides organizational support, collects records, verifies all pertinent documentation and assembles home tests, portfolios and dockets for review. The faculty reviews and selects; the office verifies and admits. In Engineering, the office is responsible for data collection, documentation for docket organization and complete application review; the office admits applicants within the guidelines of academic prepara- tion established by the faculty.

Periodic Review Report to the Middle States Association Page 33

One important aspect of Cooper Union’s recruitment strategy is the in- volvement of the admissions team in professional societies, especially the National Association of College Admission Counseling and its New York State affiliate, the NYSACAC, as well as the College Board and its New York State Advisory Panel and Legislative Forum. Team participation has directly enhanced Cooper Union’s reputation and afforded direct impact into state and national policymaking and legislative ventures related to K-12 and higher education initiatives. These net- works are invaluable indirect resources for increasing the consciousness of a broad market of educational professionals about Cooper Union and its programs and elicit outstanding applicants from previously untapped markets.

Applications to The Cooper Union have fluctuated over the past five years. Total applications in 1998 numbered 2,294. The low of 2,074 occurred in 2002, most likely as a consequence of 9/11. However, applications rebounded surprisingly quickly to 2,414 for Fall 2003. (See Table 4 below.)

Table 4. Admissions 1998-2003

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total applications 2294 2216 2210 2179 2041 2414 Total admitted 305 290 297 296 288 282 Total percent admitted 13% 13% 13% 13% 14% 12% Total enrolled 215 200 204 214 201 – Yield 71% 69% 69% 74% 70% –

Architecture applica- 406 357 385 438 393 523 tions Admitted 39 30 33 29 35 27 Percent admitted 7% 8% 9% 7% 9% 5% Enrolled 34 24 26 23 25 – Yield 87% 80% 79% 79% 71% –

Art applications 1206 1157 1080 1123 1047 1090 Admitted 63 66 66 67 66 65 Percent admitted 5% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% Enrolled 62 62 64 62 58 – Yield 98% 94% 97% 93% 88% –

Engineering applica- 682 702 645 618 601 801 tions Admitted 203 194 198 198 187 190 Percent admitted 30% 28% 31% 32% 31% 24% Enrolled 119 114 114 129 118 –

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Yield 59% 59% 58% 66% 63% – Offers of admission were maintained at a level of 288-290, or 13 to 14 per- cent of the pool, reflecting the goal of a stable enrollment. Enrollments for 1998- 2002 are shown in Table 5 below.

Table 5. Enrollments 1998-2002

Total Students Registered for Courses 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Architecture 155 149 143 147 145

Art 280 268 268 269 279

Engineering (Undergraduate) 456 445 456 479 482

Engineering (Graduate) 32 32 28 33 38

Part Time (Visiting) 10 10 11 3 5

TOTAL 933 904 906 931 949

At the same time, the admissions process became even more selective, and the yield has remained exceptionally high – in the 70 percent range. The already outstanding academic profile of students in each of the three schools continues to be a strength of the College.

Diversity issues, however, are still a challenge. The participation of Afri- can-American, Caribbean-American and Latino students has been below desired goals, especially in Engineering. The Cooper Union remains steadfast and pro- active in efforts to increase that participation through continually expanding outreach.

The impact of technology on the admissions process has been substantial. The advent of Web-based inquiry, e-mail Q. and A., and Web-based and online applications are challenging, and are redefining “the personal approach” that is so important to an institution of Cooper Union’s size, reputation and focused majors. However, ongoing adaptation of what is new and useful has enabled the Office of Admissions and Records to stay in sync with contemporary times and to update and modernize its services. As a result, both office staff and students have

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benefited. For example, the streamlining of registration with the implementation of an adapted commercial system will make it a relatively painless process.

Current efforts are focused on maintaining system security and accom- modating the academic advising process that is specific to each school. The office seeks to develop a registration system that incorporates the specific role and process of advisement of each school into course selection and some form of online registration. The office has also reorganized the academic student information system and created a new transcript system, from manual to online, since the last Middle States review.

The office strives to attend to the transcript needs of currently enrolled students and alumni in a manner that reflects the College’s reputation as a highly selective and technology-sophisticated academic institution. All transcript files are maintained in high security within the office. The records office also maintains a separate file on every student who ever attended Cooper Union, above and beyond the transcript record. Approximately two-thirds of these ancillary files have been transferred onto microfiche, with hard copy in storage. All historical records will be transferred to a system that employs optical disc technology for appropriate storage and retrieval as budget allows.

As the office employs more advanced technology, the retrieval and sorting of data will take a major step forward, moving from a manual environment to a highly computerized environment.

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Student Services

Responding to the needs of Cooper Union students beyond the classroom is the mission of the Office of Student Services. The office has had to adapt to a number of major environmental changes over the past five years that will affect its programs and operations for the foreseeable future.

It is something of a cliché to say that the world changed permanently on 9/11; however, the terrorist attacks had an immediate impact on students’ emotional well-being, their commutation routes, their housing, their ability to find employment, their safety within the city, their families’ finances, and the cost of their medical insurance. Further, the budget restrictions imposed by Cooper Union’s own exacerbated financial problems following 9/11 have made finding the solutions to these problems a tremendous challenge.

Because Cooper Union’s single dormitory accommodates primarily first- year students, many upperclass students find roommates and apartments in the surrounding East Village community. With the high cost of local rents, however, other students look beyond the neighborhood for more affordable housing in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx. At the same time, with 40 percent of Cooper Union students coming from the New York metropolitan area, a significant number of them commute home. All Cooper Union students are assigned lockers, and most are provided with on-campus workspace to create some elements of a residential campus.

Even for commuters, there is a strong campus culture at Cooper Union. Architecture and Art students have individual studio space in which they spend much of their time studying and working. Engineering students immersed in a project-based curriculum spend considerable time outside of class in the laborato- ries. The library, various computer studios and labs, the fully equipped shop, and the three-dimensional computer-controlled rapid prototyping machine offer common facilities on campus and collaboration opportunities for students from all three professional schools.

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Cooper Union’s reputation suggests that the intense academic workload leaves little time for leisure. However, a wide range of student activities and extracurricular programs thrive here, including a rapidly growing number of clubs – now more than 80 – and student chapters of professional societies, all managed by the nine students serving on the Joint Activities Committee. There is also a student Residence Hall Association that plans and conducts a number of social programs during the year. In addition, students are active in a variety of social service programs in New York City, from tutoring high school students to working with organizations such as the Police Athletic League and the Lower East Side Girls Clubs to Cooper Union’s own outreach programs.

Despite not having its own athletic facilities, Cooper Union fields a dozen intercollegiate athletic teams that practice and play in rented or loaned spaces throughout the city and compete in Division III of the NCAA. An anomaly at a time when many top-tier institutions are succumbing to the lure of athletic fame and fortune, cultivating top high school athletes and lowering admissions stan- dards to enroll them, Cooper Union remains faithful to the tradition of the scholar athlete, admitted on the basis of academic potential alone. This policy, together with the remarkable success of the scholar athletes in Division III intercollegiate competition, has brought recognition and extensive press coverage of Cooper Union athletics.

Staffing There are eight full-time members of the Student Services staff located in offices on the sixth floor of 30 Cooper Square: the Dean of Students; the Associate Dean and Director of Health, Safety and Recreation; the Associate Dean and Director of Career Services; the Director of Financial Aid; the Assistant Director of Financial Aid; the Administrative Assistant; the Receptionist; and the Financial Aid Assistant. There is also one part-time career counselor who works with students in the schools of Architecture and Art. In addition, the Resident Man- ager and the Program Coordinator for Residence Life, both of whom have offices in the student residence, report to the Dean of Students and are part of the

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Student Services staff. A variety of interns, temporary workers, contracted workers and student workers also provide services.

Services Added Since 1998 Psychological counseling. In the summer of 2000, Student Services commissioned Dr. Merilyn Salomon to create a pamphlet about mental health services for students. The parent of a Cooper Union alumnus and a licensed clinical psy- chologist who practices in Chicago, Dr. Salomon was able to bring considerable professional and personal experience to the task of evaluating local counseling services. In the course of writing the brochure, she discovered that the Training Institute for Mental Health was willing to use Cooper Union as a placement for its graduate interns in social work. The interns have subsequently helped to fill a gap between the excellent neighborhood mental health resources and the lack of counseling staff on campus; students can see the counseling interns by appoint- ment or as drop-in visitors at Cooper Union or at the Training Institute for three free hour-long visits. Students who choose to continue beyond three visits can either use their medical insurance or take advantage of a sliding-scale student rate or both. Two of the alumnae of the program have returned to Cooper Union to work as consultants to the dormitory staff. Student Services maintains a listing of additional neighborhood services on its Web site, highlighting special initiatives for students.

Medical insurance. Since 1998, Cooper Union has required that all of its students have medical insurance. Students with no coverage can buy the Cooper Union insurance plan, which uses the nearby Stuyvesant Polyclinic on Ninth Street and Second Avenue as its gatekeeper and the MultiPlan network of physicians as its providers. After the World Trade Center collapse, insurance premiums climbed dramatically, from $693 annually to $987, and Cooper Union now considers a lack of medical insurance as an additional factor of need in packaging students for Cooper Union financial aid grants.

Student Services Web site. Recognizing that the current generation of stu- dents is extremely comfortable retrieving information electronically, Student Services has made a major effort to create and keep updated a Web site that

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contains electronic versions of virtually every form required by this office, allows clubs to submit their requests for funding electronically, and provides informa- tion about activities, policies, and personnel. A student handbook is distributed annually to each student and is also available on the Cooper Union Web site, www.cooper.edu.

MonsterTrak software. As a convenience for seniors who are applying for jobs, Career Services has purchased and installed MonsterTrak software that allows students to submit résumés and to schedule interviews electronically.

Programs. Student Services has expanded its programming efforts over the past five years in the following areas:

Student activities. The inauguration of the Joint Activities Committee Web server, a student-designed Web site that handles the budget re- quests and accounts of the student clubs, made the process of applying for club recognition and funding much more transparent. As a result, there was a rapid expansion in clubs and activities as students began to examine how club money was being spent and to come up with new ideas. New organizations such as the Cooper Union Drama Society and the Cooper Union Comedy Club have flourished and now offer public performances regularly. The diverse nature of the Cooper Union com- munity has given rise to a number of cultural/ethnic groups that hold regular events, culminating in a multicultural show every spring. Pro- fessional societies grew from four in number to 12, including the first society organized specifically for students of architecture. An honor society that draws its members from all three schools held its first initiation ceremony in October. Even the Joint Student Council has expanded its area of programming, requesting a special session on grant writing. Student Services has also made a substantial effort to improve community life, by creating and promoting community events includ- ing freshman orientation, a fall festival, a pumpkin carving contest, a celebration of Peter Cooper’s birthday, and several community service events such as the Breast Cancer Walk and Mile Run.

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π

Financial aid programs. To comply with federal work-study regula- tions, the Financial Aid Office has been working since the year 2000 with the Police Athletic League to place Cooper Union students as reading tutors. This year, 12 to 15 students will be placed at PAL Cen- ters, Open Road, the Lower East Side Girls Club and the Public Ser- vices Corporation, and this program is expected to continue to expand. The Director of Financial Aid has also instituted workshops and semi- nars on loan repayment, financial planning and applying for financial aid.

Athletics and recreation. In the area of recreation and athletics, Coo- per Union has added a ribbon-winning equestrian team, badminton, women’s tennis and varsity soccer in the past five years and expanded recreational clubs to include kendo and ultimate frisbee. Newly devel- oped basketball rivalries have sent the Cooper Union Hawks to com- pete against CalTech in Pasadena and Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. A ski trip to Sutton Mountain in Canada continues to grow in popularity each year, with approximately 150 students par- ticipating.

Residence hall activities. A Residence Hall Association has formed, and, with the hiring of a Program Coordinator of Residence Life, there has been an expansion of formal residence hall activities, including both social programming and counseling sessions.

Career services. As part of the CU@Lunch series, Career Services in- vites a different alumna or alumnus every month to address topics of interest to students in architecture and art, while engineering stu- dents are invited to a wide range of workshops on interviewing tech- niques, résumé writing and graduate school applications. Other major events include the Career Fair, the Etiquette Lunch and Mock Inter- view Night. Each fall, an open house for incoming freshmen and trans- fer students introduces new students to the office, Web site and library and helps them become familiar with the basic tools needed to find a job.

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Facilities Improved safety features in the student residence. Sprinklers and intercoms were installed in the student residence during the summer of 2000 as added measures in fire safety prevention; later, all mattresses were replaced with new flame- retardant mattresses. In the summer of 2001, the Ving locking system was replaced by its electronic counterpart in all apartments in the student residence. A biometric scanner was also added to the front entrance of the building so that residents did not have to show their identification cards every time they went in and out of the dormitory. This system brings the College into compliance with a new New York State law that requires that the College know when dormitory residents last entered the building.

Redesign of the study room and office space in the student residence. In re- sponse to complaints from the freshmen art students that their dormitory apartments did not have sufficient flat space on which to complete their projects, the study room in the student residence was redesigned to add surface space. At the same time, a small office was created for resident assistants so that they no longer had to use their own rooms when they needed to speak privately to residents.

Information kiosk. Having acquired recycled furniture from the library renovation and recycled computers from the engineering school, Student Services commissioned a graduate student to devise an information kiosk to simplify the process of searching for jobs. The kiosk allows students to create résumés, check job postings and send e-mail within the Career Services library.

Other Changes Since 1998 Loan reduction and repayment. The office has succeeded in reducing the cohort default rate of Cooper Union students significantly since 1998. This has been accomplished through additional counseling by financial aid officers and a policy of using stock gains on restricted funds to replace loans with grants in cases where student indebtedness approaches $10,000. Cooper Union’s preliminary default rate for 2001, the current cohort year, is 0 percent, a great improvement over the 1994 rate of 21.8 percent.

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Compliance with amendments to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Cooper Union has amended the lease for its student residence so that parents and students inform the College in advance of the student’s occupancy who should be notified – parent or guardian – in the case of an alcohol, drug or safety violation by the resident. Reports of underage drinking have declined sharply since the College began to facilitate parental notification.

Expansion of efforts to improve campus safety. An additional five hours of programming devoted to AIDS education, fire safety awareness and issues of personal discretion (sexuality, alcohol and drug use, for example) have been added to the orientation program run annually for new students. Cooper Union also cooperates with the New York City Police Department to publicize crime statistics for the neighborhood and to make students aware of any particular problems in the vicinity. Since 9/11, a discussion of terrorism has been added to the orientation programs.

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External Affairs

Since the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s regular 10-year visit to The Cooper Union in 1998, and, in particular, since the advent of a new administration at the College in 2000, both the structure and function of its External Affairs Department have undergone significant revitalization. Led by a new vice President, whose 15 years in executive management of higher education organizations include expertise in development and public affairs, External Affairs divisions emerged from the institutionwide strategic planning process in 2000-2001 as a changed operation.

Defining itself as a service organization with multiple constituencies in- side as well as outside of the College, External Affairs constructed a strategic operating plan around a sharply focused mission: developing the relationships, recognition and financial resources that are crucial to supporting the academic and social goals of the institution. Each member of the External Affairs staff took responsibility for conducting informal interviews with his or her “clients,” developing a definition of personal mission relative to that of the department and the institution, and participating in an analysis of the skills and organizational structures needed to support superior performance. The resulting reorganization merged five departments into four: Development, Public Affairs, Alumni Rela- tions and Continuing Education, and Public Programs. The reorganization restructured these functions to create economies of scale, leverage resources, concentrate expertise and allow for greater coordination and quality control. (See Figure 3.)

Development As an institution that receives no income from its core business, education, The Cooper Union is even more reliant on its Development Department as a source of operating revenues than other colleges and universities. Yet the institution’s activities in fund-raising throughout the latter half of the 1990s had been considerably less intense than those of schools with far less need; its plans to

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recognize, engage and enhance the participation of benefactors, almost nil. Implementing a

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Figure 3. External Affairs Organization Chart

Ronni Denes A.M. Gong Vice President Manager of for External Affairs Operations

T. Brooks Receptionist/ Administrative

M. Whitesides Renee Greene Cla ir e McCa r thy David Stephens David Greenstein Development Executive Director Di rector of Di rector of Di rector of Assistant of Development Public Affairs Alumni Relations Continuing Education and Publ i c Programs

Open Laurent Fisher Open Fra nk lin Roth J. Lewis- Kelly A. Sherman Open Adm i ni strati ve Proposed Maya Jex Di rector of Donor Di rector of Director of Manager Manager Manager Assi stant Facilities and Coordinator of Rel a t i on s a n d Major Gifts Institutional Giving Electornic and Print Media Relations Public Affairs Program Manager Publ i c Programs Speci al Proj ects Publications

M. Jones D. Dapko S. Taniguchi Coordinator M. Governor V. Schlegel Assi stant Annual Fund Special Projects Individual Manager Director Manager Giving Officer Electronic and Print Publications

L. Keyes N. Musa R. Singer Database Manager Research Alumni Associ ate Associ ati on Writer

Y. Perry L. Aca mpora Gifts Part- ti me Co o r d i n a t o r Research Analyst

D. Hutchinson Database Assi stant

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far-reaching development plan in the summer of 2000 – including the compre- hensive capital campaign that had been under consideration when the MSA drafted its 1998 report – The Cooper Union has since made exceptional strides as a fund-raising organization.

Each year has exceeded the record-breaking results of the previous year. Approximately $21 million in outright gifts and new commitments were recorded on June 30, 2002 – $3 million more than the $18 million goal – and cash receipts totaled $22 million. Total contributions increased 42 percent over FY 2001, after increasing 39 percent over 2000, as shown in Table 6 below.

Table 6. Contributions Analysis (KPMG)

2002 2001 2000 1999 1998

Unrestricted contribu- $ 8,432,804 $ 4,209,318 $ 4,581,817 $3,140,302 $ 4,642,492 tions

Government grants 1,030,284 1,229,105 1,199,930 1,237,645 1,203,889

Temporarily restricted 9,121,715 7,534,194 1,994,529 981,701 1,165,435

Permanently restricted 2,858,684 2,021,020 3,813,520 1,074,767 1,001,732

Total contributions $21,443,487 $14,993,637 $11,589,796 $6,434,415 $8,013,548

Fund-raising expense $ 2,543,068 $ 2,198,666 $ 1,950,901 $2,413,745 $1,856,972

Fund-raising expense as 12% 15% 17% 38% 23% a % of contributions

Contributions collected $22,896,729 $ 9,298,220 $12,052,861 $6,393,597 $7,250,283 during the year

Fund-raising expense as a % of contributions 11% 24% 16% 38% 25% col-lected during the year

Now in the third year of the “quiet phase” of The Campaign for Cooper Union, the College has been aggressive in building the infrastructure to achieve its $250 million goal. It engaged the Oram Group, an organization highly experi- enced in working successfully with small, underfunded institutions, as campaign support. With Oram’s counsel, the College conducted a planning study for the campaign, establishing a first-phase, six-year goal of $150 million for capital and

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short-term endowment, and a second-phase, 10- to 12-year goal of $100 million to enrich the endowment, largely through estate gifts. (See Table 7.)

Table 7. The Campaign for Cooper Union

Capital Projects/Short Term Endowment New academic building $75,000,000 Laboratories, studios, interdisciplinary centers $30,000,000 Short-term endowment gifts (new academic programs, $45,000,000 chairs) $150,000,000 Endowment Student aid and scholarships $40,000,000 Academic chairs, professorships, lectureships $50,000,000 ($1.5 million each, minimum) Faculty development $10,000,000 $100,000,000

Trustee involvement with the campaign was expanded at a Board retreat in April 2002, when top campaign leadership, drawn from Board membership, was announced. (See Figure 4.) Simultaneously, the need for enhanced human resources was addressed, adding an Executive Director of Development with 18 years of fund-raising experience, primarily in higher education. Services such as research and planned giving were outsourced after audits of both functions, to augment the effectiveness of a small staff. Additional reorganization within the department has subsequently yielded an increase in the number of donor pros- pects identified – both individual and institutional – and the number of proposals developed. It has also strengthened relationships with existing donors and is helping to build new commitments from old.

Ongoing training for the manager of Development’s information services group, along with higher-level programming support provided through the College’s Director of Administrative Database Management, has allowed the department to make better use of the College’s sophisticated database system in managing the campaign.

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Figure 4. The Campaign for Cooper Union Volunteer Leadership Organization Chart

Board of Trustees

Steering Committee Honorary Chairs (Option) Chairs President President’s Vice Chair(s) (Option) Robert Aquilina Council Committee Chairs Martin Trust

Board Chair Board Development Committee Chair

Alumni Corporate Planned Gifts Marketing Mike Borkowsky Ivan Stern Marilyn Hoffner Arnie Arlow Samuel Polk Lou Dorfsman Milton Glaser Jean Marcellino Roger Mosconi Regional Specialized Committees Committees

Research Vice President Campaign Poonam Prasad External Affairs Consultant and Staff Hank Goldstein

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Side-by-side with cultivating potential supporters, Development has placed an enhanced emphasis on building a culture of donor recognition and engagement. The Peter Cooper Heritage Society was created to honor donors whose lifetime giving totals $1 million, while the Society of 1859 thanks support- ers who have made an enduring endowment or capital gift. A celebration bringing together all former recipients of Cooper Union awards – President’s Citation, Augustus St. Gaudens, Gano Dunn, and Alumnus of the Year – reunited the College with an important alumni constituency. Further, the activation of donor clubs provided new benefits, including invitations and free passes to special events and programs, to those who make contributions at various levels. Cooper Union continues to make good use of its public programs to cultivate prospective donors, and to steward those who give generously to the College.

Joining the legions of institutions using benefit events to add to their de- velopment total and visibility, especially in New York City, The Cooper Union restructured its existing Builder of the City and Artist of the City dinners as one annual awards gala, the Urban Visionaries Benefit. The event reinforced The Cooper Union’s mission with awards for achievements in the visual arts, archi- tecture and engineering as well as for urban citizenship and emerging talent. Held in the fall of 2002, the inaugural silent auction and dinner brought in $400,000.

Since the start of The Campaign for Cooper Union on July 1, 2000, the College has organized a President’s Council (Appendix D) to expand both leader- ship and outreach, drafted a National Alumni Campaign Committee, and pro- duced a case statement. (See Appendix E.) Securing a $10 million lead contribution that has been paid in full, the first of Cooper Union’s projected “mega gifts,” the campaign has now raised $40 million toward the total $250 million goal.

Cultivation of high-capacity individuals and solicitation of campaign lead- ership gifts continues to progress, albeit more slowly in the current fiscal year, in large part because of the downturn in the economy. Alumni remain devoted and steadfast in their desire to contribute to the College and the total number of alumni donors has increased over the past few years. In the current fiscal year,

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fiscal year, however, the average gift has declined, especially relative to the prior year when alumni responded generously to the crisis resulting from 9/11.

Most promising, in looking toward the future, is that, for the first time, the institution is deliberately instilling a culture of giving. One indication that this effort is succeeding is the 2002 senior class gift, which was the largest ever in Cooper Union’s history; it was matched dollar for dollar by the Chair of the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Alumni Relations The Cooper Union Alumni Association (CUAA) is an independently incorporated body staffed by the Office of Alumni Relations. Since the 1998 visit of the MSA, the operations of the Office of Alumni Relations, which had previously reported to the President by formal agreement with the CUAA, have been incorporated into External Affairs. The new structure has significantly increased the synergy between Alumni Relations and the Public Affairs and Development departments, and increased its ability to manage the Alumni Association’s membership and activities.

The CUAA is a non-fee-based organization whose approximately 11,000 members are Cooper Union graduates and former students who completed at least one year. It is governed by an Executive Committee of 12 members, a 36- member Alumni Council, four alumni trustees and 12 working committees. In 2000, to support outreach and research for the nascent capital campaign, a Class Representatives Organization was established that now includes 107 members representing the last 60 graduating classes. In addition, in 2002, a Student Ambassadors Organization was launched under CUAA Alumni Association sponsorship, as a link between current students and the development of future supportive alumni.

Until recently, the CUAA operated under a constitution and had neither a formal mission statement nor objectives. It maintained ownership of and commitment to the Annual Fund, but did not see itself as a fund-raising organi- zation. Its committees varied widely in format and contribution to the association

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and the College, with functions passed from year to year more as oral tradition than established responsibility.

With a growing need for the CUAA to function as a highly communicative national service network, the Vice President for External Affairs facilitated a retreat of the Alumni Association Executive Board during the summer of 2001. The result was the organization’s first explicit mission statement, a set of objectives, and a more effective committee structure, providing the basis for the Office of Alumni Relations to create annual operating plans.

CUAA mission and objectives. The Cooper Union Alumni Association is dedicated to providing a vital link between the alumni and the institution, building a strong body of support to preserve, protect and promote The Cooper Union.

The primary objectives of the association include:

Service to alumni. The CUAA develops and manages a broad range of programs, events and services that enable the alumni to maintain strong relationships with their fellow alumni and with the institution.

Service to the College. The CUAA engages the alumni in actively sup- porting the mission of the College by harnessing the skills, abilities and experiences of the alumni body for the benefit of The Cooper Un- ion.

Financial support of the College. The CUAA provides incentives and motivation that encourage strong financial support from alumni.

Recognition. The CUAA recognizes and promotes the achievements of its alumni and the institution to students, alumni and the external community to foster career development among the alumni and to highlight the importance of The Cooper Union.

To support the CUAA’s objectives, the Alumni Relations office maintains a dynamic calendar of events, programs and activities to increase participation and enhance the interaction of the alumni with their alma mater. The most long- standing of these, an annual Founder’s Day Dinner Dance at which awards for

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alumni achievement in architecture and art, engineering, and outstanding volunteer service are presented. A recent redesign of this event increased atten- dance by 35 percent while decreasing costs by 20 percent. To continue this positive growth trend, two new awards were created this year in the areas of architecture and young alumni service.

Since 2000, Alumni Relations has significantly increased participation in supporting the College by initiating several highly successful programs and services. A Summer Alumni Program was developed to attract alumni back to campus for lectures, tours and social activities – Cooper Union’s urban response to the traditional football reunion weekend. An Art Auction and Casino Night was held by the Young Alumni to increase awareness of the work of their peers and to create a new revenue source for the Annual Fund. A Young Alumni on the Roof party was established to engage the newest generation of supporters, while, at the other end of the spectrum, the Golden Legion celebration was redesigned to bring 50th anniversary alumni back to campus.

Among the most important work undertaken by the Office of Alumni Re- lations since 2000 was a commitment to enhanced communication with the membership. To that end, in cooperation with the Office of Public Affairs, Alumni Relations participated in a long-needed and highly praised redesign of At Cooper Union, the institution’s alumni magazine. (See Appendix F.) Alumni Relations also gained an exceptional platform for reaching its constituents with the devel- opment of cualumni.com, an alumni Web site launched in the summer of 2001. Achieving almost 30 percent alumni registration within its first year, the site has been extremely valuable in increasing participation in events, expanding mer- chandise sales and accepting online donations.

Improvements in communication with and participation of alumni in the life of the College have helped to create concomitant growth in contributions to the Annual Fund which is managed by the CUAA as a general fund for alumni giving. Led by a volunteer committee with an active Chair, the Annual Fund is staffed by the Alumni Relations office, which manages a series of appeals, an annual phonathon and the organization of volunteer committees. In FY 2002, contributions to the fund – from alumni, parents, widows, friends and corporate

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matching gifts – totaled $2.6 million, an increase of 13 percent over $2.3 million in 2001.

A National Alumni Campaign Committee has been established to provide local and regional volunteers for The Campaign for Cooper Union. The Office of Alumni Relations will support Development in managing this organization.

Public Affairs The confluence of a new administration, an incipient capital campaign and the imminent development of three major College-owned properties made it impera- tive that The Cooper Union enhance its ability to communicate with its internal constituents – students, faculty, staff and alumni – the media, the surrounding community and its government representatives.

With the goal of raising awareness of The Cooper Union’s exceptional contributions to the city and the nation, the excellence of its academic programs and the value of its full-tuition scholarship policy, the existing Communications Department was restructured in 2000 to create a more comprehensive Public Affairs Department. Charged with maintaining an ongoing dialog with each of the institution’s publics, the new department, under the leadership of a strong, experienced director, reorganized the functions of its two managers, who are now responsible for media relations and for collegewide print and electronic publica- tions. Public Affairs also assumed responsibility for community and government relations, taking on a function that had been housed in the Office of Business Affairs. The institution augmented its small public affairs staff with a well- respected public relations firm that has expertise in community and political relations.

Creating a comprehensive media strategy, Public Affairs focused on per- sonifying the excellence of The Cooper Union through the achievements of its alumni, faculty, students and programs, resulting in both national and local coverage.

Placements included stories of Cooper Union Students whose work and lives were influenced by the events of 9/11. Their development of a scale model of

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the “bathtub” enclosing the site of the former World Trade Center assisted rescue and recovery efforts and was covered by The New York Times, Newsday, Engi- neering News Record and The Villager. Post 9/11 student work at the School of Art was featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Subsequent articles and television features focused on a student who brought the healing power of art to a refuge for recovery workers at St. Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan. (See Appendix G.)

Major features on The Cooper Union have included a New York Times profile of the College’s athletic program, which produces winning teams year after year in the absence of recruiting, budget and facilities. So compelling was the story that HBO: Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel followed with a 12-minute televised feature that was aired nationally during the NCAA Final Four. (See Appendix H.)

In September 2002, Martha Stewart Living Television produced a na- tionally televised segment titled, “Field Trip: The Cooper Union,” featuring the work of students in the schools of architecture, art and engineering. In just six minutes, the piece managed to capture the academic rigor, creative energy and humanitarian ethos that are so unique to The Cooper Union. (See Appendix H.)

Supporting administration and mission, President George Campbell was featured in The New York Times, Crain’s New York Business, Channel 7 (ABC) News, A & E Cable Network’s “Biography,” and NY1. The New York Times also profiled Dean Eleanor Baum, the first female Dean of an engineering school, highlighting her efforts to involve more women in engineering careers (See Appendix G.)

Other coverage has focused on such Cooper Union programs as Saturday Outreach and Immigrant Engineers, major exhibitions such as Water Works, Massin In Continuo and Jean Widmer, special events including Cooper Union Commencement 2002, with Bill Cosby as keynote speaker, and the Great Hall as a cultural destination, with listings and features in The New York Times (Arts, House and Home, Weekend), Time Out New York, New York Magazine and The New Yorker.

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Side-by-side with developing stories for an external audience, Public Af- fairs has also made important strides in reaching its closest constituency. In 2002, working with the Cooper Union Alumni Association, as well as with the Design Center in the School of Art, Public Affairs convened a series of focus groups to analyze response to the College’s alumni magazine At Cooper Union. With the goal of producing a more relevant, timely and functional publication – one that also reflected the creative sensibilities of the alumni community – a comprehensive redesign, launched with the Fall/Winter 2001 issue, contains in- depth features on significant alumni accomplishments and large photographs of artistic and engineering design. (See Appendix F.)

Together, Public Affairs and the Design Center worked with the Office of the President to produce a new format for The Cooper Union’s biannual Presi- dent’s Report (Appendix I); with Development to create The Case for Cooper Union (Appendix E); and with the Admissions Office to produce a new CD-Rom- based View Book to introduce the College to prospective students. (See Appendix J.) The department regularly updates the content of the institutional Web site and has worked closely with Alumni Affairs and Continuing Education to main- tain timely schedules of events and programs.

Among the most challenging of the responsibilities that Public Affairs has undertaken is the management of The Cooper Union’s relationships with its community and with all branches of government during the College’s application for zoning and related changes for the development of new academic facilities and income-producing real property. Negotiating a process made protracted and difficult because of a subset of community activists unalterably opposed to any new development, Public Affairs orchestrated participation and testimony at more than 50 meetings with community and elected officials. In November 2002, Cooper Union successfully concluded the process – winning approvals for a modified plan from the City Planning Commission, the City Council and the Mayor.

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The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

Introduction The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture has evolved significantly over the past five years. By intent as well as necessity of circumstance, this has been a period of tremendous self-examination and change, involving the entire faculty and student body, engaging alumni and the administration, and affecting the curriculum and structure of the school. The school has debated and addressed with spirit and purpose the many challenges it has confronted during this historic time through a variety of mechanisms: the Governance document and four standing committees, ad-hoc committees and work groups formed with specific charges, bi-annual meetings between the Deans and student representa- tives and “town meetings” of the student body called by the Student Council.

These efforts were all in addition to the work required to prepare for and participate in the program site visit of the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) conducted in February 2002, which engaged the entire School of Architecture. The assessment and planning documents produced over the past four years, as well as the conclusions and recommendations that emerged from numerous meetings, form the basis of this report, which contains the many voices and positions of the school’s diverse and highly engaged community.

Through the dedicated and passionate leadership of an extraordinary fac- ulty, the program of the School of Architecture has been shaped into one of the most unique and creatively vital programs of architectural education and investi- gation in the world.

In this school, the education of an architect is a commitment on the part of all to the process of discovery, to the nurturing of myriad capacities, and to the development of the potential for a future creative life. It is an initial construction of substance and skill upon which a seemingly infinite panorama of possibilities can be built. It is the preparation for full engagement in the dynamic challenges of architecture today and a future yet to be determined.

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The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture is one of the most selective undergraduate professional schools of architecture in the country, attracting enormously gifted students from across the United States and beyond. Accep- tance to the program is based solely on merit. Admission is offered to those applicants selected by an Admissions Committee comprised of three faculty and a student representative. The application includes a student’s full academic record; standardized test scores; letters of recommendation; optional personal statement; and a completed “home test,” five or six questions designed to reveal analytical, conceptual and visual skills. Last year all fully completed applications were reviewed by every member of the Admissions Committee which, by consensus, offered 35 applicants entry into the freshman class. An additional 10 applicants were admitted as transfer students. The School of Architecture assists the Office of Admissions in its efforts to recruit qualified applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups.

The School of Architecture came into being as one of the three autono- mous schools of The Cooper Union in 1975, to honor a generous donor, and was named the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture in January 1982. Irwin S. Chanin, a highly honored alumnus of The Cooper Union and a member of the Board of Trustees, gave creative impetus to the spirit of modernism in the evolving growth of New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. The school currently has one program and grants one degree, the Bachelor of Architecture, a professional degree fully accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board. The existing program is, and is expected to remain, of optimum size at approximately 150 students. This number is ideal for the nature of the program, and has proven its success both in terms of the quality of the school and the character of the institution.

In the last five years, graduates of the Chanin School have continued to achieve exceptionally high levels of professional success.

Two currently lead the schools of architecture at Ivy League universi- ties, one as Chair of the Harvard Design School and one as Dean of the School of Architecture at Princeton.

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Last October, New York’s Lower Manhattan Development Corporation commissioned seven teams from more than 400 international submis- sions to prepare design schemes for the site of the former World Trade Center; five School of Architecture graduates and two faculty members were principals on six of those teams, including the winning team. A public exhibition of the nine schemes attracted more than 50,000 visi- tors, and generated unprecedented debate about the nature of archi- tecture, urbanism and public space.

Two of the Chanin School graduates were the first architects to join the prestigious community of MacArthur fellows and three have re- ceived Chrysler Design Awards since the award was established ten years ago.

Graduates are partners or vice presidents at prestigious architectural firms such as Bovis Lend Lease, Gensler, Gwathmey Siegel Associates, HLW International, HOK, and SOM, to name a few.

They are principals of their own firms, frequently cited by the press and peers as innovators and leaders in the profession.

Chanin School graduates are full-time members of the faculties of Carleton University, The City College of New York, Columbia Univer- sity, The Cooper Union, Cranbrook, Harvard, Iowa State University, Princeton, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Puerto Rico, University of Virginia, Yale and numerous other prestigious institu- tions of architectural education.

Chanin School graduates lecture widely, actively shaping public dis- course on the role of the discipline and practice of architecture in American and world culture.

The school’s location in downtown Manhattan offers its students access to some of the finest collections of architecture and art in the world, unparalleled opportunities to view traveling and special exhibitions and the unmatchable experience of living in an extraordinarily vibrant and diverse world city. Students experience architecture and urban policy in the making, and benefit tremen-

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dously from the rich ferment of cultures, ideas and issues always in play in New York City. They make constant use of the cultural institutions of the city, both large and small, public and private, mainstream and on the edge. After gradua- tion, the city offers excellent professional internship opportunities as students find work in firms that vary widely in size, focus, structure and philosophy.

Mission Statement The mission of the School of Architecture was reaffirmed by the Curriculum Committee in the fall of 2002 in the process of developing an assessment plan for evaluating and evolving its curriculum:

The mission of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture is to provide for its students the finest professional education avail- able within an intellectual environment fostering and expanding inner-driven creative capacities and sensibilities to serve the in- dividual through a productive creative life. The school is com- mitted to the belief that one of society’s prime responsibilities is for learning and education in the deepest sense; that individual creativity within a willing community is a profound social act. Fundamental to this mission of the school is the maintenance of a long-established creative environment in which freedom of thought and intuitive exploration are given a place to flourish, where the gifted mind and spirit can seek the means of expres- sion and mastery of form, and where a sense of the vast and joy- ous realm of creation can reveal an unending path for gratifying and meaningful work.

Program Structure A fundamental commitment of the school’s design-centered program is the maintenance of an academic environment in which creative freedom and individ- ual development are paramount. The curriculum as a whole is conceived to prepare the individual for continuing growth and development leading toward a professional career. Students are required to complete a minimum of 160 credit hours in order to be awarded the Bachelor of Architecture degree.

Central to the program is the five-year design sequence, which is struc- tured to integrate all the elements of architecture and to encourage an architec- ture distinguished in concept and rich in human meaning. Students develop

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projects both individually and in small groups, gaining important skills in collaborative work and collegial discourse. Students must often write about the concept as well as the formal and social implications of their project, clarifying intent and developing their writing skills as important tools. They make frequent oral presentations of their projects to studio colleagues and faculty in the class- room. These interim reviews allow for the development of presentation skills before students present and defend their work in the more public venue of the third floor gallery, in the presence of students from other years and of visiting critics. The NAAB visiting team noted that “The way in which students approach and question their projects is one of commitment and in-depth exploration. They present themselves as highly articulate individuals, possessing both intelligence and integrity.”

The five-year design sequence is supported and strengthened by the many required courses of the curriculum that are intended both to reinforce the issues of design and to balance pragmatism with theoretical investigation. These include courses that clarify and elaborate:

The opportunities, responsibilities and requirements associated with architectural practice.

Traditional and emergent technological methods, components and sys- tems.

Contemporary environmental contexts and concerns.

Required courses in history and town planning provide a historical back- ground of depth and continuity. Courses in advanced concepts and theory enrich the program in terms of intellectual and poetic rigor that are both interdiscipli- nary and disciplinary in nature.

All students study free-hand drawing, a skill for which Cooper Union ar- chitecture students are widely known and of which, even as they develop digital affinities and skills, they remain fiercely proud. Many students continue to take advantage of the opportunity to study advanced drawing as an elective class.

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An architect must have a broad humanistic perspective of social and cul- tural development from which to understand architecture as a vital force in shaping the environment. In support of this position, students are required to complete a minimum of 26 elective credits (General Studies), a significant percentage of their degree requirements, which allows them to take advantage of the rich offerings and collaborative opportunities throughout Cooper Union. In addition, all students must take at least six General Studies credits in the humanities and social sciences in addition to the institutionally required HSS sequence of four courses.

Lectures The curriculum of the School of Architecture is greatly enhanced by the many lecturers and visiting critics who come to the school every year. There is a Student Lecture Series that is supported by the school but completely scheduled and organized by a student committee. A list of guest lecturers and critics hosted by the school since the previous Middle States visit follows in Tables 8 through 13.

Academic and Administrative Structure The Governance of the School of Architecture is a concise document that was first adopted by the faculty in 1981 and has been amended periodically since then as conditions within the School of Architecture, The Cooper Union, or throughout the greater academic community have required. It was last amended by faculty vote in September 2000 to clarify the mechanism by which the deanship would be filled. The Governance is held in very high regard by the faculty as an effective and valued social and legal mechanism, providing a framework within which debate and change can be ordered.

The Governance document establishes four standing committees: Admin- istrative, Admissions, Academic Standards, and Curriculum. Composition of these committees includes full-time, proportional and adjunct faculty, students and various ex-officio members of the institutional administration and alumni.

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The voting faculty is similarly structured, and includes all full-time and propor- tional-time faculty with representation from the adjunct faculty and students. All

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Table 8. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 1997-1998

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Raimund Abraham (SLS) Diana Agrest (SLS) Christine Boyer Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Carlos Brillemboug Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Richard Burgin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts George Chaikin (SLS) Peter Chomowicz Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice William Clark (SLS) Frederick Fisher (SLS) Arthur Gang Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Deborah Gans Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Michal Govrin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Robert Greenberg Guest Lecturer, ARCH 115 History of Architecture I Remo Guidieri “The Dead” (SS) Zvi Hecker “Architecture is Landscape” (L) Hilde Heynen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Ming Wei Huang Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Christopher Janney (SLS) Edward Jefferson Guest Lecturer, Design Seminar Henrik Jensen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Louis Katsos (SLS) Jonathan Kirschenfeld Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Roderick Knox (SLS) Francisco Kropfl Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV Tapani Launis “New Alchemy of Architecture” (L) Visiting Critic, ARCH 151 Thesis

Sylvia Lavin Visiting Critic, ARCH 121 Design II

Continued…

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Table 8. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 1997-1998

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series David Garrard Lowe “Thomas Jefferson and the Dream of Greece and Rome: Greek Revival from Athens to Lafayette Street” (L) “America’s Gothic Hour: Chartres Cathedral, Windsor Castle and Grace Church Broadway” (L) “Richardsonian Romanesque and Art Nouveau: Province, Trinity Church Boston, and Louis Sullivan on Bleecker Street” (L) “Beaux Arts New York: From Paris to Stanford White’s Cable Building Houston Street and Ernest Flagg’s rectory for St. Mark’s-in-the-Bowery on East 11th Street” (L) Zdenek Lukes “Plecnik and the Prague Castle” (L) Alberto Pérez Gómez “Architectural Representation and the Perspective Louise Pelletier Hinge” (SL) Mary Ann Ray “Mastering Meanders, Jurassic Wrappers and Stuffs” (SLS) Dr. Ing. Wouter Reh “Design and Analysis in Landscape Architecture” Prof. Clemens Steenbergen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 135 Building Technology Miroslav Repa “Czechoslovakia in the World Exhibitions: Osaka ‘67, Montreal ‘70 and Seville ‘92” (L) Chris Risher Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Alex Schweder Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV David Shapiro (SLS) David F.M. Todd Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Ali Mehmet Uyanik Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV Wim van den Bergh “Casa Malaparte: An Alienation Machine” (L) “Contemplations on Copenhagen” (L) Michel Vernes Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Charles Waldheim Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Michael Webb (SLS)

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Table 9. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 1998-1999

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Walter Bishop (SLS) Kevin Bone (SLS) Nicholas Boyarsky Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Norman Bryson Robert Gwathmey Chair in Architecture and Art “Lines of Sight” (SL) Melvin Charney Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Peter Chomowicz Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Jacques Derrida, Michal “The Body of Prayer: A Seminar” Govrin Symposium, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts David Shapiro David Gersten (SLS) Arthur Gang Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Alexander Gorlin (SLS) Michal Govrin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Robert Greenberg Guest Lecturer, ARCH 115 History of Architecture I Remo Guidieri “Shamanic Tools: A Map” (SS) David Garrard Lowe “Beaux Arts New York: Two Lectures Covering 1880-1914” (SL) Klaus Mikkelsen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Dario Nuñez (SLS) Sergio Paz Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV Antonio Sanmartín “One Decade” (L) “Esa cosa del Coso: A work” (L) Visiting Critic, ARCH 151 Thesis Thomas Schumacher Guest Lecturer, ARCH 151 Thesis Alan Schwartzman Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Dr. Richard Selzer “The Body as Sacred Space” (SL) Grahame Shane (SLS) Robert Slutzky Visiting Critic, ARCH 151 Thesis David F.M. Todd Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Joan Waltmath (SLS)

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Table 9. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 1998-1999

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Regi Weile (SLS) Judge Bruce Wright (SLS)

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Table 10. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 1999-2000

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Benjamin Aranda Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV Marco Biraghi “Architecture and Sacrifice” (L) Richard Burgin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Carlos Brillembourg Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Peter Chomowicz Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Christian Duvernois “The Gardens of Marly, France” (SLS) Peter Eisenman Robert Gwathmey Chair in Architecture and Art “Palladio Virtu-el” (SL) Peter E. Federman Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Natalie Fizer Visiting Critic, ARCH 121 Design II Michal Govrin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Ranulph Granville Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Robert Greenberg Guest Lecturer, ARCH 115 History of Architecture I Remo Guidieri “Mimesis’ Agony” (SL) Alicia Imperiale Visiting Critic, ARCH 121 Design II Peter Kubelka “On Film” Jennifer Lee Visiting Critic, ARCH 121 Design II Paul Lee Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV LOT/EK “Less is More” (SLS) William Menking Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Richard Scherr Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Kerry Shear “Illuminated Perspective” (SL) Alan Schwartzman Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice David F.M. Todd Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice

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Table 11. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 2000-2001

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Stanley Allen (SLS) Shigeru Ban Michael Bell Visiting Critic, ARCH 141Design IV Ann Bergren Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Nicholas Boyarsky Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Anthony Burke Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV (SL) Peter Chomowicz Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Henry N. Cobb Visiting Critic, ARCH 151 Thesis Rachel Doherty Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Peter Federman Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Lukas Foss Performance Otto Graf Guest Lecturer, ARCH 125 History of Architecture II John Michell Thomas Müller (SLS) John Tranter Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Judith Turner Georg Windeck Guest Lecturer, ARCH 125 History of Architecture II (SL) Lebbeus Woods Visiting Critic, ARCH 151 Thesis Linda Zufquit Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts

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Table 12. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 2001-2002

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Raimund Abraham “Eyes Digging” (L) Carlos Brillembourg Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Juan Blanco Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Richard Burgin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Beatriz Colomina (SLS) Peter Cook Mark Cousins Guest Lecturer, ARCH 165 Analysis of Architectural Texts Asher Durman Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Helene Furjan Arthur Gang Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Deborah Gans Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Remo Guidieri (SS) Catherine Ingraham Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Kevin Kennon Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Robert Kleyn Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Rafael Moneo (SLS) Sherida Paulsen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 154 Professional Practice Rodney Place Brigid Ramsauer Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Terence Riley (SLS) Martha Rosler (SLS)

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Table 13. School of Architecture Guest Lecturers and Visiting Critics 2002-2003 (in progress)

Title or L = Lecture SL = Series of lectures Course SS = Seminar series SLS = Student lecture Name series Dennis Crompton Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Remo Guidieri (SS) Michal Govrin Guest Lecturer, ARCH 205 Advanced Concepts Louis Hutton Guest Lecturer, ARCH 141 Design IV Henrik Jensen Guest Lecturer, ARCH 153 Town Planning Rosalind Krauss (SLS) Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis (SLS) Wolf D. Prix “The New Architecture is a Dog. All Architects Are Dog Breeders.” Steven Rustow Guest Lecturer, ARCH 135 Building Technology Thomas Schröpfer Visiting Critic, ARCH 121 Design II Richard Taransky Visiting Critic, ARCH 141 Design IV Bernard Tschumi (SLS) Mark Wigley (SLS)

constituencies of the school have representation in governance. The voting faculty is required to hold at least one meeting each semester, but in practice meets at least twice each semester. In addition, the Dean will call meetings of the entire teaching faculty to discuss with the faculty as a collegial whole new issues or developments in the school.

In March 2003, at the request of the faculty, the Administrative Commit- tee discussed and approved the process by which full-time faculty are to be considered for promotion and tenure.

The administration of the school includes the Dean, who is the Chair of the faculty, and an Associate Dean, who is Chair of the Curriculum Committee. Both of these appointments are full-time positions. Two part-time administrative positions were established this year: Coordinator of Public Programs and Coordi-

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nator of Computer Instruction and Technology. The staff is comprised of an administrative associate and a secretary of exceptional dedication.

Faculty Development The Faculty of the School of Architecture is presently comprised of six tenured full-time members, three of whom are practicing architects, one a practicing professional engineer, one an active writer on issues of architectural history and theory, and one a professional artist. Faculty have at least two unscheduled days per week to pursue their professional and creative activities, and all are recog- nized as important figures and leaders in their respective fields.

The sabbatical program, which grants sabbaticals every six years, has been used by four members of the faculty in the past five years to pursue profes- sional projects and research. Faculty may also request an unpaid leave, on a yearly or single-semester basis. Two faculty members have made use of this program.

The most recent survey of graduating seniors indicated that 81 percent are either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their professors’ knowledge of the field and with the quality of teaching.

The school has 10 non-tenured proportional-time faculty members and 35 part-time adjuncts. Comprised largely of architects engaged in active practice, proportional and adjunct faculty bring many eminent and emergent figures in architectural design and theory to teach at Cooper Union.

There have been three retirements from the full-time faculty since the previous Middle States visit. In the near term, these vacancies will be filled with proportional faculty and adjuncts, who, if successful in integrating themselves into the teaching community, will be eligible to apply for any full-time positions authorized over the next few years. Since 2001, two excellent proportional and 11 new adjuncts have joined the ongoing faculty.

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New Leadership In May 2000, after 36 years of passionate commitment and intensely creative leadership, John Q. Hejduk, the school’s founder and only Dean, retired and shortly thereafter passed away. This was a loss that was deeply felt by the entire School of Architecture, reverberating through the alumni and the larger aca- demic and professional communities. Indeed, the legacy of John Hejduk will remain potent for years to come as the foundation for the future evolution of the architecture program.

In October 2000, the Faculty of the School of Architecture elected a search committee of five faculty members (four full-time and one adjunct) to begin the process of finding a new Dean for the school. After formally soliciting nominations from the entire faculty, student body and all School of Architecture alumni, the President and other Deans of the College, the committee sent letters of invitation to all nominated individuals.

The committee reviewed and discussed letters of intent received from 78 applicants and voted to invite nine individuals to interview for the appointment. The committee invited five additional professionals and two student representa- tives to participate in the candidate interviews, adding the perspective and counsel of alumni, highly regarded professionals and distinguished academics as well as students (who had petitioned to be involved) to this critical phase of the process. Seven candidates accepted the invitation to be interviewed; subse- quently, two of these candidates presented public lectures well attended by faculty, students and alumni, as well as many others from the architectural community. The search process lasted for much of the academic year, and, as might be expected in a school of such intense engagement and democratic tradition, engendered fierce debate among students and faculty alike.

The school used this process to examine and clarify the principles by which its future would be guided.

In July 2001, President Campbell announced that Anthony Vidler, a can- didate who had interviewed with the committee, had agreed to accept the ap- pointment of Dean subject to acceptance by the School of Architecture faculty.

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Professor Vidler met with the entire faculty. At a special meeting of the voting faculty, a motion was made by the faculty fully supporting the President’s selection but advising that the appointment of Acting Dean be made until such time as Professor Vidler could join the faculty as a fully tenured member. A vote was taken and the motion passed. The appointment of Acting Dean was made by President Campbell effective August 1, 2001. In May 2002, Acting Dean Vidler, to the enthusiastic applause of the faculty, announced his intention to accept tenure at The Cooper Union, and on July 1, 2002 formally became Dean.

Facilities The facilities of the School of Architecture are housed on the third and seventh floors of the Foundation Building, a National Historic Landmark building thathas undergone a complete transformation, as discussed on page 17.

All students in the School of Architecture are provided individual work space on the third floor within a shared studio. In the studios, students work together as a community of individuals. With the first through fourth years sharing a single large studio and the fifth year thesis class in more intimate individual spaces, a unique environment fostering cross-fertilization between classes and individual students is maintained. Indeed, the NAAB noted that “the students of the Chanin School benefit from the symbiosis gained by all students, save those in the final year, sharing a common studio space.”

The spirit of the design studio informs and permeates the entire school, and students value its intensity. Last spring, the students about to enter their thesis year were offered the option of having the thesis studios located on the seventh floor, where larger space than that existing on the third floor was available. They adamantly preferred to keep their studios on the third floor, so that the spirit and intensity of the “big studio” would remain part of their thesis year.

In the summer of 2002, modest improvements were made to the studio facilities at the request of the students. Existing sinks, which had not been used for several years, were repaired and returned to use, and two light tables and two cutting tables (funded by the school but fabricated by the Student Council) were

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installed for use by all students. At the request of the faculty, who wanted a meeting room adjacent to the studio and presentation spaces on the third floor, the faculty lounge was relocated from the seventh floor to the third floor.

Faculty office space is acknowledged to be inadequate, but there is pres- ently no room for expansion of the existing six office rooms. This need will be addressed as part of the new campus Master Plan.

A tiered lecture room on the third floor and two other classroom/ seminar/ presentation rooms on the seventh floor are in constant use. The lecture room, although suitable for most lecture-style classes, is too small and lacks adequate projection facilities for the many special lectures that occur at the school. It is important that these lectures be open to all interested students of the College, and they frequently do attract a large number of students from the School of Art. The school plans to modestly upgrade the projection capabilities of the room in Spring 2003 with the acquisition of new digital equipment, and expects a larger, better-equipped room to be part of the campus Master Plan. Faculty can schedule multi-media lectures or presentations in the Driscoll Room in the School of Engineering, but that room is heavily used and is frequently unavailable.

The collections and services of the Cooper Union Library have changed dramatically since the last visit by Middle States, though the library remains focused on the mission and goals of the institution at large. A full report on the several collections available for use by architecture students and services pro- vided by the libraries is not delineated here. However, the faculty believes that the library has kept up with the rapid pace of technological change without sacrificing its reverence for the book and the joy of print-bound knowledge.

The digitization of the visual collection is proceeding, and the expectation is that the library will continue to expand those resources that can be accessed remotely, unrestricted by library hours.

The School of Architecture has fostered the growth of a non-circulating study collection of books and other visual material that are not otherwise acces- sible through the Cooper Union library system. The collection makes available to students and faculty the work of multiple disciplines, sometimes including rare

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or limited edition items, often on loan from private collections. Formerly located on the third floor in a small windowless room, the collection has been moved to a much larger room on the seventh floor. The students have often expressed great fondness for the collection and its quiet space for reading and study as a refuge from the intensity of the studio. There has also been universal praise for the quality of the new room.

An outstanding shop facility shared by the Architecture, Art and Engi- neering schools is located on the fourth floor. Although integral to both program and pedagogy and used extensively by architecture students, the shop is adminis- tered by the School of Art. School of Architecture faculty have expressed the need for input into the planning and setting of policy for this facility.

There has been tremendous growth since the last Middle States visit in the use of information and digital technologies by architecture students in the development of their studio projects. A faculty actively engaged in practice has brought both the realities and the potentialities of the digitization of architec- tural production into the studio. Students have expressed tremendous interest in mastering the technique as well as investigating the formal and philosophic possibilities of computing in architecture. They make use of numerous computing facilities throughout The Cooper Union that offer digital research, design and production capabilities:

The “main terminal” room in the School of Engineering is heavily used by students for e-mail, Internet-based research and word processing.

The Brooks Design Center in Engineering was formerly used exten- sively by architecture students for digitally produced renderings and animations and other CAAD or computer-aided architecture design projects. Following the Chanin School’s efforts to improve a small com- puting facility on the seventh floor of the Foundation Building, the Brooks Design Center now serves more as a backup during times of ex- ceptionally heavy use.

The School of Art Computer Center on the second floor of the Founda- tion Building is available for use by architecture students. This is a

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Macintosh facility, with emphasis on image creation and editing pro- grams and with excellent printing capabilities. It is fully staffed by highly knowledgeable teachers and artists and is used by students mainly for photo and video editing.

The School of Architecture has invested heavily in a computing facility on the seventh floor of the Foundation Building. It is specifically in- tended to support a design curriculum that recognizes the growing use of computing as an instrument of practice and which urges students to explore its formal and cultural implications.

The facility now has four Macintosh G-4 machines; 13 Dell Preci- sion PCs; a Linux environment “Samba” file server for secure, tempo- rary work storage; a high-output HP black-and-white laser printer and a large format HP DesignJet color plotter. Software includes AutoCad 2000i, Alias Wavefront Maya 4.5, Adobe Photoshop 7.0, Adobe Illustra- tor 10, Adobe Premiere 6.5, Rhinoceros Nurbs Modeling, FormZ Model- ing 3.9.5, and Houdini Nurbs Modeling.

Conceived as integral to the activities of the design studio, this computing facility is open whenever the design studios are open, giving students access 17 hours a day. A student trained to assist in the effec- tive use of the facility and to do simple troubleshooting on the hard- ware is present whenever the center is open. The school has appointed a Coordinator of Computer Instruction and Technology who has devel- oped a plan for the continuing evolution of the facility in support of the design curriculum.

In recognition of space and budget constraints that are anticipated to persist until the new academic building is completed, the School of Ar- chitecture is in the process of testing a wireless network system for the “big studio.” This system would allow students to make use of institu- tionally purchased software on their personal desktops and laptops to develop design projects digitally in the big studio. The school is very interested in providing as much access to digital methods as possible,

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to see how architecture students might integrate – or isolate – their digital work from work they will continue to develop in other media.

In response to concerns raised by the NAAB visiting team, the school is exploring how to economically address mechanical/environmental deficiencies in the School of Architecture facilities that do not offer optimal comfort for much of the year. The administration is also in the process of developing a plan for making modifications to the Foundation Building interior, or alternately relocat- ing activities, to allow all components of the architecture program to be fully accessible.

In June 2002, at the request of the President’s office, the School of Archi- tecture prepared a full survey of existing facilities currently used by the school, as well as projections for future needs based on the school’s December 2000 Planning Report, faculty recommendations and student concerns. It is expected that all issues raised in these reports will be addressed in a comprehensive manner as a campus Master Plan is developed.

Exhibitions and Publications: School of Architecture Archive The school continues to make use of its highly professional exhibitions program to re-present and re-examine its strongest traditions and to look forward to inventive, provocative new work. Lists of exhibitions and publications since the previous Middle States visit follow in Tables 14 and 15, and three of the publica- tions can be found in Appendix K.

To report on developments and to signal upcoming events, the Chanin School is establishing a publication tentatively named “architecture@cooper.” This will quickly expand into a small magazine, initially Web-based, that will play host to the exciting content being developed in studios, seminars and lecture series. A part-time editor has joined the excellent staff at the School of Architec- ture Archive, to help launch the first issue early in 2003.

At this time, the archive staff are also actively redesigning the School of Architec- ture Web site. Accessed through the Cooper Union home page, the Web site will

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contain all the information sought by students considering application to the school. More important, it will serve as a means to view student work, review exhibitions and even purchase publications. A catalog of available publications has already been added to the Web site and has resulted in a significant increase in sales, providing support to the school’s highly valued publications program.

Table 14. School of Architecture Exhibitions 1999-2002

Mary Kelly: The Ballad of Kastriot Rexhepi The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery With an Original Score by Michael Nyman November 21-December 21, 2002 Slutzky – Recent Work The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery September 17-October 29, 2002 The Storm – A Construction by Lebbeus Woods The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery January 2-February 1, 2002 Wall House 2 – John Hejduk The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery November 6-30, 2001 Water-Works: The Architecture and Engineering of The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery the New York City Water Supply January 8-February 10, 2001 Landscape and Memory – The Arthur A. Hougton Jr. Gallery The Paintings and Drawings of Richard Upton September 1-October 1, 1999

Table 15. School of Architecture Publications 1999-2002

ROME / BERLIN / NEW YORK Text, Intertext, Context: The Literary Dimension of the City This project is a Fourth Year Design study of the plans of the cities Rome, Berlin, and New York in order to propose a 21st Century civic institution and define its site with significance in regard to Freud’s definition of the city as a psychic entity. This was the assignment to the fourth year architecture students on September 7, 2001. Four days later the destruc- tion of the World Trade Center occurred. All of the participants in this class witnessed the 9/11 event with their own eyes. Whether seen from the roof of the Cooper Union building or within the streets of New York, each student and faculty member proceeded to address the civic space of architecture at the scale of the city, past, present, and future, for one semester. Although there is only one project specifically proposed for the Ground Zero site, the subject as a whole can be seen as an address to the question. This study as conducted in the aftermath of this monumental urban event is motivated toward the creation of intimate civic space with inventive contemporary program. As the city is now open for redefinition, the project can be considered to address the future conscience necessary to solve the problems posed. Th i tit ti d i t t d t di f th l ti b t f it

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and program with a literary vision of the possibility of the city.

New York: The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union, 2002 113 pages, 11x7 Softcover

SLUTZKY: RECENT WORK Published to coincide with an exhibition in the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, this catalog celebrates an exhibition of 28 recent paintings by Robert Slutzky, works which elaborate the theme of “transparency” that the painter has explored over the last fifty years. This catalog collects 27 full-color illustrations of these paintings, along with generous exam- ples of Slutzky’s earlier work, to critically examine how the painter’s manipulation of color and transparency have transgressed the modernist canon of flatness.

New York: The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union, 2002 52 pages, 9x9 76 illustrations (15 full-size), all in color Softcover

LANDSCAPE & MEMORY: The Paintings and Drawings of Richard Upton Published to coincide with an exhibition in the Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, this is an intimate portrait of the landscape paintings of Richard Upton, selected from works completed in Cortona, Italy between 1982-88, documenting his journey from realism to abstraction, capturing the essence of space, color, light, and form. Richard Howard’s poem A Table of Green Fields: Richard Upton’s Cortona Landscapes is included, along with citations from the artist and others, that impose a way of reading the depths behind Upton’s works.

New York: The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union, 1999 48 pages, 5½x7 31 illustrations, 30 in color Softcover

BODY OF PRAYER: SHAPIRO, GOVRIN, DERRIDA The “Advanced Concepts” course has been an integral part of the education of an architect within the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of the Cooper Union, research- ing writing, art, and sound and their relations to architecture. In 1998, the poet and professor David Shapiro invited Michal Govrin, the Israeli writer and theater director, to lecture on certain spatial concepts of the sacred. She, in turn, asked Jacques Derrida to elaborate on questions these concepts raised and their visit coincided with the English publication of Govrin’s Name, a novel voiced as a prayer that was the starting point for th dit ti t i d i thi l B d f P i d f th t i l

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recorded on 14 October 1998, and the reverberations between the writings, poems, and fragments of novels written by Shapiro, Govrin and Derrida and an almost silent host, the Cooper Union School of Architecture’s late dean, John Hejduk.

New York: The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union, 2001 104 pages, 7x10 Softcover

EDUCATION OF AN ARCHITECT: A Point of View On November 13, 1971, the exhibition Education of an Architect: A Point of View – featuring the work of Cooper Union students under the direction of the chairman of the Department of Architecture, John Hejduk, and the dean George Sadek – opened at the Museum of Modem Art in New York. The installation of models, drawings, and photo- graphs along with faculty and student statements, documented work from 1964 to 1971. To accompany the exhibition. The Cooper Union published an extremely influential limited edition book – long since out of print – of 54 projects by some 60 students showing their in depth explorations of problems based on the visual discoveries of cubism and neo-plasticism as they related to architectural space and thought. This new volume is a smaller-format reprint that includes all material from the original book – exceptional color and black-and-white drawings and model photographs – and the original introduction by Ulrich Franzen, along with two new texts, a reintroduction by architectural historian and educator Alberto Perez-Gomez, and an essay by Kim Shkapich, director of the Architecture Archive at The Cooper Union. The reprint charts the foundations of the pedagogical inventions and methodology that a spirited and independent faculty, under the aegis of John Hejduk, brought into what has been called “the best school of architecture in the world.”

New York: The Monacelli Press, 1999 376 pages, 9¾x9 340 illustrations, 20 in color Softcover

Service and Membership Standards of good citizenship, ethical practice and public debate first articulated by Peter Cooper are very high throughout the College.

Each year, student volunteers from the School of Architecture become teachers and design critics for 35 high school students who arrive early every Saturday to participate in Cooper Union’s free Saturday Program in architecture and art. Student volunteers determine the curriculum, design the assignments and work individually with each participant as they develop a project. The Saturday Program is an extraordinary opportunity for motivated high school

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students to be introduced to the study of architecture both as a discipline and a creative enterprise with great cultural significance. At the same time, they develop skills in observation, drawing, research, design and communication. It is also a remarkable opportunity for Cooper Union students, who experience the work and pleasure of teaching first hand. Graduates of the Saturday Program have gone on to study in many professional schools of architecture, including those at City College, Cooper Union, Cornell, New Jersey Institute of Technology and New York Institute of Technology.

Sometimes opportunities for leadership and service present themselves at times of tragedy and horror. A few days after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the school was contacted by an alumnus who was volunteering with a construction company at Ground Zero. He had witnessed the enormous difficulty the site engineers were having in effectively communicating site conditions to help assure the safety of the rescue and recovery teams. He recognized that a model of the site would be enormously helpful as a tool for the engineers and team coordina- tors.

This was a call to service that was a perfect match for the formidable analytic and model-making skills of the School of Architecture students. With the support of the engineering team managing the stability of the site slurry wall (dubbed “the bathtub”), and with drawings documenting post-collapse conditions, an all-volunteer team of students designed and built a three-dimensional model of the site area contained by the bathtub. This enormous effort ultimately engaged more than 30 students, who worked tirelessly while maintaining their significant course loads, and was of great value in assisting the teams in their selfless work at Ground Zero. The project was awarded a Design Distinction Award from I.D. Magazine, the jury applauding the fact that “the students used architectural principles to reveal information for non-architects” as well as “their use of architecture as an analytical tool.”

The school pays the annual dues for all students to be members of both the American Institute of Architecture Students and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, and students are expressing greater interest in active involvement in these organizations. Students attended the AIAS Leadership

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Conference in Summer 2002 and the AIAS Annual Meeting in Toronto over the winter break. In addition, the Architectural League of New York City offers students membership at a reduced charge; the membership admits students free to all the events, lectures and exhibitions sponsored by the league and offers the opportunity to meet with and tour the offices of practicing architects. There has been a significant increase in student participation in this program.

Planning Report In September 2000, President George Campbell Jr. asked the entire College community to participate in a collective process of strategic planning for the future of the institution. The four faculties, with the participation of students, staff and invited alumni, conducted thoughtful analyses of their academic programs and administrative structure. The School of Architecture issued its own planning report to President Campbell in December 2000 after weeks of intense study and debate by work groups formed around five areas of concern: facilities; technologies; exhibitions, publications and lectures; interdisciplinary activities and degree programs.

The report contained assessments of existing programs and facilities, clarified and reaffirmed guiding principles, and recommended strategies for strengthening and evolving the program.

Recommendations included:

Continue to play a pivotal role in the public discourse on architecture through the expansion and enrichment of highly professional exhibi- tions, publications and lecture programs.

Foster authentic interdisciplinary exchange, acknowledging the com- plexity of the interaction between distinct disciplinary fields both in their cultural realities and the production of material as well as new directions in research to define limits and content unique to architec- ture. Areas of study could include subject matter raised by the devel- opment of digital technologies, film and video, the formal and cultural

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implications of new materials and structures, ecological concerns, and current and future urbanism.

Establish a mechanism for School of Architecture input into the plan- ning, development, operation and policies regarding shared facilities that are integral to the program but administered solely by the School of Art. This especially concerns the fourth-floor shop, fifth-floor photo labs and the Houghton Gallery.

Establish a new architecture workshop as a digital counterpoint to the fourth-floor shop. This facility would not simply be focused on the pro- duction of two-dimensional images, but would also provide ambitious possibilities for three-dimensional output. The planning report notes that over the last 10 years the profession has increasingly incorporated information technologies as the primary tools of practice and that the school is eager to explore the impact of this development on the disci- pline and its education.

Begin the process of establishing a second degree program, the Mas- ters of Architecture II. This post-professional degree would extend the vision of the undergraduate program and allow a further development of the school’s pre-eminent position in the education of architects.

The goals set out in this planning report reflect precisely those of the new leadership of the school. As outlined later in this report in a section on new initiatives, and despite current budgetary constraints, many of the foregoing proposals are either now in effect or in the process of being instituted.

Assessment Plan In March 2002, the NAAB visiting team expressed concern that the methods of assessment that were then in place might not provide “a structured means of effectively measuring overall progress of the program in advancing the school’s stated master planning objectives.” In the fall of 2002, working with Institutional Research and the full-time assessment professional at the College, the Curricu- lum Committee of the School of Architecture began the process of developing of

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an assessment plan that could serve as an active instrument for the evaluation and evolution of the curriculum. This would be the first time that such a written document had been developed by the School of Architecture. The committee was energized by the challenge and opportunity that this charge presented and set to work immediately after the fall committee elections.

As defined by the School of Architecture Governance, the Curriculum Committee is permanently chaired by the Associate Dean and includes represen- tatives of both the resident and adjunct faculties and a student. By election, the current committee includes faculty who represent the Design, Technologies and History-Theory components of the curriculum. Meetings were spirited and substantive, and while the committee reviewed and made recommendations on specific student and faculty proposals, its main focus was the assessment plan.

The committee began its work by developing a structure that defined the goals of the program, the position of every course in the curriculum in support of these goals, and the expectations or outcomes for each course in the curriculum as it is presently configured. The committee made use of a comprehensive Architecture Program Report prepared in September of 2000 in anticipation of the NAAB program site visit. In the Spring of 2000, every faculty member had been asked to prepare a concise description of the pedagogical objectives of his or her class as well as the means by which student performance would be evaluated, to be included in the Architecture Program Report. These course descriptions were used to construct the assessment plan, effectively engaging the entire faculty in its development.

The Curriculum Committee approved an assessment plan, which it then forwarded to the Administrative Committee in Spring 2003 for review and approval prior to presentation to the faculty.

The objectives of the architecture program, established as the overarch- ing framework within which to evolve the curriculum, were defined as follows:

To provide a rigorous design education wherein intellectual vitality, open debate and the gift of imagination inform creative work. The de- sign sequence will be structured to integrate the elements of architec-

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ture; prompt investigations of program, construction, structure, form and space; and encourage an authentic architecture distinguished in concept and rich in human meaning.

To foster a context of intellectual rigor in support of a passionate pur- suit of knowledge. To give emphasis to a broad spectrum of cultural concerns that are of significance in understanding the need and place of architecture in the contemporary context.

To prepare students to make use of traditional systems as well as new developments in the methods and materials of building construction as an inventive and imaginative pursuit. To consider issues of ecological concern, limited resources, sustainability and the transformation of territory as opportunities for invention.

To prepare students for ethical practice within the discipline of archi- tecture, fully acknowledging concerns for the urban environment and recognizing that the role and scope of the architect is assuming ever- new directions and dimensions. To engender in the student a strong and serious sense of the dual responsibilities of service and leadership.

To deeply investigate underlying human values that have sustained and informed the unique position and contribution of the architect in the past and which remain critical to a vital profession in the present and future. To provide the ethical, social, philosophical and humanistic framework crucial to personal development and professional excel- lence.

The complete School of Architecture Assessment Plan can be found as Table 36 in the outcomes assessment section of this report, which begins on page 198.

After establishing the assessment plan, the committee then focused on developing a questionnaire for use in course assessment. The School of Architec- ture will distribute the course questionnaires in accordance with the CUFCT contract in all classes at the end of each semester.

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The work of this highly energized committee will carry through the Spring 2003 semester and into the next academic year.

Curriculum Development Curriculum development is a continuous process in the School of Architecture.

The school has recently begun an initiative to entirely reshape the build- ing technology and environmental technology courses, in discussion with major professional firms such as Ove Arup. This initiative was prompted both by faculty concern and that of the NAAB visiting team, which noted the apparent lack of a studio project that fully integrates students’ knowledge gained from technical course work. The new sequence in building technology and the new environmental technology/workshop courses will intersect with the third-year design studios that have focused their concerns on the relationship between technology and design. This intersection will be reinforced by short combined workshops between the technology courses and studios, and will go far beyond the visiting team’s expressed desire for a “synthetic studio.”

With the expansion of the resources of the school’s computing studio has come a re-definition of the required course Computer Applications and Descrip- tive Geometry, the expansion of elective courses offered in digital media, and new expectations for the integration of digital methods in the design studio. Students now approach digital tools as some among many that can be controlled, rather than controlling. It is Cooper Union’s desire to be in the forefront of those who reconstruct digital tools – as it has done so successfully in the realm of drawing and modeling – for use in the art of architecture.

Ongoing discussions hosted by the President among the Chairs of the cur- riculum committees of the schools and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences have opened up the potential for increased interdisciplinary experiences at a number of levels, from the foundation courses in the humanities and social sciences, to cross-listed and cross-sponsored courses and individual initiatives among faculty from the different schools. Workshop and seminar courses have been offered between the schools of Architecture and Art by artists such as Vito Acconci, Hans Haacke and Dennis Adams on the dimensions of public art. New

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collaborations in critical theory are being developed between Architecture and Art, and two faculty in Architecture and Engineering have developed a fully interdisciplinary course in urban studies. Currently under consideration is a revision of the semester schedule to provide for a common, schoolwide week of project presentations. This could allow cross-disciplinary participation by faculty in final project reviews and critiques.

Budget The new Dean of the School of Architecture has been working with the President in full support of the commitment to balance the institutional budget by 2004. Rather than eliminate entire components of the program to close Architecture’s share of the deficit, the Chanin School adopted across-the-board reductions on all components. It has been the Dean’s policy to maintain the full strength of the academic program, while economizing in areas in which supplemental fund- raising would be able to supply any shortfalls.

Although fiercely proud of their position as alumni of one of the most unique schools of architecture in the country, former students are not historically strong givers to the Annual Fund. Further, practicing architects do not enjoy the generous salaries of other professionals with comparable training and responsi- bility. Nonetheless, at a time of economic stress, a direct, personal appeal to alumni to provide support, however modest, for the School of Architecture held the promise of being very effective.

The Dean’s Circle was initiated to re-engage School of Architecture alumni as active guardians of the outstanding program and full-tuition scholar- ship policy. The Dean’s Circle has already been successful in securing support that will significantly offset budget reductions that must be made this academic year and which might otherwise impact the ability to host a lecture series, secure much-needed equipment upgrades or provide travel stipends to students for research and study abroad. The efforts of this group will be expanded, as possi- ble, to the wider professional community.

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New Initiatives Outreach. The Cooper Union, long established as a site of fundamental design inquiry, is ready to become a site of public debate and discussion of the most important issues impacting architecture and its urban implications. Cooper Union has both the location and the spirit to go public with events, lectures, exhibitions and publications that would in turn stimulate discussions within the school itself. These debates should be conducted at all levels. They should be local, engaging the New York City community, including the Institutes of Urban- ism and Humanities at New York University, the New School and other institu- tions. They should be national, building on relationships with schools across the U.S., Canada and the Americas. They should also be international, developing relationships with Europe, the Near East and the Far East.

Whitney/Cooper Independent Study Program. A joint collaboration between the Whitney Museum and the School of Architecture, established in 2001-2002, has already borne fruit; a major public lecture series was developed for 2002- 2003, with the participation of distinguished critics such as Hal Foster and Benjamin Buchloh, and artists concerned with architecture and spatial ideas such as Mary Kelly and Martha Rosler. The Whitney/Cooper Independent Study Program will bring the resources of the best experimental architects, artists and critics to Cooper Union’s evening programs and will provide students with the opportunity for advanced architectural study; the program admitted five post- graduate students in architectural studies for Fall 2002. The Chanin School is also joining with the Whitney Museum to develop symposia and exhibitions in conjunction with their exhibition of the work of alumni Diller+Scofidio in 2003- 2004.

Graduate program. Planning has been initiated for a new post-professional master’s degree program in architecture and urban studies. The application for registration will be ready to send to New York State in early summer 2003. The proposed program, presented to and approved by the Curriculum Committee in November 2002, will offer a Master of Architecture (MArch II) degree to serve the needs of predoctoral students, critics and professionals preparing themselves for a teaching career or who wish to continue in practice with higher research and

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design skills. The program will be structured to be completed over two semesters and a summer session.

The fee-based program, developed in collaboration with the other faculties at Cooper Union, will admit students with an undergraduate or graduate accred- ited professional degree (BArch or MArch I) and offer concentrations in one, or a combination, of three areas:

History, Criticism and Theory of Architecture, and Urban Design in con- junction with the Whitney/Cooper Independent Study Program. This area will concentrate on modern and contemporary issues in architec- ture and urban planning, including, but not confined to, questions con- cerning the criticism and theory of modernism and contemporary architecture, aesthetics and philosophy of architecture, the mediatiza- tion of architecture, and patterns of consumption and taste and related cultural issues.

Urban Studies in a Global Economy. This area will concentrate on issues central to the planning and development of cities and regions in a global economy, including but not confined to, questions of the social and cultural effects of globalism, the survival of local urban cultures, redevelopment of central cities and suburbs, and specific problems re- lating to New York City and other important cities.

Environmental Design and New Technologies. The academic component for the Center of Environmental Design, described below, will operate within the School of Architecture. This area will support study of the impact of new information and manufacturing technologies on archi- tecture, design and the planning process including, but not confined to, issues relating to software and hardware development in mapping and modeling techniques, technologies of fabrication as they influence new design strategies, and developments in new structural systems and materials.

Evening program. In collaboration with the Whitney/Cooper Independent Study Program, the Chanin School has begun a series of major public lectures for

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2002-2003, involving critics, artists, architects and filmmakers. Planning has also started for a number of fee-based evening courses in architecture and urban studies for professionals and the general public.

International exchanges. With so concentrated a curriculum, it is important for five-year students to have the opportunity for exchange and experience with others from equally rigorous but different schools. The School has opened talks to explore exchange opportunities with like-spirited institutions in London, Vienna and Barcelona.

Research in urban studies. The integral and reciprocal role of architecture in the city, together with the special location of Cooper Union in Manhattan, provides the rationale for creating an institute within the School dedicated to exploring the relationship of architectural design to urban design and planning. The School will investigate the formation of such an institute, which would interface with the proposed Institute for Urban Infrastructure and Systems in the School of Engineering, allowing faculty to apply for research grants in a wide variety of areas.

Center of Environmental Design. In cooperation with the National Re- sources Defense Council, The Cooper Union, through the School of Architecture, is planning to establish a Center of Environmental Design wherein the ethics, technology, economics and design potentialities of sustainability can be rigor- ously studied and then shared with design professions and the general public. Successful environmentally responsible design can only occur with the integra- tion of disciplines, especially those of architecture and engineering, and so it is fitting that such a center be housed at Cooper Union. The center will have three components:

Academic. The center will support a concentration in environmental design and new technologies in the new MArch II degree program now in development at the School of Architecture.

Research. The center will fund research in all aspects of sustainable design, the funds to be granted to both faculty and students. When ap- propriate, the research may be integrated into the academic programs.

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Public outreach. Through public lectures, symposia, exhibitions and publications, and through workshops for practicing professionals, the center will bring the latest materials, systems, equipment and con- struction methods as well as economic and social data to practicing professionals and the public.

The Kanbar Environmental and Transportation Graphics Program. The Kan- bar program is a project to develop a national signage policy, to be conducted in 2003-2004 with the support of external funding. The project will comprise a comprehensive, global study of urban transportation signage with respect to diverse national and local standards, regional and urban contexts, and cultural identities. The project will include study of design standards, cultural and linguistic differences, national and local iconologies, and sign traditions through case studies from Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The history, theory and practice of signs and symbols will also be exam- ined, utilizing previous research in communication theory and studies in urban identity, both traditional and contemporary. This review will be followed by a public international conference on signage, identity and design.

The project will employ designers, structural engineers and communica- tion consultants to work on a set of performance objectives and design prototypes for a national signage policy. Their work will culminate with the experimental introduction of the prototypes in selected institutional and regional contexts such as airports, railroad stations, freeways and urban sectors.

Conclusion Over the last five years, The School of Architecture has been building on its strong design legacy while reinforcing its firm commitment to the coordinated training of hand, eye and mind in the development of a contemporary curriculum. The goal of that curriculum is to respond to the technological demands of a rapidly changing profession, nationally and internationally, and to remain in the forefront of future developments.

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The School of Art

The School of Art has undergone many positive changes since the visit of the Middle States evaluation team in the spring of 1998, and has successfully addressed a number of concerns raised in the team’s report. This periodic review report outlines and describes the School of Art Mission Statement, current programming and operations, what has changed or evolved during the past five years, and plans for continuing improvement over the next five years.

Mission Statement In addition to the new Cooper Union mission statement approved by the Trustees in 2000, the Faculty of the School of Art adopted a revised mission statement for the school:

The School of Art offers a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. The BFA program provides both a general visual arts edu- cation and a focused preparation for future artists and design- ers. The program develops the students’ creative potential, en- courages them to be versatile, resourceful and reflective, and equips them to deal successfully with the practical problems and issues of today and those of the future. In a world of increased specialization and professional fragmentation, artists and designers with a wide range of ex- periences have something unique to offer and students are pre- pared to meet the diverse and rapidly changing professional challenges confronting them after graduation. The vital and col- laborative role generalists play in their respective professional fields also extends to the civic arena. The School of Art is firmly committed to a generalist cur- riculum that encompasses all the fundamental disciplines and resources of the visual arts. Each student is educated not only in specific disciplines, but also in the complex interrelationships of all the visual vocabularies. This philosophic premise relates to all the objectives of the School of Art and is the foundation upon which all teaching, creative work, service and research are based. The studio curriculum along with the Art History and Gen- eral Studies components of the BFA program all have as their

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goal the acquisition of communication skills, the development of critical perspective, and the mastery of the materials and intel- lectual premises of the study of societies and people. Throughout eight semesters, students are taught to become socially aware, historically grounded, creative practitioners who become critical analysts of the world of contemporary visual communications, art and the culture at large. Integrated into the studio practice and critique is the expo- sure to Western and non-Western history of art and design as well as an introduction to theoretical issues that are the subjects of current debate in the field.

Current Programming The development of curriculum is considered by the faculty to be an ongoing process, worthy of continuing review, revision and coordination. Faculty of varied philosophies, aesthetic viewpoints and technical expertise represent the multi- faceted and pluralistic nature of contemporary visual arts. The school’s location in New York City, one of the world’s art centers, provides access to highly qualified guest artists, visiting faculty and lecturers, as well as to world re- nowned galleries and museums. All substantially enrich the curriculum.

The School of Art is concerned with fostering authenticity, as compared with following or establishing trends. It is committed to the advancement of the artist as part of an ever-changing culture, exploring new and traditional tech- nologies, and new ways of seeing and thinking.

Bachelor of Fine Arts. The School of Art grants a Bachelor of Fine Arts de- gree in a four-year program, preparing graduates to seek an advanced degree or to enter a professional field.

Admission to the School of Art, which includes a comprehensive portfolio review, is highly competitive. Each year only about 60 of the most qualified students from the almost 1,200 who seek admission gain entrance to the school’s BFA program.

The number of students in the School of Art is strictly limited, thereby challenging the school to admit students from among the most intelligent, talented and deserving applicants. The small size of the School of Art is its

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hallmark and one of its greatest assets. The current ratio of students to faculty and to technical and administrative staff is well balanced and mutually suppor- tive. Class size is usually kept to no more than 15 students per studio course. The intimate size of the student body allows for an intensity of focus, enabling students to receive individual instruction and mentoring, and to develop produc- tive relationships with each other, faculty and staff. The diversity of students enrolled is one of the school’s greatest resources and guarantees a breadth and richness of academic experience.

The faculty and staff bring personalized individual attention to all as- pects of student life throughout each student’s course of study. This ensures an outstanding student body and extremely low attrition.

The School of Art Foundation Program is designed to be an indispensable base for the school’s entire education program. Through exposure to a variety of two- and three-dimensional projects, students are given a general introduction to the fundamentals of visual and spatial phenomena as well as to the concepts, principles and techniques of the visual arts. Students then move on to intermedi- ate and advanced courses taught by a dedicated core of full-time faculty and a remarkable group of visiting and guest artists who come to teach at The Cooper Union because of the excellent program and students.

Students select advanced course work from the following disciplines: drawing, film/video, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. An area of specialization is not required, and flexibility is a fundamen- tal strength of the program. On the upper levels, a more individual direction is established in the selection of courses within the areas of concentration.

There is at least one full-time faculty member whose major area of teach- ing and professional work is in one of the seven discipline areas named. In addition, as many as 60 distinguished guest and visiting artists and/or long-term adjunct faculty are hired to teach each semester, enabling the school to offer a broad range of in-depth advanced courses throughout the academic program.

Art History and General Academic Studies. Students in the School of Art are required to take 14 credits in Art History and 12 credits in General Academic

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Studies, in addition to the institutionally required sequence of four courses offered by Humanities and Social Sciences.

As part of the Foundation Program, students begin the study of the his- tory of visual arts with a two-semester, four-credit requirement, Introduction to Art History. The goals of this course are to develop a critical terminology of visual art and a visual inventory of the historical record. In addition to chronology, this course considers art objects through both formal analysis and cultural study. Art work studied extends from the prehistoric to the contemporary. More than 25 percent of the course material concerns non-Western art, and a minimum of one- third of all class meetings are held in New York City museums and galleries.

New York City museums, galleries, design studios and artists’ studios provide a rich cultural resource for Cooper Union students. The Foundation Art History Survey course uses the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an extended classroom. Enrolled students study original works in the study rooms of the Museum of Modern Art and visit the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art regularly. Graphic Design faculty take students to the professional design studios of leading New York City designers. Many classes visit the studios and exhibi- tions of contemporary artists.

The Faculty of the School of Art is committed to these off campus pro- grams and believe they are assets to the BFA program.

Following Introduction to Art History, students complete at least 10 sub- sequent credits in art history electives. The offerings are both historical, such as Italian Renaissance, and topical, such as Public Art, utilizing local museums and gallery resources as much as possible.

General Academic Studies begins with a required four-semester, 12-credit core curriculum comprising Studies in Literature (freshman year), and the Making of the Modern World (sophomore year). The first course is an introduc- tion to the study of literature and communication skills that uses the history of literary expression as a foundation for student expression, both oral and written. The course meets in small seminars and requires research, writing and presenta- tions. The course includes reading a Greek tragedy, a Shakespearean tragedy

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and a modern play as well as readings specific to individual instructors. The Making of the Modern World is an intellectual history course beginning with the cultural contact of Old and New Worlds in 1500 and continuing to the present. It uses primary texts to introduce students to the terminology of the present: the nature of the state, the individual, nationalism, colonialism and totalitarianism.

Following the core curriculum, students are required to complete a mini- mum of 12 additional credits in General Academic Studies. These are chosen from a broad offering of electives that allows students to choose from different disciplines and historical periods and to link courses according to their own interest.

Studies in Art History and General Academic Studies have in common the dual goals of developing critical skills and cultural literacy. They present parallel historical records from different and complementary perspectives. Students examine art and the context of art using tools from different disciplines. Having established that critical foundation, the curriculum allows students to choose their own directions for study from elective offerings that are complemen- tary – choosing to study African Art and also Avant-Garde African Literature, for example. By encouraging students to create their own course linkage, both the Art History and General Studies curricula are designed to create the basis for lifelong learning. In these courses, BFA students are enrolled with students from the School of Architecture and the School of Engineering at Cooper Union. This enables them to gain the perspectives of both artists and non-artists in relation to each other.

Independent study. Independent study is an alternative to classroom study and may be taken with a member of the regular faculty or adjunct faculty on three-year appointments. Only juniors or seniors in good academic standing are eligible. Independent study may be taken once during a semester in an advanced subject for one, two or three credits. One credit of independent study represents a minimum of three hours of work during each week of a 15-week semester.

The major consideration in approving proposals for independent study is the educational value of the study project within the structure of the degree

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requirements. Permission to work outside the school’s classes and labs can be given only when it is required by the nature of the specific project and when the experience has been evaluated to be valid by the instructor and approved by the Dean of the School of Art.

Mobility Program. Cooper Union is a member of the Association of Inde- pendent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). All AICAD schools have agreed to participate in the Mobility Program, in which students from one of the AICAD schools may spend a semester at any other AICAD school. Although many students from various schools wish to attend The Cooper Union for a semester, far fewer Cooper Union students choose to attend one of the other AICAD schools.

Foreign Exchange Program. Students in good academic standing are eligi- ble to participate in the Foreign Exchange Program. Most students choose to study abroad during their junior year, although some programs are for gradu- ates.

Students wishing to participate in either the Mobility Program or the Foreign Exchange Program apply through the Office of Academic Advisement and Off-Campus Programs. Currently, about 10 to 14 students are accepted each year. The school attempts to make the exchanges simultaneous; that is, The Cooper Union sends a student or students to a particular exchange or mobility school in exchange for a student or students coming to The Cooper Union from that school during the same time period.

Residencies. In addition to the Mobility and Foreign Exchange programs, students participate in summer scholarship programs at Skowhegan in Maine and at Yale in Norfolk, CT. They many also travel abroad through the Rothen- berg and O’Brien Travel Fellowships, which are competitions for junior painting students.

Each year, through a generous gift from distinguished alumnus Barbara White Fishman, two staff members or recent alumni are able to take advantage of a four-week summer residency at the Vermont Studio Center on a fellowship

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created for this purpose. The candidates are recommended by the faculty and the Dean.

Internships. Since 1981, The Cooper Union has sponsored an internship program for students in the School of Art. This program provides career-related experience for junior and senior students while allowing them to earn a stipend. Institutions sponsoring internships have included museums, alternative spaces, design firms, publishers, painters, photographers, foundries, video and film production companies, corporate art collections, hospitals, schools, public art programs and city agencies.

Senior presentation and exhibitions. To gauge the overall success of the cur- riculum and instruction in the various discipline areas, a senior presentation requirement was implemented with the graduating class of 2001, to provide for a public presentation for each senior student’s work. Exhibitions, as well as screenings, performances, and publications, where appropriate, may be used to satisfy this requirement, the completion of which is reflected on the student’s transcript. The Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery is reserved for senior student exhibitions during most of the spring semester and other appropriate exhibition spaces are made available as well. The faculty have found these presentations invaluable as a means of assessing the culmination of an individual student’s achievement during his or her four-year experience at Cooper Union. (See Appendix L.)

The senior exhibitions are followed by the annual end-of-the-year all- student exhibition, which has been a tradition at The Cooper Union for many years. After the end of classes each spring, the Foundation Building is cleared of all equipment and furniture in most teaching spaces. These spaces, along with all other exhibition and gallery spaces, are utilized to mount a major exhibition of undergraduate work throughout the eight floors of the building. Work at all levels by the students of the School of Art is exhibited through a massive collabo- rative effort among faculty, students and staff. This exhibition is a major event both for the College and the greater academic and professional community. Thousands of people visit The Cooper Union during this month-long exhibition, including prospective students, potential employees, alumni, parents, potential

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donors, members of the press, and friends in addition to faculty, students and staff from other art and design schools. The exhibition is consistently reviewed as a professional presentation of outstanding work by students enrolled in the programs of the School of Art. (See Appendix M.)

Academic and Administrative Structure The full-time faculty of The Cooper Union are a collective bargaining unit represented by the Cooper Union Federation of College Teachers (CUFCT). The contract defines teaching loads, sabbatical or unpaid leave agreements, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Governance of The Faculty of the School of Art, subject to the contract between The Cooper Union and CUFCT, defines the duties and responsibilities of the faculty as well as the membership and organization of standing committees.

An active committee structure provides for the faculty-based development of policy, practice, and activities of the School of Art.

Four committees – Administrative, Curriculum, Admissions and Aca- demic Standards – are composed of elected full-time, proportional-time, and adjunct faculty representatives, who serve on the standing committees as well as various ad-hoc committees. The contract stipulates that the membership of all committees must be constructed so that bargaining unit members (full-time faculty) constitute a majority of the voting membership. The four standing committees in the School of Art are composed of at least four full-time faculty members and, according to the Governance, one adjunct representative, one student and one alumnus of the School of Art. Because the four standing commit- tees each have at least four full-time faculty members, many of the full-time faculty serve on two or more standing committees as well as numerous ad hoc committees, often at the expense of their own professional studio practice.

The meetings of the faculty are forums for debate and review of academic recommendations. Proposals for change or new initiatives are usually presented from one of the four standing committees or by the Dean of the School of Art or by a member of the faculty.

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The objectives for the School of Art are developed and adopted through the normal collegial structure of the standing committees of the faculty and faculty meetings. Revisions and proposals constituting major changes in curricu- lum or academic standards are forwarded to the Dean for endorsement after having been approved by the faculty. Amendments to the Governance policies of the School of Art are sent to the Board of Trustees for approval after having been passed by a two-thirds vote of the faculty.

All long-range academic planning and the development of programs and policies that constitute the basis for operational decisions are discussed and voted on by the Administrative Committee and the faculty. The Administrative Com- mittee, chaired by the Dean of the School of Art, is also a forum for discussions about the selection of faculty and staff and the allocation of resources.

The School of Art has an opportunity to participate in policy and planning discussions that guide the work of The Cooper Union as a whole, through faculty, staff and student representation on institutional committees.

Faculty and Staff The level of professional accomplishment among the Faculty of the School of Art is outstanding. Evidence of regular faculty activities and achievements can be seen not only in New York City, but on the national and international scenes as well.

The Dean. The Dean is both the chief academic and chief executive officer and the Chair of the Faculty of the School of Art. He reports directly to the President, in service to the school, but unlike the Deans and Assistant and Associate Deans of the other academic units, does not have a faculty appoint- ment. He is not tenured, and by letter of appointment serves at the pleasure of the President. The Dean is expected to fulfill all administrative responsibilities of the school. There is no expectation by contract that the Dean will teach, engage in creative work, research or community service. In practice it is understood that the Dean’s role is defined to support the enhancement of the public profile of the school through his involvement in professional organizations, special projects,

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fund raising, public relations and community outreach, and as a practicing artist, in his own professional work.

The Dean is responsible for the preparation and administration of the budget, the hiring of faculty and the assignment and scheduling of classes, the hiring and supervision of administrative and technical staff, the oversight of offices and shops, and authority over students’ academic programs and progress toward the degree.

The Dean serves in an ex-officio capacity on the Admissions, Curriculum, and Academic Standards committees, chairs the Administrative Committee in the School of Art, the Exhibition Committee, and various ad hoc committees. The Dean is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of the Association of Independ- ent Colleges of Art and Design.

Full-time faculty. While the size of the student body over the last few years has remained at a steady figure of about 260 students, the size of the full-time faculty has changed significantly. Since 1998, the school has seen four full-time faculty retirements and one proportional-time (two-thirds load) faculty retire- ment, as well as an untimely death, which have altered the composition of the resident faculty. The losses were in the areas of calligraphy, drawing, film and animation, foundation color, painting and sculpture. Three new hires were made to replace faculty who retired, representing film/video, photography, sculpture and public art and video and installation.

A full-time graphic design faculty member resigned in 1998. After an ex- tensive international search, this position was filled in 1999 but vacated in May 2002. The position now remains open with the search for a replacement post- poned until the College’s development efforts yield a more robust financial statement. In addition, another full-time faculty member in photo, film/video has just resigned.

Ideally, the full-time faculty should number 12 and the proportional-time faculty, four. However, with creative management and flexibility, the school is currently maintaining its vigor with seven full-time faculty and three propor- tional-time faculty.

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The semi-conservatory atmosphere of the School of Art permits it to bring an extraordinary array of practicing artists to the College, from New York City and around the world, to enrich the student experience. However, the school needs to make several appointments to the resident faculty to arrive at the optimum full-time-to-part-time faculty ratio for a premier school of art and design; an important goal is to broaden and expand this constituency to ensure The Cooper Union’s continuing leadership position. A full-time appointment in graphic design is especially urgent, as there is currently no full-time faculty leadership in this discipline area. A search is expected to fill this position in the coming year.

The intensity of committee responsibilities, including an exhausting on- and off-campus review of almost 1,200 applicants each year, maintaining facili- ties, organizing and facilitating guest lectures and visiting artists, and coordina- tion of student exhibitions often leaves full-time faculty overworked.

Faculty participate in Portfolio Days across the country each year, ad- dressing parents, high school teachers and counselors. They talk directly to prospective students, counsel them on their work, and describe what it is like to study the fine arts on a college level, particularly at The Cooper Union. This experience has increased the awareness of faculty about the admissions process, and contributes to their ability to evaluate the potential of those applicants who eventually seek admission to the School of Art.

The faculty also take part in admissions open houses, which have been held at The Cooper Union for the last 16 years and are especially geared toward reviewing the portfolios of candidates from the New York metropolitan area.

The absence of graduate teaching assistants or opportunities for student internships within the school leaves faculty with little direct support for their teaching, research or committee work. Occasional release-time opportunities exist for full-time faculty, but often this adversely impacts the academic program by leaving too many required and advanced courses to be taught by adjunct faculty.

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Part-time faculty. Teaching by practicing artists enables the School of Art to maintain a high level of professionalism. There is a high level of commitment as well. Some part-time faculty have a long-term role at the institution that has extended for decades.

The diverse experience of part-time faculty serves both the short-term need for specialized courses in the professional curricula and the great variety of courses consistently offered to the relatively small student body. The flexibility of maintaining a sizable adjunct faculty enables the school to draw upon practicing professionals in New York City as well as international visitors who could not commit the time to a regular faculty appointment.

Part-time faculty ranks and types of appointments were redefined in 1999 to achieve greater consistency and to standardize the appointment process. Part-time faculty in the School of Art may hold one of two types of appointments:

Adjunct. An appointment of limited duration with no promise of re- newal, this appointment may be for one semester, one year or three years. Adjunct faculty representatives participate in the governance of the school.

Visiting artist. An occasional, non-continuing appointment with no re- sponsibilities beyond teaching.

Ranks are now defined as follows:

Adjunct instructors. These faculty members are hired by letter of ap- pointment from the Dean to teach one or two courses for one semester or for both semesters in an academic year (Fall and Spring). Adjunct instructors continue in this category until they have taught either ten courses or five consecutive academic years in the School of Art.

Adjunct professors. These faculty members have taught at least ten courses or five consecutive years in the School of Art. Faculty in this category are also eligible to serve, if elected, as adjunct faculty representatives, once they have been recommended by the Administrative Committee, for three-year appointments. Adjunct professors receive semestral, one-year or three-year letters of

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semestral, one-year or three-year letters of appointment from the Dean.

Visiting artists. These faculty members are hired for one semester, on a rotating basis, by a nonrenewable letter of appointment from the Dean.

To provide the part-time faculty with a reference that encompasses a broad range of information, the Dean and the Assistant to the Dean for Academic Affairs produced an Adjunct Faculty Handbook that was published in 2002. (See Appendix N.)

Visiting artists and endowed chairs. The school continues to be enriched by the spectrum of extraordinary studio practitioners it is able to bring in, through the Visiting Artist Program to supplement the regular faculty. In Fall 2002, for example, there were 52 part-time faculty teaching in the school. In addition to their artistic achievements, visiting artists and adjunct faculty frequently bring much-needed ethnic diversity to the school. In the future, the Visiting Artist Program will be underwritten by a grant from the Robert Lehman Foundation.

Among the visiting artists who are teaching at the School of Art during the Spring 2003 term are: Cynthia Lin and David Dupuis (Advanced Drawing), Paul Carlos (Advanced Design), Steve DiBenedetto and Byron Kim (Advanced Painting), Jenny Marketou (Advanced Photography), Lothar Osterburg (Etching Workshop), and Michael Rakowitz and Marlene McCarty (Sculpture).

Among others, some noteworthy visiting artists who have taught during the last five years include:

Drawing: Rina Banerjee Pier Consagra Film/Video: Kathy High Mary Lucier Shelly Silver Graphic Design: Ken Carbone Steff Geissbuhler Alexander Gelman Golan Levin

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Keith Godard Intradisciplinary Seminar: Helen Molesworth Painting: David Chow Susanna Coffey Anoka Faruqee Maureen Gallace Bill Komowski Matvey Levenstein Fabian Marcaccio Lisa Ruyter Photography: Lois Conner Gregory Crewdson Lyle Ashton Harris Vik Muniz Jack Pearson Printmaking: Yasu Shibata Sculpture: Mel Chin Wenda Gu Michael Joo Silvia Kolbowski Komar and Melamid Sowon Kwon Eve Andree Laramee Antonio Muntadas Ernesto Pujol Kiki Smith Do Ho Suh Fred Wilson

The Guest Artist Program provides a vehicle for bringing important pro- fessionals to the school to participate in class critiques, present a lecture or be part of a special event. One significant forum for the presentation of guest artists, which is open to the entire academic community, is the Intradisciplinary Seminar offered each year. (See Appendix O.) A recent speaker in that class was the curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Thelma Golden.

The school has three endowed chairs that have allowed it to bring promi- nent artists to campus for a semester-long involvement with Cooper Union

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students. The Robert Gwathmey Chair in Art and Architecture has, over the past few years, brought exceptional artists to the College, including Vito Acconci, Norman Bryson, Victor Burgin, Peter Eisenman, (now Emeritus Professor) Hans Haacke, Bill T. Jones, Maya Lin and Frank Stella. The recently established Alex Katz Chair in Painting brought the British painter Merlin James to the campus in the Spring 2002 term, and will bring Cecily Brown and David Reed in 2003- 2004. The Frank Stanton Chair in Graphic Design has remained vacant for several years; however, it is hoped that the anticipated new full-time appoint- ment in graphic design will yield a professional deserving of this honor. (See Appendix P.)

Staff. The new Collegewide performance evaluation system for staff, which was implemented in 2001, has largely addressed the concern of the visiting MSA evaluation team regarding the absence of a formal process for staff evalua- tion.

There have been significant changes in administrative staffing since 1998, including substantial turnover in the School of Art office and the Office of Academic Advisement. Vacancies created by retirement and resignation have been filled and staffing is now stable.

The 60 clerical, professional, and technical support staff of the school are extremely effective. In the tradition of service to students, the School of Art employs individuals who possess a broad range of professional technical expertise and work directly with the administration, faculty, students and each other in a dedicated, exemplary manner.

The School of Art office is staffed by two assistants to the Dean, two ad- ministrative associates and two part-time staff assistants. The work of the office includes preparing the budget, contracts and letters of appointment; maintaining student records, room and class schedules; collection of fees and assessments; maintaining records of invoices and expenditures; ordering equipment and supplies for all studio areas; conducting the bi-annual registration of students; preparing for receptions and special events; servicing appointment and meeting schedules; providing minutes for meetings; and maintaining files of all active

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business for the School of Art. The staff is also responsible for receiving guests, planning tours, issuing visitors’ passes, and fostering good communication and congenial relations within the School of Art and The Cooper Union as a whole, as well as with the general public. The staff is able to address matters on a personal basis due to the intimate size and nature of the student body and Faculty of the School of Art.

In the Office of Academic Advisement and Off-Campus Programs, the current Co-Directors are full-time faculty members who receive an additional stipend or a one-course reduction for their service. The Co-Directors, with support from a part-time assistant, are responsible for the academic advisement of students and organization of the foreign exchange, mobility and other off- campus programs.

Facilities The School of Art currently occupies space in the Foundation Building and the Hewitt Building.

Foundation Building. Basement. The basement of the Foundation Building houses the Great Hall and two lobby galleries administered through the Office of Con- tinuing Education. They are programmed for public events under the auspices of The Cooper Union or outside organizations and for lectures that are part of the Continuing Education and academic programs of the College, including the School of Art. One of the lobbies is used oc- casionally for student and other exhibitions.

First floor. The first floor includes the main entrance to the entire building including the shop, a central security checkpoint in the lobby, student mailboxes and the Cooper Union Library.

Second floor. With the exception of an office allocated to a faculty mem- ber in Humanities and Social Sciences, the second floor of the Foundation Building is assigned to the School of Art. School of Art ad- ministrative offices, some faculty offices, the Lubalin Center, the De-

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sign Center, The Houghton Gallery and the Computer Studio are all located on the second floor.

„ The Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography was founded by The Cooper Union and friends of the late Herb Lubalin in 1985. It is administered by the full-time Director of the School of Art Archive with visiting curators and student interns providing support.

The Foundation Building houses an exhibition area specifically designed for this center. Exhibitions focus on the work of distin- guished graphic designers, experimental research in the field of de- sign and special projects expanding into other areas of visual arts.

The National Graphic Design Image Database, a major project of the center, was initiated four years ago. The Image Database is designed to electronically preserve and disseminate material related to the history of graphic arts and design in the 20th century. The software, entitled CUImage, enables students, designers and artists to access and input images and contribute analysis from Web sites worldwide. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the project aims to build a virtual/visual encyclopedia through an elec- tronic community of students and educators. (See Appendix Q.)

„ The Design Center, which was established in the late 1970’s, pro- duces all internal Cooper Union publications including catalogues, posters, cards, forms, invitations, annual reports, signs, newsletters and brochures. The staff consists of a full-time Director and two de- sign associates. The Director of The Design Center reports to the Dean of the School of Art.

The Design Center also accepts outside projects, pro bono, from non-profit organizations including The Catalogue for Giving, The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Village Alliance, Bellevue Hospital, the Bronx Museum of Art among others. Projects are se- lected according to public need and design potential and are devel-

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oped by Cooper Union juniors and seniors under the supervision of the Director and staff. The pro bono work performed by the Design Center provides Cooper Union students with valuable real-world experiences in dealing with clients, budgets and deadlines. It also provides a valuable community service, enhancing The College’s profile in the neighborhood and beyond.

„ The Houghton Gallery is the primary dedicated exhibition space for the College and is shared by the School of Art and the School of Ar- chitecture. It houses many of the senior student shows and a variety of other internal events, as well as major external exhibits.

„ The Computer Studio offers students access to state-of-the-art com- puter technology. The studio is equipped with computers, large ca- pacity storage devices, combination transparency/reflection copy scanners, black and white and color printers, including large format color units, an Iris printer and a film recorder. Each station includes the latest software and other programs recommended by the faculty. In addition, each computer provides Internet, Web and email acces- sibility. All of these facilities are also used extensively by students from the School of Architecture and occasionally by students from the School of Engineering.

Fourth floor. The fourth floor houses three classrooms, two of which are dedicated to 3DD while the third functions as a sculpture class- room with additional use by advanced design classes, and the Saturday Outreach Program (described on page 115). More than half of the floor consists of a shop facility outfitted with machinery that permits the use of wood, direct metal, foundry cast metal, plaster, wax, clay and some plastics. The lobby is used for 21 individual student work spaces and a faculty office.

Fifth floor. The fifth floor houses Film/Video, Photography and Print- making. There is also a seminar/classroom a wood and metal type shop. The lobby serves as an informal student exhibition space and is the only critique and student meeting space available on that floor.

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The film, video and computer animation facilities are currently lo- cated in less than 2,000 square feet of space. The film area offers basic production equipment, lighting kits and cameras in Super 8 and 16mm. The studio space contains an optical printer, Steenbeck editing tables, Bolex animation stands and other editing equipment. The film classroom doubles as a theater and the projection booth is also used as a sound room.

The video editing and digital editing studio as well as video check- out are compressed into one room. The facility provides cameras, edit- ing systems and digital workstations. Often, students will mix taped and camera images, using the special effects generator, digital mixer and video toaster, also found in the video studio.

The computer lab is affiliated with the film and video areas and offers 15 workstations for computer animation. A wide variety of methods for inputting, processing and outputting images and anima- tion is available.

The photography facility occupies 1,500 square feet of space. Within these tight quarters, there is a functional studio accommodat- ing tungsten and strobe lighting, 35mm and 8x10 cameras, a group black-and-white darkroom with an RC processor, nine color darkrooms with a Colenta color processor, a film development area and the photo check-out office. Storage space is minimal.

In addition to accommodating students in the 9-12 photography classes each semester, the photography facility accommodates many faculty, staff and students not actively enrolled in photography classes. Not only are the photo labs and studio heavily used by the School of Art, but most students from the School of Architecture also have ready access to the facilities and equipment.

Printmaking is spread through five rooms and the balcony of the fifth floor. The printing rooms accommodate two etching presses, three lithography presses and three vacuum tables for silkscreen. The plate

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preparation room for etching has undergone extensive ventilation renovation. A separate acid room has been built with a dedicated venti- lation system. There is one general workroom (with incredible natural light) for Etching, Etching Workshop, Lithography, Lithography Work- shop, Papermaking, Silkscreen I, Silkscreen Workshop and Experi- mental Printmaking. Other than this workroom, which accommodates the graining sink for Lithography, the new color copier, student paper and print storage, large stone storage racks and the print archive, there is no classroom space available for formal critiques.

The papermaking area has a small sample beater and an old ve- neer press. Silkscreening shares space with photo finishing, a poly-cop room and copy camera room.

Sixth floor. The sixth floor is the main area in which painting and drawing are taught. There are two large, sky-lit painting and drawing classrooms and a general canvas-preparation and painting storage area. Several smaller rooms and a large room divided by partitions serve as individual student studio areas. The Painting/Drawing office also serves as a small faculty lounge and supply depot. There is an un- usually shaped seminar room behind the round elevator and a small room used for student installations. The large lobby serves as a stu- dent exhibition and class critique area and a student gathering spot.

Seventh floor. Located here are the School of Architecture classrooms and faculty meeting rooms, the President’s Office and a lobby/foyer that is used occasionally for informal studio exhibitions.

Eighth floor. The Peter Cooper Suite is used for meetings and special events. The suite may be scheduled by the administration, faculty, students, alumni or Continuing Education. There is access to two roof decks from this suite.

Hewitt Building. Basement. In addition to spaces assigned for other purposes, the base- ment of the Hewitt Building includes storage spaces for Cooper Union

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Union memorabilia, the library, the Lubalin Center Archives, and Sculpture/3DD. Administrative and classroom facilities for the School of Art Saturday Outreach Program, and a Continuing Education cal- ligraphy classroom are also in the basement. There is no natural light on this floor and it is subject to dampness.

First floor. The first floor has two classrooms. One is used for Graphic Design and 2DD classes, the other for Calligraphy, 2DD, Graphic De- sign and Offset Lithography classes. There are also 5,000 square feet of individual student studio spaces. An additional administrative office for the Saturday Outreach Program, a School of Art faculty office, a large lobby used for informal ad hoc student exhibition, and the main entrance to the building, including a security checkpoint, are all on the first floor. It also houses a campus cafeteria and student lounge.

First floor mezzanine. The first floor mezzanine houses 1,450 square feet of individual student studio space that is accessed through the first floor individual student studio space area. The Office of Continu- ing Education is also located here.

Second floor. The second floor houses two classrooms for Drawing and Sculpture/3DD. These classrooms, as well as the two on the first floor, are also used by the Saturday Outreach Program and Continuing Edu- cation. In addition, there are 3,000 square feet of individual student studio space located in two different rooms. A School of Art waterme- dia room and a faculty office, both formerly custodial closets, a mid- sized all-purpose auditorium, Building and Grounds offices, the School of Architecture Archive, model shop and photography studio are all on the second floor.

Second floor mezzanine. Two second floor mezzanines, accessed through second floor individual student studio spaces, provide 1,700 square feet of additional individual student studio space.

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Finances The Dean is the chief financial officer of the School of Art. The faculty, staff and students depend on the Dean’s efforts to secure a budget allocation for the school that is appropriate to sustain the academic program. Requests for increases to the technical and administrative staff and to regular operating and capital budget allocations are met with support from the administration when possible.

The Dean meets regularly with individual members of the full-time fac- ulty to plan for budget allocations each year, in support of the adjunct teaching staff, equipment and facilities of each discipline area. Faculty are made aware of limits to spending at any time but the general perception is one of fair and equitable budget allocations to the school and its programs. Requests for in- creases to established budget allocations are discussed with faculty and staff and are accommodated within reason.

The faculty and staff of the school, most of whom are long-term employ- ees, manage individual budget allocations prudently and efficiently and enjoy the trust of the Dean. It is rare, if ever, that a request for increased financial re- sources is presented to the Dean without a comprehensive justification for the request.

Each year in the late fall, the Vice President for Business and Finance provides the Dean with a schedule for preparing a budget proposal for the following year. These forms list the budget allocation line by line for the current year; they also request a projection of how actual expenditures may differ from the allocation and a proposal for how the current allocation might change. The proposed budget is prepared by the Dean in consultation with the faculty and staff. The request incorporates explanations for changes in current spending patterns, allocations and any new initiatives.

For the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the School of Art, along with all other areas of the College, was asked to reduce or otherwise restrict spending. This was due, in part, to the fiscal crisis before the College at this time, and necessitates a new look at the need for external funding.

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The School of Art requires major endowment funding to support innova- tive programming. Efforts to establish external funding similar to that of the Chanin and Nerken endowments must be renewed. The Dean of the School of Art, the faculty and the administrative staff are actively involved in working with the External Affairs and Development offices to define increased opportunities for external funding.

External funding in support of academic programs must be increased as an incentive for the new initiatives; special projects; events such as lectures, guest artist series courses and exhibitions; and publications that are currently supported by the operating budget of the School of Art. These new projects will also require funding for faculty and staff development, facilities, and equipment, including software.

Additional support is needed for sponsored faculty projects. The school recommends expansion of the modest Faculty Development Program to support professional travel, international exchanges, and instructional development that bear directly on curricular matters.

Financial aid for economically disadvantaged students must be greatly increased through grants and gifts designated for this purpose.

The school must continue to expand financial support for the pre-college Saturday Outreach Program through an aggressive campaign for external funding. Many inner-city minority students are admitted to the School of Art and the School of Architecture through this nationally acclaimed program adminis- tered by the School of Art.

There is a continuing need to expand external funding for both the Cen- ter for Design and Typography and its support function for the entire College, as well as the Lubalin Center’s expanding role as an archive of faculty, student and alumni work.

External financial support through grants and donations is also central to the increasing demands presented by the integration of technology into the School of Art curriculum, including facilities expansion and the continual need to upgrade computer hardware and software.

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Recruitment, Admission, Advisement, Retention and Record Keeping The Office of Admissions and Records at The Cooper Union handles the general recruitment for the institution and represents all three schools at college fairs and high school visits. The policies and practices specifically associated with recruitment for the School of Art are overseen by the School of Art Admissions Committee in collaboration with the Office of Admissions and Records. Faculty and alumni review the portfolios of prospective students at Portfolio Days throughout the country. In 2002-2003, 28 faculty and alumni reviewed more than 1,200 portfolios of prospective students.

The School of Art and the Office of Admissions and Records host four open houses on campus to review and evaluate prospective students from the New York City area. In the year 2002-2003, open houses were attended by more than 800 students.

The School of Art has developed an invaluable recruitment and admission database program to track potential applicants through the application process. Information is available to the Admissions Committee on all students who participate in all portfolio reviews, whether they are applicants or not. Corre- spondence is sent to promising juniors who were reviewed at Portfolio Days and at open houses, encouraging them to participate in another review as seniors. Approximately 90 percent of students who are accepted have been reviewed at either a Portfolio Day, an open house or through the Saturday Outreach Pro- gram. Some students approach the school three years in a row, and other stu- dents have a portfolio review as many as three or four times in their senior year.

Academic counseling and advisement of students in the School of Art takes place in the Office of Academic Advisement. The Director is available in the office to assist students in planning their four-year degree program.

The Director meets with Foundation students to explain how the curricu- lum functions in regard to the structuring of prerequisite requirements and credit distribution in the School of Art so that they can begin to plan their degree programs. In mid-year, the Foundation students indicate their course interests

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for the following year. This information is collected and used in course planning for the upcoming semester. The Academic Standards Committee also conducts a Foundation review with faculty of each section, the Director of Academic Advise- ment and the Chair of the Admissions Committee to evaluate the Foundation student in his/her first semester.

Prior to the start of each year, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are re- quested to meet with the Director of Academic Advisement for program counsel- ing. Each year students are sent notices outlining their accumulated credits in studio, art history, general studies, and free electives. Students are notified of potential problems, and remaining graduation requirements. The Director of Academic Advisement also works closely with the faculty and the Academic Standards Committee in the Sophomore Review, the Junior Review and the Mid- Semester Review.

At the end of each semester a more formal review is held with each ma- triculating student who falls below the stated academic standard of a 2.5 cumula- tive average in studio classes. At this meeting the student is counseled and may be advised to seek further counseling with the Dean, the Director of Academic Advisement or the Dean of Students. The student may also be put on probation or dismissed by vote of the committee.

Prior to the start of each year, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are re- quested to meet with the Director of Academic Advisement for program counsel- ing. Each year students are sent notices outlining their accumulated credits in studio, art history, general studies, and free electives. Students are notified of potential problems, and remaining graduation requirements. The Director of Academic Advisement also works closely with the faculty and the Academic Standards Committee in the Sophomore Review, the Junior Review and the Mid- Semester Review.

The Director, in consultation with the Chair of the Admissions Commit- tee, evaluates all potential transfer studio and science credits to be accepted toward the BFA degree at The Cooper Union. In addition to academic advisement and transfer credit evaluation, the Director of Off-Campus Programs is responsi-

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ble for the organization and implementation of Mobility, Foreign Exchange and Summer Residency programs. The Office of Academic Advisement also processes materials on graduate programs and has meetings with students to discuss postgraduate study opportunities.

Because the Academic Standards Committee, the Director of Academic Advisement, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Dean of Students are in constant contact, it is rare, if ever, that a students falls through the cracks. Each student is known and assessed. The faculty spend a great deal of time counseling students, and this is the major contributing factor for the high retention and graduation rates within the School of Art.

The students’ files, Foundation through fourth year, are kept in the School of Art office. These files consist of grade reports, transcript evaluations, degree audits, work-study and personnel forms, requests for leaves of absence or withdrawal, Foundation and sophomore evaluation and other pertinent academic documentation. The School of Art office maintains the current class schedule, current address and telephone number of each student, and the address and telephone number of the person to contact in case of emergency. Copies of transcripts for transfer students are kept on file to facilitate advisement. There are duplicate abbreviated files in the Office of Academic Advisement.

The files are maintained in the School of Art office for two years after the student leaves or has graduated from The Cooper Union. They are then moved to the Office of Admissions and Records for inclusion in the student’s permanent official file.

The Office of Admissions and Records maintains the complete official aca- demic file on each student, including the student’s original application and supporting documents and all files that pertain to the student’s academic career in the School of Art. The home tests are kept for two years for reference and may be reviewed by faculty only with the permission of the Dean of Admissions and Records in consultation with the Chair of the Admissions Committee.

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Assessment Plan for the School The School of Art is continually assessing its overall program, as well as individ- ual program components, employing both formal and informal procedures. Assessment is carried forward primarily through the work of the standing Curriculum Committee, which meets approximately eight times per semester. Other standing committees also contribute to ongoing assessment: the Admis- sions Committee by constantly revising the home test and fine-tuning the criteria for admission, informing its work with information about the success of current students; and the Academic Standards Committee, in concert with the Office of Academic Advisement, through its twice-per-semester review of students’ aca- demic progress. Each fall, there is also a freshman review in which all instructors who teach in the Foundation Program participate. Similar reviews of other classes are held on a rotating basis.

Other forums for assessment are provided by the public senior presenta- tions that have been required of all students beginning with the 2001 graduating class, as well as by in-class critiques and the annual student exhibition, an extensive public presentation of representative work of students in all stages of the BFA program. Guest artists often participate in critiques of students’ work, which may take place either in a class environment or as part of a special visitor’s agenda at the school. A portfolio review day for seniors in Graphic Design, conducted by a distinguished jury of critics, is also currently being explored.

Additional data are derived from the yearly Senior Survey, administered by the Office of Student Services each spring and analyzed by the Office of Assessment and Innovation.

The Administrative Committee and the faculty of the school as a whole have extensively discussed the implementation of a course evaluation instrument that would address courses taught by adjunct faculty and which may be in place as early as the current semester. Its implementation has been a desire of the Art Student Council for the past few years, and has been conveyed to the faculty by the student representatives.

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Outcomes assessment based on alumni achievements is at present pri- marily anecdotal in nature. A more formal method of capturing information about School of Art alumni is highly desirable.

A School of Art Assessment Plan can be found as Table 37 in the outcomes assessment section, which begins on page 198.

Student Satisfaction The exit survey conducted by the Office of Student Services in Spring 2002 provided very positive responses regarding students’ satisfaction with the academic program of the School of Art, as seen in Table 16.

Outreach and Service The Saturday Outreach Program. For the past 35 years, The Cooper Union has offered art and architecture courses to New York City high school students who would otherwise have been unexposed to these disciplines, in part due to the far- reaching cutbacks in art education in the New York City public school system. The Co-Directors of the program report directly to the Dean of the School of Art. The Saturday Outreach Program is not only tuition-free but also provides materials and equipment at no cost. Classes are held at The Cooper Union, giving local students a first-hand experience of a professional college atmosphere. Instruction and guidance are provided by a team of art school undergraduate instructors, student mentors and professional artists and scholars. (See Appendix R.)

Table 16. Student Satisfaction With the Academic Program of the School of Art

Percent Satisfied or Program Element Assessed Very Satisfied

Quality of teaching: 87% Professors’ commitment to students: 86% Professors’ knowledge of their field: 84% Variety of course offerings: 83% Satisfaction with the shop facilities: 81%

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Table 16. Student Satisfaction With the Academic Program of the School of Art

Percent Satisfied or Program Element Assessed Very Satisfied

Satisfaction with the studio facilities: 79% Availability of advisors: 76% Quality of advising: 70% Satisfaction with the lab facilities: 70% Scheduling of classes: 68% Availability of professors outside of class: 66%

Annual enrollment for the Saturday Outreach Program is approximately 400. A combination of open enrollment and portfolio-selected admissions enables the school to offer a scholarship opportunity to motivated students with little or no prior arts exposure, as well as to students already on the path to an arts career. All courses are designed to expose students to the techniques and con- cepts necessary for the creation of a competitive portfolio for college admission. Writing workshops, critiques and discussions present the student with the opportunity to develop language skills. Class field trips to museums, galleries, architectural sites and artists’ studios enhance the students’ sense of the art world, both historical and contemporary.

The Saturday Outreach Program has been awarded generous program funding support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chase Manhattan Bank, Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, New York Community Trust, New York State Council on the Arts and the Surdna Foundation.

For the future, the most pressing challenge faced by the Saturday Out- reach Program is the establishment of an endowment that would secure an annual operating budget for staff and student expenses. For the past eight years, 50 to 80 percent of the cost of running the program has been funded from both public and private sectors. The need to secure additional funding has increased. Development remains a priority for the Directors, on a par with maintaining the quality and character of the Saturday Outreach Program.

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Alumni The alumni of the School of Art are a very active group. Alumni commitment to the school, no doubt in the spirit of giving back to an institution that changed each of their lives, is far-reaching. Alumni giving is at an all-time high and the involvement of graduates of recent and past years is prominent. Many faculty, staff members, volunteers, and even the Dean of the School of Art are alumni of The Cooper Union.

There is a considerable effort to follow up with graduates. Two alumni surveys have been conducted within the last five years, the latest of which was sent out last year and is still being analyzed. Results from five years ago, as well as preliminary findings from last year’s survey, indicate that a large proportion of alumni are active in some field of art and are successful professionals. There is also a lasting sense of debt and gratitude toward the institution because of the four-year tuition scholarship and the quality of education they received.

Criticism from some alumni vis-à-vis computer and electronic imaging has diminished as changes in the facilities and curriculum have been effected. The concern for real-world preparedness persists on the part of some alumni, who stress the competitive nature of the commercial uses of the visual arts.

The generalist curriculum has borne fruit in an alumni body who engage in a wide range of professional activities. Where many alumni continue to work in cross-disciplinary modes, others work within a more defined niche or medium, which may or may not correlate directly with their area of concentration as students. While many alumni work as studio artists who exhibit in galleries, museums and public spaces, others work as designers, filmmakers, multimedia artists, printers, curators and educators. A large percentage of alumni continue to emerge as leaders and even pioneers in their respective fields.

The alumni are active in the school in a variety of ways. Alumni repre- sentatives serve ex-officio on standing committees. An active Alumni Association and Alumni Council draw the alumni to activities throughout the year, including dinners, auctions, special exhibitions, portfolio reviews and the Annual Student Exhibition of the School of Art. Since New York City remains a center for art,

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publishing, media and intellectual activity, a large percentage of alumni live and work within the metropolitan area and are able to remain involved in these activities.

For alumni outside of New York City, there are active regional chapters in Boston, California, Chicago, Florida, upstate New York, North Ore- gon/Washington and Philadelphia. In addition to the At Cooper Union newsletter for alumni, the Cooper Union Web site keeps communication with alumni, wherever they may be, open and interactive.

Last year a program in the Alumni Space scheduled eight alumni to come and present their work and talk about life and art after The Cooper Union. These ongoing programs provide a valuable link between the past, present and future.

Every year awards to outstanding alumni are presented at the Founder’s Day Dinner Dance and the annual Fall Festival. The alumni also present awards to outstanding senior students at commencement.

Improvements and Initiatives Enhancement in current academic programs. In an ongoing program of curricular revision to assure the currency of the curriculum, the Curriculum Committee of the School of Art has undertaken a review of several program areas since 1998.

Leadership for time-based media. One recent review was of the disci- plines comprising time-based media: film, video, animation, motion graphics, interactive design concepts, and computer image in motion. The appointment of a new faculty member this academic year is bring- ing fresh ideas and leadership to the discussion and will provide focus for the development of new strategic goals in this discipline area. Ani- mation, for example, has not been offered since the 2001 retirement of the faculty member for this area and a decision must be made as to its ultimate place in the curriculum.

The role of technology. A related and somewhat broader area of con- cern, and the subject of an ongoing review by the committee, is deter- mining the appropriate place of technology, not only in the overall

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curriculum, but also particularly in the areas of Foundation, the first- year program, photography, graphic design and film/video.

Revision of the Foundation Program. The committee recently com- pleted a thorough review and revision of the syllabus for the yearlong Foundation color course. The main thrust of this revision was to make the course relevant across the disciplines taught in the school, rather than addressing painting and drawing alone. Consultants and col- leagues from the other faculties of The Cooper Union were brought into the discussion and now participate in the new course that has evolved. The new syllabus was taught for the first time in the Fall 2002 term and the instructors and committee representatives have met to assess whether the content is meeting the new course objectives. Through on- going assessment, adjustments are being made to the projected sylla- bus for the second semester of the course, including re-introduction of some material that had initially been eliminated.

The committee is now proceeding to review the rest of the Founda- tion Program using its work on the color class as a template. It is un- dertaking comprehensive discussions about the educational goals of the Foundation Program curriculum within the environment of rapidly developing technologies and educational theory for introductory art and design courses.

Determining the relative position of techniques classes. Another area of concern addressed by the Curriculum Committee has been the place of techniques classes in the curriculum. One result of the discussion to date has been the imposition of limits on the number of such classes that may be taken. Students are now limited to one techniques class per semester and techniques courses are now counted in the discipli- nary caps in their respective subject areas. The relationship of the teaching of needed skills to the critical content of studio classes re- quires further discussion. For example, should all skills instruction be moved to non-credit workshop components or even co-requisites?

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Increasing cooperation between the School of Art and Humanities and Social Sciences. Increased cooperation between the Faculty of Humani- ties and Social Sciences and that of the School of Art has happily re- sulted in the development of a third semester of the required art history survey. The proposal for changes in Introduction to Art History was spurred by the fact that it proved not to be feasible to cover all of Western and non-Western art, including 20th century art, in only two semesters. The third semester was offered for the first time in Fall 2002. A faculty subcommittee, including representatives from both academic units, has continued to meet to assess the success of the new curriculum. In addition, the Humanities faculty, complying with re- quests from the School of Art, now offers a significant number of courses with non-Western content throughout this program.

Increasing the number of interdisciplinary experiences. Recent new full-time faculty hires and several visiting artists are multidisciplinary in their approaches to their own work, which has led to the develop- ment of “special projects” courses. More team-taught courses are also evolving and students from the schools of Architecture and Engineer- ing increasingly take School of Art classes, lending an interdisciplinary dimension to their discourse.

Each semester, approximately 100 students from the other two schools have access to School of Art courses. In recent years, every stu- dent who received a BArch from Cooper Union has taken at least one course in the School of Art.

Increasing the opportunities for foreign exchange. The School of Art Mobility and Exchange programs are very active. New opportunities for foreign exchange that were recently added include options in the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland. Exchanges with schools in Berlin, Hong Kong and Italy are currently being explored.

The School of Art Curriculum Committee continually reviews ex- isting and proposed courses in relation to the generalist academic pro-

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gram. The deliberations of the members of the committee regularly address ongoing changes and projections for change in the curriculum of the seven discipline areas and the Foundation program. A special projects course designation allows flexibility for interdisciplinary, in- novative and experimental courses.

The School of Art is interested in working with colleagues across campus to explore offering courses and programs that address inter- disciplinary issues and topics. These initiatives should incorporate col- laborative investigations into how technology impacts the College’s various discipline areas, but ought not to be limited to this topic alone.

Improvements in facilities and equipment. A major concern of the 1998 NAIAD evaluation team was the need to address safety problems related to the volatile materials used by pho- tography and printmaking students. The major reconstruction of the fifth-floor facilities in the Foundation Building that house these disci- pline areas, including the HVAC systems serving those facilities, was undertaken in the summer of 1998. The air intake and exhaust sys- tems and ductwork were updated with new controls, new piping and new coils for temperature control. The renovation and reconfiguration of space also resulted in more efficient, academically upgraded and technologically up-to-date image-producing facilities.

In 1999 the need for a computer-equipped classroom, to be employed primarily for graphic design classes, became overriding. A consultant in the design of such facilities was engaged, and room 215 in the Foundation Building, once a tiered lecture hall, became the centerpiece of a reconfigured and expanded computer studio for the school. New state-of-the-art Macintosh hardware and software were acquired and installed. The computer studio is now configured with offices and large equipment located in a central space with a classroom on each side. Both rooms, when not in use as classrooms, serve as lab facilities for student use. The HVAC systems were renovated in 2002 to provide better temperature control, particularly for the network servers that

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now connect all of the school’s computers and are housed in the studio. Equipment is upgraded regularly within budget constraints and staff turnover, formerly an issue, has been greatly reduced.

Major improvements were made to the HVAC systems in the Hewitt Building studios in the summer of 2002, enhancing temperature con- trol and resulting also in noise reduction.

Improvements to other spaces, particularly offices, have been made over the last few summers, including renovations of the Lubalin Study Center, the Sculpture Faculty office, and the Office of Academic Ad- visement. The School of Art office required some refurbishing to repair the effects of a fire in Spring 2002.

Recent equipment acquisitions have included a color copier in the printmaking facility and portable video projection equipment to sup- plement the screening room in the film and video area. The portable equipment allows for much greater flexibility in room scheduling, as an increasing number of faculty employ video and computer projection in their classes.

New and ancillary programs and exhibitions. Income-producing programs. In response to a mandate to explore the development of income-producing programs, the School of Art has ini- tiated discussions and research into the offering of an MFA or other in- terdisciplinary graduate-level degree. As a first step toward this, and as an exploration toward the implementation of a different mode, the school, in collaboration with the Office of Continuing Education, began offering master classes in the summer of 2002. These non-credit classes were successful enough to encourage a true pilot program of summer residencies in the summer of 2003. (See Appendix S.) These tuition-generating experiences are intended for professional artists, designers and educators who are interested in advanced independent work while in residence in the heart of New York City. One-, two- or three-week residencies in Graphic Design, Photography, and Painting

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and Drawing are planned. Students will be brought together with mas- ter teachers, individually and in small groups, to develop the ideas manifest in their current studio practice. The program will take full advantage of the wealth of cultural resources in New York City, includ- ing critiques with important artists and designers, as well as behind- the-scenes visits to the city’s museums and galleries.

External funding. The school continues to seek external funding for its various ancillary programs, exhibits and special events. Most success- ful to date has been the securing of grant funding for the Saturday Outreach Program and its subsidiary Community Arts Partnership with the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning and Accordion, which are now almost entirely externally funded.

External funding has also for the first time almost entirely sup- ported major exhibitions at the school. Le Nouveau Salon Des Cent: Homage to Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was shown in the Lubalin Center in Fall 2002, and the important traveling retrospective of the work of Swiss graphic designer Jean Widmer, is being shown there early in 2003. The Widmer exhibit is being mounted in conjunction with the Swiss consulate’s Spring Festival, “Swiss Peaks,” held in New York City. Mr. Widmer is currently living in Paris, where his work was first shown at the Centre Pompidou and the Musee d’Orsay, and he is traveling to the United States for the first time. These exhibitions are both world- class events that have generated far-reaching international interest.

The exhibition Under Pressure: Prints from Two Palms Press, also in Spring 2003, received substantial external funding as well. Curated by Dean Robert Rindler, the show includes the work of artists Chuck Close, Sol Lewitt, Kiki Smith, Jessica Stockholder and Terry Winters, among others. In the planning stages for Fall 2003 is a major exhibi- tion of the graphic design work of the offices of the design firm Cher- mayeff Geissmer, which will be funded by the firm.

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Grant monies are also being sought in support of the School of Art Archive. A comprehensive archive is being developed that will docu- ment the history of the school’s academic programming, faculty, exhi- bitions, lectures, the International Graphic Design Image Database and other special programs and events.

Recent exhibitions. Noteworthy exhibitions that have been mounted over the last five years include:

In the Arthur A. Houghton Gallery

„ New York Photographs. Works of Margaret Morton, Christine Osin- ski and Robert Rindler; curated by Robert Rindler (October- December, 1998).

„ Ghostcatching: A Virtual Dance Installation created by world- renowned dancer, choreographer and Robert Gwathmey Chair of Art and Architecture, Bill T. Jones with Paul Kaiser and alumnus Shel- ley Eshkar of the New York New Media Studio; curated by Robert Rindler (January-February, 1999).

„ Maya Lin: Between Art and Architecture, curated by Robert Rindler (September-November, 2000).

„ Leon Golub, While the Crime is Blazing: Paintings and Drawings, 1994-1999, curated by alumnus Stuart Horodner with Pamela Auchincloss and Robert Rindler (August-September, 2001).

In the Herb Lubalin Study Center

„ La Mama in Print: The Paper Trail. International selections from the La Mama Experimental Theater Archive, curated by Lawrence Mirsky, Ellen Stewart and Ozzie Rodriquez (October 1998-1999).

„ Willem Sandberg. Catalog designs at the Stedelijk Museum Am- sterdam post-1945 era, curated by Lawrence Mirsky (September- October, 2000).

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„ Graduate student projects from the MIT Media Lab Aesthetics and Computation Group, curated by John Maeda (September-October, 2000).

„ Otl Aicher: Designer and Educator, curated by Ian McLaren (No- vember-December, 2000).

„ Two Generations: Swiss Design 1955-2000, curated by Philippe Apeloig and Ann Holcomb (February-April 2001).

„ Chinese Graphic Design: Towards an International Sphere, curated by Wendy Wong (September-October, 2001).

„ Massin in Continuo: An Alphabet, curated by Laetitia Wolff (No- vember-December, 2001).

(See Appendix T for a selection of exhibition catalogs.)

Planning Ahead for the Next Five Years What follows are highlights of the programmatic issues the School of Art will address in the next few years. Many of these issues pertain to all disciplines taught in the School of Art, while others relate to specific disciplines, programs or facili- ties.

The Curriculum Committee will explore and respond to the needs of students in relation to computer technologies and time-based art, as well as the more traditional course offerings in the Foundation year. A five-week course in Computer Techniques was recently included in the Foundation program to familiarize entering students with Cooper Un- ion’s computer facilities and to address the needs of Foundation stu- dents who have not had access to technology prior to their enrollment in the School of Art. Student needs in this area have evolved dramati- cally during the past few years and will continue to do so.

Design courses will undergo continual curricular review, particularly in response to the extensive technological advances in digital media, including motion graphics and interactive media. These developments

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bridge many curricular areas, and possible duplication of facilities and courses will be addressed.

Drawing and painting courses are being reviewed in relation to the ever-changing critical and theoretical criteria that inform contempo- rary studio practice.

The curriculum of the film/video program will continue to undergo a major review and revision in relationship to the introduction of digital technology.

The curriculum of the classes in printmaking needs to be reviewed in relation to providing interdisciplinary access for the entire College as well as for sophomore and advanced School of Art students.

Advanced Photography courses are being reviewed, and the integration of new technologies within the entire photography curriculum contin- ues to be on the agenda for discussion and evaluation. The program also needs to address the increasing demands to service all School of Architecture students.

Expansion of curriculum offerings in sculpture is awaiting major facil- ity improvement and augmentation. There are no facilities or ade- quately ventilated work space for plastic, particularly fiberglass, fabrication. Space limitations have become a major handicap for the production, installation and storage of large sculpture projects.

The current course offerings in Techniques, Science, Interdisciplinary Seminar, Contemporary Art Issues and other electives will be re- evaluated in relationship to the studio curriculum and the possibility of cross-listing or offering some of these courses through Engineering and/or Humanities.

The perception of the School of Art as a service area to students from the School of Architecture is an issue that needs to be addressed head on. The School of Art supports the expansion of courses and programs across the curriculum that attract students from all three schools. The

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curricula of the Schools of Engineering and Architecture limit such op- portunities for School of Art students.

The graduation requirement of a senior presentation was effective as of 2001. Implementation of this requirement, including scheduling, space requirements, and evaluation procedures continue to be a chal- lenge and must be further developed and supported by the College ad- ministration.

The Curriculum Committee will continue its substantive review of technological support for existing courses, including pedagogical and curricular needs in response to evolving imaging technologies. The Ad Hoc Technology Committee, which was formed in 1994, will be ex- panded to take a more active role as an advisory committee to the Dean of the School of Art and the Curriculum Committee. Opportuni- ties for students to be intensely involved in both traditional and new media disciplines across the College will serve to prepare graduates for a global economy. The goal is the assimilation of technology into the existing curriculum, and an effective use of facilities across the campus with support from an institutional Director of Academic Computing.

The School of Art Administrative and Curriculum committees will con- tinue a comprehensive review of the efficiency and effectiveness of technological support throughout the school and other areas of the Col- lege, to increase resource sharing and avoid unnecessary duplication. The possibility of providing technical equipment such as laptop com- puters to sophomores may relieve some overcrowding in computer labs.

The School of Art Computer Studio needs to be in a centrally located area designed for continual upgrade and expansion, as more and more art students require access to technically-supported facilities. It should be pointed out that, unlike the rest of the College, practitioners in the creative art and design fields are committed to a continuing relation- ship with Apple computers and their third-party developers. The fu-

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ture of the School of Art’s computer facilities is thus linked to the evo- lution of the Macintosh itself.

Traditional art-making processes will continue to be supported by School of Art facilities, but new technologies require additional labs and work spaces that will not replace current facilities. Updated tech- nology and state-of-the-art facilities would foster interdisciplinary ac- tivities.

There is a continuing need for both centralized and de-centralized ac- cess to computer technology for faculty, students and staff. It is desir- able to establish a Collegewide network with access points in all rooms, enabling faculty and students to access the Internet anywhere on cam- pus. The College currently has limited Internet bandwidth, so that classes in which a group of students needs to be online simultaneously suffer from a severe drop in speed, creating a difficult and frustrating situation for both faculty and students.

The school must plan for the fact that all computer hardware now has only a three-year lifespan before it must be replaced.

Classrooms should be reconfigured as technology-ready facilities. The College should explore opportunities to establish adjacencies between classrooms and decentralized technology labs.

Classroom spaces that have sophisticated projection systems are needed. The current policies regarding a centralized au- dio/visual/technology department must be reviewed and revised in re- lation to the increasing demands for support in these areas across the institution. The Photography and Film/Video technical staff must not be expected to provide audiovisual services to classes outside those dis- cipline areas.

Faculty and staff in the School of Art require the establishment of a computer facility dedicated for use in support of professional develop- ment. This should include a program of providing both computer equipment and instruction for faculty and staff. It is essential that this

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lab include the same hardware, software and technical support avail- able to students using the Computer Studio. Technology issues are un- der active review by a Collegewide task force on computer and information technology planning.

Overall, the subject of new, enhanced or relocated areas for office and meeting space, classroom, studios, fabrication shops, an auditorium and a professional gallery space with secure public access will continue to be a major focus of attention as the College Master Plan continues to de- velop.

Evaluating the Future National predictions indicate that the number of degree-granting colleges and universities will continue to grow during the next decade, although the number of traditional campuses will decline. Many university degrees and programs at all levels will be available through information technologies. Almost all courses will be digitally enhanced, and a movement toward home-college instruction will expand, especially for older and non-traditional students.

The School of Art is committed to the authentic value of a quality, hands- on undergraduate education in the fine arts at a residential, urban college campus. The traditional definition of the academy will be reserved for only a handful of prominent institutions with a long-standing track record of definable success. Young, bright and talented undergraduate students will continue to seek out mentorship programs where they can work with excellent faculty in inde- pendent and small-group studio settings. The best of these students will relocate to major metropolitan areas to enroll in reputable professional schools where intensive involvement with state-of-the-art facilities, an outstanding professional faculty, and established art and design communities are central. Conversely, distance learning will predominate at institutions located in areas that cannot attract top faculty and residential students, and where access to leaders in professional communities is limited.

Providing the best preparatory programs for professional studio practice to young adults and access to the best art and design professionals in the world

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are key to the future of the School of Art at Cooper Union. The school’s current ability to bring the brightest and most talented students and faculty together in the studio classroom and through independent study and professional intern- ships ensures this future. The school must find the resources necessary to continue to attract excellent students and faculty from around the world to the academy.

Boundaries between disciplines in art, design, architecture and engineer- ing continue to erode. The most successful and effective undergraduate college of art and design must prepare students to work across disciplines and expand their focus to include a range of studio involvement. The School of Art’s generalist curriculum, which provides the essential tools for transcending disciplinary categories, is now a model for new interdisciplinary programs being developed at other independent art schools as they try to break down the boundaries rein- forced by traditional discipline-specific education.

The School of Art reaffirms its commitment to quality undergraduate aca- demic programming focused on critical thinking and professional practice within a select range of studio fine-art disciplines. The School of Art is well positioned to be the best accredited undergraduate degree program in fine art in the world.

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The Albert Nerken School of Engineering

This periodic review report features the accomplishments and activities of The Albert Nerken School of Engineering toward meeting its stated goals during the last five years. It includes the results of the recent strategic planning process, which involved administration, faculty, students, alumni, advisory board mem- bers, employers and College trustees, and which indicates future directions and challenges. The report itself reflects the involvement of a broad range of faculty, staff and administrators in the School of Engineering.

Mission Statement

The Cooper Union’s Albert Nerken School of Engineering will create an educational culture with a commitment to excellence. We will bring together the best and brightest engineering stu- dents; we will nurture and develop their talents; we will encour- age them to work and learn at their highest levels; and we will instill in them the desire and the ability to use their engineering background to fulfill their potential as knowledgeable, creative and responsible leaders in society.

Goals The goals of the engineering program are as follows:

To educate engineers for positions of leadership, technological innova- tion and decision making in industry and government.

To provide a broad-based background so that educational and profes- sional development can continue in graduate school and throughout the career path; to condition sensitivity to meet the ever-changing technological needs and challenges of society.

To cultivate a sense of social responsibility and ethics.

Introduction to the School of Engineering The Albert Nerken School of Engineering has consistently been ranked among the top three undergraduate engineering schools in the country by independent

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agencies such as U.S. News & World Report. The school attracts extraordinarily gifted students who are the top graduates of their high schools and who have achieved very high standardized test scores. All four engineering departments offer ABET-accredited degrees (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Tech- nology), permitting students to achieve licensure easily. School of Engineering graduates who take the licensure examination have a pass rate of 100 percent.

Approximately half of the graduates proceed to elite graduate schools, where they excel. Some of the programs to which they are accepted are in the traditional majors, but there is an increasing trend toward the use of the under- graduate engineering education as a springboard into professions such as medicine, law and business.

The other half of the school’s graduates find employment directly follow- ing graduation. Companies recruit Cooper Union graduates aggressively, and feedback from employers indicates that their preparation is first-class. Once a company has hired a Cooper Union graduate and witnessed his or her capability, the company inevitably returns for more. The recruitment fairs are very well attended, and data indicate full employment for all graduates who seek jobs.

The School of Engineering aggressively recruits exceptionally qualified, well-rounded students. Acceptance is based not only on technical skills such as mathematics and science, but also on verbal scores and a candidate=s ability to express herself or himself. Essays, which are part of the application, reveal non- academic activities, which are also a factor in the selection process.

The dedicated faculty in the School of Engineering recognize that they are instructing some of the best and brightest students in the nation. They reject mere rote teaching in favor of a curriculum that heavily utilizes hands-on, project-based learning. A student-faculty ratio of seven-to-one enables a student to flourish at the hands of a faculty mentor. Students work with faculty as colleagues. Most undergraduates undertake research with an individual faculty member or group, which often leads to papers in refereed journals and conference presentations. Cooper Union students also excel in national and regional design competitions hosted by professional societies. Indeed, they often take away more

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than one prize. Staffing and student profiles follow in Tables 17 and 18, as well as engineering degrees granted between 1991-2002 in Table 19.

Table 17. School of Engineering 2002-2003 Staffing Profile

Full professors 23 Associate Professors 6 Assistant Professors 2 Adjuncts 45 (20 FTEs) Technicians 9 Machinist 1 Research Associates 2 Office Staff 8

Table 18. School of Engineering 2002-2003 Student Profile

African American/ Native Asian, Pacific Caribbean American Islander Latino Foreign Caucasian Totals Year Status M W M W M W M W M W M W M W

1 FT 1 2 1 0 24 8 10 2 7 3 42 9 85 23 108 PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 FT 3 1 1 0 35 10 6 3 9 2 63 13 117 29 146 PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 FT 1 0 0 0 33 10 0 2 3 1 42 20 79 33 112 PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Seniors FT 2 0 0 0 33 10 2 0 7 2 44 13 88 25 113 PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 Non- matric FT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Visiting PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL FT 7 2 2 0 125 38 18 7 26 8 191 55 369 110 479 PT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 3

Graduate Students There are now 38 graduate students spread among the engineering depart-

ments.

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Table 19. School of Engineering Degrees Granted 1991-2002

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Totals 91 105 116 114 146 163 136 97 103 88 109 118 121 Women 19 15 21 21 25 46 25 25 29 23 31 34 32 African-Americans 2 5 3 1 9 10 4 3 4 5 3 6 4 Latinos 0 4 3 5 4 16 9 5 7 5 3 5 5 Pacific Islanders/ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 Native American

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Qualities such as the ability to communicate clearly are recognized as es- sential skills for the modern engineer. Programs such as LEAP and CONNECT, described later in this report, encourage the development of leadership skills, which are then integrated into coursework. Beginning in the first year and culminating in a year-long senior design experience, teamwork and engineering design are major factors in the educational process.

All students receive a firm grounding in mathematics, sciences and the basics of engineering science. They then specialize in the various engineering disciplines that build on this rigorous foundation. The education is enhanced by a program in Humanities and Social Sciences, a substantial sports program, symposia, field trips, lecture series and exhibitions that the New York City setting makes possible. Student organizations, student government, special- interest clubs and cultural events complete the college experience.

The school=s urban setting serves as one of its richest and most extraor- dinary assets. In addition to its core of full-time faculty, it draws on the enormous talent and resources available in the New York metropolitan region: engineers and scientists from the area=s corporate laboratories, R&D departments and consulting firms in the private and public sectors. It draws physicians from major metropolitan hospitals to teach bioengineering; lawyers to teach patent law, environmental law, or professional ethics; and a variety of other experts from specialized sources. Through these practitioners, students are exposed to the changing currents of the field, and to the most advanced information on new developments, trends and problems.

At the same time, The Cooper Union is uniquely positioned to attract and conduct research. Engineering problems that need to be solved, many of them with societal and humanistic implications, are brought to the College by govern- ment, industry and public-service institutions. Funding for such activities often provides dollars to pay for students= research and sometimes even salaries. These activities, a cornerstone of the engineering curriculum, provide opportuni- ties for students to work at the forefront of technology and to interact with the institutions that sponsor this work. These include, among others: Bristol-Myers

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Squibb, Con Edison, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, Jewish Institute for Geriat- ric Care, Lenox Hill Hospital, the National Security Agency, NASA, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Pfizer, Striker, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Zimmer.

Alumni Among the school’s alumni are pre-eminent figures whose pioneering inventions and achievements have been seminal in modern technology: Thomas Edison; Samuel Margles, inventor of the modern escalator; Arthur Keller, inventor of the first stereophonic recording system; William Dublier, inventor of the mica condenser; Clifford Holland, who directed construction of the Holland Tunnel; Isador Laskowitz, pioneer in helicopter and vertical flight; Irving Rossi, inventor of continuous metal casting processes; Madeline Ross, founder of Consumers Union; and numerous others.

Among the corporations formerly and presently headed by Cooper Union alumni are ABB, Aerospace Corporation, American Cyanamid, Avnet, Crown Zellerback, Diebold Corporation, Exact Sciences, Gibbs & Hill, Hercules Corpora- tion, PairGain, Raytheon Company, The Limited, Turner Construction Company, Veeco Instruments and many others.

Faculty Professional Development The College and the School of Engineering assure continued teaching competence and professional growth in many ways:

The sabbatical program, which grants sabbaticals every six years, has been used extensively by engineering faculty. Approval for a sabbatical requires a description of the professional development program to be undertaken during the time frame.

Professional development funding is available both for travel and for seminars. Faculty attend meetings of professional societies in the New

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York metropolitan area and nationally, with travel funds budgeted through the Dean=s office.

Faculty are encouraged to participate in research with both graduate and undergraduate students. The master=s program and the master=s thesis required of students assure continuing faculty involvement.

Faculty are scheduled for at least one free day per week (in fact, most faculty have three-day programs) for consulting or other professional activities. The faculty are permitted to be paid for such activities.

Speakers are invited to campus to discuss both technical topics and engineering education. The Cooper Union also has many public pro- grams of a cultural or intellectual nature that contribute to profes- sional development.

The Development Office provides professional writing assistance to faculty who are preparing grant proposals.

All faculty offices have Internet connection.

The College awards grants for interdisciplinary course development.

Cooper Union=s participation in the Gateway Coalition, a National Science Foundation group, has encouraged the development of new teaching methods and joint courses with colleagues in other institu- tions. Many seminars on assessment and evaluation and other peda- gogical matters were sponsored by Gateway, the influence of which has continued past the end of the project in 2002.

Fluency in communication, including fluency in English, is a criterion for appointment to the faculty. Department chairmen require faculty who need to improve their fluency in communication to seek help from the Center for Writing and Speaking. In one case, where an oral com- munication difficulty was seen to exist, the faculty member was funded to attend special courses at nearby New York University to remedy the situation.

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Consulting and research policies permit faculty to do private consult- ing as long as their obligations to the College are met, on either a re- leased-time basis or for compensation. Such activities are encouraged and are viewed as important to faculty professional development. Fac- ulty who are involved in research projects through the Cooper Union Research Foundation (CURF) receive extra compensation, the amount depending on the project.

Assessment The School of Engineering has led the way, since 1997, in developing a compre- hensive outcomes assessment program at The Cooper Union. Metrics for assess- ment and continuous improvement, professional development and educational technology can be found in Tables 20-22, which follow. A complete discussion of assessment begins on page 198.

Facilities Library resources. The engineering collection of The Cooper Union library consists of print and electronic resources that support the engineering curriculum. The library subscribes to IEL, which is a full text-and-image database of publications from the IEEE.

Ei Compendix is an enhanced electronic version of Engineering Index, which covers engineering, applied physics, optical technologies and other significant technological areas.

Applied Science and Technology Abstracts is one of the H. W. Wilson indexes that the library receives. Also available is the Avery Index, which contains articles on structural design, “green building@ and ur- ban planning. The library=s OCLC First Search package of database includes Medline and also offers WorldCat, PapersFirst, ContentsFirst and NetFirst. In addition, the library contains FirstSearch and the General Science Index. It also provides faculty and students with free online

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Table 20. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics Assessment and Continuous Improvement

Actual Performance Projected 1992 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Objectives # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Undergraduate programs, with 0 0 2 30 7 100 7 100 7 100 7 100 7 100 explicitly documented mission and educational objectives, outcomes and assessment processes. Undergraduate courses with 0 0 15 7 40 20 80 40 97 49 130 65 160 80 explicitly stated educational objectives, outcomes, and assessment processes Undergraduate courses that 0 0 10 5 30 15 44 22 80 40 120 60 150 75 apply alternative assessment processes (beyond traditional classroom tests) to measure student learning outcomes Undergraduate students that 0 0 120 25 350 70 371 75 386 80 441 90 590 100 have participated from the use of alternative assessment processes, such as self and peer evaluation, portfolios, etc. Which cohorts (class of ___, 0 90-94 90-96 90-99 90-00 90-01 90-02 alumni) are being tracked longitudinally

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Table 21. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics Professional Development

Actual Performance Projected 1992 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Objectives # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Senior faculty attending educa- 3 8 6 17 35 30 12 34 13 37 15 42 15 42 tional conferences/symposia such as ASEE and FIE, in the past year Junior faculty attending educa- 1 16 2 33 6 50 4 67 5 83 5 83 5 83 tional conferences and symposia in the past year Formal in-house faculty develop- 1 3 3 4 6 6 6 ment seminars and workshops Senior faculty attending in-house 6 17 13 37 20 35 20 60 25 71 26 74 27 77 workshops/seminars Junior faculty attending in-house 1 14 3 43 6 66 5 83 5 83 5 83 5 83 seminars/workshops

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Table 22. School of Engineering Assessment Metrics Educational Technology

Actual Performance Projected 1992 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Objectives # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Undergraduate lower-division 0 0 4 20 20 25 6 30 15 65 10 50 10 50 courses that use multi-media or Internet based materials to supple- ment learning Undergraduate upper-division 0 0 5 8 30 50 30 50 31 55 42 70 45 75 courses that use multi-media or Internet based materials to supple- ment student based learning Undergraduate lower division 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 5 25 5 25 5 25 courses that incorporate distance learning applications such as video- conferencing or web-based communication with instructors outside the classroom Undergraduate upper division 0 0 3 5 6 10 6 10 19 35 12 20 15 25 courses that incorporate distance learning applications such as video- conferencing or web-based communication with instructors outside the classroom Meeting conducted with external 0 15 30 7 60 75 institutions, faculty, staff, industry, etc. using video conferencing and other collaborative software

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database searches via DIALOG and STN. In addition to OCLC, the li- brary also makes use of RLIN.

The library is a member of METRO, an organization of libraries that share resources in the metropolitan area. It also has agreements with Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law library and Columbia University=s Monell Engineering Library.

The Science, Industry and Business Library of the New York Public Li- brary, located near The Cooper Union, has a vast collection of periodicals, books and electronic resources freely available to students. It is also a patent depository library, and has a valuable collection of domestic and international patents.

The Cooper Union library has a librarian dedicated to science and engi- neering.

Computing facilities. The Computer Center provides the technological and methodological expertise necessary to implement and maintain high levels of computing horsepower, cross-platform information exchange, multimedia throughput, system stability and security, and education and support for stu- dents, staff and faculty.

The center sustains the traditional centralized roles of student computer access provider by running and staffing the three main academic computing areas and MIS for administrative data-processing systems and by installing and supporting large-scale client/server database applications. The center also assumes the modern decentralized roles of telecom voice/data network provider, audio and video digital content interfacing and institutional technology consult- ant.

Campus network. The Computer Center has installed and maintains the campuswide computer network. The network backbone is a high bandwidth ethernet connection, carrying both TCP/IP (Internet) and IPX (MS networking) data traffic. All Cooper Union buildings are con- nected. All laboratories and classrooms in the engineering building have Internet connections installed. All administrative systems are connected. All full-time faculty and staff have dedicated computers on

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their desks, and all of those are connected. The Cooper Union dormi- tory has provisions in every room for connection to the Internet, for 24- hour student access.

Computing facilities management. The Computer Center has a Direc- tor, an Assistant Director for Telecommunications, a Manager of Ad- ministrative Systems, a Manager of the Brooks Design Center, a Systems Engineer and a Multimedia Manager, these six positions comprising the professional staff. There is also a position called “Assis- tant to the Director,” staffed by a graduate student. In addition to the above-mentioned personnel, the Computer Center is one of the largest employers of student help on campus, students serving as consultants to other students, faculty and staff on a variety of matters. Also, the academic support provided by the student staff as tutors and teaching assistants has proven to be a very successful mode of operation for the center.

The schools of Architecture and Art also maintain computer centers that are staffed, and various administrative offices also employ computer profession- als.

Technology centers.

„ Main terminal rooms. The main terminal rooms are located on the fourth floor of the engineering building, and are open to all Cooper Union students, staff and faculty. The hours vary to accommodate the students= needs.

The rooms contain 50 high-end computers, a mix of PCs run- ning Windows, Sun Workstations running Unix and Macintosh com- puters. They are mainly used as a general-purpose academic computing space, where students may use any of the computers to study and collaborate, check e-mail and receive help and software training. A large number of Computer Center student operators are available to assist the users.

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Many special-purpose academic software applications are accessible through the computers: numerical analysis software; fi- nite element analysis software; chemical, electrical, and mechanical process simulation software; and computer-aided drafting and de- sign software are all available, as well as the standard suites of pro- ductivity software such as word and image processors, databases, spreadsheets, multimedia presentation, digital authoring and Web design.

The main rooms are also the site of extensive training ses- sions for students and staff. Basic and advanced networking tech- niques, both software- and hardware-based, computer trouble- shooting and diagnostics, software installation and configuration, are all presented at various times during the year, and are available to all interested parties.

„ The PC classroom. The PC classroom is located on the third floor of the engineering building. It contains 30 high-end PCs, running Win- dows and Linux. The PCs are based on Intel chips, and have large disks, split between the Windows and Linux file systems. There is a very large range of available software, and the machines are auto-configuring between eight different software templates, which are uniquely tailored for the various scheduled classes. Additional software is made available as the need develops. All the machines are networked, making software and license maintenance centrally controllable. Student operators are available for assistance.

„ Jeanette and Louis Brooks Engineering Design Center. The Jeanette and Louis Brooks Engineering Design Center has been in continuous use since its opening in 1999. The Brooks Center pro- vides an excellent facility for high-end multimedia presentations, building on the earlier success of the Driscoll Multimedia Room. Students, staff and faculty make extensive use of the facilities when classes are not being taught in the computer studio area.

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Students, faculty and staff use high-end engineering work- stations from Sun, Silicon Graphics, IBM and Dell. Also popular are the Apple computers. All computers are equipped with large high- resolution color displays, some with stereo visualization capabilities. Most computers have sound capture and playback capabilities and also offer CD-ROM R/W or DVD/ROM R/W drives for multimedia software.

The Brooks Center offers many varied output media, from color printing to high-volume black-and-white printing, to photo- grade large-image printing using a variety of Lexmark and Hewlett Packard printers. Audiovisual recordings can be made and played back in a range of analog and digital formats.

The goal of the Computer Center is to provide continually improving sup- port for all academic computing needs, in order to further the curriculum, to continue to provide instructional support in the core computing courses for engineering, and to allow seamless integration of information across all technol- ogy platforms.

Audiovisual resources. The Audio Visual Access Center (AVRAC) provides support to the academic units, is made up of three professionals who are assisted by students who are employed as necessary. AVRAC supplies audiovisual equipment and video and audio recording and duplicating services, as well as access to a library of instructional videotapes. This service is shared with the entire College.

The Timothy Driscoll Multimedia Studio is a state-of-the-art facility available for classes, lectures and special events.

Laboratories. The engineering laboratories are supported by nine full-time technicians and a master machinist. Each department also employs student help as needed.

Chemical Engineering laboratories.

„ Instrumental Analysis Laboratory.

„ Senior Chemical Engineering Laboratory.

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„ Process Control Laboratory.

„ Various senior project and research laboratories.

Civil Engineering laboratories.

„ Materials and Structures Laboratory.

„ Geo-Technical Laboratory.

„ Hydraulics Laboratory.

„ Environmental Laboratory.

„ Asphalt Testing Laboratory.

„ Bio-Mechanics Laboratory.

Electrical Engineering laboratories.

„ High-Resolution Imaging Systems Laboratory.

„ High-Frequency Undergraduate Laboratory.

„ Parallel Processing and Multi-Media Laboratory.

„ Integrated Circuit Engineering Laboratory.

„ Microwave Circuits Laboratory.

„ Wireless Communications Systems Design Laboratory.

„ Solid State Materials Fabrication Facility.

„ Various laboratories for faculty research and student projects.

„ General purpose junior and senior level measurement and design laboratories.

Mechanical Engineering laboratories.

„ Thermo-Fluid Laboratory.

„ Instrumental and Measurement Laboratory.

„ Robotics Laboratory.

„ Rapid Prototyping.

„ Materials Laboratory.

„ Acoustics Laboratory.

„ Combustion Laboratory.

„ Robotics Theater Laboratory.

„ Energy Conversion Laboratory.

Interdisciplinary laboratories.

„ Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

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„ Engineering Mechanics Laboratory.

„ Control Systems Laboratory.

„ Mechatronics Laboratory.

„ Biomedical Laboratories.

Science laboratories.

„ Physics.

„ Chemistry – both Organic and Inorganic Laboratories.

Central Machine Shop.

Facilities needs. The current engineering building is no longer adequate to house high-tech research centers and teaching facilities, and a new building with all classrooms equipped for networked multimedia is being planned. Planning is also under way for consolidation and sharing of laboratory space and technicians.

Current Structure of The School of Engineering Engineering education at The Cooper Union is centered within The Albert Nerken School of Engineering. The Cooper Union offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. Students may elect to participate in the Integrated Master’s Program, provided their grades qualify them. Students in the integrated program take graduate- level courses during their senior year, which are continued through their fifth year.

The School of Engineering also houses the Bachelor of Science in Engi- neering Program. This is, at present, a program intended primarily for those students who wish to use a broad-based engineering background in order to enter medical, legal or business careers, among others.

The departments of Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics are in the School of Engineering and report to the Dean. These departments do not offer degree programs but provide a full range of courses and activities to complement the engineering degree programs.

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Lists of degree-granting and support departments along with their staff follow in Tables 23 and 24. The Engineering Advisory Board is shown in Table 25.

Table 23. School of Engineering Degree-Granting Departments

Department Chairperson Chemical Engineering Dr. Irv Brazinsky Civil Engineering Dr. Jameel Ahmad Electrical Engineering Dr. Melvin Sandler Mechanical Engineering Dr. Jean LeMeé Bachelor of Science in Engineering Dr. S. Ben-Avi

Table 24. School of Engineering Support Departments

Department Chairperson Chemistry Dr. John Bové Mathematics Dr. Paul Bailyn Physics Dr. Samuel Gelfman Computer Center Prof. Robert Hopkins

All departments have appropriate laboratory facilities, secretarial and technician support.

Director of Computing Prof. Robert P. Hopkins Director of Curricular and Dr. Jean LeMeé Teaching Innovation Director of Cooper Union Dr. Jameel Ahmad Research Foundation Director of Outreach Projects Dr. Marca Lam Director of Student Professional Dr. Judith Lyczko Development Director of Assessment Dr. Gerardo del Cerro Audiovisual Support Winston Wilkerson Associate Dean Dr. Simon Ben-Avi Director of Freshman Advising Christopher Lent Director of Scheduling Dr. Vito A. Guido

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Shop Support Mike Eilenfeldt Physical Facilities Liaison Dr. Simon Ben-Avi Tutoring Program Christopher P. Lent Graduate Program Dr. Simon Ben-Avi CONNECT Program Dr. Richard Stock LEAP program Dr. Judith Lyczko

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Table 25. School of Engineering Advisory Board

Joel R. Alper (CE ’58) President and CEO, Mobile Datacom Corporation Robert M. Aquilina (CE ’78) Vice President, Data Communications Services, AT&T Robert Bernhard President, Bernhard Management Corp. Seth Dubin, Esq. Law Partner, Saterlee, Stephens, Burke and Burke Howard Flagg (EE ’75) President, PairGain Technologies Inc. Edward R. Hewitt Petroleum Geologist Russell Hulse, Ph.D. (BS ’70) Nobel Laureate; Principal Research Physicist, Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University Jeffrey Kossak President, National Renewable Resources, Inc. Marisa Lago (PHY ’77) Director, Office of International Affairs, U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission Stanley Lapidus (EE ’70) Founder and President, EXACT Laboratories, Inc. Dean R. O’Hare Chairman and CEO, The Chubb Corporation Rock Gerard Positano, D.P.M. Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery and Lenox Hill Hospital Pierre L. Schoenheimer Chairman, Radix Organization, Inc. Richard Schwartz (ME ’57) President and CEO, Alliant Tech-Systems (retired) Steven Silberstang President and CEO Amarex Technology Richard J. Slember (ME ’55) President and CEO, Asea Brown Boveri Inc. (retired) Joel Spira Chairman, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. Philip Weisberg (EE ’89) Managing Director, FX Options, JP Morgan Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, Ph.D. Nobel Laureate; Medical Physicist, Veterans Administration Medical Center

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Social Responsibility Outreach is a very important part of a Cooper Union education and the experi- ence of being a student here. This is a very small College that has taken on a very wide range of outreach activities.

School of Engineering students participate in a variety of outreach pro- grams to meet the school’s goal of fostering social responsibility. These programs include the Summer Engineering Research Internship Program, the Immigrant Engineering Program and Career Day for Female High School Students, which are discussed in the outreach section of this report beginning on page 189.

In addition, the engineering students are encouraged to volunteer in community-based programs such as soup kitchens, the Habitat for the Homeless, Greenpeace, Big Brother and Big Sister groups and tutoring in local schools.

Engineering students participate in the Comprehensive Math and Sci- ence Program (CMSP), which works with inner-city high school minority youth to enhance competency in mathematics and which enables them to quality for engineering careers. Engineering students work as tutors in this program.

Engineering students are also encouraged to volunteer in local elemen- tary schools to serve as role models and mentors to underprivileged youngsters. These students are part of a program called “Cooper Troopers.”

Educating for Leadership To achieve the goal of educating for leadership, the School of Engineering places a strong emphasis on the development of communication skills. The following are descriptions of programs established to accomplish this goal.

The Center for Writing and Language Arts. Many engineering courses re- quire written reports and oral presentations. In addition, courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in this center include a substantial writing requirement and additional requirements for presentations. The center offers both individual tutorials and small-group workshops to help students achieve the levels of communication skills required for professional success. It also

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provides special help for students who are recent immigrants and for whom English is a newly learned language.

CONNECT (Cooper’s Own No Nonsense Engineering Communication Train- ing). The Cooper Union CONNECT Program is aimed at improving the oral communication skills of undergraduate engineering students and engineering faculty members. Improved technical communication training is a significant national educational need that has been widely identified by academia, business and industry. Team-oriented corporate structures require engineers who can communicate with a wide variety of technical and non-technical constituencies; they must possess the personal and professional skills needed to deal with complex workplace issues and diverse clients, employees and partners. Engineer- ing faculty have a need to integrate these elements into their classes so they and their students can become active participants in preparing for the demands of the workplace and for being a professional engineer.

The Cooper Union=s CONNECT Program approaches this issue as a complement to the existing curriculum and spans the four years of an undergraduate’s college experience. It grows with the students’ technical knowledge and maturity, and provides a framework for the development of communication skills from classes through the workplace to everyday life.

The concepts behind the program were derived from workshops given in industry and combined with training methods used routinely in theatrical performance. The workshops were developed over three years as part of a laboratory course. During these trials, not only did the presentation skills of the students involved improve, but also, the content of the presentations became more coherent, technically correct and complete. It appeared that, as the stu- dents became more comfortable and skilled at creating an effective dialogue with their audience, they were able to focus on their technical purpose rather than on the stress of giving an oral presentation. Based on these trials, the CONNECT Program was initiated in September 1997 with funding from the U.S. Depart- ment of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE). The program was fully implemented in September 1999.

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The CONNECT Program consists of a series of intensive experiential work- shops. The approach borrows from the traditional methods of engineering education in that it deals with fundamental issues first, in a kind of “communica- tion core,” and then transitions into a menu of advanced topics and professional scenarios. Each workshop is limited to a maximum of 15 students, allowing each one an opportunity to participate. The workshops employ interactive, learner- oriented teaching and learning approaches that use hands-on methodologies such as role-play, scenarios, improvisations, performance exercises, demonstrations and student-faculty presentations. Because this is an engineering program, the ques- tion of relevance to the engineering profession is addressed at all stages of the program.

A goal of the program is to have each student attend at least one work- shop per academic year, from freshman to senior year, and a total of four semi- nars in his or her career at The Cooper Union. (See Table 26 for workshops currently offered.) No grades are assigned to the workshops and no traditional credit is given. The CONNECT Program is not intended to provide a “course” on presentation skills. Rather, it forms a scaffold of experience and understanding that all members of the school share. This scaffold provides a connection between all the other opportunities students have to communicate their knowledge and ideas.

Faculty development. The CONNECT Program includes a faculty de- velopment element. These workshops provide faculty with an under- standing of the CONNECT Program’s training approach, elicit feedback and guidance from the faculty, and promote their involve- ment in the program. Faculty involvement takes the form of devising and participating in student workshops and exploiting the training students receive in their classrooms.

The faculty workshops complement the student workshops by making faculty aware of the standard of presentation skills being taught to and expected of their students. In addition, faculty review selected tapes of undergraduate presentations illustrating common areas of stu-

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dent ability and difficulty; the goal is to have faculty actively participate in developing the means to enhance abilities and overcome difficulties.

Table 26. School of Engineering Workshops Offered in 2002-2003

Year Title Description

Freshmen Basic Each workshop member is given a randomly selected topic Presentation that involves some “technical” elements, for a one-minute Workshop impromptu speech. This intense, artificially stressful situation highlights specific issues for each individual. The workshop focuses on presentation effectiveness and audience re- sponse NOT speech content. Sophomore Team Focused on the communication issues involved in giving Presentation presentations as a member of a team. Students speak on Workshop “technical issues@ based on a recent scientific newspaper article or an instruction manual for some technical issue. Junior and Movement Examines issues revolving around gestures, physical attitude, Senior* Counts appearance, facial expression, and “integrated movement.@ Students learn to exploit their natural gestures and physical expressiveness through role-playing and exploration. Expert Examines the communication issues involved in being an Witness expert witness. Participants explore the presentation of technical information to a lay audience, the jury, in this specialized circumstance. Negotiation Participants deal with the nuances of communication in the negotiation scenario, from asking for more pay to the multi- million dollar deal. Conflict The basis of much of the conflict in the workplace and society Resolution is miscommunication. Participants in this workshop explore ways in which good communication can be an effective tool in conflict resolution.

*Junior and senior workshops are advanced workshops that are required as part of individual courses at the discretion of the professor.

Assessment. This program enhances the engineering curriculum and has been well received by both faculty and students. Faculty members participate through their involvement in the program itself and by re- quiring attendance at particular workshops by students in their courses.

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The administration has given the CONNECT Program a unique standing in the school schedule in that no other classes may be held at the same time. This ensures that students are available to attend their assigned workshops.

Both the school and the faculty recognize that the CONNECT Pro- gram is a novel and flexible mechanism for responding to some of the competency criteria of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The program directly addresses the communication issues that will confront students throughout their careers. The formal as- sessment of the CONNECT Program’s progress and development in- cludes a wide range of mechanisms involving student, faculty, recruiter and outside assessment.

All engineering freshmen complete a survey form that ascertains the communication experiences they have had prior to joining Cooper Union. They evaluate their comfort level when giving presentations and provide their opinions on their presentation abilities and the im- portance of good communication skills.

CONNECT participants evaluate each workshop to assess whether the session impacted their understanding of communication issues and skills and provided insights on which they can work and build.

In addition to the student assessments, questionnaires are com- pleted by on-campus recruiters addressing poise, articulation, enthusi- asm, appearance, gestures and so on. Also, a team of external appraisers reviews the participant questionnaires and assesses the qualitative data they contain. Similarly, an external panel reviews video recordings of presentations given by undergraduate students and assesses their effectiveness.

Because video recording is used extensively throughout the pro- gram, tapes of the program activities provide a qualitative record of its

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progress. Video portfolios of several students who have been randomly selected from the workshop participants create this record.

Freshman Design Course and senior project. All students in the required Freshman Design Course receive training in oral presentation. This is in addition to the CONNECT program. The team project concludes with presentations to a group consisting of students, faculty and invited guests.

All students do a presentation of their senior project, which usually in- cludes graphical aids and requires a written report. CONNECT assists in this.

LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Advancing the Profession). LEAP was es- tablished in 1999 as a voluntary leadership initiative designed to enhance the interpersonal and professional skills of undergraduate engineers. It focuses on enhancing leadership potential through a series of intensive, faculty-taught workshops using interactive learning techniques as well as selected courses and already existing extracurricular leadership opportunities. It utilizes encounters with gender and diversity, experiential learning, global and professional experi- ences, arts and humanities perspectives, and business skills. It is a mechanism for the School of Engineering to recognize and encourage activities beyond the technical curriculum.

LEAP makes the hard case for “soft” skills. It trains “techies” with pas- sion and intuition and educates engineering students to develop and execute ideas as part of a team, sell an idea, communicate and listen, manage conflict, handle change, take criticism and feedback, exude self-confidence, transcend perceived limits, adapt, innovate, and inspire and lead others.

Students who enroll in LEAP are self-motivated and self-directed; they want to be in the workshops they attend and they are aware of the need to enhance and strengthen their interpersonal workplace skills. To achieve a LEAP leadership certificate, students must earn at least 20 LEAP points by graduation, represent- ing approximately 100 hours of extracurricular commitment and involvement.

LEAP has consistently attracted a third of the engineering student body. It has an enrollment that is approximately 40 percent women and 60 percent

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men, representing nearly 50 percent of all women engineers enrolled at Cooper Union and 26 percent of all men. (See Table 27.)

LEAP workshops are taught primarily by engineering faculty and appro- priate adjuncts. From the initiation of the LEAP program, student assessments of faculty have resulted in an average 4.6 out of a possible 5 points, and work- shops have received an average 4.5 out of 5.

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Table 27. School of Engineering Summary of LEAP Enrollment, Academic Years 1999-2002

Number Number % of all Semester of Women of Men Enrolled Total Enrollment % of all Cooper % of Cooper Engineering Certificates Enrollment Enrolled in LEAP in LEAP in LEAP Female Engineers Male Engineers Students Awarded

Spring 1999 48 45 93 40% 16% 23% 4 Men (31%) 9 Women (69%) Total 13 (15% of total)

Spring 2000 74 50 124 62% 18% 31% 9 Men (45%) 11 Women (55%) Total 20 (17% of total)

Spring 2001 63 93 156 53% 33% 39% 1 Man (14%) 6 Women (86%) Total 7 (5% of total)

Spring 2002 72 118 190 60% 42% 48% 5 Men (33%) 10 Women (67%) Total 15 (8% of total)

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With initial funding from the Engineering Information Foundation and the National Science Foundation, LEAP has had considerable success:

There has been a positive response to intense, close and personal stu- dent-faculty interaction and to alternative learning methods, especially non-lecture formats such as role-playing, case studies, dramatic sce- narios, simulations, physical challenges and problem-solving projects.

The program provides student encounters with faculty in other than strictly engineering contexts. For example, a chemical engineering pro- fessor who is studying for a music degree gave a workshop on using music to manage stress. A civil engineer who is a black belt in karate gave a workshop on self-esteem. An electrical engineering professor devised a game of cultural diplomacy.

The program has developed collaborations with Outward Bound, CONNECT, the Engineering Advisory Council, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, and alumni.

It is cost-effective at $24 per student per workshop unit or $430 per year per student.

Engineering Chairs have agreed to free Friday afternoons for work- shops.

Faculty members are requiring specific workshops for their courses. For example, the workshop Community Meeting is required for a sen- ior civil engineering projects course.

Workshops build on course material. For example, the Meyers-Briggs Personality Indicator used in EID 101 is explored in greater depth.

Faculty members have adapted the experiential learning methods of Outward Bound and LEAP to complete or partial course redesigns in Fluid Mechanics, Integrated Circuits, Thermodynamics, Electromag- netics, and Introductory Chemistry.

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Outward Bound. To meet its goal of educating for leadership, the School of Engineering offers students the opportunity to participate in a specially tailored Outward Bound program.

Outward Bound is a nationally recognized leader in self-directed experi- ential learning, specializing in personal discovery and professional growth. Begun in 1995, Cooper Union’s collaboration with Outward Bound has employed challenging outdoor physical activities customized to the professional and personal needs of engineering undergraduates.

This unique leadership training model, which actively involves faculty in close interaction with students, focuses on communication, teamwork, trust- building, problem-solving, gender and diversity, conflict resolution, decision- making, innovation, creativity and risk-taking within the context of the engineer- ing profession. In addition, Cooper Union students and faculty are trained as co- facilitators and have led four of the five Outward Bound expeditions.

Cooper Union is the only undergraduate engineering school in the coun- try actively working with Outward Bound to customize leadership training to the specific needs of engineering students and the corporate workplace. Outward Bound has an unmatched reputation for providing both senior-level executives and managers with organizational solutions to team-building and leadership development. It stresses the immediate and consequential applications of knowl- edge. For example, safety knot-tying in rock climbing becomes a living laboratory for a discussion of friction and angles in physics.

Students learn in different ways B visual, verbal, aural, tactile, kines- thetic. So, too, Outward Bound’s holistic approach sees learning as a complex and dynamic interplay among all aspects of human experience: abstract and concrete, intellectual and physical, rational and emotional, tedious and exciting, active and passive, triumphant and frustrating.

More than 215 Cooper Union students and faculty (more than 30 percent of full-time faculty), as well as 15 women engineers from other Gateway Coalition engineering schools, have taken part in Outward Bound’s outdoor leadership challenges and in its intensive three-day facilitation training sessions. More than

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99 percent of participants, particularly targeted women engineers, say they have benefited personally and professionally.

A four-year summary of student assessments notes the top skills learned by both men and women: teamwork, confidence, risk-taking, communication and leadership.

Student Organizations A variety of professional societies and other organizations are active and flourish- ing at the school and provide students with many opportunities for taking leadership roles. The professional societies in the School of Engineering are:

AICHE B American Institute of Chemical Engineers

ASCE B American Society of Civil Engineers

ASME B American Society of Mechanical Engineers

BMES B Biomedical Engineering Society

IEEE B Institute of Electrical Engineers

NSBE B National Society of Black Engineers

NYWEA B New York Water Environment Association

SAE B Society of Automotive Engineers

SHPE B Society of Hispanic Engineers

SWE B Society of Women Engineers

In addition, the school has many student clubs including pro musica, sports groups, debating society, clubs devoted to various cultural and social activities, and some that are ethnically based.

Students participate heavily in student government and are represented on many faculty committees. Engineering students often edit and write for the student newspaper.

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Global Awareness The School of Engineering realizes the importance of global awareness in prepar- ing students for leadership, and has several programs in place to foster that awareness. It should also be noted that the rich ethnic diversity of Cooper Union students, as well as the diversity of the New York City population, makes the strength of diversity and the cultural differences between various groups very real and easy to understand. Many Cooper Union students are first-generation Americans or are immigrants with green card permanent-resident status. In these cases the concepts of global markets and global workforce are close to family experience.

Research Abroad Program. Every summer, approximately 25 Cooper Union sophomores and juniors spend eight weeks at a foreign university doing research with faculty and graduate students, at the end of which they submit a research report. The faculty mentor at the university abroad evaluates the student and the student evaluates the program.

While the goal of this program is to experience living and working in an- other country, all students must also show evidence of travel and cultural experiences. Many students report that their lives were changed after such a summer; certainly, maturity and confidence are increased, sometimes dramati- cally.

Students have been placed in Australia, China, England, France, Ger- many, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland and Spain.

Student Exchange Program. Students from Kings College and Imperial Col- lege in England, as well as students from France and Germany, have come to Cooper Union during the summer to participate in research at Cooper Union and to interact with its students and faculty.

Work abroad. Cooper Union students have participated in a program run by the Scandinavian-American Association that offers a work experience in a Scandinavian company. Students have also been placed in laboratories in France.

Global technology management simulation (Globetech). Globetech is a cur- riculum innovation and development project created by Cooper Union under the

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auspices of the NSF’s Gateway Engineering Education Coalition. Conceived as a lab component of a Cooper Union interdisciplinary undergraduate engineering course entitled Global Perspectives in Technology Management, it is an Internet- based international joint-venture negotiation-simulation project conducted by student teams from several engineering and business management schools around the world under Cooper Union’s leadership. This project fulfills, to a great extent, the institution’s vision and goals by enhancing students= understanding and preparedness for the global economy, and for some of the major challenges faced by most countries in the 21st century, such as pollution control and abate- ment, renewable and new energy sources, and sustainable development.

Globetech is an international engineering management simulation that links diverse teams of students and faculty, sharing information and negotiating projects via the Internet. Cooper Union works with universities in other countries – such as England, France, Italy, Japan and Romania – to simulate the kinds of global design teams that modern industry utilizes.

Some student teams develop requests for proposals for two chosen pro- jects; other teams develop the responding proposals. The proposals are then negotiated by the participating teams via methods such as e-mail, teleconferences and Internet chat. Ultimately, two contracts are awarded, one for each project, to the proposals considered the best in addressing the scope of the project.

The Globetech simulation thus exposes students to Internet research; to development of all the technical, economic, managerial and financial require- ments for the discussed projects; and, based on this research, to proposal writing. The students are also introduced to negotiation, and learn to modify and upgrade their work based on negotiation. Ultimately, they decide which proposals and teams deserve to be awarded the contracts, based on the teams’ overall perform- ance during the simulation.

All the above activities are invaluable synthesizing tools, providing prac- tical knowledge of technology, economics, finance, global management and negotiation. They give students a much better idea of the real world – of what it

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means to be engineering leaders in the new economy and to work in the context of global competition.

Visits by foreign educators. The School of Engineering often hosts delega- tions of foreign educators, whose visits are usually at the request of the United Nations, the United States Department of Commerce, or the State Department.

Dean Baum, as Chair of the Washington Accord, frequently promotes in- teraction with educators throughout the world. The Accord is an agreement among the bodies responsible for accrediting undergraduate engineering degree programs in eight countries, recognizing the substantial equivalency among those programs.

Technological Innovation To meet the goal of education for technological innovation, the school has changed the curriculum so that there is a very strong emphasis on design beginning in the freshman year and culminating in a high-level senior design experience.

Every first-year engineering student at Cooper Union takes Engineering Design and Problem Solving (EID 101), a guided design course in which an instruction-feedback format illustrates the decision-making process in engineer- ing problem solving.

The project is divided into phases, with student groups from all majors overseeing the management, finance, design, marketing, environmental and other aspects of their team project, which culminates in a presentation and visual display. A new project is addressed each year.

The purpose of the course is to demonstrate to students, from the very start, that engineering is not solely a technical practice but also a social one, which requires working in interdisciplinary teams to address legal, economic, social and human dimensions, as well as developing skills in communication and collabora- tion.

One such student project was done in collaboration with the Hudson River Park Trust. Cooper Union freshmen had the opportunity to redesign for

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public recreation one of two abandoned piers on the Hudson River, as part of the redevelopment of Manhattan’s five-mile West Side waterfront.

Before determining their solutions, student groups analyzed the situa- tion, looking at the needs and requirements of the various constituencies who would use the area.

Through site visits, library and Web research, user and community sur- veys, and the reading of governmental plans and regulations, students studied the constraints, norms, assumptions, facts and information available to them. They then synthesized their findings into a coherent set of possible solutions, which were further evaluated and finally synthesized into a selected solution.

Four student teams developed a variety of solutions. One of the teams proposed a multiuse model, after successfully dissuading a developer from building a casino on pier 54 in a fictional role-playing exercise designed to show the confrontation of environmentalists, developers, community activists and animal rights advocates.

Engineering Design and Problem Solving encourages students to use both analytical and research abilities in the decision-making process and to consider non-technical factors as well as communication, advocacy and creative problem- solving skills in developing a solution.

Teamwork, collaboration and revolving leadership roles allow all students to participate in the design process and to contribute to the final project.

Undergraduate Research The high quality of Cooper Union students makes their participation in real research projects with faculty a common occurrence. Many students have pub- lished research papers as co-authors with faculty.

CURF. The Cooper Union Research Foundation (CURF) includes under- graduates in funded research projects. The foundation, which was established in 1976 as a not-for-profit corporation, serves as the primary research unit of the School of Engineering. It meets the school’s mission of providing an environment fostering excellence and assists in meeting the goal of educating for technological

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innovation. By encouraging and supporting research, the foundation augments the educational opportunities for students, enhances the professional develop- ment of faculty, and provides services to the community through its research and development efforts.

Since Cooper Union is a small, primarily undergraduate institution, re- search opportunities available to faculty are relatively limited as compared, for example, to graduate faculties at larger institutions with doctoral programs. To the extent that research augments Cooper Union’s educational resources without detracting from its basic undergraduate mission, participation in research activities by faculty on a voluntary basis is essential to the vitality of the institu- tion’s educational programs. In attempting to meet this objective, the foundation plays an important role for all faculty members who wish to pursue sponsored research individually or in concert with other faculty and students.

Foundation grants and contracts cover all costs associated with the re- search performed, including students’ stipends, faculty time, outside consultants’ fees, the purchase of equipment and supplies, associated personnel fringe bene- fits and overhead costs. Each year, a portion of the overhead costs is turned over to the College and the capital equipment acquired under projects is usually retained by Cooper Union for educational research purposes. In addition, Cooper Union receives a percentage of all monies derived by the foundation from pat- ented inventions.

The foundation is administered by a Board of Directors, consisting of the President of The Cooper Union or designee, Dean of the School of Engineering, a member of the Faculty of Engineering, three members of the Board of Trustees of Cooper Union, and an alumnus of Cooper Union. The board sets policies and guidelines for the operation of the foundation, and the responsibility for the selection of research projects to be undertaken rests with the Program Commit- tee of the board. This committee consists of the President or designee, the Dean of the School of Engineering and the faculty member.

The day-by-day operation of the foundation is the responsibility of the Executive Officer and the Director of Research. The Executive Officer is the Dean

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of the School of Engineering while the Director of Research is a part-time position presently held by a member of the engineering faculty. The Executive Officer oversees the foundation’s operation and also serves as Chairman of the Program Committee. The Director of Research is responsible for developing interdiscipli- nary research collaboration among the faculty members, preparation of propos- als, and liaison with potential sponsors and outside agencies.

Projects undertaken by the foundation are conducted by faculty members serving as project directors and assisted by other faculty members, outside consultants, and undergraduate and graduate students of The Cooper Union. A Technology Transfer Advisory Committee made up of alumni assists CURF in deciding the commercial possibilities in faculty and student projects and re- search.

A list of current projects can be found in Table 28, along with new and pending proposals and new awards in Tables 29 and 30, which follow.

Research Centers The Cooper Union Research Foundation administers the newly formed interdis- ciplinary research centers, established to focus research on important, interdisci- plinary areas of interest in the New York City context. These centers are:

Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering.

Center for Urban Systems and Infrastructure (including the Institute for Urban Security).

Center for Design and Manufacturing.

Center for Telecommunications and Information Sciences.

It is anticipated that these centers will enhance The Cooper Union=s commitment to project-based learning. Junior, senior and master=s projects will draw on the resources and skills based in the centers. Faculty from various engineering and science disciplines, as well as faculty from Architecture, Art and the Humanities will participate in research and design projects housed in the centers.

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Cooper Union=s commitment to undergraduate research will be greatly facilitated by the existence of these centers, and students’ understanding that the point of engineering is the betterment of society will be enhanced. The institu- tion’s urban location makes the existence of these centers with their focus on the problems of urban areas most appropriate.

Table 28. The Cooper Union Research Foundation Current Projects, 2002-2003

Title Sponsor Faculty PI Duration Amount

Improvements to the Zimmer Peter Walker 1 year $120,000 Replacement Knee

Young Faculty NSF Jackie Li 4 years 300,000 Investigator Career Award

A program of Pfizer Peter Walker 1 year 200,000 Biomedical Research

Development of the Rockefeller Peter Walker 1 year 23,488 Knee Shell Brothers Fund

Testing of the Advanced Peter Walker 1 year 5,000 Hip Joint Bio Surfaces

A Simplified Naviga- Advanced Peter Walker 1 year 5,000 tion System with Visual Bio Surfaces Feedback for Bone Cuts

Technology Transfer B Cooper Union Jameel 1 year $200,000 Hydrocarb Process Ahmad

$853,488

Table 29. The Cooper Union Research Foundation New and Pending Proposals

Title Sponsor Faculty PI Duration Amount

Robust Digital Signal NSA Fed Fontaine 2 years $ 111,800 Processing

Arnold Ascillating NYSERDA Joseph 1 year 500,000 Cascade Power Cataldo (jointly with Arnold

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Power Systems) Colin Kerr

Hydrocarb Process NYSERDA Jameel 1 year 500,000 R&D Ahmad

$1,111,800

Table 30. The Cooper Union Research Foundation New Awards

Title Sponsor Faculty PI Duration Amount

Establishment of the Maurice Eleanor Baum 3 years $3,000,000 Kanbar Center for Kanbar Jameel Biomedical Engineer- Ahmad ing

A Program of Pfizer Peter Walker 1 year 200,000 Biomedical Engineer- ing and Research

Improvements to the Zimmer Peter Walker 1 year 120,000 Replacement Knee

$3,320,000

Entrepreneurship Program The school teaches and encourages entrepreneurship through EID 365 – Engi- neering and Entrepreneurship, which has been revised frequently in response to assessments by students and guests.

The course is supplemented by Cooper Union offerings in engineering eco- nomics, engineering management, patent law, global corporate studies and simulations, applied commercial investigations, and senior projects on patentable inventions, for which teaching modules have been developed and implemented.

Students are taught about partnerships, corporations, basic business ac- counting, writing business plans and obtaining venture capital. Patents and intellectual property are discussed. The program makes heavy use of guest speakers who are attorneys, accountants, businessmen, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. For this program, as for others, the New York City location is a great asset.

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Students learn from the curriculum, through readings, case studies and research projects. They also learn from others, through projects in three- and four-person teams and through alumni and guest lecturers. Developing their own business plans and meeting with experienced entrepreneurs as well as visiting real-world business settings where they interact with entrepreneurs, engineers, lawyers and business leaders furthers their experience.

Student feedback on the guest lecturers and field visits is extremely posi- tive:

“...we were able to see what roles in the business world are played by people with engineering backgrounds and were al- lowed the opportunity to speak individually with them. I think that engineers often don’t realize the importance of personal in- teractions in business and this experience brought the point into focus for me. ... classes have an edge that makes me want to prepare and get involved. This semester’s course work has en- couraged me to develop ideas into feasible plans and has prompted me to think about business interactions.”

Internships in start-up companies have also been a valuable experience for Cooper Union’s young entrepreneurs.

REACH Program (Resources for Entrepreneurial Action Cooper Has). Under the umbrella of the Center for Professional Development, the school has estab- lished REACH to provide a supportive and pro-active environment for student entrepreneurs interested in starting their own businesses. REACH provides a favorable climate for entrepreneurial thinking among students and faculty, and the center offers the expertise of advisors, mentors and speakers as well as resources, books, workshops and seminars.

Through the REACH initiative, The Cooper Union seeks to enhance fur- ther the integration of entrepreneurship into the engineering curriculum. By guiding selected senior team projects toward commercialization and business establishment, REACH seeks to develop promising products or services for an identifiable market. In addition, REACH sponsors one or more visiting or in- residence entrepreneurs and lecturers on business development. Faculty and

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student workshops investigate entrepreneurial thinking, strategies and business operational skills.

REACH and its visiting entrepreneurs advise students in professional ar- eas such as idea generation, opportunity focus, resource marshaling, business plans, risk-taking, market analyses, assessment skills, partnering, low-cost and low-capital advantages, networking, advisory boards, financing, and legal and ethical issues in business.

Educating For Ethical and Professional Practice To meet the goal of educating for ethical and professional practice, the school conducts an active speakers program through which practicing engineers and specialists in a variety of topics augment regular classes. Alumni are often invited by the student professional societies to talk about new technologies or workplace issues. Together with the placement office, alumni also participate annually in a résumé writing evening, in a mock interview evening and in introduction-to-the-workplace events.

Every student participates in an ethics workshop in the freshman semi- nar. There are also various electives in professional ethics, team-taught by engineering and humanities faculty.

The school’s Advisory Committee recently devoted a meeting to ethics in personal, professional and corporate life. This was attended by faculty and students who participated in case study re-enactments. A feature story in “Clockworks,” the School of Engineering journal, disseminated the discussions to the entire Cooper Union community.

To contribute further to the development of the well-rounded profes- sional, there is even a program to teach social skills such as table manners, conducted by a firm used by many corporations. Social dancing is also taught, by an engineering faculty member.

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Plans for the Future of the Engineering School The charter for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art charges Trustees with the responsibility to use the resources of the institution to offer higher education programs that are A...as good as those offered by any college now established or hereafter to be established.@ This means that, during the process of change, such as that which might occur during times of shrinking resources, necessary decisions must not jeopardize commitment to excellence in the present and must not compromise the foundation for excellence in the future. As programs evolve at Cooper Union and, for example, become more efficient, less costly or different in content, they must also offer the potential for the institu- tion=s continued pre-eminence.

Changes in the environment over the latter half of the 20th century B the pervasive impact of computer and information technology, the rapid advances in science and engineering, the increasing importance of the life sciences B and the projected scientific breakthroughs in the coming years suggest that fundamental changes in engineering education are essential for leading institutions. In a recent survey conducted under the auspices of the National Academy of Engi- neering, 73 percent of leaders in academia and 68 percent of leaders in industry strongly agreed or agreed (on a five-point Likert scale) with the statement that AA fundamental change in undergraduate engineering culture is required to improve student preparation.@

While The Cooper Union is now compelled to eliminate the structural deficit that has plagued the institution for many years, its goal, in the context of these dramatic environmental changes, is to make strategic decisions that reflect the very best thinking in the academic community on the future of engineering education. Taking into account Cooper Union=s size, faculty attributes, re- sources, student population, culture and ethos – the faculty, faculty union and the administration, with the participation of student representatives, have reached a consensus on an affordable, innovative engineering program of the future that will, indeed, preserve the institution=s place at the forefront of engineering education.

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The new undergraduate programs. Led by scientific and technological ad- vances, the 20th century=s unprecedented progress is a tame preamble to the explosive innovation anticipated in the years ahead. Long providing the scientific underpinning of technological change, the physical sciences are rapidly yielding to the life sciences as complex physical systems such as communications net- works increasingly resemble adaptive biological systems. In all areas of engineer- ing, major breakthroughs are taking place at shorter and shorter intervals, making highly specialized knowledge quickly obsolete and, therefore, less and less important in professional education.

Tomorrow=s technical leadership demands engineers with a depth of knowledge in the fundamentals of mathematics and the natural sciences, includ- ing biology; an unprecedented breadth of problem-solving and design skills; the ability to integrate information from a range of traditional engineering disci- plines; a carefully nurtured spirit of creativity; highly effective communication, management, teamwork, entrepreneurial and business skills; and a deeply ingrained commitment to ethics and humanism.

Over the next 15 years, as the global population approaches ten billion, the majority of the world=s population will be living in cities for the first time in human history. Consequently, urbanism and the technological challenges of the urban environment, including infrastructure and climate change, will become central issues for the engineer.

Institutionalizing a structure that has been evolving at the Albert Nerken School of Engineering for several years, through close faculty-student interac- tions and the advisement process, the engineering curriculum will move from a set of traditionally focused engineering departments to a flexible, highly inte- grated program. The program will offer two different degrees and present students with the opportunity and flexibility to develop individualized courses of study. This will permit students to concentrate in those emerging areas that will shape the technical landscape of the future, as well as in traditional engineering sub-disciplines. Undergraduate programs will be aligned with faculty research

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and student interests through the interdisciplinary research centers discussed on page 164.

Students of the class of 2007 have been admitted either to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree program or a substantially restructured Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree program.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degree Program. The new BSE will be only slightly modified – updated – from the existing program. It will continue to target gifted students interested in a rigorous background in the natural sciences and engineering, buttressed by a strong cur- riculum in liberal arts. Many of these students are not interested in engineering as a lifelong profession and are more likely to go on to graduate school in fields such as medicine, law or business.

The Bachelor of Engineering Degree Program. A newly configured Bache- lor of Engineering program will continue to be accredited by the Ac- creditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). It will target gifted students interested in professional careers in the field of engineering:

„ The new BE program will offer concentrations in selected areas and a specific focus on what are currently regarded as interdisciplinary fields, such as biomedical engineering, energy and environment, communications and information engineering, materials and manu- facturing, and urban systems engineering.

„ The program will be highly flexible and adaptable to the changing scientific and technological environment, enabling students to cus- tomize their respective curricula and create personalized courses of study in specialized areas of engineering, interdisciplinary areas or generalized areas spanning traditional disciplines.

„ While the BE program will not offer majors in the traditional fields of chemical, civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, course offer- ings and program flexibility will permit students to fashion a con-

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centration that will qualify them for a broad range of graduate pro- grams not unlike those that current graduates pursue.

„ The number of credit hours required for the degree will be reduced to 128 from the current 135. This is in accordance with national trends.

„ Curricular flexibility will allow greater opportunities to expand lib- eral arts content and interdisciplinary studies in collaboration with the schools of Architecture and Art.

„ Graduates of the new BE program will be fully qualified and equally well prepared to sit for the Professional Engineering Examination under the same conditions as current graduates are.

„ Full-time master’s degree program. The master=s program offered will be a single degree with emphasis on interdisciplinary areas, and will offer specialization in areas aligned with the research systems. As is now the case, it is expected that full-time students will be Cooper Union graduates who wish to continue their studies and research for a fifth year. There will be a thesis requirement for full-time gradu- ate students.

„ Part-time master’s degree program. This program will be fee-based and offered in the evening to working engineers in the urban area. It will require completion of 30 credits, but will not require a thesis. Curricula can be somewhat customized to meet corporate needs, and courses can be offered on campus or at a corporate site. A market study is now in process.

Program implementation.

„ Students admitted for Fall 2003 have been admitted to the new BE program or the BSE program.

„ Current students will be able to continue in their degree programs with majors until their classes graduate. Majors in chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering will be discontinued with the graduating class of 2006.

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„ All current full-time faculty members are qualified to teach in the new program and no full-time faculty member will be asked to re- sign as a consequence of program changes. However, it is antici- pated that there will be some attrition over the next several years and some faculty will be replaced by individuals with education and training that are aligned with the new direction.

„ Faculty committees have been formed, and are working on develop- ing the new curriculum.

Precedence for the single Bachelor of Engineering Degree Program.

The continued relevance of the traditional engineering degree pro- grams and the attendant curricula are being hotly debated in a variety of forums by leaders in engineering education around the country. Al- ternatively, the flexible, adaptable, integrated curriculum, which offers a strong foundation in the natural sciences, mathematics and princi- ples of engineering, along with the agility to evolve rapidly with the changing environment, is gaining favor among both students and edu- cators. Data of the Engineering Workforce Commission show a declin- ing enrollment in traditional engineering disciplines and a concomitant growth in enrollment in programs like the existing BSE program and in interdisciplinary programs.

Discussions with current employers of Cooper Union graduates with respect to employment opportunities reveal that graduates of the single-degree programs will be as much in demand as current Cooper Union graduates. The same is true of discussions with the graduate programs at the elite institutions that Cooper Union students have historically attended. Many large, technology-intensive corporations, such as Con Edison, Exxon-Mobil, GE, IBM and Merck, indicate pub- licly that in recruiting engineers they value fundamental, critical skills and a record of academic performance over specific areas of specializa- tion. The preferred indicators include a rigorous foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, problem-solving skill, communica-

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tion capability, ability to work in teams, entrepreneurship, facility in assimilating new knowledge and adapting to changing environments.

Financial impact.

The new degree programs, in a steady state with the same number of students that are currently enrolled at Cooper Union, will ultimately have a lower cost structure and will be more efficient than the current program. The cost savings will be achieved through a significant re- duction in the administrative overhead structure in the School of En- gineering. The seven departments, each with appropriate administrative and technician support will merge into one. Redun- dancy in course offerings and course content associated with the five different undergraduate degree programs will be eliminated or re- duced. Total full-time faculty requirements will consequently be re- duced, through attrition. The need for adjunct faculty and for full-time faculty course overloads will also be reduced. Some existing laborato- ries will no longer be needed, while others will be integrated into multiuse laboratories and can be shared with the centers whose focus is undergraduate research.

Challenges.

„ While the School of Engineering has done very well in attracting females (approximately 30 percent) and Asians (approximately 34 percent), it has been less successful in attracting underrepresented minorities. This is a continuing challenge. The summer program for high school students and the association with the Comprehensive Math and Science Program (page 149) have not produced applica- tions from qualified minority students. The school is now exploring a relationship with NACME (the National Action Council for Minori- ties in Engineering), and diversity remains a high priority.

„ Full-time faculty diversity is important in leading to student diver- sity. The faculty currently has one minority professor and two fe- male full-time faculty members. So far as adjuncts are concerned,

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the diversity is much improved with all ethnic groups and both gen- ders well represented.

„ Attracting faculty skilled in the new technologies and, at the same time, making diversity a priority is a challenge. Few faculty lines open in a school this small, which is the reason the use of adjunct faculty is so important for the School of Engineering. Adjuncts pro- vide not only diversity, but also the expertise needed in the curric- ula.

„ The size of the school presents both positives and negatives. It al- lows for close interaction among faculty and between faculty and students. However, the small graduating classes prevent The Coo- per Union from being on major corporations= “special school@ lists for major annual recruitment efforts and concomitant year-long sup- port. What this means is a more difficult challenge in attracting do- nations.

„ The faculty supports the new direction of the curriculum and is aware that a good deal of work and time will be required for plan- ning and implementation.

„ Space and modern facilities for the new research centers are being addressed in the planning of the new building.

„ Funds are available in the budget for laboratory upgrades and maintenance. The school has been fortunate in obtaining external funding to establish state-of-the-art laboratories that are well equipped and it is anticipated that this will continue.

Conclusion The school recognizes its challenges as well as its strengths, and plans are in place to address them. The administration and development staff of The Cooper Union have been very supportive of and helpful to the engineering programs.

The new engineering program offers an extraordinary opportunity to re- vitalize undergraduate engineering education at The Cooper Union, to build a

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powerful foundation for the future and to secure the role of the College as one of the nation=s premier institutions of higher learning in the field of engineering. The timing, too, is ideal for creating forward-looking, fundamental changes, as the College plans the space program for the new academic building and builds the infrastructure for The Campaign for Cooper Union. The excitement generated around such a cutting-edge program will attract major individual donors, as well as foundations and government support. There is a great deal of work to be done on a relatively short schedule and a number of challenges to overcome in design- ing an implementation plan; however, there is both a sense of excitement and a spirit of cooperation within the College for addressing the issues that have emerged during this period of economic stress that bodes well for a successful outcome. Humanities and Social Sciences

Developments in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) since the visit of the MSA evaluation team in 1998 are positive and varied, and include the actions identified by the team as being either desirable or necessary. In particu- lar, there are positive developments with respect to HSS curricula and faculty, with parallel developments and outcomes assessment in student satisfaction.

Fulfilling the Mission HSS curricula, faculty and student support services are intended to sustain its basic mission:

The mission of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Services is to provide a liberal arts education equal to the best in the con- text of the professional degree programs offered by the schools.

This mission is fulfilled in three fundamental ways:

By providing foundational courses in liberals arts to develop skills in writing, speaking and thinking.

By providing upper-division or elective-level liberal arts courses that complement professional programs.

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By providing specialized liberal arts courses in areas of particular in- terest to Cooper Union students.

The foundational courses in liberal arts that form the four-course se- quence in the core curriculum follow the sound pedagogical philosophy of gradu- ally building up students’ abilities in writing and speaking so that they can move with confidence into their upper-division courses. The sequence progresses from brief readings and focused writing assignments in the first semester of the freshman year to a “mini-elective” in the second semester of the sophomore year that asks the students to study a single figure or topic for the entire semester and produce a substantial piece of research writing. The cultural content of the sequence is under regular review and is subject to revision based on a variety of factors that include professional developments in the relevant fields of liberal arts covered by the core curriculum (primarily literature and history) and developments in the world at large. For example, recent developments in the Middle East have resulted in curricular adjustments to the core course in modern European history to emphasize the role of the West in the formation of modern Arabic states. The core curriculum also attempts to provide historical context for the professions of architecture, art and engineering that are studied in the schools. The rise of modern science, for example, is a regular topic unit covered in all sections of the core curriculum in the freshman year.

Upper-division electives in humanities and social sciences also seek to address issues related to the professions that students do not necessarily encoun- ter in the schools. Perhaps the most extensive liberal arts complement to the students’ professional education is the program in art history offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to fulfill distribution requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The program is anchored by a senior professor with an international reputation in the history of modern art and a proportional professor specializing in the history of classical and Egyptian art. In addition, the program boasts a number of adjunct professors with excellent credentials. In recent years, the art history offerings at Cooper Union have been noteworthy for the extent of global coverage they involve: courses in African, Asian, Islamic, Mesoamerican, and Native American art are part of a regular rotation in the

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curriculum. Students therefore have the opportunity for exposure to multiple cultures in their art history classes.

Unlike the School of Art, the schools of Architecture and Engineering do not look to HSS to provide courses to satisfy a specific distribution requirement for their students, but HSS nonetheless offers a number of courses that comple- ment these professions as part of the general liberal arts degree requirements. For example, in recent years students in the School of Engineering have had the opportunity to satisfy their humanities elective requirements by taking courses in the history of science, the history of technology, and the philosophy of mathe- matics. Likewise, students in the School of Architecture are given the chance to take courses in urban sociology, New York City history, and the history of urbanism in Latin America to meet their General Studies requirements.

HSS complements students’ professional education not only by offering courses that have some direct bearing on the degrees they pursue, but also by providing courses in areas of special interest to those who wish to become in- volved in a particular discipline of liberal learning. For example, Cooper Union’s diverse, international student body makes general linguistics an academic subject ideally suited to the population of the College. In a given classroom it is not unusual to find native speakers of a half-dozen different languages or more. Likewise, courses in creative writing are well suited to the extraordinary creative abilities of practically every member of the student body. Other segments of the student population are served by area history courses, such as East Asian History, an offering made with Cooper Union’s large number of Asian and Asian- American students in mind. The point here is that while no student at Cooper Union is receiving a degree in linguistics, creative writing, or East Asian history, courses in those fields match up well with significant segments of the student population. In short, foundation courses in the core curriculum, courses that complement professional education, and courses specially designed for Cooper Union’s extraordinary students all contribute to fulfilling the mission of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

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HSS Curricula The 1998 MSA review noted that the communication skills emphasized in the HSS core curriculum “should be addressed more systematically.” Since that report the HSS faculty has undertaken a revision of the core curriculum to transform the existing collection of four courses into a true four-course sequence. The new sequence seeks to build skills in writing and speaking in a graduated manner that culminates with a capstone course in which students focus on a single influential figure or important topic for the duration of the semester. A detailed description of the revised core curriculum is included in Appendix U.

Through regular meetings of the HSS Curriculum Committee, which in- cludes voting members from both the faculties and the students of the three schools, the HSS elective curriculum undergoes regular scrutiny, with increasing attention to the courses that contribute the most in the context of professional education. A recent development that received its impetus from this committee was the expansion of the core requirements in art history from a two-course to a three-course sequence.

Given that the 12-member Curriculum Committee is evenly balanced be- tween six HSS faculty and six representatives from the schools, HSS is able to assure that the curricular concerns of the schools and their students are ade- quately addressed. The HSS Curriculum Committee is also suited to discussion of new, interdisciplinary initiatives, an area of particular interest in recent years.

HSS Faculty As is the case throughout the College, HSS benefits from Cooper Union’s location in New York City by taking advantage of a highly qualified group of adjunct professors trained at New York University, Columbia University and other top- tier area colleges, to teach in the core curriculum. Since the adoption of the revised core curriculum, HSS has attracted a number of truly excellent young professors who regularly go on to full-time positions elsewhere, often citing their experience at Cooper Union as a key to the development of their careers. The influx of fresh adjunct talent helps keep the resident HSS faculty apprised of new developments in humanities and social sciences, while, at the same time, younger

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adjunct faculty benefit from the maturity and experience that the resident faculty provide.

The resident faculty has actually grown since the last MSA visit, and now consists of eight full-time professors (all tenured), three proportional (two-thirds time) professors, and one postgraduate fellow. (The HSS Dean also holds tenure and teaches one course per semester.) The postgraduate fellow is a teaching appointment that also helps to bring fresh ideas into the faculty. A number of full-time resident faculty have national and international reputations as a result of their numerous book publications; several are Fulbright scholars who have used their experience of teaching abroad to enrich the HSS curriculum. All resident faculty are committed to teaching courses in the core curriculum as well as in the elective curriculum.

In addition to the group of talented adjunct professors teaching in the core curriculum and a tenured faculty of considerable prestige, HSS has attracted a remarkable cadre of adjunct professors who teach courses in the elective curriculum. These professors are often tenured at other universities and some are department heads at their home institutions. Some are independent scholars with national reputations, such as the film critic J. Hoberman, the economist Jeffrey Madrick, or the poet and National Book Award winner Marie Ponsot. In short, the HSS faculty is stellar at all levels and continues to be replenished by outstanding professionals from the New York City area. (See Table 31.)

Student Experience HSS provides a great deal of student support through its recently renamed and revitalized Center for Writing and Language Arts, as well as through academic advisement services and student fellowship support. The center provides tutorial support in writing and speaking for students in all courses at Cooper Union who are expected to produce essays or make oral presentations.

In Fall 2002 a new Director brought particular strengths in writing peda- gogy and has already done much to change the culture of the center in positive ways. For example, where formerly incoming students with special writing needs were identified on the basis of SAT scores alone, the new Director instituted a

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program of diagnostics based on actual writing samples. The new system has had the result of identifying students with writing problems in a more realistic way but without stigmatizing them in the process. The center also provides support for instruction in foreign language courses by maintaining the audiovisual resources necessary for language learning and by training students in the use of those resources.

In addition, HSS supports students through careful and attentive aca- demic advisement, working closely with the schools to assure that all students satisfy liberal arts degree requirements on schedule. Since the last MSA site visit, an additional resident faculty member has assumed responsibility for academic advisement, working closely with the HSS Dean.

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Table 31. Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty

Resident Faculty, full-time tenured Dore Ashton, Professor of Art History Peter Buckley, Associate Professor of History Anne Griffin, Professor of Political Science Atina Grossmann, Associate Professor of History Leo Kaplan, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences Sohnya Sayres, Associate Professor of Humanities Fred Siegel, Professor of History Brian Swann, Professor of English David Weir, Acting Dean and Associate Professor of Comparative Literature Resident Proportional Faculty, two-thirds time, untenured Gwen Hyman, Assistant Professor, Proportional, of English Kirsten Schultz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Proportional, of Latin American History Mary Stieber, Assistant Professor, Proportional, of Art History Maren Stange, Associate Professor, Proportional, of American Studies Adjunct Faculty, 2002-2003 Haitham Abdullah, Instructor, Adjunct, of Art History Marek Bartelik, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Art History Todd Brewster, Professor, Adjunct, of Journalism Gail Buckland, Professor, Adjunct, of Art History Timothy C. Coogan, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of American History Amanda Dargan, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Anthropology Ned Drew, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Art History Ira Elliott, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of English Hector Feliciano, Professor, Adjunct, of Comparative Literature J. Hoberman, Professor, Adjunct, of Cinema Studies Meta Janowitz, Instructor, Adjunct, of Archaeology Frederic-Yves Jeannet, Instructor, Adjunct, of Comparative Literature Laura Kaufman, Professor, Adjunct, of Art History Heidi King, Instructor, Adjunct, of Art History Chou Lien, Instructor, Adjunct, of Environmental Design Liliana Leopardi, Instructor, Adjunct, of Art History Douglas G. Mook, Professor, Adjunct, of Psychology Marie Ponsot, Professor, Adjunct, of Creative Writing Robert Prouse, Instructor, Adjunct, of Environmental Design Robert Richardson, Instructor, Adjunct, of Philosophy Maria Rose, Instructor, Adjunct, of Musicology James Rubin, Professor, Adjunct, of Art History John Sarich, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Economics Gail Satler, Associate Professor, Adjunct, of Sociology Deborah Waxenberg, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Psychology Andrew Weinstein, Instructor, Adjunct, of Art History James Wylie, Professor, Adjunct, of African-American Studies Leighann Yuh, Instructor, Adjunct, of Asian History Mia Zamora, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Comparative Literature

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Table 31. Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Steve Zeitlin, Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of Anthropology

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Another form of support for students is the extraordinary degree of atten- tion given to those who wish to pursue undergraduate grants and fellowships. HSS manages an internal fellowship program that awards students with grants of up to $3,000 to complete a project that in some way represents the culmination of their educational endeavors at Cooper Union. This internal program, in turn, often becomes the basis for application to the Fulbright program, which is also administered by HSS. Cooper Union has had the unusual distinction of producing a number of Fulbright fellows in recent years, all of whom have been supported in the application process by an HSS advisor who is a member of the resident faculty.

Outcomes Assessment Humanities and Social Sciences has developed a range of assessment mecha- nisms to monitor and sustain its basic mission. HSS is assured of the success of its programs through regular review of adjunct faculty performance, its openness to student evaluation of its courses, and regular review of curricular and depart- mental needs by way of its Curriculum and Administrative committees.

Adjunct faculty who are in the core curriculum are in regular contact with resident faculty and have their work closely supervised. A new initiative is class visitation of all newly hired adjuncts by a resident faculty member, who will produce a written assessment of teaching performance with the view of improv- ing that performance. In addition, students in most courses are given the oppor- tunity to submit a written, anonymous evaluation of the HSS courses they take (except with resident faculty who are members of the faculty union, for whom participation in the course evaluation program is voluntary). A copy of this evaluation form with cover memo can be found in Appendix V.

Since the last MSA site visit, the instructions accompanying the student evaluation form have been revised to emphasize that improvement of the courses taught is the major purpose of the course evaluation procedure. Professors also have the opportunity to respond to student course evaluations, to provide an opportunity for faculty to analyze student evaluations and to use that analysis as the basis for revising and improving the courses they teach.

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In addition to mentoring programs for new adjunct professors and regu- lar course evaluations, the Dean of HSS calls several meetings each semester of the Curriculum and Administrative committees to discuss curricular and de- partmental concerns. Discussions at meetings of the Curriculum Committee usually center on new course proposals; however, there is also frequent review of the overall HSS curriculum to assess the extent to which the educational needs of professional students are being met by the liberal arts offerings of the depart- ment. Likewise, the Administrative Committee meets to assess and assure that the departmental infrastructure for maintaining excellence in liberal arts education is sound. Any suggestions for substantial programmatic changes that emerge from these two committees are then discussed and voted on at meetings of the full faculty, which occur at least once every semester.

Along with internal assessment mechanisms, some external assessment occurs in the form of an exit survey of graduating seniors that includes questions about their experience of liberal arts education at Cooper Union. The Dean of HSS receives a copy of this survey and notes any patterns indicating particular strengths or weaknesses in the program that need to be addressed. Occasionally, the schools generate assessment reports, such as the one initiated by the Engi- neering Student Council that was published in November 2001. In this survey, engineering students rated various aspects of their experience at Cooper Union. The question assessing “Quality of teaching in humanities courses” came in first, ahead of quality of teaching in a variety of science and engineering disciplines. Although this external report concerns only engineering students, who comprise about half the student body, it confirms that internal assessment mechanisms are working well in HSS.

These various assessment mechanisms generate qualitative data used in program improvement. For example, the combination of classroom observation and student course evaluations is used to address teaching effectiveness, with remedies ranging from mentoring of inexperienced teachers by senior faculty to dismissal of weak or ineffective adjunct professors. The combination of course evaluations and committee review of course offerings helps to determine areas of the HSS curriculum that need development. A case in point is the broadening of

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offerings in non-Western art history in response to both student interest and faculty concern in the School of Art, or the inclusion of a course in urban sociology to respond to the needs of students in the School of Architecture.

In sum, HSS employs a variety of assessment mechanisms to produce in- formation that is used to make both personnel and curricular decisions.

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Continuing Education and Public Programs

In contrast to many universities, continuing education at Cooper Union is close to the institution’s core mission as stated by its founder and carried on for 144 years. Embraced explicitly in the mission statement approved by the Cooper Union Trustees in 2000, continuing education and public programs are designed to “enrich the civic and artistic life of New York City.” With a new and highly experienced director recruited in 2001, the department is integrating its offerings ever more closely with the institution’s academic programs in architecture, art, engineering and the humanities and social sciences. It has developed a business plan and is now on track both to achieve financial self-sufficiency and to make a financial contribution to the entire institution.

The Cooper Union has a number of advantages that give it the opportu- nity to increase its share of continuing education in the New York area: excellent reputation, distinguished faculty, broad range of facilities and central location. At the same time, those advantages will make it possible for continuing education to increase its importance to The Cooper Union.

The Department of Continuing Education and Public Programs has three distinct but synergistic functions. It provides personal enrichment and profes- sional development courses; it offers concerts, lectures, and other public pro- grams either free or at moderate cost; and it operates a facilities rental business.

Demographic and employment trends in the New York metropolitan area favor the expansion of continuing education. The aging of the population (retired people with more time to pursue courses for personal enrichment), the growing number of single-person households (individuals without family obligations), and the increasing immigrant population that may have missed earlier educational opportunities, all point to growth for Cooper Union’s continuing education programs.

The Cooper Union has access to many facilities that are well in excess of those normally found in other continuing education programs, such as computer labs, painting studios, darkrooms, a print shop and a sculpture shop. The de-

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partment’s faculty, however, is its most important asset. The continuing educa- tion program relies largely on an adjunct faculty who are mainly practicing artists and professionals. Working hard to retain loyalty and maintain morale, the Continuing Education Department has a good relationship with its adjunct faculty, many of whom have taught at the College for years. The department provides salaries somewhat better than those at other New York area institu- tions. In addition, the College has begun to integrate adjunct faculty with regular faculty at such events as receptions and has hosted an annual Continuing Education Faculty Art Show in the Great Hall gallery.

The Cooper Union’s personal enrichment curriculum responds to the de- sire of many adults who pursue artistic or intellectual endeavors outside of their job requirements. These courses expand their perspective and increase their capacity for critical thinking. Essentially a consumer product, courses for per- sonal enrichment make a significant contribution to the social capital of commu- nities.

The Cooper Union has made a commitment to expanding the cultural op- portunities that it provides for continuing education students. Increasing the attractiveness of fine arts offerings by adding summer courses, Continuing Education makes available to the public the use of such facilities as darkrooms, painting studios, print shop and so on that are not available during the regular school year. To teach in these facilities, the College has attracted a number of internationally known artists and craftsmen. It has also made alliances with outside organizations such as the New York Botanical Garden and the Congress of International Modern Architects to offer joint courses. More than 2,300 students enrolled in personal enrichment courses in 2002.

Professional development courses, particularly for architects and engi- neers, are a different and increasingly important niche. Most states require architects and professional engineers to take some continuing education for periodic recertification. The Cooper Union’s location, physical facilities, faculty and alumni have all been assets in creating and expanding a professional devel- opment curriculum. In order to attract professionals to The Cooper Union, Continuing Education is offering courses that provide new skills and perspec-

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tives. Professional development courses are closely allied with The Cooper Union’s strong undergraduate programs in architecture, art and engineering, giving professional development students the opportunity to participate in the Cooper Union educational experience. As a result, professional development is Continuing Education’s fastest-growing area at market rates of up to several thousand dollars. Twelve students were enrolled in the first term these courses were offered, in Fall 2001. In Spring 2002, there were 40, and in Fall 2002, 55.

Compared with its competition, The Cooper Union is currently the low- cost provider of courses for personal enrichment. For professional development courses, however, the institution is being positioned for success as the highest- quality provider. Professional development courses are more costly to produce (higher faculty salaries, more expensive facilities); however, they are less price- sensitive and return considerably more revenue.

In the Spring 2003 term, Continuing Education is offering 14 professional development courses at various levels. Some of these courses, such as A+ Com- puter Certification, are suitable for those with only a high school education, while others, such as MAYA for Architects, require professional qualifications. Four of these courses are certified by the American Institute of Architects as part of their continuing education system; this means that the “learning units” offered meet the licensing requirements of all 29 states that require architects to take continu- ing education for periodic relicensing. The Continuing Education Department is in the process of certifying additional courses for architects and engineers.

A new initiative beginning in Summer 2003 will consist of three fine arts residencies offered in conjunction with the School of Art. These residencies will use the painting studios, darkrooms, computer labs and other facilities that would otherwise remain empty during the summer, including the College dormi- tory. World-renowned artists with ties to Cooper Union will participate in three programs: painting and drawing (three weeks), photography (two weeks) and graphic arts (one week).

For public programs, the College can utilize the unique and historic Great Hall, the Wollman Auditorium and the Hewitt Auditorium. The Cooper Union is

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increasing public awareness of the Great Hall as one of the outstanding venues in New York City by producing its own significant events and by increased market- ing as a rental space.

Each year, the department offers some 20 free lectures that attract 1,500 people to The Cooper Union. It also produces the CooperArts series in The Great Hall, which presents some 16 concerts per year and draws 3,000 people. In addition, the department co-sponsors events that contribute to general popular education in those areas that Peter Cooper referred to as “civic culture.” (See Appendix W.)

Through its facilities rental business, the department rents the Great Hall, the Wollman Auditorium and the Hewitt Auditorium, as well as other spaces on occasion, to private groups whose function is related to Cooper Union’s educational and public missions. Recent groups to use the Cooper Union facilities include: The Architectural Institute of America, The Fund for the City of New York, New York Magazine, Penguin Books, Seed Magazine, The Socialist Schol- ars Conference, South End Press and Workshop in Business Opportunities.

Now producing a modest surplus of revenues over expenses, Continuing Education and Public Programs anticipates adding more than $500,000 per year to Cooper Union’s revenues by 2007.

The most recent issue of FORUM, which is the announcement booklet for Continuing Education and Public Programs, can be found in Appendix X.

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Outreach

A major achievement since 1998 has been the significant increase in the funding of outreach programs by external sources, due to the efforts of the Development Department. More than $300,000 a year is now being realized from contributors such as the Altman Foundation, Jacques and Natasha Gelman Trust, the JPMor- gan Chase Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Times Company Foundation and the Surdna Foundation.

In 1858 – the year preceding the admission of students to The Cooper Un- ion – Peter Cooper opened the doors of his Great Hall to the people of the Lower East Side, and from that day until now, the institution has maintained an uncommon tradition of public engagement. From outreach to the public schools to the education of working professionals to the provision of a platform for social discourse, Cooper Union’s commitment to its community and its city have been a hallmark of its joint legacies of urbanism and humanism.

Saturday Outreach Program in art and architecture. In 1968, a group of Coo- per Union undergraduates, responding to the decline in arts funding for the New York City public schools and buttressed by Cooper Union’s legacy of social activism, established the Saturday Outreach Program. Today the program provides intensive studio courses in the arts, also free, to more than 400 students in grades 9-12 annually, with about 85 percent of the students coming directly from public high schools throughout the city’s five boroughs.

The Saturday Outreach Program serves young people with otherwise ex- tremely limited access to the instruction, facilities and materials needed to compete for admission to the elite higher education institutions in the arts. Comprehensive in scope, rigorous and intellectually demanding, the program offers a 22-week set of full-day studio courses on Saturdays during the school year. Students choose to study drawing, graphics, sculpture, painting or architec- ture. They take three different classes each Saturday, and new sessions begin each semester. In addition, four- and seven-week intensive courses are offered during the summer.

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The program provides extensive support services including college admis- sions counseling, portfolio preparation classes and the opportunity to mount public exhibitions and to have their works published. About 85 percent of partici- pating high school students go on to higher education, a phenomenal success rate in New York City.

Summer Engineering Research Internship for high school students. Every summer since 1985, The Cooper Union has provided an opportunity for 50 to 60 high school students to tackle genuine applied science research problems in a college setting. Drawing its participants from public schools with a high percent- age of economically disadvantaged and minority students, this program places a special emphasis on recruiting young women. The aim of the program is to encourage these youngsters to pursue careers in science or engineering, and its success rate is high.

Operating six hours per day, four days per week for six weeks, the pro- gram is free to all students who attend. Each intern works with Cooper Union faculty and students, participates in scientific and engineering research projects, develops technological and mathematical skills, is counseled in college and career choices, and receives training in leadership and communication skills. Cooper Union undergraduate teaching assistants guide each project, and Cooper Union faculty act as both supervisors and mentors. Projects cover a comprehensive spectrum of engineering fields, including civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biomedical and environmental engineering, as well as mathematics, chemis- try, physics and astronomy.

Immigrant Engineer Program. The Immigrant Engineer Program exempli- fies Cooper Union’s commitment to provide new Americans with the skills and education they need to succeed. Most participants are recent immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe, highly educated and often possessing advanced degrees. However, without up-to-date knowledge in advanced technology and the specific courses necessary for licensing in the United States, as well as the requisite language skills, they are unable to find employment. The Immigrant Engineer Program provides an invaluable boost for these talented men and women by updating their engineering, computer and business skills. Since the

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program’s inception, hundreds of immigrant engineers have been placed in engineering and engineering-related jobs and are now contributing at a higher level in the local economy than they would otherwise have been able to do.

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The Library

Since the last MSA site visit in April 1998, the Cooper Union Library has made significant progress in improving the relevance of its resources and services, expanding its outreach and establishing new lines of communication.

New Mission Statement

The mission of the Cooper Union Library is to support the aca- demic programs of the institution’s degree-granting schools of Architecture, Art and Engineering; to foster in our students the lifelong learning skills of information literacy and critical evaluation; and to provide a forum in which students and faculty from across the College’s spectrum can meet and learn from each other’s specialties and resources.

The intent of this new mission statement is:

To affirm the objectives set forth in the Collection Development Policy relating to the library’s resources.

To emphasize the importance of library research instruction.

To reassert the library’s position as the ideal locus for cross- fertilization between the academic disciplines.

The Collection The Cooper Union Library has a fine specialized collection focusing primarily on architecture, art and engineering. In the area of collection development, the library, which is now under new management, is making a concerted effort to enlist the support and participation of the faculty.

A Library Committee was formed to establish direct communication be- tween the library and faculty representatives of the College’s four faculties, administration and student body. A collection development policy was drafted, distributed to the faculty at large for input, endorsed by the Library Committee and posted on the library Web site.

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Further faculty involvement has been promoted by a newly revised fac- ulty guide to the library, which encourages faculty members to suggest titles in their subject area to be purchased for the collection. Requests can be made in person, via interoffice mail, fax, e-mail or telephone. To expedite these requests, new acquisition request forms were designed and included in the faculty guide. They were also sent separately to the faculty and academic departments.

Cooper Union’s funding of library resources has increased substantially since 1998. This has enabled the library to vigorously address gaps in the collec- tion, especially in the area of contemporary art, and to keep abreast of current developments in architecture, art and engineering. Concerted efforts have been made to subscribe to new, high-quality bibliographic, full-text and image data- bases relevant to the Cooper Union community.

The librarians’ participation in curriculum committees has proven to be one of the most effective means of staying informed of curriculum developments that would call for new library resources. Library representation on committees has also often had the benefit of establishing better working relationships and communication between the faculty and the library.

Retrospective Conversion of Older Collection The 1998 MSA evaluation report noted that “a quarter of the collection is not yet on-line and the card catalogue remains prominent though long since inadequate and inaccurate.” Since 1999, the library has made significant progress in convert- ing the older collection into electronic format and adding those records to the online catalog; only about 5 percent remains unconverted. The rapid progress of the conversion has made it possible to remove most of the card catalog and to turn that space over to online public access catalog monitors as well as a scanner workstation for patrons.

Computer Access and Electronic Resources The library currently has 30 computers for student and faculty use. Twenty-three of these provide full access to the Internet and to the library’s electronic re-

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sources. They also provide e-mail and word processing. The remaining computers are dedicated to the online catalog, stand-alone software or the scanner station.

The library’s Web site has become a major portal to its resources and ser- vices. The Web site has gone through several redesigns to make it more user- friendly and easier to navigate, with additional links and cross-references. The content continues to expand as links to new subscriptions, free databases, reserve study images and other digital material are added. Policy documents, study guides, new title lists and informational news are also included. The improve- ment and maintenance of the Web site require substantial time, creative energy, technical skills and constant vigilance on the part of the librarians involved.

Currently, there is campuswide access to most of the material listed on the Web site, but the library staff is still working on a solution to provide remote access without jeopardizing security. Once the remote access is in place, members of the Cooper Union community will have the ability to use the library’s elec- tronic resources regardless of time or location.

Since the evaluation team visit, the library has purchased access to many more subscription databases and has changed formats, from CD-ROM to Web- based, for others. The following new additions are particularly noteworthy: AMICO Library of Digital Images, Art Index Retrospective, Knovel; Engineering & Scientific Online References (full-text) and New York Times Historical files (full-text). The usage of the databases has been growing steadily.

Visual Resources Faculty requests for visual resources as teaching material have increased substantially in the last several years. Both slide production and circulation have accelerated. Recently, the library began promoting the acquisition and use of digital images. These images, which are purchased or accessed through subscrip- tions to Web-based image banks as well as produced in-house, can be made readily accessible to end users via computer, barring copyright restrictions.

Through additional funding, the film, video and DVD collection have grown dramatically and have subsequently become much more useful to faculty

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and students. A current goal is to add viewing stations on the main floor of the library to provide for disabled access and to make the collection available during the hours the visual resources area on the mezzanine level is closed.

The growth of visual resources has created a greater need for more so- phisticated databases for accessing the material, a task the visual resources librarian will be devoting himself to in the near future with the help of the electronic services librarian.

Library Research Instruction The objective of the library’s research instruction program is to foster in Cooper Union students the lifelong learning skills of information literacy and critical evaluation. To that end, the librarians are devoting considerable time and energy to instruction sessions in course-specific research techniques. Also, a more proactive approach by the library has increased faculty requests to schedule sessions for their classes. More comprehensive introductions to library resources for freshmen in art and engineering have been created, the librarians meeting with groups of approximately 15 students for instruction tailored to their majors. Similar sessions will include the architecture freshmen starting in the fall of 2003.

The librarians are deeply committed to this instruction, and their experi- ence has shown that students retain the contents of the sessions best when it is designed specifically for their course assignments. However, preparing such lectures is time-consuming and presents a great challenge for a library with a small staff that needs to carry out a multitude of tasks to make this resource function effectively. The library’s Web site, which was created by the librarians, has become a cornerstone of the library research instruction program. Consider- able effort has been devoted to its organization, content and design to make it an effective teaching tool and source of authoritative information.

The Library Committee A Library Committee was first convened in the fall of 1999 and has been meeting regularly each semester since then. The issues the committee has dealt with to

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date include collection development, deaccessioning, periodical subscriptions and strategic planning.

Consortium The South Manhattan Research Libraries Consortium, comprised of the libraries of New York University, New School University (including the Parsons School of Design) and Cooper Union, provides reciprocal access and borrowing privileges for the students and faculty of the member institutions. This arrangement makes comprehensive collections in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences available to Cooper Union students and faculty within a short walk from the College. It has enabled the Cooper Union Library to focus on building a strong collection in its specialties rather than using its limited resources to cover a much broader range of subjects.

In turn, the consortium patrons benefit from access to the Cooper Union library, since the parent institutions of the other member libraries do not have degree-granting programs in architecture or engineering, and their libraries therefore have not built comprehensive collections in those areas.

Public Relations In the last couple of years, concerted efforts have been made to keep students, faculty and the entire Cooper Union community better informed about the library’s resources, services and policies. In addition to the Web site, the library has issued handouts, flyers and bulk mailings (primarily electronic) as means of communication.

The Library Committee and the Student Advisory Library Committee are currently the main conduits through which library-related issues of concern to faculty and students can be raised by faculty and students. However, the library is also exploring other methods of dialogue, such as inquiries posted to the Web site and a suggestion box located in the library.

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New Challenges The demand for electronic services and materials continues to skyrocket, and the ability of the library to keep pace with the electronic revolution has been frus- trated by the inflexibility of its physical space. It is one of the library’s highest priorities to maximize access to its electronic resources by making them available off campus to Cooper Union patrons. To that end, the library staff is currently exploring proxy server technology that would not compromise security.

Digital initiatives are also being considered, including digitizing key documents from the Cooper Union Archive and uploading them to the Web site for the benefit of the general public.

Like the rest of the College, the library will need to operate within a con- strained budget for the coming year and perhaps longer. However, through careful planning, the library will strive to continue to provide excellent services and full operating hours.

The library has always prided itself on being the physical crossroads for the multiple disciplines taught at Cooper Union. It intends to pursue that cross- fertilization in all its future plans, especially in its Web site development, its electronic resources, its exhibitions program and its image-based and non-print materials.

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Outcomes Assessment and Institutional Research

The outcomes assessment program at The Cooper Union began in the School of Engineering in 1997, and has since been introduced into the other schools as well. (See “common assessment procedures for the three schools” on page 217, and the Architecture and Art Assessment Plans, Tables 36 and 37, beginning on page 225.)

Philosophy and Purpose At Cooper Union, outcomes assessment is the measurement of performance, including the establishment of procedures for useful data collection and a mean- ingful analysis of that performance. A major element in the assessment process is the feedback stage and dissemination of information and analysis to all inter- ested parties, with the expectation that the results will be effectively utilized for improving educational performance.

The purpose of the assessment program is to assure that the educational process is fulfilling its promise to students: to engage them in a stimulating, experiential learning process that prepares them fully to take their place in the job market and to develop successful professional careers. The focus of the assessment program is on student learning and on how the academic program can help the student to learn more effectively. Although assessment may center on classroom activities, it can be implemented at schoolwide, department or course levels; it reaches its full potential when it is fully institutionalized around a set of clearly defined institutional, program and course objectives and out- comes. When assessment serves the goal of institutional strategic planning, it becomes an effective continuous quality improvement tool that contributes to the achievement of the institutional vision and mission.

Cooper Union actually pioneered a process of assessment in engineering education some 25 years ago, but the program was ahead of its time, and did not prosper. In 1992, The Cooper Union became a member of the Gateway Engineer- ing Education Coalition, with six other schools, in a visionary program for the

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reform and redesign of engineering education. One of the activities encouraged by the sponsor, the National Science Foundation, was the development of assess- ment programs. The Gateway Coalition established the initial impetus and provided continued support for an assessment process that, at Cooper Union, developed gradually in several steps:

Assessment of Gateway projects.

Assessment of Gateway courses.

Extension of assessment to other courses and programs outside of Gateway but within the School of Engineering.

Preparation and implementation of departmental assessment plans.

Preparation and implementation of schoolwide assessment plans.

Establishing the Process In 1997, the School of Engineering appointed a part-time Director of Assessment, who introduced assessment on a one-to-one basis, starting with a few Gateway projects. (See Table 32.) The Director spent time with each faculty member explain- ing the value of the assessment program, illustrating how it would work, describing his role as a special resource and facilitator, and gaining trust. No assessment process can develop successfully without faculty involvement. The program devel- opment strategy was to present assessment as being useful for the pedagogical work of the individual faculty member and to extend it to courses and programs whenever possible. That way, faculty were able to see assessment as a tool of their own, rather than as a strategy to monitor their work, and began to participate.

Engaging faculty in assessment often required continued explanation of the process at each level (planning, implementation, feedback and dissemina- tion). The institutional commitment to the process was critical for advancing Cooper Union’s goals. Also important was the collaboration of the department Chairs who, in different degrees, contributed to the acceptance and development of assessment procedures by faculty within their own departments. In Engineer- ing, the Civil and Mechanical Engineering departments started early. The Electrical and Chemical Engineering departments followed.

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Table 32. Gateway/School of Engineering Projects at Cooper Union Assessment Summary

Total Students Project Impacted Assessment Summary of Results Rapid Prototyp- 50 Self- and peer-assessment of 70% of the students ing and Concur- virtual teamwork. describe the learning rent Engineering experience in very positive terms. GlobeTech 100 Peer assessment of virtual 90% of student responses teamwork. above 4 on a 1-to-5 scale. Self assessment of competency development (global aware- ness, project management). Engineering 350 Formative assessment by Students learn to work in Design and pedagogical team. teams in real-world Problem Solving Summative assessment of situations. An overwhelm- target competency develop- ing majority of students ment (communication skills, said to have developed teamwork, creative problem the competencies “to a solving, interdisciplinarity, great extent” or “to a very understanding of design). great extent.” Design, Illusion 35 Formative assessment by 70% of responses above 4 and Reality pedagogical team. on a 1-to-5 scale. Students Summative assessment of welcome exposure to target competencies (interdis- interdisciplinary work with ciplinarity, creative problem non-engineering students. solving). Assessing 14 Ethnographic observation of Face-to-face interaction Communication communication patterns via informal meetings Modes in during teamwork. combined with “weak Students’ Tracking of flows of ideas and ties” in the learning Engineering resource mobilization. network promotes Projects innovative research and design. Product Design 20 Formative assessment through- 80% of the students rate out the course. the experience above 4 Self- and peer-assessment of on a collaborative research with 1-to-5 scale. industry. Collaboration with industry is the most highly rated feature. Virtual Soils Lab 60 Control group. Students using the Virtual Summative assessment on Lab developed the competency development. competencies to a higher degree than the students using traditional experi- mentation modes.

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MYMUP 35 Summative assessment of 85% of the students rate competency development. the project above 4 on a 1-to-5 scale.

Since the assessment program developed simultaneously at different lev- els, the results created a multiplier effect that gave impetus to the whole process. Assessments being done within the classroom had an effect on the ongoing departmental assessment plans, and the lessons learned in implementing these plans were used for developing schoolwide assessments.

An assessment and feedback process was designed to involve, in varying degrees, all parties in the Cooper Union community (administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni and employers) and to utilize the information generated for continuous improvement of the educational program. (See Figure 5.) To this end, the College has routinely conducted a number of schoolwide assessments. The content, scope and results of schoolwide assessment at Cooper Union can be seen in Table 33.

Today, the assessment process has been introduced throughout the Col- lege. The part-time Director of Assessment for the School of Engineering was employed full time as Director of Assessment and Innovation for The Cooper Union in the spring of 1999, with the responsibility for enhancing the already solid assessment process in engineering and for extending assessment to the Schools of Architecture and Art and to the College as a whole.

How the Process Works A fundamental part of the assessment program is the assessment of the course, which is the basic unit in the educational experience. The Cooper Union devel- oped its own institutional approach, as seen in Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a flowchart that shows how the assessment of courses devel- ops, from the planning of assessment to the feedback and dissemination stages. The process is first discussed by the Director of Assessment with the course instructor, to identify the objectives and the expected outcomes of the course, along with departmental objectives, and to select the appropriate assessment

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methods. The assessment is then implemented. It can be a formative assessment, in which the results are used to shape a developing course, or a summative assessment, in which the results are used to analyze the learning process in an existing course.

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Figure 5. Assessment and Feedback Process

Office of Assessment

Administra- Administra- Faculty Faculty

Students Students

Alumni Alumni

Employers Courses

„ Departmental Goals Preparation of Implementa- Data Programs Institution and Objectives Assessment tion of Plans Analysis and „ Metrics Plans School Mission „ Program and Course Design

Reports

Record

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Table 33. School of Engineering Schoolwide Assessments Institutionalized at Cooper Union

Started/ Program Purpose Periodicity Results Dissemination Department Establishment of 1998/ All four engineer- Department Assessment Plans measurements To be revised ing departments Chairmen, of achievement based on results. have drafted Faculty, Dean’s of objectives and discussed Office and outcomes their assessment plans. Course Assess- Student self- and 1997/ About 25% of all Instructors, ment Plans peer assessment Semestral courses are Students, on development routinely Department of specified assessed and Chairmen learning out- evaluated. comes. About 300 students have participated in the process. About 2/3 of students have developed competencies “to a great extent” and “to a very great extent.” Alumni Survey To gather 1996 Survey sent out Dean’s Office, feedback from (Revised 1999)/ via e-mail to Department cohorts of Yearly about 1800 Chairmen, engineering alumni; redes- Administration, alumni on their igned for ABET Faculty, Student further educa- purposes. Representatives tion, employ- Analysis of results ment status and in early spring their perception 2000. of Cooper Union education. Exit Survey To gather 1996 An electronic Department feedback from (Revised 1999)/ survey was pre- Chairmen, graduating Yearly tested in the fall Dean’s Office, senior students of 1999. Full Administration, on the quality of implementation Faculty, Student Cooper Union in the early Representatives education. spring of 2000. Analysis of results will include information from the Dean of Students Office. Continued…

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Table 33. School of Engineering Schoolwide Assessments Institutionalized at Cooper Union

Started/ Program Purpose Periodicity Results Dissemination Entry Survey Establishment of 1996 Information on Department baseline on (Revised 2000)/ career plans is Chairmen, competency Yearly currently being Dean’s Office, development for gathered by the Administration, individual Dean’s Office Faculty, Student longitudinal staff. Representatives tracking. Recruiters Survey To gather 1997/ Administered Dean’s Office, feedback from Yearly through Dean’s Career Services recruiters on the Office. performance of students during job interviews. Employers Survey To gather 1998/ Administered Department feedback from Yearly through Career Chairmen, employers on Services. Survey Dean’s Office, the job perform- was modified in Administration, ance of Cooper 1998 for ABET Faculty, Student Union graduates. purposes. Representatives Summer Intern- To gather 1996/ Administered ships feedback from Yearly through Career supervisors of Services. Survey Cooper Union was modified in interns. 1998 for ABET purposes. Study Abroad To gather 1998/ Administered Dean’s Office, Program feedback from Yearly through e-mail. Departments, supervisors on Very high rate of Student performance of response. Representatives Cooper Union Analysis of results students abroad, will add to and from individual reports students on the by students. quality of the program.

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Table 33. School of Engineering Schoolwide Assessments Institutionalized at Cooper Union

Started/ Program Purpose Periodicity Results Dissemination Longitudinal Cohort data on 1998/ Cohort data Dean’s Office, Tracking retention, Yearly allowed accu- Department graduation and rate knowledge Chairmen drop-out rates, of program by department, development gender and and enabled ethnicity. institutional action. Con- ducted by Admissions Office and Dean’s Office.

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Figure 6. The Process of Assessment of Courses

ASSESSMENT PLANNING (One-on-one consultation with instructors) „ Identification of objectives and outcomes of the course. „ Alignment of outcomes with ABET 2000 and departmental objec- tives. „ Design/selection of assessment methods and metrics.

ASSESSMENT IMPLEMENTATION ASSESSMENT IMPLEMENTATION (Formative assessment: (Summative assessment: shaping the learning process) analyzing the learning process)

ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK AND DISSEMINATION to all interested parties

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Finally, the results are disseminated to interested parties and decisions are made about what changes should be made in the course that has been assessed.

Six Steps to Assessment: A Collaboration Between the Director of Assessment and Faculty Fill out the course assessment chart. In Engineering, this activity consists of identifying course objectives and expected outcomes, aligning out- comes with the ABET 2000 criteria and departmental objectives, and identifying assessment methods and metrics. (The ABET 2000 criteria were the competencies expected of engineering graduates as specified by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.) The pur- pose of filling out the chart is to have an assessment plan in which the all essential elements are cross-listed. Cross-listing on one chart helps the faculty to think through and visualize what the elements are and how they are linked together. (An example is shown in Table 34.)

Fill out the description of competencies form. This is a matrix listing the competencies to be developed in students throughout the curriculum. They are general guidelines, which at Cooper Union, are customized to the specifics of each course before conducting an assessment. The in- structor writes down how the course exposes students to each of the competencies listed. For example, for teamwork: “Students work in teams throughout the course to develop a project.” For communication skills: “Students are required to write a final report on experiments conducted.”

Design customized assessment procedures. Customization evolves through a one-on-one discussion with the instructor about how to conduct the course assessment, whether he or she has questions to be included in the questionnaire, and whether the assessment will be conducted via e- mail or in class.

Implement assessment. Students fill out the assessment questionnaire.

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Table 34. School of Engineering An Example of a Chart for Course Assessment

Department CIVIL ENGINEERING Course Name and Code CE 121 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Department ABET Objectives Criteria Assessment Course Objectives Strategies and Actions Outcomes Covered a-k Methods/Metrics

Analytical Skills Lectures. Students will learn to 2 a,e,h,i, In-class exam. Develop students’ ability to Questions in class. apply fundamental Weekly homework. apply principles of statics, structural analysis Homework. mechanics, math, and principles. physics to analyze statically determinate structures. Conduct Experiments Lectures. Able to design an 2,3,4,5 a,b,c,e,g,i Instructor grades lab Hands-on application of Questions in class. experiment, select and projects. theories of strength of use appropriate Written lab reports. Instructor observes materials and structural instrumentation as well and grades student analysis. as analyze and experiments. interpret results. Understanding the need for Questions in class. Know how to use 4 c,i Questionnaire. structural analysis. Design and test a structural analysis to bridge structure. design and test a structure. Consider economic factors, Lectures. Build a structure that 4 a,b,c,i Measure the weight, constructability, construction Questions in class. is economic and construction time and materials and methodologies. constructible. materials used in the Require the students to bridge building project. use these factors in designing their bridge project experiment. Communication Skills Prepare written lab Able to prepare a 3 g Grade the report. Improve the communication reports. coherent group report. skills.

Continued…

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Department ABET Objectives Criteria Assessment Course Objectives Strategies and Actions Outcomes Covered a-k Methods/Metrics

Creative Problem Solving Build and test a new Able to use their 3 c,e,i Consider aesthetics and Develop many potential bridge. knowledge of statics, innovation in grading solutions to structural prob- mechanics, math, and the bridge project. lems and suggest new physics in the construc- approaches and challenge tion of a new bridge. the way things are usually done. Project Management/ Each group must assign Every member of the 3 d Grading of project Leadership a new leader for each team contributes to set scheduling. experiment. goals, prioritize tasks, Organization of group. Provide a schedule and and everyone applies organize the bridge corrective actions project. based on feedback from others. Research Skills Ask the students to Able to use information 5 b Take into account the Learn to find and interpret search for background resources for an quality of the theory/ information relevant to information about their appropriate collection research section of strength of materials and lab experiments. and interpretation of each student group. behavior of structural data needed for the members. development and completion of the lab projects. Teamwork Require each student to Coherent project 3 g Instructor observation Every member of the team document his/her work reports and presenta- and feedback of teams’ contributes a fair share to the in the team. tions. working sessions. completion of the project. Feedback from students in questionnaire prepared for evaluation of teamwork skills. Quality of the overall report and project. Ability To Use Technology in the Use structural software. Learn the basics of 5 i,j Existence of computer service of the goals of the using a particular analysis. project. structural software.

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Review assessment results. The results of the assessment are discussed with the instructor and the students in order to clarify questions and probe for further perspectives, which are used in writing a final report.

Fill out the feedback mechanisms and actions form. Assessment does not end with the collection of data and the analysis of results. Evaluation is just one important stage in the assessment process as a whole. The results of the assessment have to be disseminated, discussed and used for improving what has been assessed. The activities of dissemination, discussion and implementation also have to be documented.

Each assessment project includes a form for documentation of feedback activities, which answers the following questions:

„ Who has read the assessment results? To whom have the results been disseminated?

„ What comments have been made about the assessment process and results and by whom? What is the analysis of results by the course instructor, project investigator or program director?

„ What suggestions for change can reasonably be made in view of the assessment results? A specific link should be made between assess- ment results and specific planned or implemented actions for im- provement.

This is a framework for assessment feedback, which is an organized, for- mal and periodic reflection on assessment results leading to the implementation of actions for improvement. Such a reflection is essential for assessment effec- tiveness. The more discussion and reflection generated, the better equipped the

faculty is to refine its programs and to effect continuous quality improvement.

Description of Selected Assessments Conducted at The Cooper Union In developing a new model for assessment at The Cooper Union, six factors were identified that would qualify an assessment activity as a best practice worthy of

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offering as a model to others. All the projects presented below have these six features in common:

The objectives and expected outcomes of the practice are well defined in advance.

The methodologies used are appropriate to the task at hand.

The implementation of the process for data gathering and analysis is complete in all its phases.

All constituents – all those affected by the project, program or course – are included in the process.

The results are disseminated and there is a feedback process in which the data gathered are reviewed and discussed by the constituents.

The practice generates changes in the area of its application.

Examples of institutionwide assessments.

Departmental assessment plans. Assessment plans for the departments of Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering were devel- oped and institutionalized in 1999, and the fundamental template for these plans has now become the main assessment document for each department. The plans consist of tables in which strategies and ac- tions, expected outcomes, the ABET 2000 criteria and assessment methods are cross-listed and specified. By reading each section of the table horizontally, the reader can easily see and grasp the steps in the assessment process.

Among the first assessment projects at Cooper Union, these plans were prepared in close consultation with each department Chair. The very notion of specifying program objectives took a long time to de- velop. Similarly, the idea of linking objectives, outcomes and assess- ment methods was new to the faculty. The Director of Assessment proceeded in small increments and applied the lessons learned in planning one program to the other three whenever possible. The end

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result was a strategic map of each program in the School of Engineer- ing. The assessment process used for departments in Engineering is the same used for the Schools of Architecture and Art – which do not have departments – as a whole. (See Tables 36 and 37 beginning on page 225.)

Longitudinal student tracking. A longitudinal student tracking system was implemented in 1998. This tracking system groups students by freshman year cohort and analyzes each cohort over time according to a set of specific indicators: retention, graduation and drop-out rates. Tracking students by freshman cohort was a new notion at Cooper Un- ion, where student data had been exclusively collected and arranged by graduating class. This looks only at an end point; for example, how many students have graduated in a given year. It does not provide per- spective on the process of education; for example, on how many people would have been in the graduating class but dropped out in their fresh- man year.

The new process represented a significant change for the Admis- sions Office, and required time and patience to alter long-established procedures. The leadership of the Dean of Admissions was crucial, as he supervised and supported the new process. In the beginning, the Director of Assessment had to analyze raw student data, sorting through individual paper files to extract the figures needed and adapt- ing the data to produce a sample of statistics that could be replicated. Today, the longitudinal tracking process has been institutionalized, us- ing an electronic database, and is administered by the Admissions Of- fice on a periodic basis.

Alumni survey. An engineering alumni survey conducted in 1999 was the first of its kind at Cooper Union. The Office of Assessment de- signed a comprehensive questionnaire to elicit alumni perceptions of their Cooper Union education and their career and employment paths. The response rate was 28 percent, considered to be very high for a sur- vey of this kind, and the results were considered to be valid. The sur-

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vey produced some interesting response patterns that could be com- pared to those given by current Cooper Union students.

Engineering Student Council survey. This 2000 survey was conducted jointly by the Office of Assessment and the Engineering Student Coun- cil, and was the first to be implemented via the Web. It included a Stu- dent Satisfaction Index, which is a figure representing overall student satisfaction with The Cooper Union. Although this survey ultimately became a joint effort of the Office of Assessment and the Engineering Student Council, it started as a student initiative. Ideally, students should be able to conduct assessments of their own performance and to participate in an institution’s future with a single voice. This survey did precisely that.

Non-engineering issues in design. This 2000 survey sought students’ opin- ion about the non-engineering issues they should have been exposed to in their major design experience at Cooper Union, and was the first time that students were being asked in detail about engineering de- sign. The non-engineering aspects of engineering design (and of engi- neering in general) have gained prominence in recent educational debates, as educational leaders suggest that students have to be ex- posed to the social nature of engineering processes. As a socially em- bedded activity, engineering has to do as much with ideologies, bargaining processes, policies, national regulations, institutions and standards as it does with purely technical know-how. Engineering de- sign, in particular, lends itself to such characterization, and engineers who design must understand the overall process in detail.

Success of female engineers. An analysis of female students at The Coo- per Union was conducted in 2001 to determine how female students perceived the academic program at The Cooper Union and to assess their academic success based on a number of statistical parameters.

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Examples of program, project and course assessments.

Study Abroad Program. This survey was conducted during November- December 1999 among students and supervisors who had participated in the Study Abroad Program during the summers of 1998 and 1999. The purpose of the survey was twofold: First, to gather and analyze the students’ opinions of the program, in order to share the findings with future participants and to use them in the future planning of the pro- gram itself. Second, to ask the supervisors to assess the students’ per- formance in their research sites, an assessment useful for academic planning at The Cooper Union.

The Study Abroad Program is unique in that it allows Cooper Un- ion students to conduct research at a foreign university. It is also an excellent opportunity for students to become familiar with a foreign culture, and thus to broaden their horizons and deepen their educa- tion. The goal was to be able to capture these two features of the pro- gram in the assessment plan and survey. The challenge was to be able to do that with a very brief questionnaire that was easy to use by the students’ supervisors abroad and by the students themselves. This was done in collaboration with the supervisor of the Study Abroad Program in the Dean’s office. The assessment performed gave the College enough material to establish inter-year comparisons, and happily, the supervisors abroad gave Cooper Union students the highest possible marks.

A comprehensive assessment of design project teams. This was an assess- ment conducted during the spring of 1999 on the Robotics-for-Theatre project, an educational initiative developed at The Albert Nerken School of Engineering under the auspices of the Gateway Coalition. The project consisted of developing robots that would perform as actors in theatrical productions. The purpose of the assessment was summa- tive: to gather information about the team of students who developed a robot in order to develop a protocol for assessment of similar future projects. In order to gather the information, a number of assessment

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instruments were designed and implemented, and the analysis of stu- dents’ responses yielded the design for a new assessment protocol.

This assessment was methodologically unique. It was the first time that the Director had produced an ethnography of a “hot team” of engineers, a descriptive work based on observation and similar to the work of a corporate anthropologist. To become familiar with the team, he participated in their weekly discussions, during which he took notes that gave shape to the ethnography. Team members were encouraged to express their views about their learning process during an experi- ence in which they worked creatively together over a sustained period of time.

The task proved extremely complicated and, ultimately, it was not possible to incorporate assessment as just another dimension of the ro- botics project at hand. Instead, specific sessions at the end of the pro- ject were devoted to reflecting on the team experience, the communication modes used and other aspects needing capture. Over- all, this project demonstrated the value of ethnography in small-group situations that require structured anecdotal information.

Assessment plan for proposed learning labs. Developed in 1999, this as- sessment was designed to gather information on the educational effi- ciency of new equipment and facilities. Its purpose was to enhance student performance on a number of specified learning outcomes and to develop a framework for further research on pedagogical innovation at Cooper Union.

The idea of a learning laboratory is in many ways a revolutionary one in engineering education. It proposes to expose the student to real experiential learning in which theoretical knowledge is not presented as a coherent sequence but used as required by the nature of the ex- periments developed in the lab. A great deal of instrumentation and equipment is needed, and the traditional importance of the lecture is diminished. The assessment plan had to capture these specifics – the

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relationship between theory and experience – to produce a sound and balanced assessment.

Assessment plan for a proposed Materials Science Program. This assess- ment plan for the proposed Materials Science Program at The Cooper Union was developed in 1999. Its purpose was to evaluate how stu- dents would improve their learning skills in this proposed new pro- gram, as measured by a number of competencies customized to program and departmental curricular objectives and the specific goals of the course. The competencies or learning outcomes to be measured were: engineering design skills, teamwork, communication skills, prob- lem-solving skills, project management/leadership, research skills and understanding of the experiment and the discovery process as a whole (observation, fabrication/design, measurements).

The proposed Materials Science Program would be a new educa- tional experience funded by the National Science Foundation, a new program stressing interdisciplinarity and hands-on experience. There was a need to assess the lab equipment requested as well as the impact of the equipment on the students’ learning process. As is commonly done in cases in which new instruments are to be used, the assessment involved a comparison using a control group.

EID 101, Engineering Design and Problem Solving. A comprehensive as- sessment of EID 101, Engineering Design and Problem Solving, was conducted in 1997. Assessing EID 101 presented a challenge not only in size (it is a course with more than 125 students each year), but also in comprehensiveness, because it was the first for the specific course. The implementation of the assessment was possible through weekly meetings held by the pedagogical team, which included the Director of Assessment. Discussions throughout the evolution of the course made assessment an integral part of it.

For the EID 101 faculty, assessment was a new experience, and one they regarded with some degree of suspicion. It took a long time to

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dispel the negative connotations usually associated with assessment, such as the idea that it is time-consuming or that it is done to evaluate faculty performance. In the end, it was possible to show the faculty that assessment had to do with students’ learning process and not with faculty performance in a direct way. This is a fundamental lesson that was applied to many other assessment projects developed at Cooper Union.

CE 142, Water Resources Engineering. A survey for Water Resources En- gineering, a civil engineering course at The Cooper Union was con- ducted in 1998, and was one of the first courses assessed at Cooper Union. The course included the use of new teaching modules that needed to be evaluated, and thus the assessment design included a partition of the class into two groups, one using the module and the other not using it. The same questions were asked of both groups to evaluate the overall organization of the course and to compare per- formance. In addition, the group using the module was asked specific questions about the module’s design and how it worked.

This assessment showed that collaboration between assessment practitioners and engineering faculty can be extremely productive and became a model for evaluating other courses in civil engineering. The Director met several times with the instructor of the course to discuss the project. It was crucial to learn the motivations of the faculty in do- ing assessment, as the goals and objectives of the course had to be re- flected in the assessment plan. For this instructor, the motivation was the possibility to integrate assessment into his teaching and thus be- come better able to reflect on his own teaching practice and to incorpo- rate the students’ opinions about it. He understood from the beginning the possibilities of this process and has remained an enthusiastic as- sessment practitioner ever since.

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Current Developments in Assessment Common assessment procedures for the three schools. In addition to the course assessment methods implemented by instructors, the Architecture, Art and Engineering schools at The Cooper Union systematically make use of a variety of assessment procedures for program improvement. These procedures are consis- tent with each school’s mission and program objectives, and include:

A yearly senior survey, which is administered by the Office of Student Services each spring and analyzed by the Office of Assessment and In- novation. The results of this survey give a comprehensive picture of student opinions about a wide variety of issues related to the school. In addition, the survey includes questions about the program objectives as stated in the assessment plan document.

A yearly freshman survey, administered by the Office of Student Ser- vices each fall and analyzed by the Office of Assessment and Innova- tion. This survey gives a clear idea of the freshmen’s academic expectations on arrival at the school.

An alumni survey, which includes questions about the academic pro- gram and alumni satisfaction with their education at the school.

Specific course assessments, which cover issues specific to each course, as well as questions on accomplishments related to program objectives. A number of representative courses are selected each semester for as- sessment.

Documentation of informal feedback, such as discussions during pro- ject presentations.

Documentation of Student Council meetings with the Dean and gen- eral student meetings with the Dean and Associate Dean, each semes- ter.

The information obtained from these various assessments is periodically discussed by the faculty, the Deans and the Associate Deans and are leading to

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continuous quality improvement in each of the three schools at The Cooper Union.

Institutionwide learning outcomes. The Cooper Union Academic Council, to- gether with the Director of Assessment and Innovation, has defined a set of institutionwide learning outcomes that represent the educational commitment of the institution toward its main constituents, the students. Each year, starting in 2003, graduating seniors will be asked in a survey to what degree they feel they have acquired the competencies or outcomes defined at Cooper Union, as shown in Table 35.

Looking Ahead The small size of the College, and the likelihood of a closer interaction among the three schools of The Cooper Union, offer the potential to expand assessment in the future with the possibility of new programs, projects and courses.

Cooper Union will continue to develop a program of assessment that:

„ Stresses the gathering and analysis of qualitative data.

„ Informs and directs the learning within the classroom.

„ Is highly flexible and customizable to individual backgrounds, pro- files and career projects.

„ Allows data aggregation for institutional purposes.

„ Promotes the interconnection of coursework, learning and innovation.

„ Promotes the concept and practice of learning networks – communi- ties of students, faculty and professionals working together in com- mon projects.

The plan includes two tracks:

„ Knowledge-building environments. The College plans to continue us- ing assessment results for designing formative assessment plans for courses and programs. The goal is to have assessment fully inte- grated into the learning process and for each student to practice self-assessment routinely. In addition, it plans to design Web-based

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Table 35. Institutionwide Learning Outcomes Graduating Senior Survey

Please assess to what degree you feel you have acquired the following competencies during your education at The Cooper Union:

To a To a To a Moder- To a Very Not at Limited ate Great Great N/A All Extent Extent Extent Extent Solid knowledge of the topics covered in the N/A 1 2 3 4 5 courses you have taken at The Cooper Union.

The ability to talk and write effectively with N/A 1 2 3 4 5 peers, professors and professionals about the topics covered in the courses you have taken at The Cooper Union.

The ability to think creatively and to try N/A 1 2 3 4 5 different solutions to questions and problems in your professional field.

The ability to lead and manage projects in your N/A 1 2 3 4 5 professional field.

The ability to effectively present findings to an N/A 1 2 3 4 5 audience.

The ability to effectively handle information N/A 1 2 3 4 5 resources, to collect and interpret data.

An awareness of, and the disposition for, N/A 1 2 3 4 5 lifelong learning in your professional career.

The ability to work effectively in a team, if N/A 1 2 3 4 5 necessary.

The ability to use the available technology in your N/A 1 2 3 4 5 area of expertise.

An awareness and understanding of other N/A 1 2 3 4 5 cultures, ideas, concepts and work methods.

An appreciation of humanistic values of N/A 1 2 3 4 5 relevance for your future career, such as ethics and professional responsibility.

An awareness of the importance of public N/A 1 2 3 4 5 service.

What other important attributes or competencies have you acquired during your educa- tion at The Cooper Union?

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“knowledge-building environments” (KBEs) where data and infor- mation produced individually throughout the various courses and projects can be easily stored, retrieved, discussed and used for the improvement of performance.

Particular emphasis is being placed on tracking process knowl- edge; that is, the origins, flows and destinations of ideas considered during the development of individual projects. When turned into a design activity, innovative work by students generates vast amounts of data and information that is worthwhile to preserve in a system- atic way. Students gain a thorough understanding of their own learn- ing process and simultaneously enhance their academic performance. The information stored online is accessible to instruc- tors, peers and industry mentors for ongoing monitoring. In addi- tion, the students’ work is available for future employers.

„ Educational research. Storing and using information through KBEs also serves the purpose of educational research in engineering edu- cation. This is an emerging field for educators, pioneered years ago by social research practitioners in industry settings such as the Palo Alto Research Center in California. It is exemplified today by the spread of “knowledge labs” in the R&D divisions of major companies such as IBM, and of “learning labs” in major engineering schools such as Stanford and MIT.

With the building of a new learning laboratory at Cooper Union partially accomplished, the objective of expanding assessment into educational research will soon become a reality.

Individualization of assessment. The development of the two assessment tracks above will contribute to the further develop of self-assessment at Cooper Union. By having individual students develop their own knowledge-building strategies, and by learning about the learning process by observing students at work, the College will be able to con- tribute to an educational program that is fully sensitive to the individ-

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ual needs and learning styles of each student. The ultimate goal is to help students be responsible for their own education; that is, to take a proactive role in seeking knowledge and information.

Cooper Union has already conducted two projects that contribute to that endeavor.

„ The first is institutional longitudinal tracking, which can naturally develop into an individual longitudinal tracking of each student’s performance throughout the program. The traditional student re- cords, which merely reflect course grades and GPAs, could be redes- igned into a portfolio summary for each engineering student.

„ The second project is the measurement of each freshmen student’s learning styles, as indicated in the results of standardized tests such as the MBTI, a very useful pedagogical tool for instructors who want to keep in touch with their students’ learning processes.

This individualization of assessment approach may also be used for tracking the cohorts of students beyond graduation.

Collaborative learning. Teamwork – including virtual teamwork – is currently practiced at Cooper Union in various courses, projects and labs. Students seem to develop an awareness of the importance of col- laboration by working in teams, but current practices should be more systematically examined. The Office of Assessment and Innovation has proposed developing a more comprehensive view of teamwork and col- laborative learning at each school to accomplish the following:

„ Know exactly how teamwork is practiced and what students learn from it.

„ Assess the different practices and the various types of teams and recommend the best ones.

„ Learn about the various roles that each student takes during project development and their various learning styles.

„ Establish different competency levels for students in each year.

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„ Assure that Cooper Union students graduate with effective team work skills, according to a set of specific criteria that should be de- fined for the College overall.

Special attention will be given to the development and assessment of asynchronous learning networks, in which Cooper Union students have an opportunity to develop virtual teams with students from other schools, with industry professionals, and with parties outside the school in general. The goal in the assessment of learning networks is to embed formative assessment tech- niques (particularly those that foster interpersonal communication) in the development of the projects from the outset.

Assessment is an exciting, expanding field. The projects that Cooper Un- ion has completed illustrate a specific way of conducting the process, one that carefully respects the nature of each educational experience but aims at improv- ing it too. It is anticipated that future projects will contribute to an ever deeper dialogue between educators and assessment practitioners about the fascinating business of conveying knowledge.

Institutional Research Institutional research activities at Cooper Union are focused on establishing benchmarks for institutional performance by facilitating comparisons with peer colleges and universities. Competitive benchmarking is the process of continu- ously measuring how the best in the field, whether competing or non-competing organizations or individuals, do something better than others for the purpose of matching or improving their techniques.

To engage in this benchmarking exercise, educational institutions must use research methods to qualify their relative performance against the existing best – or next best, in case the school is already a leader in the field. Educational planning must be based on comparative key performance indicators including the following:

Quality indicators such as achievement tests, teachers with MA/MS and PhD degrees; laboratory facilities per student.

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Equity indicators such as participation rate between male/female and between domestic/international students.

Internal productivity indicators such as cost per student, students per classroom, students per teacher.

External productivity indicators such as employment rate of gradu- ates, linkage with business and employers, passing rate in govern- ment/professional exams, leadership positions of graduates.

Wastage indicators such as dropout rates, failures, repeaters, stu- dents on probation.

Since competitive benchmarking is really an exercise in learning from others, educational managers must specifically know what the school wants to improve and with whom they want to benchmark. The data to be compared and the people who will implement the changes must be properly identified and utilized to make things happen.

Participating in survey data collection with various research and infor- mation-collecting institutions, The Cooper Union reports to such organizations as the New York State Education Department (NYSED), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Higher Education Arts Data Services (HEADS), Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU).

NYSED and IPEDS are mainly concerned with institutional characteris- tics such as enrollment statistics, graduation rates and undergraduate and graduate data. The IPEDS focuses on staff and faculty salaries, benefits, work- load and classifications.

The other surveys request similar information but narrower in scope. For example, the HEADS survey calls for information regarding enrollment, faculty, and academic course load only for the School of Art, while the Rose-Hulman survey requires the same data for the School of Engineering. CUPA-HR and

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NACUBO are primarily concerned with the staffing and financial aspects of the College.

A strong effort is under way at Cooper Union to connect the activities of assessment and institutional research. The Director of Assessment and Innova- tion will coordinate all institutional research activities at Cooper Union in the future.

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Table 36. The School of Architecture Assessment Plan An example of an assessment plan used throughout the College. A plan like this is used in each of the four departments in Engineering and for the schools of Architecture and Art overall, which do not have departments.

Mission Statement The mission of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture is to provide for its students the finest professional edu- cation available within an intellectual environment fostering and expanding inner driven creative capacities and sensibilities to serve the individual through a productive creative life. The school is committed to the belief that one of society’s prime responsibilities is toward learning and education in the deepest sense. Fundamen- tal to this mission of the school is the maintenance of a long-established creative environment where freedom of thought and intuitive exploration are given a “place” to flourish, where the gifted mind and spirit can seek the means of expression and the mastery of form, and where a sense of the vast and joyous realm of creation can reveal an unending path for gratifying and meaningful work.

Program Objective #1 To provide a rigorous design program wherein intellectual vitality, open debate, and the gift of imagination inform creative work. The design sequence will be structured to integrate the elements of architecture, prompt investigations of program, construction, structure, form and space and encourage an authentic architecture distinguished in concept and rich in human meaning.

NAAB* Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 111 Rigorous investigation of the visual language 1,2,3,6,16 Drawings Architectonics of architectural form. Explore architectonic Models syntax and grammar and the relation of the Informal oral review and presentations human body to architectural space. Begin- ning understanding of basic structures and Formal oral presentation of project building technologies.

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NAAB* Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 114 Investigate freehand drawing as a primal 2 Weekly drawing assignments Freehand Drawing move in architectural thought. Comprehend Weekly pin-up and critique of assign- drawing as process and language. Develop ments compositional skills. Develop the skill to draw Oral presentations and comprehensive logically, naturally, and expressively. portfolio review at mid-term and end of term

*National Architectural Accreditation Board Continued…

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 118 Become familiar with a variety of computer 2 Computer applications in current use, including profes- Applications and sional level 2D and 3D CAD applications, as Descriptive well as the discipline of descriptive geometry. Geometry Understand how the computer develops and maintains a graphical model. FA 100R To develop skills for producing well conceived 2,25 Class attendance and actual use of Introduction to and finely executed models. Ability to use equipment Techniques shop equipment and modeling materials properly and safely Arch 121 Continue development of a critical linkage to 1,2,3,6,9,16 Drawings Design II architectural precedents as well as exploring Models and understanding the issues of site, environ- Informal oral review and presentations mental and cultural contexts. Distill a strong syntactical and spatial approach to built Formal oral presentation and critique of form. project by studio faculty and other educators and professionals Arch 131 To produce designs for imaginative, well 1-6,9,10,13-16,20,22, Drawings Design III realized buildings, in response to a careful 27-30,37 Models study of building program and site, incorpo- Informal oral review and presentations rating building materials, structural solutions and detailed project development. To Formal oral presentation and critique of reevaluate the means by which the neces- project by studio faculty and other sary and the pragmatic can be seen as educators and professionals opportunities for architectural creation and production of the highest order.

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 141 Focus on the explorations of urban conditions 1-6,9,12,15,16,30,35,37 Drawings Design IV and sites. Investigate rigorously the multiple Models formal and cultural forces that create Informal oral review and presentations different urban morphologies and typologies. Develop formal and functional resolutions of Formal oral presentation and critique of complex organizations responsive to con- project by studio faculty and other temporary urban conditions. educators and professionals Arch 151 To fully define all aspects of an architectural 1-5,9,14-16,29,30,35,37 Drawings Continued… Thesis thesis and the methods of its representation. Models To deeply examine personal interests and Informal oral review and presentations concerns in the development of a creative architectural solution incorporating the Formal oral presentation and critique of pragmatic, technical, poetic and spiritual. project by studio faculty and other educators and professionals

Program Objective #2 To foster a context of intellectual rigor in support of a passionate pursuit of knowledge and to give emphasis to a broad spectrum of cultural concerns which are of significance in understanding the need and place of architecture in the contemporary context.

NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 115 Fall Study the ancient world through the urban 3,8,10,11 Class discussions History of plans of civilization from prehistoric and “History book” project, which includes Architecture I protohistoric through the Roman Empire. selected drawings and a written analysis Investigate signature structures within each for each week’s topic. for concrete, programmatic and literary Individual mid-semester review of history attributes. Understand major civic works as book part of the entire fabric of a society. Final panel discussion

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 115 Spring To understand the multivalent approaches 3,8,10,11 Slide identification testing both recogni- History of to and manipulations of architectural space tion and significance. Architecture I through the study of works from late Project in which a student creates a Antiquity to the late Gothic (including Early building in the manner of an historical Christian, Byzantine, Islamic, Early Medieval, type. Romanesque and Gothic. To employ techniques of analysis and communication. Arch 125 Fall Use modern, critical methodologies as a 3,8,10,11,36 Class discussion Continued… History of means to discover the genesis of form. Mid-term examination (identification and Architecture II Increase the ability to analyze the formal interpretation) elements of architectural design to recover Final examination the expressive content of Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Review of creative project Arch 125 Spring To understand the modern as the continu- Class discussions History of ous oeuvre of individual authors of architec- “History book” project, which includes Architecture II tural text and social structure in a collective selected drawings and a written analysis and evolving argumentation. To develop a for each week’s topic. foundation for an autonomy and position on Individual mid-semester review of history the use of history in regard to the practice of book architecture. Final panel discussion Arch 153 To understand the global history of city 1 Class discussions Town Planning planning. To be familiar with urban exam- Midterm paper on a selected topic ples from a wide variety of historical and Class presentation on selected or chosen cultural contexts. To understand the role of topic (lecture or multimedia) cities in relation to architectural design and representation. (Arch 165) To understand and make use of analytical 1,3,10 Analysis of methods and techniques so as to inform the Architectural Texts synthetic activity of the design process. (Arch 175) To study the historical foundation of 1,3,10,16 A written analysis, 1-2 pages in length, for architecture’s conceptual and instrumental each week’s readings and topic (2nd

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods Modern Architec- categories. To examine contemporary issues year students) tural Concepts locating architecture within a larger cultural A 15-page written paper at the end of the horizon. To recognize the tension in architec- semester (3rd to 5th year students) ture between abstraction and figuration.

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Program Objective #3 To prepare students to make use of traditional systems and new developments in the methods and materials of building construction in the implementation of architecture as an inventive and imaginative pursuit. To consider issues of ecological concern, limited resources, sustainabil- ity and the transformation of territory as opportunities for invention.

NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods Ma 163-164 To develop an ability to use the concepts of Bi-weekly group projects Calculus and calculus as a problem solving tool. To make Quizzes use of a graphing calculator. To appreciate Analytical Geome- Comprehensive final exam try the magnitude of this great human achievement. Ph 165-166 To strengthen the ability to understand and Weekly problem assignments Concepts of apply principles of physics with emphasis on Oral review of problem solutions the aspects that are of special interest in Physics Weekly quizzes architecture. Arch 122 To understand conceptually the full scope 17 Written tests Structures I of structural concerns in architecture, from the source and application of loads to the distribution of stresses in complex indetermi- nate systems. Arch 132 To develop the ability to analyze statically 6,17 Quizzes Structures II determinate and low-rise indeterminate Midterm structures and to design in wood and steel. Final Exam To practice the integration of structural concepts and decisions into formal consid- Analysis and design projects erations. Oral presentation of projects

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods Arch 134 To understand and learn the relationships 3,13,18,24 Weekly homework assignments Environmental between energy sources, climate, resources Mid-term examination and site conditions and the development of Technology I Final examination architectural form and the design of building systems. To make use of fundamen- tal engineering principles in the understand- ing of human comfort and the design of building mechanical systems. Arch 135 To understand and learn traditional and 12,20-22,25,27,28,36 Continued… Building Technol- contemporary construction materials and ogy technologies as they effect the develop- ment and meaning of architectural form. To develop the skills to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of building details. To develop skills in reading construction drawings. Arch 142 To design reinforced concrete low-rise 6,17,22,24,28 Quiz (es) Structures III structures using the stress method and Projects of fully designed and detailed plastic design. To understand soil mechanics low-rise building and to design foundations. Oral presentation of project Arch 144 To understand and learn the relationship 3,13,18,19,21 Environmental between building form, site conditions, Technologies II lighting and electrical requirements and systems. Arch 152 Advanced structural work in the study of 2,17,24,28 Production of fully professional designs for Structures IV prestressed concrete systems, and wind and prestressed and high-rise structures earthquake design for tall structures. Oral defense of design solution

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Program Objective #4 To prepare students for ethical practice within the discipline of architecture, fully acknowledging concerns for the urban environment, recog- nizing that the role and scope of the architect is assuming ever-new directions and dimensions. To engender in the student a strong and serious sense of the dual responsibilities of service and leadership.

NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

Arch 143 To understand all the components of a 3,26,31,32,34,36 Weekly quizzes Construction construction project. Project Management To apply current project management theory and practice to effective project organization and development. Arch 154 To understand architecture as a regulated 3,14,19,23,24,31-37 Active participation in class discus- Professional Practice profession, and the ethical responsibilities of sions the profession to society. To prepare for Homework assignments continuation of development toward profes- Final exam sional licensing. Special attention is given to laws and regulations.

Program Objective #5 To deeply investigate underlying human values which have sustained and informed the unique position and contribution of the architect in the past and which remain critical to a vital profession of the present and future. To provide the ethical, social, philosophical and humanistic framework crucial to personal development and professional excellence.

NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods

HSS1 To develop aesthetic appreciation of literary 1 Extended class discussions Literary Forms and texts through the close reading of selected Review of informal assignments and Expressions pieces of poetry and drama. To consider and essay drafts craft a range of critical responses to the Minimum 20 pages of finished writing readings. in 1- to 2-page lengths

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NAAB Curriculum Accomplishments Performance Criteria Assessment Methods Oral presentation to class

HSS2 To understand the relationship between literary 1 Extended class discussions Continued… Texts and Contexts expression and cultural context through the Review of informal assignments and rigorous study of primary texts and topics from essay drafts 1500 to 1800. Minimum 20 pages of finished writing in 4- to 5-page lengths HSS3 Develop an understanding of the political 1,7,8,11 Discussions in small tutorial sections The Making of grammar and material bases of the present Examinations on material day by exploring the social origins of conserva- Modern Society Essays on Interpretive issues. tism, feminism, imperialism and totalitarianism. HSS4 To develop a deep awareness of works of Oral presentations The Modern Context significance from the modern period whose Guided independent writing projects influence extends into contemporary culture One 20-page paper through concentration on a single figure or focused topic. Understand and learn what constitutes research in the humanities and social sciences. Arch 205 Advanced study of the relationship between 1 Advanced Con- architectural space and some other discipline cepts in the humanities, emphasizing the phenome- nology, psychology and metaphysics of space. Humanities and To study a variety of topics from within the 7-13,36 Formal writing assignments which Social Sciences fields of humanities and social sciences or to emphasize revision and finish editing Electives create a program of extended study within a Examinations single discipline.

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Table 37. The School of Art Assessment Plan An example of an assessment plan used throughout the College. A plan like this is used in each of the four departments in Engineering and for the schools of Architecture and Art overall, which do not have departments.

Program Objective #1: Foundation Year Mastery of basic foundation techniques, particularly as related to specific fine arts applications.

NASAD* 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.G.2 and 3 Assessment Methods Basic Drawing Students master perceptual and 2.a,b Projects and assignments inventive skills in all drawing media. 3.a Oral presentation Class participation Group critiques Freshman Review Two Dimensional Design Students have explored the visual and 2.a,b Projects and assignments intellectual aspects of form on the two- 3.a Oral presentation dimensional surface. Class participation Group critiques Public Exhibition Freshman Review Three Dimensional Design Students have demonstrated the ability 2.a,b Projects and assignments to explore the fundamentals of forms 3.a Oral presentation and space, including properties of Class participation materials, structure, mass, scale, light and motion. Group critiques Public Exhibition Freshman Review

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NASAD* 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.G.2 and 3 Assessment Methods Color Students have explored the perceptual, 2.a,b Projects and assignments art historical and cultural aspects of 3.a Oral presentation color and light in various media. Class participation Group critiques Freshman Review Introduction to Techniques Students have been introduced to 2.a,b Projects and assignments concrete work with metal, wood, 3.a Oral presentation plaster, and plastics, as well a basic Class participation computer techniques and school resources. Group critiques Freshman Review

Program Objective #2: Drawing Understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the drawing medium, and mastery of the traditional technical and conceptual approaches to drawing.

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.B.2 and 3 Assessment Methods Prerequisite Course: Students have explored the phenom- 2.a,b,c,d Projects and assignments Drawing I (FA 240.1) ena of drawing as basic to the visual Oral presentation language of all disciplines, and have Class participation developed drawing skills and tech- niques and an individual aesthetic such Group critiques that they are prepared to work on the advanced level. Continued…

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NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.B.2 and 3 Assessment Methods Advanced Studio Courses: Students have developed a conceptual 2.a,b,c,d Projects and assignments Advanced Drawing (FA 341.1 through independence from traditional 3.a,b Oral presentation draftmanship. 347.1) Class participation Students can use drawing as a critical Group critiques and procedural tool. Instructor critique Students have developed a drawing practice that responds to the formal and critical concerns of their work in other media.

Program Objective #3: Film/Video Understanding, through production–oriented studies, of the communications, aesthetic, and design principles in the elements of film/video.

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.D.3; 4b,c Assessment Methods Prerequisite Courses: Students have been introduced to the 3.a,b Projects and assignments Film I (FA270.1) film camera, stocks, lenses, basic shot 4.b Oral presentation compositions and simple camera Class participation movements, and a basic vocabulary of film structure has been developed. Group critiques Film II (FA 375.1) Students have been introduced to 3.a,b Same 16mm filmmaking technique. 4.b Video I (FA 208.1) Students have been introduced to 3.a,b Same video production with an emphasis on 4.b basic shooting and editing techniques. Video II ( FA 209) Students have developed shooting and 3.a,b Same editing skills using digital camcorders 4.b and editing and compositing systems. Animation I (FA 376.1A) Students have been introduced to film 3.a,b Same animation.

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NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.D.3; 4b,c Assessment Methods 4.b Computer Image in Motion I (FA 378) Students have been introduced to the 3.a,b Same computer as a graphics, animation and 4.b collage tool. Advanced Studio Courses: Students have mastered the relevant 3.c,d Projects and assignments Animation II (FA 376.1B) medium to the extent that they have 4.b,c Oral presentation completed an independent project. Computer Image in Motion II (FA 379.1) Class participation Advanced Film (FA 377.1) Group critiques Advanced Video (FA 380.1) Instructor critique Special Projects (FA 382)

Program Objective #4: Graphic Design The ability to create and develop visual form in response to communication problems; understanding of principle of visual organization and composition.

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.J.3,4,5 Assessment Methods Prerequisite Courses: Students have been introduced to the 3.a,c,d Projects and assignments Graphic Design I (FA 210.2A) sequential aspects of composition and 5.a,b Oral presentation have explored basic image-making Class participation processes. Group critiques Graphic Design II (FA 210.2B) Students have explored the relationship 3.a,b,c Projects and assignments between word and image and have 5.a,b Oral presentation done experimental projects combining Class participation verbal and pictorial information. Group critiques Typography I (FA 213.2A) Students have been introduced to the 3.c Projects and assignments history, formal elements, and practice of 5.a,b Oral presentation typography via hand, photo, and

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NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.J.3,4,5 Assessment Methods computer composition. Class participation Group critiques

Advanced Studio Courses: 3.d,e Projects and assignmentsContinued… FA 310.1A through 328 4,5 Oral presentation Class participation Group critiques Instructor critique

Program Objective #5: Painting Exploration of the expressive possibilities of various media, and the divers conceptual modes available to the painter.

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.O.2,3 Assessment Methods Prerequisite Course: Students will have developed an 2.a,b,c Projects and assignments Painting (FA 130) inventive individual approach to the Oral presentation painting discipline in preparation for Class participation advanced work. Group critiques Advanced Studio Courses: Students have mastered the discipline 3.a,b,c Projects and assignments Advanced Painting (FA 331-339) to the extent that they work independ- Oral presentation ently and have evolved a personal Class participation direction and style. Group critiques Instructor critique

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Program Objective #6: Photography

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.P.2,3 Assessment Methods Prerequisite Courses: Students have acquired an aesthetic 2.a,b Projects and assignments Photography I (FA 106.1) understanding of the medium of Group critiques photography. Mastery of basic

technical skills. Photography II (FA 206) Students have developed conceptual 2.a,b Projects and assignments and technical photographic skills, and Group critiques have learned basic techniques of working with color film and a variety of cameras. Advanced Studio Courses: 3.a,b,c Independent projects Advanced Photography (FA 361-369) Oral presentation Class participation Group critiques Instructor critique Public exhibition

Program Objective #7: Printmaking

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.Q.2,3 Assessment Methods Prerequisite Courses: Skill in the use of basic tools, techniques, 2.b,c,e Projects and assignments Silkscreen I (FA 250) and processes of printmaking to work Group critiques from concept to finished product. Lithography I (FA 251 Etching I (FA 252)

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NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.Q.2,3 Assessment Methods Advanced Studio Courses: Mastery of printmaking techniques 2.d Independent projects Silkscreen Workshop, Lithography including the ability to experiment with 3.a,b Oral presentation technical innovation and to explore Workshop, Etching Workshop, Experi- Class participation mental Printmaking, Special Projects and develop personal concepts and Group critiques (FA 350 –355) imagery. Instructor critique

Public exhibition

Program Objective #8: Sculpture Mastery in one or more sculptural media.

NASAD 2001-2002 Curricular Components Outcomes VIII.R.2,3 Assessment Methods Advanced Studio Courses: Students have prepared sculpture using 2.a,c,d,e Independent projects Sculpture (FA 391-397) a range of techniques and concepts. 3.a,b,c Oral presentation Class participation Group critiques Instructor critique Public exhibition

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Program Objective: Bachelor of Fine Arts Curriculum To educate students in the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary for competent and responsible practice in art and design-related fields.

Curricular Components Outcomes NASAD 2001-2002 Assessment Methods IV.A,B,C,D Highly selective, rigorous V.A admissions process VIII.G Class reviews Academic standards/progress review each semester Student exhibitions Selections processes for student awards and exchange program High retention and graduation rates Foundation Program Through exposure to a variety of two- VIII.G.2.a,b; 3.a Projects and assignments and three-dimensional projects, Oral presentation students are given a general introduc- Class participation tion to the specifics of visual and spatial phenomena as well as to concepts, Group critiques principles and techniques in the visual Public exhibition arts. Freshman Review Art History Exposure to Western and non-Western IV.A.5,6 Projects and assignments history of art and design, as well as an Tests introduction to theoretical issues that Class participation are the subjects of current debate in the field. General Studies Acquisition of communication skills, the IV.A.3; B,C Projects and assignments development of critical perspectives, Tests and the mastery of the materials and Class participation intellectual premises of the study of societies and people.

Continued…

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Curricular Components Outcomes NASAD 2001-2002 Assessment Methods Advanced Studio Courses Advanced practice leading to mastery, VIII.G.2.c,d,e; 3.b Projects and assignments via either generalist program or Oral presentation gradually focused specialization. Class participation Group critiques Instructor critique Public exhibition Free Electives Senior Presentation Public presentation of each senior Group critiques student’s work. Instructor critique Public exhibition

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Conclusion

The Cooper Union is entering a period that offers both substantial academic challenges and exciting opportunities to transform the streetscape around Cooper Square.

Among the major issues to be addressed are the need for new academic facilities; faculty renewal in the wake of a number of retirements, including the need to improve diversity among faculty and students and to increase interdisci- plinary interactions; a comprehensive plan for a campuswide technological infrastructure that will be compatible with the state-of-the-art capabilities in the new academic building; and the financial exigencies of an institution that collects no revenues from its core operations.

Development of a new academic building offers challenges beyond the fi- nancial. A great deal of effort will be required in the near term to build a consen- sus around the specifications for the 200,000 square feet of new academic space that will include some architecture and art space, as well as the School of Engi- neering and Humanities and Social Sciences. A faculty and staff group has been working throughout the current academic year on a preliminary architectural space program for the new building.

A high priority for the College as it moves beyond current financial con- straints is faculty renewal. The substantial number of retirements of full-time faculty over the past two years has helped to solve immediate budget problems, but has also created some gaps that are currently filled by adjunct and propor- tional faculty. It will be critically important in the coming years to seek out exceptional new full-time faculty who offer the promise of maintaining the level of academic excellence that is Cooper Union’s heritage and who reflect and contribute to the new directions of the curricula. Every expectation is that the reputation of the College, its prime location in New York City and, most impor- tant, its extraordinary student body, will continue to attract exceptionally talented faculty members. During this period of growth, the College expects to improve diversity among the faculty, which will have a positive impact on student diversity.

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Rapid advances in technology over the past decade have imposed an enormous burden on higher education. The need to replace computers approxi- mately every three years and to continuously upgrade software in many areas of academic and administrative computing is daunting. As the College analyzes the program requirements for the new academic building, it will develop a cam- puswide strategic plan for the telecommunications, networking and computing environment. To that end, the President has appointed a Technology Task Force, with representation from each academic area and appropriate administrative departments. The group’s charge is to develop a three- to five-year plan for the campus technological infrastructure. This will include more remote access to resources such as library assets. Funding for the technology plan is embedded in the capital campaign.

While the College has already effectively addressed the long-standing structural operating deficit, the goals of the capital campaign to raise funds for the new academic building and to increase the endowment are ambitious during a time of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. On the other hand, the overall campaign targets are modest by today’s standards for an institution of the stature of The Cooper Union. More- over, early results indicate that alumni are passionately committed to preserving the unique role of the institution in higher education as an all-honors college, providing a full-tuition scholarship to every admit- ted student. This is buttressed by the philanthropic community’s clear recognition of the enormous value and impact the institution has had on architecture, art, culture, science and technology, particularly in New York City. These factors bode well for the ultimate success of the campaign. In addition, several elements of the plan to convert under- developed real estate assets to significantly increase annual revenues are already in place. The College’s greatest asset, the Chrysler Build- ing, will produce a rapidly growing revenue stream in the coming years as well. When the plan has been fully realized, the College will have a financial infrastructure that will sustain the institution and its mis- sion for the foreseeable future.

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