Students helping to improve School of Architecture and Art

Norwich's School of Architecture and Art has developed a committee comprised of students and the department's new dean to promote stronger communication between students and administration.

    "We talk about what's going on within the school," said Amanda Larner, 20, a junior architecture major from Ontario, N.Y. "Each year does their own thing, but this is the time where representatives from each year come together."

    This committee, called the Student Advisory Board, is made up of architecture students from each year of the program and the dean.

    "The basis for the students on the committee is that for each studio to be represented. There are two to three students from each studio year," said Douglas Nelson, 18, a freshman architecture major from Irasburg, Vt. "Primarily the reason why we are on this committee is to make sure each studio's needs are met and every student has an opportunity."

    "In general, I find that these students that gravitate towards this tend to be more interested in the school culture," said Aron Temkin, dean of the school of architecture and art. "It's not surprising that some of them are residency assistants and some are people that have taken AIA leadership roles. From what I can tell it's a pretty broad range."

    "The students within the studio can talk to the advisors from each year and maybe voice a concern or ask a question on something that can be improved or if there is a problem or anything," said Nelson. "The students act as a communication between the students as a whole to the faculty."

    The committee started a few years ago, but dissipated in the years following. This year, Temkin decided to bring the committee back.

    "At the school where I used to teach, we established a student advisory council that I thought worked pretty well," said Temkin. "Since coming here, I have adapted a similar model which is, for all intents and purposes, along the same lines of what we've done in the past."

    This is Temkin's first year at Norwich. He was the director of Florida Atlantic University's school of architecture.

    "Since we have a new dean right now, our building is trying to find ways of how to change things," said Matt St. Pierre, 20, a junior architecture major from Manchester, N.H. "Having a committee to point the dean in the directions of what has worked and what has not worked is going to be beneficial."

    "I got a lot of insight out of the first two meetings we've had," said Temkin. "It's helpful about things, my getting a handle on the culture of the place. It's just a slice through that group, but it's been a very helpful one."

    The committee promotes a strong connection between the students and the dean.

    "It's a time for us to meet with Dean Temkin because he's usually everywhere," said Larner. "It's a time that we get with him to express what we may need and what we may want and I guess it's a really good way to incorporate the faculty and staff altogether to make sure the school is running properly."

    "This is primarily a tool between the students and me, but there's nothing excluding faculty from coming. I'd always rather have the people who are directly related to an issue talking about it," said Temkin. "If there's something, for instance, dealing with the art classes, I wouldn't hesitate to have Jason (Galligan-Baldwin) join us at a meeting so that the committee can talk to Jason directly."

    According to Nelson, part of the reason why the board benefits the school is because the suggestions are coming directly from the students.

    "We, the students, benefit from the opportunities that are given to us in the school," said Nelson. "I think if we are allowed to be on this committee and we are allowed to voice our concerns and our opinions that it will come back and make for a better experience for every student."

    One of the first issues the board helped with was where to put new printers for the architecture department.

    "The faculty and I have been strategizing about where to put new printers and ways to change the digital infrastructure to make things work better and we were all ready to put these new laser printers on the first and third floors," said Temkin.

    "Yet, when we met and the students made a case for why it was going to be more efficient to have at least one of them in the second floor lab, logical enough, but the reason it was a better solution was much more apparent for me having heard the student perspective on how they anticipate it being used," said Temkin. "That's incredible helpful."

    The committee touches upon different aspects of the school to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

    "There are occasionally things where students are aware of something or there is a problem or concern that isn't exactly course related but its culture related," said Temkin. "Those don't always have a great vehicle for getting heard without something like this."

    "It's a great way for our smaller issues that build up to get to someone higher, normally we wouldn't mention things like that," said Jessica Parisi, 20, a senior architecture major from Gloucester, Mass. "It's unfortunate that the group wasn't started sooner."

    The student advisory board also will deal with Norwich's American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) chapter. AIAS is a non-profit, student-run organization of architecture students in America.

    "I'm hoping that the AIAS will program a bit more in the spring and next year," said Temkin. "I think a strong AIAS chapter goes a long way to helping the culture of a school like this."

    "We're trying to get AIAS to get bigger like it used to be a few years ago," said Larner, an AIAS member. "We're trying to get the advisory board to rebuild it. I feel that it is going to be more involved now that we have some interest in it."

    "I'm interested in developing some more non-course related activities, workshops, even some social things," said Temkin. "I think getting ideas from the students about doing more that's about broadening the dialogue of the school as a whole, things like the Beaux Arts Ball, is fantastic."

    The Beaux Arts Ball is an annual event help by the school of architecture and art for the students to get to know students of different class years.

    The committee has already talked about holding workshops during the school year to help students become more familiar with the software in the Chaplin Hall, such as the Rhino modeling program.

    "The response at the last meeting about the Rhino workshops was very positive and that looks like it's going to move forward," said Temkin. "Already a lot of the topics we discussed last time are manifesting and decisions being made."

    "I think with interest and with dedication it will grow because the school can't just run by studio and by going to class and by learning. As an architecture student, there's a lot of outside influences, whether it's going on visits to buildings or whether it's learning from other departments," said Larner. "It's bringing everything together and making sure each student is getting everything that they need and it's a way to find out what is needed."

    "I guess it's a really good check-and-balance system," said Larner. "And that's what's going to make it grow. Without that check and balance, the department isn't going to run as efficiently."

    "I'm open to other suggestions," said Temkin. "And I'm hoping this will prove a way to find some of those new ideas."