Melinda-
Is this a new course for Wright State's Public History Program? It sounds
like a great addition if it is.  I don't really meet your "hist. soc.
administrators" category, but having received my MA within the last 2 years
I would suggest that any course on Administration should include sections on
the following five areas - Funding and budgeting, Staff development, Board
of Directors, Programming, and Promotion/Marketing.  I see these as the five
main areas that Administration jobs focus on.  I would include items such as
how to develop a budget, how to find funding, how to write a good job
description, how to deal with a board of Directors, how to approach a
potential donor and or funder, how to selection good promotion, how to
develop creative promoting and marketing, and how to deal with controversial
issues both within and without of your organization.

I know when I received my degree these some of these topics were touched on
in my Museums Management course but we didn't have time to only focus on
Administrative responsibilities.  To help myself, I also took a non-profit
management course that I found VERY helpful.  This type of course should be
encouraged greatly as well as one specifically on grant writing.

I hope you find this helpful
Tracie Evans



----- Original Message -----
From: Melinda Gilpin, Site Manager <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 8:39 AM
Subject: If I had only known....


> Greetings to all!
> I will be teaching, for the first time, a course entitled "Historical
> Society Administration" at the graduate level (Mostly MA candidates).  I
am
> interested in getting some opinions from hist. soc. administrators about
> what they wish they had known before landing that first job in the museum
> field.
> Due to the nature of the class - a six week session with two 3-hour
meetings
> per week - I am interested in giving practical real-world expectations and
> knowledge without bogging the students down with reading.  The major
project
> will be the completion of a grant proposal to the state humanities
council.
> I am also considering having the students complete smaller assignments
such
> as collection item donation forms, press releases, and other associated
> paperwork related to the topics.
> Does anyone have any opinions of subjects or information that "should" be
> included - anything you wish your professors have told you?
> Also, I will be developing a "coursepack" of articles, technical leaflets,
> etc. for the course - any good references the group would like to share?
>
> Thanks in advance for any opinions and advice!
> Melinda Gilpin
> Historic Site Manager
> Harding Home State Memorial
> Ohio Historical Society
>
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