Good Afternoon Chuck,
As you requested.....
Here are my responses to your questions......
Answers:
#1. Methods Practicum.
#2. Basic Accounting Methods. Introduction to Supervision and other
Organizational Management courses.
#3. A general and overall understanding and appreciation of the
different fields and sub-fields in the museum (or public history)
profession. For example, let's pick Collections Management....I may not
be a conservator, but I understand the basic principles and appreciate
the time factor (and the financial cost) it may take for a single
artifact to conserved, ...and I also appreciate that an ounce of
preventive measures in conserving the collections on exhibit and in
storage are well worth the staff time, effort, and costs when compared
the "costs" of not taking the appropriate preventive measures. This
basic understanding helps me when supervising staff collection
management staff, administering overall museum budgets, and setting
institutional priorities.
#4. We need to understand that museum studies and public history
course offerings should be VOCATIONAL in nature. The courses that were
the most beneficial to me (when I was a museum studies student back in
the Bronze Age) were the ones that were most realistic and practical;
and offered "hands-on" opportunities to actually: build an exhibit;
register, accession, research, and catalog an artifact (and know the
differences between these activities); develop, deliver, and evaluate an
actual education program for school students; etc...etc.... The ones
that were the most useless were the esoteric ones (graduate seminars
that were more museological rather than museographical), which all to
often are the standard fare of such programs. Perhaps the problem is
that universities have a "problem" with vocational education?
I hope this helps.....
Wesley
Wesley S. Creel
Administrator of Programs
Pink Palace Family of Museums
Memphis, TN U.S.A.
www.memphismuseums.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Chuck Watkins
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 11:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Museum Studies Question
Dear Colleagues:
I find myself this year to be the acting director of Appalachian
State University's Public History Program. This program, which has been
around since about 1980, has offered a Master's degree in Public
History, as well as an undergraduate focus, also in Public History.
According to the most recent brochure, "The Public History/CRM [Cultural
Resources Management] Professional Masters Degree Program at Appalachian
State University prepares students for employment in the growing fields
of Cultural Resource Management and Historic Preservation. The ASU
Public History Program also offers traditional museum management,
interpretation and education courses at the graduate level." Coursework
includes the following - the importance of the museum component will be
obvious:
Archives Cultural Resource
Management
History of US Architecture Historical Documentation:
HABS, HAER, NRHP
Introduction to Public History/CRM Material Culture
Museum Interpretation Museum Education
Museum Management Oral History Methods
Public History Methods Practicum
We are talking about possibly doing a bit of retooling with this program
so here are my questions:
1. Of the offerings above, which seem the most beneficial?
2. What skills do you feel are needed in your work that are not being
taught in the courses above?
3. Which of your skills do you consider most important for the
accomplishment of your work?
4. In your own training, what things were most important for you and
what was a waste of your energy?
Thanks for any assistance with this. Naturally, I am interested in
any and all comments on this program as described above, as well as any
suggested changes or revisions.
Sincerely,
Chuck Watkins
Appalachian State University
[log in to unmask]
828-262-3117
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