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Call for Applications
Participants in Pilot Study, Distance Learning Collection Care 
Curriculum 
The George Washington University Museum Studies Program

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10 May 2005

The Museum Studies Program of The George Washington University (GW 
MSTD), in collaboration with the Registrar’s Committee of the American 
Association of Museums (RCAAM) and the Mid-Atlantic Association of 
Museums (MAAM), is seeking applicants to participate in the testing of 
a new, graduate-level Distance Learning curriculum in Collection Care. 
Under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, thirty 
participants will take four courses on a tuition-free basis to help 
evaluate the course content and delivery systems. Successful 
completion of the four courses will result in a Certificate of 
Completion of the Distance Learning Pilot Program in Collection Care 
from the GW Museum Studies Program.

The curriculum will consist of four courses:

Collections Management I: Legal and Ethical Issues (CMLE)
Preventive Conservation I: Philosophy and Theory (PCPT)
Collections Management II: Practical Applications (CMPA)
Preventive Conservation II: Practical Applications (PCPA)

Each of the courses will be delivered via CD-ROM or DVD, with an 
interactive Internet component through the Blackboard learning system. 
The courses are adapted for distance learning from the campus-based 
courses taught in the prestigious GW graduate program in Museum 
Studies. The courses are being developed by GW Museum Studies faculty, 
with input from a national Advisory Committee of registrars, 
conservators, distance learning technology specialists, and educators.

During the period from 11 July 2005 – 13 January 2006, GW MSTD will 
pilot test two of the courses, CMLE and PCPT. During the period from 6 
February 2006 – 4 August 2006, GW MSTD will pilot test the courses 
CMPA and PCPA. Each participant will take all four courses in the core 
curriculum and will participate in written and possibly oral 
evaluations of the courses.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS AND INSTITUTIONAL SPONSORS

Although the participants will take the courses tuition-free (standard 
tuition at GW for this course group would be approximately $10,800) 
and will obtain a Certificate of Completion, the courses will require 
a substantial investment of time. As a consequence, participation will 
require a commitment from each applicant’s home institution to 
allocate work time (at least 1 day/week) towards the training. COURSES 
WILL BEGIN 11 JULY 2005 AND END 04 AUGUST 2006.

Participants or their sponsoring institutions will also be required to 
purchase textbooks and supplies as required for the courses 
(approximately $500 total for the 4 courses) during the period of 
study. Information on ordering texts from publishers, or as course 
bundles from a vendor, will be supplied to participants. All 
supplemental readings will be provided at no charge as files on disc 
and via Blackboard. 

Individual applicants must:
•	hold a bachelor’s or higher academic degree from an accredited 
college or university
•	be employed in a not-for-profit museum, historic house, or 
related facility with non-living, humanities-based collections in the 
United States or one of its Territories, and be engaged in collection-
related work
•	have a working knowledge of computers and the use of Internet 
resources
•	have access to a computer with a Microsoft (ideally XP) 
operating system and a CD-RW drive or DVD drive and selected software 
(Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher) and 
computer peripherals such as a printer and possibly a scanner
•	have access to the Internet (through a high speed modem, 
broadband/DSL or a secured wireless network)
•	have access to a digital camera for preparation of assignments
•	be willing to devote one day/week of normal work time to the 
courses
•	be available weekly for a 1-hour online discussion per course 
with fellow students and the instructors (i.e., 2 hours/week)
•	be willing to undertake the courses with the understanding 
that the institutional commitment may not cover the entire investment 
of time required to complete all coursework
•	ideally, be able to attend a pre-session at the 2006 AAM 
Annual Meeting, or a session at the  2006 MAAM or other regional 
museum association meeting for course evaluation
•	be willing to purchase required text books/supplies, with 
institutional support as agreed upon with the sponsoring institution.

Sponsoring Institutions must be:
•	a collecting institution, such as a museum, historic site, or 
historic house that is registered as a not-for-profit organization 
(this may include institutions which are part of a federal, 
university, state, county, or city system)
•	willing to allocate one day per week of a collection staff 
member’s time for the duration of the  program
•	able to provide the staff member with access to a computer 
with a Microsoft operating system (ideally XP) and a CD-RW drive or 
DVD drive, and software such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader 
6.0 or higher, and PowerPoint
•	able to provide the staff member with reasonably high-speed 
access to the Internet (through modem, broadband/DSL or a secured 
wireless network)
•	willing to allow the collection staff member access to 
collection records, museum policy and procedural documents, collection 
storage and exhibitions (for examination purposes only)
•	willing to assist the participant in the purchase of required 
textbooks/supplies (approximately $500 over the course of the 
program), as agreed upon with the participant.

Institutions are encouraged to consider successful completion of the 
curriculum in performance evaluations of the participants, and for 
participant advancement within the institution. Institutions of all 
sizes are encouraged to submit applications.

THE ENTIRE APPLICATION PACKAGE, CONSISTING OF THE PARTICIPANT 
APPLICATION, PARTICIPANT CURRICULUM VITAE, AND THE SPONSORING 
INSTITUTION APPLICATION MAY BE SUBMITTED TO THE GW MUSEUM STUDIES 
PROGRAM VIA EMAIL ATTACHMENT TO [log in to unmask], OR VIA FAX TO 
202.994.7034. APPLICATIONS MAY ALSO BE SUBMITTED BY COURIER TO THE 
FOLLOWING ADDRESS 

	Museum Studies Program
	NEH Project 
	The George Washington University
	2035 F Street NW
	Washington, DC 20052 

	202.994.7030

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 5:00 P.M. EST/DST, 10 
MAY 2005. 
Applicants will be informed of the status of their applications 
(accepted, declined, waitlisted) by 6 June 2005. 

PARTICIPANT APPLICATION 

Name
Title
Institution
Mailing Address
Courier Address
Telephone
Fax
Email address

Academic degrees (name of institution, field of study in which degree 
was awarded, date awarded)

Number of years working for museums and previous titles

Brief description of collection responsibilities in current position

List of computer hardware, operating systems, software, and 
peripherals available for use in taking the courses (either personal 
or available through the participant’s institution):

Hardware (computer and processor type)
Operating system 
Internet access mode (high speed modem, DSL/broadband, secured 
wireless network)
Software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Reader Version___)
Peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.)

Type of digital camera available for course assignments:

Brief essay on why you wish to take the core curriculum and the 
benefits you think it may offer you and your institution (not to 
exceed one page, single-spaced, in12 pt. type)


Signature___________________________________________ 
Date_____________________________

Please attach your curriculum vitae

Where did you hear about the call for applications?

RCAAM____        MAAM_____    Other (please specify) ______


SPONSORING INSTITUTION APPLICATION

Institution name
Mailing Address
Courier Address
Telephone
Fax
Website Address (if applicable)

Person completing application on behalf of institution:
Name
Title
Telephone
Fax
Email address

On behalf of the __________________________________ (name of 
institution), a 501(c)3, tax exempt institution, I agree that the 
participant named in this application, ________________________, an 
employee of the institution, will be given work release time in the 
amount of 1 day/week for the period from 11 July 2005 to 04 August 
2006 in order to complete The George Washington University Museum 
Studies Distance Learning Collection Care Curriculum Pilot Program. In 
addition, the named institution will provide high-speed Internet 
access and access to computer equipment, peripherals, software, and 
collections and related information as noted in the application 
guidelines, and will assist the participant in the purchase of text 
books and supplies for the courses.
  

Signature: 
________________________________Date:________________________________


Institutional mission statement:






Indicate approximate annual budget of institution:

___  under $100,000
___>$100,000, but less than $250,000
___>$250,000, but less than $500,000
___>$500,000


Indicate number of paid staff employed by the institution:

___ 5 or less
___>5, but less than 15
___>15

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