---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 13:22:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Carol E Mayer <[log in to unmask]> To: museum <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Certificate in Museum Studies A CERTIFICATE IN MUSEUM STUDIES The staff at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, are developing a certificate programme in museum studies for mid-career professionals. We have based the content on much research into other programmes and the change-related issues that currently challenge museums and related institutions. There is no doubt that these are exciting times, but they can also be fast-moving, challenging and sometimes threatening. This programme will offer a formalised environment where we can pause, think, discuss, discover, understand and create new ideas about our role in the changes happening around us, and to us. The objective is to be able to apply well thought out new ideas to our own particular situations and share those ideas with others facing similar challenges. Having said that, obviously the programme will not happen if the community does not agree with our basic premise. We believe there is a need for such a programme and would appreciate your participation and input in reviewing our approach and suggested curriculum...and responding to our very short (really!) questionnaire. The UBC Museum of Anthropology is the largest university museum in Canada and the first to teach museum studies in Canada. The course is intended for those who have been working for at least five years as cultural administrators, curators, collection managers, educators, exhibition designers, communications staff and cultural trustees, and...? Your working environment could be an art gallery, museum, science and technology centre, planetarium, arts and culture centre, community centre or part interpreation centre, within North America and beyond. We are working on a flexible, interdisciplinary programme that will be delivered in three stages: 1 (Spring). A 3-month distance learning component that makes use of the Internet. Participants and instructors will engage in lively discussions of texts and other materials that relate to changes in the role of cultural institutions and the society/environment in which they operate. 2 (Summer). A 2-week residential component at UBC will build on stage 1. It will include lectures that challenge conventional thinking, creative hands-on demonstrations and workshops that stretch the imagination, and interpersonal group assignments and presentations that concentrate on positive responses to potential challenges and changes. 3 (Fall) Each participant will produce an essay or equivalent that applies knowledge and experience gained in the course as it relates to his-her particular discipline, institution or research. We intend to publish these essays and use them as one of the introductory texts for the following years, as well as making them available to the larger community. This is not a short programme. It will require an investment of time, some part-time some full-time, 6-8 months, from participants, instructors and mentors. We believe that it takes time to create new knowledge that can enable us to approach change with creative ideas not desperate or hasty measures. We hav eput together a very short questionnaire and would appreciate some feedback from you. The questionnaire (an d more information) is on our web site: http://www.arts.ubc.ca/arts/moa/moa/html. If you do not have access to the web please call (604-822-8224), fax (604-822-2974) or e-mail me and I will happily send you our preliminary brochure (which contains the questionnaire). Also, if you have any questions , comments, input etc. please contact me at the above e-mail address and I will respond with all the information I have available! Thank you Carol E. Mayer Curator of Ethnology/Ceramics UBC Museum of Anthropology 6393 N.W. Marine Drive Vancouver, B.C> V6T 1Z2 [log in to unmask]