Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2008

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Art Institute of New York City: Regents Authorization for the Art Institute of New York City to award the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree
DATE:	December 2, 2008
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

 

Should the Board of Regents authorize the Art Institute of New York City to award the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree?

 

Reason for Consideration

 

              Required by State regulation.

             

Proposed Handling

 

The question will come before the Higher Education Committee at its December 2008 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its December 2008 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

The Art Institute of New York City submitted this proposal in June 2008. The Department has determined that the program, if approved, would meet registration standards.

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

              The Art Institute of New York City, formerly known as the New York Restaurant School, admitted its first class in 1981. Its original mission as a proprietary non-degree licensed trade school was to provide training in the skills needed for successful employment in the food service industry. In 1995, the school was authorized by the Board of Regents to grant the Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree, and offered its first degree program, an A.O.S. in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, as well as certificate programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Restaurant Management.

 

              In 1996, the school was acquired by Education Management Corporation and its subsidiary, Arts Institutes International, Inc. Subsequently, the institution’s name was changed to its present name, Art Institute of New York City, in 2001, and in 2003, the Institute began to offer diploma and A.O.S. degree programs in the discipline of Fine Arts. The Institute currently offers A.O.S. programs in Graphic Design, Web Design and Interactive Media, and Art and Design Technology, as well as a diploma program in Graphic Design and the original certificate programs mentioned above.

 

              In April 2008, the Institute notified the Department of its intention to phase out its programs in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management. In doing so, the Institute has undertaken measures to ensure that students currently enrolled in these programs will be able to complete their programs prior to their discontinuance.

 

              Administrators from the Institute met with Department staff in April of this year and expressed the intention to eventually convert the existing A.O.S programs into A.A.S. programs. The current proposal, which builds upon the registered A.O.S. program in Graphic Design, is the first step in this process. The proposal was submitted to the Department in June 2008; it does not require master plan amendment as the Institute already offers several associate-level programs in the discipline of the Fine Arts.

 

              In developing the current proposal, the Institute was aware of the need for curriculum development in Liberal Arts, as the A.A.S. degree requires that one-third of the work shall be in Liberal Arts and Sciences (§3.47(c)(3)). Accordingly, the Institute submitted the proposal to three external reviewers prior to sending it to the Department.

 

              One reviewer, who examined the curriculum from a Liberal Arts perspective, found the curriculum as a whole to be well-designed, and the course syllabi to reflect well-developed, thoughtful courses that will serve students well. In addition, the reviewer noted that all the courses within the Humanities were appropriate and sound choices for a college humanities curriculum, and found the Social Science course offerings to also be of appropriate rigor.

 

              The other two reviewers looked at the proposal respectively from an industry perspective and from an academic perspective as a design program. The comments of both were generally positive. However, the Institute made several minor revisions to the proposal based on suggestions from these reviewers, which also strengthened these elements considerably.

 

Recommendation

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents authorize the Art Institute of New York City to award the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

If the Board of Regents authorizes the Art Institute of New York City to award the A.A.S. degree, the Department will register the program and the Art Institute will proceed to recruit and enroll students for it.