The development of a school curriculum that combines the engineering and the arts, further aligning itself with Lafayette College’s core principles is strategic in many ways. There are many contexts in which this program not only fits into, but also strengthens. Through evaluating these contexts, a program was built in a way where both the community and school can reap benefits.
As stated within the report, “building a connection between members of a community takes much more than the physical infrastructure of a railroad trestle or a series of murals painted onto brick”. This connection the curriculum seeks to target and strengthen is the town-gown relationship between Lafayette College and Easton, Pennsylvania. More specifically, this town-gown relationship will be developed through a curriculum generated with community and school input to achieve a common destiny. This common destiny is the preservation of Easton’s industrial heritage through the creation of public art by engineering and arts students. As a city, Easton has a rich industrial heritage, something that is a community asset. Despite the integration of engineering and arts students, these two groups have historically struggled to collaborate. By combining each department under the umbrella of public arts, Lafayette can help weaken this historic trend while teaching the core institutional value of “community engagement”. Community engagement is sewn within the fabric of the curriculum as the students are taking careful consideration for the community these projects would appear within in an attempt to create added value.
The first step to creating this course is to fill out a course proposal, found on Lafayette’s website. As a course, it will be open to both upperclassman engineering and arts students, or by the instructor’s permission. Furthermore, it will be cross registered as both an engineering and arts course, taught by both an arts and engineering professor, giving it an official liberal arts twist. The idea behind allowing only upperclassman to enroll is due to the fact that they have lived in the community the longest, something that should correlate in a better understanding and appreciation for Easton as a whole. The public art created within the program will be implemented in the greater Easton area. If the school were to extend the program’s geographical grasp, they would need to recalibrate the political/ policy analysis to be adapted to the new municipalities, groups, and entities involved with the project. The potential of public art installations on Lafayette’s campus generated from this curriculum has already been determined feasible, albeit with certain guidelines. Each of the portfolio options listed have the policy framework completed, with the guidelines and contacts available to leverage. In terms of public art in the city of Easton, the Greater Easton Development Partnership will provide policy guidance, as well as Chaz Hampton, owner of Brick + Mortar Art Studio who serves in many of these community initiatives. To increase the chances for long-term success while maximizing the benefits this program provides, Lafayette must integrate their communications team and promote the town-gown collaboration. It is essential to highlight this community engagement initiative which has taken the form of a course, bringing added value to Lafayette’s overall reputation in the Easton area while further strengthening the school’s core principles of liberal arts and community engagement.
Each project idea, whether generated in the future or within the portfolio, will have unique technical requirements such as differing tools, supplies, and amounts of required human capital. However, despite the individuality of each project’s technical requirements, it is very important to determine where the art will be installed before generating the idea as the design process must take space into account. This is very important, as all entities expect a plan before structural implementation for how the art work will be maintained, a conclusion that will be impacted greatly by the scale and setting. All works of public art will be built to last at least 10 years. With that being said, the public art does not have to be on public display for the total duration of the minimum technical lifespan. By combining art and engineering students, the technical and artistic nature of these projects will become collaborative, further radiating the spirit of multidisciplinary thought. In terms of technical guidance, the portfolio options have laid out the community and school professionals, as well as framework that will help steer the group towards technical success. It is very important that every project, even if it is generated, is under the guidance of some reputable professional who can offer technical support.
The past decade has seen the emergence and acceptance of arts and culture as an economic development tool. Institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco have stated that this development tool is crucial in advancing communities economically that fall in a certain economic range, something the Easton area fits within. Through assetizing the Easton economy, a tool that is both advocated by AmeriCorps VISTA and taught within Lafayette courses such as Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, this curriculum can strengthen many of the factors that keep Easton economically thriving. When looking at Easton’s assets, by preserving the industrial heritage through public works of art, all six categories of community assets AmeriCorps VISTA presents will be strengthened. Within the curriculum, every project’s unique technical need will come with a different cost. No project will bear the same cost, but each team will be required to know the cost of their project, as well as the overall budget and maintenance before commencing on the idea. Each project’s financing will come from a wide array of sources, such as community institutions, grants, Lafayette College alumni, and Lafayette College. By the school allocating funds for these art projects, they are investing in the curriculum as well as the creation and implementation of economic development tools for the city of Easton. In terms of reputational and community image, Lafayette has a lot to gain in added value from this curriculum. With the college’ expansion and the quest to become even more elevated within collegiate rankings, the increased public awareness this program will bring to the college is strategic, coming with positive long-term impacts.
This portfolio of work has been designed to aid future students in collaborating with other arts and engineering students and other key players in the Easton community. Through the continuation of this work, students can play a small part in ensuring that the rich industrial heritage of Easton is preserved and can aid in improving town-gown relations for future generations of community members. The projects that are envisioned are to be implemented in a course similar to Engineering Studies 480 Sustainable Solutions and this curriculum should provide students with the opportunity to create meaningful and sustainable community-based development. As said by Professor Toia of the art department, “Lafayette students are the necessary link to make these plans a reality.” To turn this into a reality, students or faculty must carry this framework one step farther and execute. This program could serve as a model for town-gown relations, with Lafayette College leading the way in using collaboration between two distinct departments to help the community it is in (de Wildt, 2013).
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