The University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning recently announced that its proposed graduate certificate program in Historic Preservation and Regionalism was approved unanimously by the State Board of Finance with endorsement from Governor Bill Richardson and the Lt. Governor Diane Denish.
“The strong support underscores my own sense that this is a very important initiative and undertaking for the School of Architecture and Planning,” Roger Schluntz, dean, School of Architecture and Planning, said.
Chris Wilson, associate professor and J.B. Jackson Professor of Cultural Studies, said, “The certificate program will position UNM to engage student interests from several related disciplines in this field, while directly addressing a critical need of New Mexico and this region.” The program will be open to students by fall.
Wilson notes the economic incentive statewide to engage in historic preservation.
“As areas within the state hurt economically, they fight for investment and development strategies to remain vibrant. We can offer ideas to designate areas as historic, which makes it possible to go after funding to preserve those sites,” he said.
The popularity of heritage tourism also helps make the case. “Working with communities, we will help them cultivate, restore, preserve and revitalize that heritage.”
“The certificate program is intended to assist students who wish to contribute to the conservation of architectural and cultural heritage, and to the contemporary vitality of valued regional traditions,” Wilson said.
Wilson developed the courses that are part of the certificate program. It requires a minimum of 18 credit hours, nine of which may also be used to satisfy graduate degree requirements.
Courses include an introduction to preservation and regionalism, nine hours from an approved list of electives, a course in historic community research and a real-world final project, which can be a graduate community studio, a project in the Design Planning Assistance Center (DPAC) or a master's thesis or project.
What sets this program apart is its interdisciplinary nature. “Electives, in particular, will come from other disciplines. Courses will be cross-listed in museum practices or history, for example. We've had conversations with faculty and chairs in other departments with similar interests,” he said.
“We see city planners being drawn in, as well as those charged to oversee cultural resources and historic preservation within city, county or tribal governments,” Wilson said. “They need the specialized knowledge. We're offering the courses largely in the evening and on weekends to accommodate them.”
For the past two years, Wilson has taught the course on historic community research. “We have looked at historic plazas and squares of New Mexico. Students develop an understanding of historic built environments, the history of Spanish Colonial and railroad era town planning, settlement patterns, building types and contemporary planning – generally termed ‘New Urbanism,'” he said.
Through the program the students will work directly with communities, learning how to elicit community involvement. “They will bring research abilities to service in a community,” Wilson said.
The students will learn to love and respect where they are without having to turn to nostalgia and escapism to do so, while also understanding how their place fits into a larger global reality, Wilson said.
“The partnerships we will be able to forge with communities, organizations, as well as the State Historic Preservation Division and the MainStreet Program, will allow the School of Architecture and Planning to take an active role in shaping the future of this state, as well as understanding and conserving an important part of our history and cultural legacy,” said Schluntz.
Conact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
Posted by kwentworth at March 24, 2004 04:16 PM