The enclosed paper is a proposal from The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to reform its first year curriculum as part of the First Year Experience Project.

GSA states that: “

The First Year Experience Project was established in the wake of the Mackintosh [Building] fire as an opportunity to revisit and revitalise the first year student experience. The project aims to capitalise on the Mack Restoration in terms of the student experience in two key ways:

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  • To relocate all first year undergraduate students from across GSA into the Mackintosh Building;
  • To renew the first year experience at GSA through a review of current first year provision with a specific aim to establish two scheduled periods for cross-programme collaboration and interdisciplinary working.

The project has scoped and articulated the ambition to reconceptualise the delivery of stage 1 of all undergraduate programmes to offer two, SCQF level 7, 20 credit units of interdisciplinary learning, one in semester 1 and one in semester 2 beginning in academic session 2019/2010.

Rationale for Change

In the LTES 2015-2018, GSA established a strategic objective to enhance opportunities for interdisciplinary, student-led activity. It clarified interdisciplinarity as a GSA cross-school offer and suggested amplifying connections across disciplines within the current curricular structures. This ambition reflected advocacy by the student body for GSA’s curricular structure to provide a more holistic art school experience underpinned by both discipline specific and cross-discipline, integrative approaches. In response to the opportunities provided through the restoration of the Mack, it became clear that fulfilling this strategic objective could be achieved by bringing together the renewed building with a renewed first year structure.”

Academic Standards Committee is asked to note that the BEng/MEng (Honours) Product Design Engineering and the BEng/MEng (Honours) Civil Engineering with Architecture programmes are not included in the proposed curriculum reform – the former being a programme run jointly between GSA and the University, and the latter being a University-delivered programme with service teaching input from GSA. G

SA has confirmed that students on both these programmes will not be relocated to the Mackintosh Building, as a significant portion of their first year is spent at the University. However, they will have access to seminar space in the Mackintosh Building when appropriate and facilities in the Reid building.

Academic Standards Committee is asked to approve a proposal from The Glasgow School of Art to reform its first year curriculum to offer two SCQF level 7, 20 credit units of interdisciplinary learning, one in semester 1 and one in semester 2, commencing in session 2019-20.

GSA.

No resources implications have been identified for the University.

The proposed new first year curriculum will commence in session 2019-20.

Equality considerations and equality impact assessment are embedded and mainstreamed at GSA. Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) will be undertaken in respect of the two new courses being introduced. In addition, all programmes carrying out amendments as part of this project will be subject to an EIA.