Dec-07-2021-Minutes

The Academic Senate Committee on Senate Committee on Cultural and Archival Resources met on December 07, 2021 2:00pm (online)

Committee Members in Attendance:

Susan Agin, Laura Cohen, Franca Ferrari, Aviva Geismar, Jessica Prepetit, Faustino Quintanilla, Madeline Ruggiero, Bianca Sosnovski, Nathaniel Sullivan, and Tanya Zhelezcheva.

Liaisons in Attendance:

Steering Committee Designee: Carlene Byfield

Business:

The meeting was called to order at 2:00pm

Attendance and greetings.

 

Review and approved minutes from September 28, 2021 meeting

• Approved (Nathaniel makes motion and Carlene seconds motion).
• One correction made by Madeline and Faustino on the location of the 500 books donated for research in African Art, which are in the Gallery’s library and not in the QCC’s library.

    

Chair's report

The 2020-2021 Annual Report has been published on the Committee’s website. Nathanial reminded the committee’s members to review the report. One the tasks given to the committee is to improve the marketing and presence on the website of artifacts from classes and from faculty members’ projects (after proper vetting and approvals obtained), and any ideas on how to do that is welcome to be shared with the committee. The goal of such would be that the committee’s website would function as a hub for examples of how faculty integrate their curricula with the cultural centers. Nathaniel suggests, as examples, general description of faculty’s projects developed with the centers, and videos produced by faculty or students.

 

Reports from cultural center directors

QPAC - Susan Agin

• The theater continues under renovation to make it a better space and accessible but with delays in the completion because of issues with supply of materials affected by COVID-19 pandemic and other changes in the plans.
• Focused on the tasks that must be done prior to the opening of the theater, which is now scheduled to open late in the spring.
• Continues to be visible with programs both online and in person.
• Has been awarded legislative grants over the years and depends on these grants to keep functioning. At the end of the 2021, most of the legislators that awarded the grants to the Center will be leaving office. Because of the decrease income since the pandemic started, it is of great importance keep this stream of income by stablishing relationships with the new legislators, demonstrating the value of the Center to the community, and thus obtaining the legislators' financial support.
• Susan is seating in the new Enterprise Task Force Committee, which has been charged to come up with ways of earning revenue for the College.
• There is a brand-new website with a sophisticated virtual program with live entertainment online.
• The online programing is free to the public. Pleas for donation are generated during the programming and donations can also be made on the website.

Art Gallery - Faustino Quintanilla

• Continues to work on the website to make it more efficient and useful for faculty and students to research, adding to the site access to the pieces created by the Gallery. Completion expected in mid spring.
• Currently working with Prof. Kebedech from the Art Department on a new exhibition about displacement featuring an Ethiopian artist who experienced issues with immigration and was in concentration for many years. The goal is to try to show what religion and politics can do to people. Plans for the opening in the spring of 2024.
• Trying to reinvent the pre-pandemic plans for the exhibition about Goya’s work because most of places holding the artist's pieces don’t lend the paintings anymore since the pandemic started. Depending on the opening of the campus to the public, possible opening in September of 2022.
• The exhibition about Mali must be postponed to spring of 2022 because of the difficulties to access the campus by the public at large.
• Currently working on the production of three or four books at the same time, working on publication, translations, and corrections of these books.
• The new legislator elected Linda Lee will hosting her inaugural at the Art Gallery.

KHC – Laura Cohen

• The Center will celebrate its 40-year anniversary in 2023, so talks and planning started to take place about a new permanent exhibition beyond the Concertation Camps, the role of the Center at QCC, its past, present, and future.
• Had a very successful semester with its program, including a new series called Scholars in Conversation. The recordings of the programs are available online.
• Started planning the programming for the spring of 2022 with an extensive calendar of events.
• Finalizing the schedule for the spring semester portion of the professional development workshop series for Faculty.
• Started formulating calls for applications for the NEH Colloquium with possibly another collaboration with faculty members.
• This semester, the Center had two fellows and four internships, some of which made presentations on the UR Day.
• The Center is open to the public, but tours are still not being offered.

 

The directors of the cultural centers offered some teaching resources to be published on the Committee’s website to give ideas for the faculty on ways to work with the centers.

Tanya suggested to also include a section with assignments samples. Possibly creating an organization on Blackboard with these materials.

Nathaniel and Bianca will be concluding their cycle in the Committee. A transition plan can be started in the spring semester for members that will assume the responsibilities of Chair and Secretary.

Next meeting will be scheduled via Doodle sometime early next semester.

Meeting adjourned at 2:58 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Bianca Sosnovski
Committee on Senate Committee on Cultural and Archival Resources, Secretary

Minutes typed on December 07, 2021