FOLKLIFE STUDIES - MUSUEM STUDIES
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center in collaboration with Fairmont State Community and Technical College is pleased to present an exciting new Associate of Arts program in Museum Studies. Persons who desire employment in a museum setting as an interpreter, collections manager, education programming director, or exhibit developer will be one core of potential students in this program. Current area economic trends indicate that heritage tourism, regional travel, craft marketing, historic preservation, and the general promotion of the region's natural resources (whitewater rafting, skiing, hiking, etc.) are not only the fastest growing segments of the economic base, but will also set the directions for future regional change and stability. Regional state and national parks, forests, recreational areas, resorts, museums, hisotrical sites, conference centers, and many others are all seeking qualified individuals for the various positions that htis new activity is creating.
Required Course
Associate of Arts Folklife Studies 66 hrs
General Education & Required Core 34 hrs
| BUSN | 1141 | Business Math | 3 hr |
| ENGL | 1104 | Written English I | 3 hr |
| ENGL | 1108 | Written English II | 3 hr |
Fine Arts Gen Ed Elecive (select one) 3 hr
ART, MUSI, or THEA 1120
| FOLK | 1150 | Folk Arts | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2200 | Intro to Folklore | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2201 | Lab | 1 hr |
| HIST | 1107 | US History I | 3 hr |
| HIST | 1108 | US History II | 3 hr |
| INFO | 1100 | Computer Concepts & Applications | 3 hr |
| SPCH | 100 | Intro to Speech Communication | 3 hr |
Restricted Elective - (Select one) 3 hr
| APPD | 1116 | History of Contemporary Fashion | 3 hr |
| TECH | 1100 | History of Technology | 3 hr |
Additional Required Elective Courses 12 hrs
(Instructor approved, may include courses from Gen Ed)
Museum Studies Option 20 hrs
| FOLK | 1100 | Intro to Museum Studies | 2 hr |
| FOLK | 2210 | Museum Education Programming | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2220 | Museum Collections Management | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2230 | Museum Exhibit Design & Preparation | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2240 | Museum Interpretation | 3 hr |
| FOLK | 2290 | Musuem Internship | 6 hr |
TOTAL 66 HRS
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State has become a centering force within the region as both an educational and cultural resource. The Folklife Center works extensively with state and regional level government and private entities (WV Departments of Education, Culture and History, and Travel and Tourism; WV Humanities Council; WV Association of Museums; Prickett's Fort Memorial Foundation; Vandalia Heritage Foundation; Tamarack; Mountain Made; and many other festivals, organizations, and museums) through shared programming, educational experiences, and teh promotion of cultural ideas. Fairmont State Community & Technical College is excited about these new offerings and their final approval in 2006.
Contact Dr. Beth Newcome at (304) 367-4298 or bnewcome@fairmontstate.edu
The new program will be offered as both a 21-hour skill set and as an associate degree (two-year) program. The skill set will include seven Museum Studies courses that provide a wide range of background for various types of technical museum work. Pierpont C&TC’s School of Human Services and School of Academic Studies have also collaborated on a concentration option for the Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies that gives the Museum Studies student an opportunity to study a full range of general education courses including “Introduction to Folklore,” “Anthropology,” “U.S. History,” “Art Appreciation,” “Science in the Heart of Appalachia,” “Geologic Heritage in the Field” and other courses. All aspects of museum work will be covered including an introduction to the museum world, collections management, interpretation, exhibit design and construction and museum education programming.
During the spring 2008 semester, which begins the week of Jan. 14, the “Introduction to Museums” and “Museum Collection Management” courses will be offered. These classes will explore, in an overview format, the workings of a museum, terminology, sources of funding, an introductory understanding of exhibits, interpretation, educational programming, collections management, volunteer management and more. Hands-on study will be provided through the Masquers Historic Costume Collection housed at Fairmont State and various local and regional field trips. “Introduction to Folklore” will be offered at the Gaston Caperton Center in Clarksburg.
For more information, contact Noel Tenney, Cultural Specialist and Folk Studies Instructor, at ntenney@fairmontstate.edu; Dr. Beth Newcome, Dean of the School of Human Services at bnewcome@fairmontstate.edu; or Dr. Judy P. Byers, Director of the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center, at jbyers@fairmontstate.edu.
Apply online for admission to Pierpont C&TC of FSU at www.fairmontstate.edu. For assistance with the admission process, call (304) 367-4892 or e-mail admit@fairmontstate.edu.
Contact Info:
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Viginia Folklife Center
at Fairmont State University
1201 Locust Avenue
Fairmont ,WV 26554
304-367-4403
wvfolklife@fairmontstate.edu
Noel W. Tenney
Assistant Professor of Folklife Studies
& Cultural Specialist
ntenney@fairmontstate.edu
Judy P. Byers
Abelina Suarez Professor of EnglishFolklore
& Director of the Folklife Center
jbyers@fairmontstate.edu
Fairmont State University© and Pierpont Community & Technical College© are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institutions
1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554 Tel: 304-367-4892 Toll Free: 1-800-641-5678 TDD: 304-367-4200
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