The Battle to Save the Bachelor of Fine Arts at Thompson Rivers University
Course: Advance Online Journalism
I have provided an exploration of topics such as the protection of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, and these topics bring out the theme of involvement and advocacy. The article is relevant to the “Local to Global” theme of general education.
I have decided to highlight the subject that pertains to the challenges the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program of the Thompson Rivers University experiences because it is a relevant matter to both the university and art communities. Conducting research, using analysis and through advocacy campaigns, I strove to enlighten the public on the makes of art education and its impact on the local and global communities.
This specific instance contributed to my higher understanding of societal responsibility and community involvement and awakened a feeling of appreciation for a cause in life that goes beyond the walls of academia.
Assignment: “The BFA program at TRU”
A storm is brewing in Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) holy halls as the fate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program looms large. Earlier last year, rumors circulated that TRU was considering deleting the BFA from its program list and completing the process by 2025. Szeto (2023) claims that news stories from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) validated these charges and drove the campaign to save the BFA program to the forefront.
The issue is centered on concerns about the project’s financial viability. The BFA program is not immune to the scrutiny that educational programs face regarding their capacity to provide suitable revenue. When considering factors such as enrollment, resource consumption, and income generation, university administrators may claim that reallocating resources to more crowded departments make sense (Dawson, 2023). As a result, a significant question arises: How can the BFA program ensure its financial future? Supporters of the program are seeking new ways to attack. Collaborations with local artistic organizations and benefactors, as are fundraising drives and endowments from supporters and graduates, are planned. By emphasizing the program’s beneficial impact on the surrounding community, supporters of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program want to demonstrate that the institution benefits economically and culturally by sponsoring the arts.
The BFA program must adapt to the ever-changing academic landscape to remain relevant. Universities must adapt to changes in student interests and industry developments. As a result, it is vital to show how the BFA program evolves to meet the changing needs of students and businesses. Proponents say that traditional forms of artistic expression should be preserved while more vocational disciplines such as arts management, graphic design, and digital media production are introduced. This modification attempts to ensure BFA graduates can adapt to a changing labor market by providing them with abilities that may be used in several scenarios Many foreign and Indigenous students have benefitted from the program, according to visual arts professor Don Lawrence, who thinks the university should maintain it (Szeto, 2023).
The effort to keep TRU’s BFA program alive confronts a considerable challenge: garnering institutional support. The most crucial thing supporters can accomplish is to persuade university decision-makers that the program is critical to the institution’s mission and goals rather than just good. Advocates use a systematic plan to develop a broad coalition that includes academic community members, art enthusiasts, and students.
Personal tales from outstanding BFA alums are a potent tool in their persuasive arsenal. These testimonials demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in stimulating creative and personal development. Former students’ stories about the Bachelor of Fine Arts program reveal how the degree altered their lives and helped the university realize its aim of providing a complete and impactful education. Secwépemc and Nlaka’pamux artist Chris Bose believes many young Indigenous people in Kamloops and nearby towns would have to go to Vancouver or farther for undergraduate fine arts study (Szeto, 2023).
By telling this tale, supporters want to convince the program’s managers and the general public that the program’s continuing existence is an investment in the long-term value of the arts. Priority and Effectiveness in Making the Most of Limited Time
Every second matters in the quest to salvage the BFA program. Universities have a predetermined schedule for examining programs and modifying curricula, which puts advocates under additional pressure. It is impossible to stress the significance of quickly gathering alums and community members, organizing lobbying operations, and presenting attractive public events. Establishing an emotional and rational case for the program’s continuation within this limited time frame is critical, emphasizing its immediate and long-term impact on the university community.
The struggle usually starts with the students, frequently the most outspoken supporters of TRU’s BFA program. They fear that pursuing their creative development may hinder their scholastic and job ambitions. Their academic futures are uncertain since the program might terminate and moving to a new institution worries them that it won’t support their creative objectives. Trying to balance schoolwork, art projects, and charity work is very hard on the mind and emotions. Financial consequences add to the stress, which could affect grants and other forms of financial help (Leal Filho et al., 2021). Students work hard preparing events, presenting compelling arguments to university authorities and the public, and garnering support.
The thought of terminating their life’s work is a massive concern for TRU’s BFA program professors. We need more certainty regarding the future of these educators’ careers since they have spent years nurturing artistic potential and training creative minds. The crisis challenges their commitment to art education, not simply their capacity to preserve employment. As they encounter daily challenges in advocating for the program’s continuation, faculty members become ardent advocates, mentors, and educators. Their devotion to documenting their life’s work underscores the significant implications for the university’s academic atmosphere if the BFA program is discontinued.
This BFA is important since the center’s operations depend on its staff, who are seldom recognized. Several office workers volunteer to oversee the BFA department. The initiative threatens their employment and future. Staff may be laid off and moved to other departments. Faculty find it weird when divorced academics from instructional affairs enter the unknown. Team spirit and dedication are used to indicate persistence, which is commonly overlooked.
If the BFA program rescue effort is successful, there may be cause for hope. Endowments, partnerships, and increased community engagement and support for local arts organizations are all potential long-term funding sources for the program. Prospective students may discover courses updated to reflect the most current technological advancements, the arts, and entrepreneurship. The program’s objective is to become a campus hub for innovation and learning and to double in size in five years. The revamped BFA enhances TRU’s reputation as a creative arts school, which opens the door to new types of cooperation. When innovative businesses succeed, their importance in supporting cultural and economic life is recognized.
As the struggle to keep Thompson Rivers University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program alive has heated up, it has become evident that the difficulties are both institutional and personal to the persons concerned (Thompson Rivers University, 2023). The tales submitted by students, staff, and faculty members demonstrate the enormous consequences that the program’s termination may have on all parties involved. The future of the arts on college campuses is unclear, but champions are working relentlessly to make them a part of campus life.
References
- Dawson, J. (2023, November 14). Thompson Rivers University board to decide fate of fine arts program at upcoming meeting. Business in Vancouver. https://biv.com/article/2023/11/thompson-rivers-university-board-decide-fate-fine-arts-program-upcoming-meeting
- Leal Filho, W., Wall, T., Rayman-Bacchus, L., Mifsud, M., Pritchard, D. J., Lovren, V. O., Farinha, C., Petrovic, D. S., & Balogun, A.-L. (2021). Impacts of COVID-19 and social isolation on academic staff and students at universities: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1213. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11040-z
- Szeto, W. (2023, April 28). Thompson Rivers University is phasing out its undergraduate fine arts program. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thompson-rivers-university-bachelor-of-fine-arts-cancellation-1.6825343