Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1983)
■ f /■ ifel # .•: ♦ * "T? o o a* O U l_ V3 c « JS » o u ~ .— J3 > J3 cj 'C ^ by Angel Stokes Btttilion Staff Traditionally the fine arts — music, painting, sculpture, theater and other forms of cultu ral expression — have been con sidered unnecessary at Texas A&M. Current trends in the admi nistration reflect awareness of the need for cultural enhance ment, but no great changes have been made. "The attitude of the adminis tration from Chancellor (Arthur G.) Hansen on down is popular and aggressive toward arts," says J. Wayne Stark, special assistant to the President for cul tural development. But, he says that too many projects, such as the industrial park, are in the works and all the money needed can't be raised at one time. The administration must decide what projects come first. University President Frank E. Vandiver says Texas A&M is en tering a period of long-range planning and certain things nave to be done first. But, he says, as these things are accom plished, resources must be saved for programs that are needed further down the road. "No univerity can afford to move in only the practical areas," he says. Texas A&M doesn't rank highly with respect to fine arts in comparison to other major uni versities, Vandiver says. "But our history is part of the cause...A&M was organized as a land-grant university...based on agriculture and engineer ing," ne says. "We need to start almost from scratch in regard to fine arts," he says. Target 2000 report When the Target 2000 Com mittee presented its System- wide report at the May 1983 Board of Regents meeting, sev eral recommendations for estab lishing and expanding fine arts at the University. The commit tee — established as a special committee to research the Uni versity and make recommenda tions for where it should be by the year 2000 — had members from all over Texas and the Un ited States. Recommendations include: •Establishment of a baccalau- rate degree program in the fine arts. •Construction and establish ment of a major visual arts center. •Enrichment of the Universi ty's cultural environment. •Facilities and opportunities for students to experience a rich variety of cultural resources and events that develop sophistica tion in appreciation of the arts. The establishment of a bacca- laurate degree program in fine arts at the undergraduate level is considered high priority, according to the committee's academic report, because with elective options for non-majors the program would enhance and improve the quality of life of Texas A&M graduates. But approval for establishing a fine arts department must come from the state Coordinat ing Board. The 18-member board was set up by the Texas Legislature in 1965 to coordinate higher learning in Texas. Two requirements the board has for approving a new degree program are: •Does the program fit the board's definition of the institu tion? •Do similar programs exist in the state? "The attitude of the administration from Chancellor (Arthur G.) Hansen on down is popular and aggressive toward arts." — /. Wayne Stark. and prevent duplication of prog rams at all public institutions of At least three requests in the past six years for an art depart ment have been denied by the Coordinating Board, Stark says. Stark says the board feels that students interested in art can attend universities such as the University of Texas and South west Texas State University which already have art depart ments. Also, the board still de fines Texas A&M as a land-grant college with an emphasis on sci ence, engineering and agricul ture. But the University adminis tration argues that balance is needed between the expanded science programs and the underdeveloped area of arts. Stark says. Vandiver says the Coordinat ing Board needs to be hit har< with the idea of a fine arts de partment. He says it would adt a great deal to the Unversity. "We can't be without fin< arts," he says, "if we are to be < comprehensive institution." Visual arts center The addition of a fine art program would support th operation of the recommendei visual arts center. Some members of the Targe 2000 Committee also are mem bers of the Texas A&M Commis sion on Visual Arts — a commit tee of approximately 125 peopli from seven or eight states wh< were appointed by the presi dent. The studies by the commis skm include size and cost of < visual arts center. Stark says. Already a collection of West em and Impressionist art ha: been offered to the University he says. The owner, John W Runyon Jr. of Dallas, is a forme: student. Stark says Runyon ha: made one stipulation to th< donation: the building to house the collection must be in a heavi ly traveled area of campus. He says Runyon wants the collec tion to be easily accessible to stu dents. The visual arts center will be named the Texas A&M Art Cen ter, Stark says, because studies have shown that people have a dislike for the name art