Architecture Program Report Master of Architecture - Roger Williams ...

mentioned earlier, including coursework taught by sustainability leaders from Architecture, Historic
Preservation, and unique considerations of sustainable density by leading Dutch architects.
Students address the ethical implications of their decisions in these courses from the beginnings of the
program forward, further reinforced by recent development of a required Arch 416 Urban/Community
Studio, and the Community Partnerships Center activities, where students are able to directly realize the
impact of decision making processes in the community. The recent creation of several Graduate Study
Abroad options in some of the world’s largest metropolitan areas in Buenos Aires, Beijing, Istanbul,
Yokohama and others exposes students to the transforming world environment, and to the varied
judgments that contribute to the shaping of these locales. Students face reconciling architects obligations
to clients and the public has been advanced significantly by our building on the program’s history of
community engagement through many projects around the region, now confirmed administratively in the
new Center.
A climate of civic engagement including commitment to professional and public service and leadership is
established through the University-wide Civil Discourse Lecture Series which includes required
participation, and the Feinstein Service Learning requirements for all undergraduates, supported by a gift
from the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation. This provides a foundation for Architecture students, and has
helped spawn a strong sense of commitment that has emerged in our AIAS student leadership, whose
development of the Student Mentor Program from 2 nd year students onward demonstrates the program’s
grassroots commitment to service and leadership. The group is also involved with the AIA Rhode Island
Emerging Professionals and AIAS national leadership, and has established a Roger Williams AIAS’s
Freedom by Design chapter. All of these efforts are strongly supported by the School administration and
faculty, particularly the first and second year design faculty who engage in the Student Mentor Program
most widely. Extensive Architecture student participation in residential Live Learn Communities described
earlier in Perspective A. Architectural Education and the Academic Community provide active
engagement and leadership opportunities where students bring together their academic and personal
lives and realize the potentials of engagement. Many of our students have participated as well in the
Alternative Spring Break program with Habitat for Humanity in Providence. The School’s implementation
of a Sustainability Initiative in our building, initially spearheaded by Architecture students led by Zev
Gould O’Brien ’10, has allowed students to actively transform our immediate environment through
recycling which not only recycles waste but also includes a sharing of resources that students take pride
in making available to each other, and appreciate making use of from others simultaneously.
The Architecture program’s approach across the curriculum to taking up a range of projects at local,
regional and international locations contributes to a sense of responsiveness where they can understand
how architects can contribute to improving our surroundings in many locations.They work further in Arch
542 Professional Practice to address the choices faced, and opportunities for leadership. Our students’
commitment to engaging the public good is most recently demonstrated in their choosing to offer a
community design charrette in the Town of Warren, RI to the AIAS NE Quad Conference this 29
September-2 October 2011, to a gathering of 300 students from 35 schools as the key activity of the
conference. Building form these areas of engagement, our students are actively seeking more
opportunities to serve in the future, with more hands-on opportunities to be involved in contributing to the
public good.