Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

Architectural History, Preservation), Russian and Slavic Studies (History of
Russian Architecture) and Latin American Studies (see course listings).
As has been stated in previous sections, faculty utilize the City of New
Orleans and the region as a vast field laboratory that benefits the study of
architecture. This is true throughout the course of a student’s education.
Sponsored by Tulane University and participated in by the faculty of the
School of Architecture, the “First-year Experience Program” aims to initiate
students into the variety of cultural institutions and other activities
associated with the university, city and region. In studio courses, students
are introduced to constituencies throughout the City of New Orleans and its
environs. Various community organizations associated with housing such
as the Local Initiate Support Corporation (LISC) and Neighborhood
Housing Development, as well as other neighborhood organizations and
social services groups have all acted as “clients” during the past several
years in both core and platform studios. There is also a strong student
connection with the Southeastern Architectural Archives through SEAA’s
continuous exhibit programs. Numerous students engage the Historic
American Building Sites (HABS) Program through the leadership of Dr.
Cizek and other members of the faculty. Students are also automatic
members of the New Orleans Museum of Art.
In terms of student development, “Architect’s Week” is a particular hallmark
of the School of Architecture. Each year students plan and present an
intensive period of architectural investigation outside the normal design
studios. The School supports these activities with a generous budget for
invited guests and materials as well as guidance in the planning an
execution of the week’s events. The student body participates in a series of
workshops and special exercises and attends lectures, films, and
demonstrations throughout. In 2005, Architect's Week entitled "Navigation"
and was headed by Stephen Cassell of ARO. In 2006 and 2007, Architect's
Week was headed by Coleman Coker; students took on projects in the
Upper Treme and Central City neighborhoods respectively.
The students have an active AIAS chapter with its own university
sponsored activities budget. In addition, there is an active and highly visible
internal student government. This group, the Tulane School of Architecture
Student Government, is involved with school governance issues and has
been active in the development of TSA’s new curriculum and various other
programs. The national honorary architectural fraternity, Tau Sigma Delta,
has a Tulane chapter that receives members based on scholarship,
leadership, character, and creative ability. They are working on a tutoring
program that would allow their members to assist younger students in their
coursework. Fully 25% are very active in student governance issues, and
many architecture students have high profile in their respective living/
learning communities, intra-university student government and all-university
student government (the ASB or Associated Student Body). There is also a
recently inaugurated chapter of the honor fraternity Alpha Rho Chi. And
we recently sponsored the National AIAS Conference.
Students have been active participants in such off-campus activities as
Habitat for Humanity and "Christmas in October", an annual neighborhood
cleanup project coordinated by the New Orleans Preservation Resource
Center.