Architecture Program Report Tulane University New Orleans ...

depth.
New directions and initiatives being undertaken by the University,
especially in urban affairs and international studies, will produce a
favorable environment in which the School can thrive. In taking
advantage of these emerging opportunities, TSA will not only engage a
central mission of the institution, but will assume an enhanced position
within the fabric of the University.
Information technology skills and integration.
With the School maintains a vital and aggressive program of instruction
in computer applications, we are now able to guarantee that graduates of
TSA achieve a minimum level of proficiency in computer applications.
Nonetheless, a number of improvements have occurred since the last
accreditation. These improvements, or upgrades if you will, have
included the expansion and continual updating of the computer graphics
lab and available technology, the incorporation of introductory instruction
in computerized representation within the first year studio curriculum, the
demand for computerized representational components in the second,
third and thesis years, and the appointment of a new faculty member and
several adjuncts with specializations in computer modeling and design
techniques. Our new Digital Imaging and Fabrication Center, along with
the Mintz Computer Center and revised studio teaching, is key to the
information technology skills integration.
Faculty compensation and operational resources
Since the last APR, financial resources have improved substantially.
Now financial resources are ensuring adequate faculty compensation, in
particular for incoming hires. With the University's contribution to
research resources (which the majority of the faculty have taken
advantage of), and with targeted raises, the problem of salary
compression is being ameliorated to a large degree. Under the Kroloff
administration, faculty were able to see some gains in this regard.
Student work and curricular issues
A continuing concern of the faculty is the quality of student work. This is
particularly the case in the design studios. While there are numerous
students who excel in design, the “floor” or necessary minimal
requirements in this area is too low. There are several factors at work
here, the most prominent of which are evident in two general areas: the
inability of students to integrate knowledge acquired in other coursework
and the general resistance to research. While the former concern
perhaps reflects a response to curricular segmentation, the latter
problem is more difficult to source. From the First-year forward, students
are in fact introduced to numerous research modes, including empirical
research and abstract (critical) analysis. They are also introduced to
specific methods or tools that facilitate research and analysis. Yet too
many projects continue to show insufficient integration of knowledge
acquired in history and technology courses and, hence, are insufficiently