Planning Board holds more hearings
Future, present space needs discussed
By JOHN GOODRICK Kansan staff writer
John McKay, dean of visual arts, summed up his department's needs by saying they don't need any additional space because they don't have any present space on which to add.
Visual Arts, the Art Museum, University Theatre and the School of Fine Arts representatives spoke to the University Planning Board Friday night about not only future needs for space, but about an urgent need for more space now.
There are 800 fine arts majors now, and McKay said there was currently not adequate staff or facilities for them. He said if the present enrollment kept up, in ten years there would be 1200 fine arts majors.
The average time spent by students in Visual Arts in their studios is three hours for each hour of credit, McKay said. He said first year students spent an average of 21 hours in the studio a week, but by the time they got to be seniors they would spend an average of between 36 and 40 hours a week there.
McKay said the department was presently spread out over several buildings on and off campus, including Strong Hall, Bailey annex and the football stadium.
nex and the football stadium.
The current use of space by Visual Arts is 48,000 square feet. McKay said they had a need for 88,500 additional square feet which would bring the total to 136,550 square feet, but he added,
"in ten years this wouldn't be adequate."
"Unlike all of the other groups that expressed a need for space," McKay said, "our department
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"We would be enthralled by any building," he said, though it would be advantageous to be located close to the art museum.
does not require a central location on campus."
"We are running against the wall in every direction," said Leland Miller, occupational therapy professor.
"Our bag is human function. Most occupational therapy courses need heavy laboratory services and because of a lack of space our program is becoming sub-standard," said Miller.
The last semester a student spends in occupational therapy he used to spend at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. Recently it was decided to move all the students back to Lawrence, "to . . . to nowhere," Miller said.
The department does not even have the same mailing address as the University, Miller said. He said everything sent to them through the University got sent back to the post office and re-addressed and then delivered to them because their building is off campus. He said it was "imperative for us to move on campus."
Peter Thompson, drawing and painting assistant professor, said since 1964 their enrollment had depended upon available space. Since the 1964-65 school year the department has stopped accepting students from the College of Liberal Arts, since the 1966-67 school year they have accepted only those students in the School of Fine Arts, and presently the department has stopped accepting graduate students.
Despite the curtailment of student enrollment there has been a 30 per cent increase in the enrollment in drawing and a 60 per cent increase in the enrollment in painting.
"Contemporary theater is leaning toward more audience participation rather than observation," he said. Dykes suggested a thrust type stage, with a seating capacity of 1,000, to accommodate this type of production. He said on this type of big scenery stage props would not be used but extensive lighting would.
director, said that much of education had been spent on making a job for tomorrow, but in the last few years there had been a trend "pointing toward the inner man and to the fullest development of the inner man."
Thompson said it was "crucial" that students saw the art of fellow students, faculty and other artists and emphasized the need for exhibition space.
"It is an understatement to say our space need is critical. Our requests are for right now. We are desperate," said Downer Dykes, professor of design.
"This semester we had to disenroll 20 freshmen and sophomore students so our seniors could take a needed course to graduate." said Dykes.
The sculpture studio underneath the bleachers of the stadium was extremely crowded, he said. Industrial design, operating in one-third of Bailey annex, has been told that "corrective measures will be taken" to solve the inadequate space problem. The department now operates on a "hot desk" program where more than one student uses the same desk.
Some key problems to the design department's need for space
are; present studios are being used full time from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day and some evenings; using the "hot desk" program; ceramic studios operating at full capacity and turning down students who want to take courses; and the lack of a glass facility.
Thomas Gorton, dean of the School of Fine Arts, in support of Visual Arts, said enrollments in Visual Arts, despite curtailment, had grown faster than almost any department.
The School of Fine Arts needs an additional 18,976 square feet, including 40 practice rooms, 25 teaching studios, 11 faculty offices and more, he said.
Gorton described Hoch Auditorium as an "unfortunate palace of enchantment" which was overshadowed by basketball. He said Hoch needed new dressing room facilities, seating, stage rigging, an electric organ and an acoustical shell.
Jed Davis, University Theatre
Bret Waller, Art Museum director, described Spooner Hall, the museum, as the oldest building on campus and a fire trap. He said that during the summer months the temperatures soared above 100 degrees in the upper floors of the building which did irreparable damage to paintings.
Something New, Something Different, Some Place To Eat
Question: Where to eat?
A lot of places to choose from, right?
You get hungry in the morning.
You're famished in the afternoon.
Tired of the same places.
You're always looking for some place different.
Some place that is better than most.
Some place close to campus.
Try coming to the Captain's Table. Enjoy something new. Enjoy the Captain's Table. (It's some place.)
Breakfast ... 7 - 10 a.m.
Lunch... 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner ... 2:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.
The Captain's Table
Across the street from Lindley Hall