College of Fine Arts
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- COFA redirects here. for the "Compact of Free Association" see that article.
The College of Fine Arts (COFA) is the creative arts faculty of the University of New South Wales and is located on Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney, Australia.
History
-->The College of Fine Arts has been modified and renamed several times in its 30 year history. Its origins are with the Alexander Mackie College- a teachers college founded in 1958 that diversified its courses in the 1970s and became a College of Advanced Education (CAE). In 1975 the Alexander Mackie CAE founded its School of Art on the Paddington location on which COFA still resides. It was formed from the fine arts wing of the National Art School (NAS), an institution with a history stretching back to 1859. The design wing of NAS was handed to Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) in Rozelle which would later become part of the University of Sydney. In 1982 the Alexander Mackie School of Art became part of the Sydney CAE and was renamed the City Art Institute.In 1988 federal legislation eradicated the distinction between state owned Colleges of Advanced Education and federally funded universities. This meant that CAEs were amalgamated with existing universities in order to get funding. The City Art Institute merged with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) which had no fine arts faculty and was known for its excellence in science and technology at the time. It was renamed the College of Fine Arts and became an UNSW faculty on January 1, 1990. The process of amalgamation was gradual- it was not until 2005 that COFA’s courses were worth the same credit points as UNSW’s.
Organization
The College of Fine Arts consists of the following five schools:
- [The School of Art]
- [The School of Art Education]
- [The School of Art History and Theory]
- [The School of Design Studies]
- [The School of Media Arts]
The College offers nine undergraduate degrees including some double degrees associated with other UNSW faculties. Bachelors degrees are offered in Fine Arts, Art Education, Design, Art Theory, Digital Media, Art Education/Design, Arts/Art Theory, Art Theory/Social Science, Art Theory/Laws. Postgraduate degrees such as Graduate Diplomas, Masters and PhDs are also offered. The College runs non-award short courses that are open to the public.
The Paddington campus houses the [Clement Semmler Library], which maintains a large collection of art and design literature, journals, periodicals and electronic resources. Also on site is [The Ivan Dougherty Gallery], which has a regular schedule of exhibitions and seminars throughout the year, focusing on both student and professional work.
Students at the College are represented by the College of Fine Arts Students' Association.
Staff
Academic units are supported by various administration staff including a large technical support staff that helps maintain the various art, design and digital media disciplines undertaken at the College.
Prominent members of staff include:
- Dean: Professor Ian Howard
- Head of School of Art: [Sylvia Ross]
- Head of School of Art Education: [Kim Snepvangers]
- Head of School of Art History and Theory: [Dr Susan Best]
- Head of School of Design Studies: [Jacqueline Clayton]
- Head of School of Media Arts: [Andy Polaine]
References
- Patrick O’Farrell, UNSW, a portrait : the University of New South Wales, 1949 - 1999, UNSW Press, 1999, ISBN 0868404179
- L.M. Koder (Editor), In transit : Sydney CAE, 1982-1989, Sydney College of Advanced Education, 1989, ISBN 0863980538
- [Elizabeth Farelly, 2004, 'Life' in Darlo has whole new meaning]
- [NAS History, 2006]
See also
External links
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