College of Liberal & Creative Arts  {SF State Bulletin 2015 - 2016}

Image: San Francisco State University seal on a gold background

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

 

College Administrative Offices

Title Officer Office Telephone
Interim Dean Daniel Bernardi CA 251 338-1471
Associate Dean Sophie Clavier CA 257 338-1471
Associate Dean Susan Shimanoff HUM 484 338-1471

 

College Directory

Department/Program Chair/Director Office Telephone
American Studies Christina Ruotolo HUM 409 338-1099
Anthropology James Quesada HUM 252 338-1633
Art, School of Gail Dawson FA 293 338-2176
Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Vinay Shrivastava CA 133 338-1787
Cinema, School of Britta Sjogren FA 245 338-1787
Classics David Leitão HUM 377 338-2068
Communication Studies Christina Sabee HUM 282 338-1597
Comparative and World Literature Dane Johnson HUM 377 338-3072
Creative Writing Maxine Chernoff HUM 380 338-1891
Design and Industry Todd Roehrman (Interim) FA 121 338-2919
English Language and Literature
Technical and Professional Writing
Sugie Goen-Salter HUM 484 338-7582
Modern Languages and Literatures Paola Cortés-Rocca HUM 475 338-7413
History Philip Dreyfus SCI 276 338-7537
Humanities Cristina Ruotolo HUM 410 338-1090
International Relations Sanjoy Banerjee HSS 336 338-1105
Jewish Studies Fred Astren HUM 415 338-6075
Journalism Cristina Azocar HUM 305 338-2663
Liberal Studies Cristina Ruotolo BH 238 338-6927
Museum Studies Edward Luby HUM 515 338-3163
Music, School of Dee Spencer CA 140 338-1431
Persian Studies Mitra Ara HUM 413 338-3121
Philosophy Anita Silvers HUM 388 338-1596
Political Science James Martel HSS 263 338-6212
Religious Studies Michael Sudduth HUM 388 338-1596
Theatre Arts and Dance, School of Todd Roehrman CA 103 338-1431
Women and Gender Studies Deborah Cohler HUM 315 338-3065

 

Centers and Institutes

Center/Institute Director/
Coordinator
Office Telephone
American Language Institute Katharine Sherak HUM 101 338-1438
Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism Cristina Azocar HUM 307 338-7434
Center for Modern Greek Studies Martha Klironomos HUM 542 338-1074
Dilena Takeyama Center for the Study of Japan and Japanese Culture Jon Funabiki HUM 539 338-3162
English Tutoring Center James Boyd HUM 290 338-1821
Morrison Chamber Music Center Richard Festinger CA 251 338-1471
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at SF State Gwen Sanderson DTC 817-4243
Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability Catherine J. Kudlick HUM 135 405-3528
Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives Steve Dickison HUM 511 338-3401

 

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

The College of Liberal & Creative Arts offers undergraduate degrees in the following disciplines:

 

Bachelor of Arts

American Studies 03131

Anthropology 22021

Art 10021

Concentrations in:

  • Art Education
  • Art History
  • Art History and Studio Art
  • Studio Art

Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts 06051

Chinese 11071

Concentrations in:

  • Chinese Language
  • Chinese Literature and Linguistics
  • Flagship Chinese Language

Cinema 10101

Classics 15041

Communication Studies 06011

Comparative Literature 15031

Dance 10081

Drama 10071

English 15011

Concentrations in:

  • Creative Writing 15071
  • English Education 15011
  • Individual Major 15011
  • Literature 15021
  • Linguistics 15051

French 11021

German 11031

History 22051

Concentration in Honors Program

Humanities 15991

International Relations 22101

Italian 11041

Japanese 11081

Journalism 06021

Concentrations in:

  • Photojournalism
  • Print and Online Journalism

Liberal Studies 49012

Modern Jewish Studies 15102

Music 10051

Philosophy 15091

Philosophy and Religion 15992

Political Science 22071

Spanish 11051

Technical and Professional Writing 15997

Women and Gender Studies 22990

 

Bachelor of Music 10041

 

Bachelor of Science

Industrial Design 08391

Concentration in:

  • Product Design and Development

Visual Communication Design 06012

 

Undergraduate Certificates

Conflict Resolution

Technical and Professional Writing

 

The College of Liberal & Creative Arts offers the following graduate degrees:

 

Master of Arts

Anthropology 22021

Art 10021

Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts 06051

Chinese 11071

Cinema Studies 10101

Classics 15041

Communication Studies 06011

Comparative Literature 15031

Drama 10071

English

Concentrations in:

  • Composition 15013
  • Creative Writing 15071
  • Linguistics 15051
  • Literature 15021
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 15081

French 11021

German 11031

History 22051

Humanities 15991

Industrial Arts 08393

International Relations 22101

Italian 11041

Japanese 11081

Museum Studies 49036

Music 10051

Philosophy 15091

Political Science 22071

Spanish 11051

Women and Gender Studies 22990

 

Master of Fine Arts

Art 10022

Cinema 10102

Creative Writing 15071

Theatre Arts

Concentration in Design/Technical Production 10072

 

Master of Music 10041

 

Graduate Certificates

Immigrant Literacies (English Department)

Jewish Community Studies (Jewish Studies Department)

Teaching of Composition (English Department)

Teaching Post-secondary Reading (English Department)

 

Mission and Goals

The liberal and creative arts explore the identities, ethics, aspirations, arguments and imaginations of individuals and societies through art myth, literature, language, philosophy, religion, public and private discourse, cultural artifacts and the symbolic systems by which ideas and feelings are communicated.

Disciplines in the liberal and creative arts address fundamental questions of existence, value, aesthetics and expression. What is an ethical human being? How can we balance individual freedom and civic responsibility? How do different cultures define beauty, morality, truth and other concepts? How do human beings use language and other symbolic forms to communicate and celebrate thoughts, emotions, endeavors?

The liberal and creative arts are dedicated to exploring multiple answers to these questions, to engaging the imagination and creativity, to increasing civic and global responsibility, to cultivating moral action, and to equipping people with the artistic and communication skills needed to express the best of what it means to be human.

Today's life is complex, constantly challenging. The times need women and men who can think, reason and communicate clearly; who understand moral and ethical distinctions; and who have a sense of both the continuity and the changing values of the human community.

 

Programs

The College of Liberal & Creative Arts consists of the departments of Art, Broadcast and Electronic Arts, Cinema, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative and World Literature, Creative Writing, Design and Industry, English, Modern Languages and Literatures, Humanities, Jewish Studies, Journalism, Music and Dance, Philosophy, Theatre and Women and Gender Studies; and programs in African Studies, American Studies, California Studies, Critical Social Thought, Ethical Issues in Science and Technology, European Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies, Museum Studies, Pacific Asian Studies, Persian Studies, Religious Studies, South Asian Studies, Technical and Professional Writing and World Music and Dance. It offers the American Studies program, Global Peace Studies and a certificate in Conflict Resolution. The college also houses a number of special centers and institutes.

 

Students in the college work closely with a world-class faculty, comprised of working professionals and acclaimed artists and scholars who provide students with access to breaking trends and new opportunities and who frequently share their expertise with the news media on society’s most important issues.

 

As students examine this Bulletin, they will discover that a number of courses not only relate to one another but also cut across disciplinary and departmental lines. They can choose a major within one department; or by inquiring in the Advising Center, they can devise an individual cross-disciplinary program of study based on individual interests.

 

Arts Programs

The College of Liberal & Creative Arts has one of the largest and most comprehensive academic programs devoted to the creative arts in Northern California. Comprised of eight disciplines in the literary, media, performing and visual arts, the college provides unique opportunities for specialized focus, collaboration, interdisciplinary learning and multidisciplinary pursuits.

 

Academic programs encompass creative practice, theoretical and critical studies, fine arts, applied arts and arts education. The college supports programs that stress both original and interpretive forms of the arts, as well as those emphasizing traditional and innovative pursuits. High standards of professional accomplishment are stressed while maintaining a commitment to liberal arts curricula. A major goal is the education of students who will become significant creators, scholars, educators and facilitators in creative arts who are capable of making major contributions in our urban, national and global environment.

 

The college seeks to continue its long history of relationships with varied audiences, communities and professionals throughout San Francisco. A substantial portion of the college’s programs highlights the unique roles and expressions of the arts in a multicultural and diverse society. The college strives to maintain a significant contribution to the unique ways in which the creative arts can serve as primary agents in a quality liberal arts education.

 

For information on productions, exhibits, and symposia, refer to the Performing, Visual, and Media Arts section of this Bulletin.

 

Research and Special Learning Facilities

The college houses a number of special centers, institutes, facilities, and programs. Collections include: the Art Department slide collection, Marvin L. Silverman Jewish Studies Reading Room, Sutro Egyptian Collection and the Museum of Ancient Civilizations, Adán E. Treganza Anthropology Museum, American Poetry Archives and Nathan Shapira Design Archive.

 

Centers and institutes include: the American Language Institute, Center for the Integration and Improvement of Journalism, Center for Modern Greek Studies, Dilena Takeyama Center for the Study of Japan and Japanese Studies, Documentary Film Institute, English Tutoring Center, May Treat Morrison Chamber Music Center, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability and The Poetry Center.

 

Pre-law Program

No specific major is required for admission to a school of law. A usual requirement for admission is that the student must have been granted a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Some law schools, however, have alternative plans. Students should consult the catalogs of the schools of law to which they plan to apply for admission. Since law schools generally expect their students to have a broad foundation in the humanities and social sciences, selection of a major in these areas is recommended.

 

The College of Liberal & Creative Arts provides advising and resource materials to pre-law students majoring in one of the humanities. lease contact Professor Joseph Tuman, Communication Studies Department; Assistant Professor Carlos Montemayor, Philosophy Department; Associate Professor M. Shelley Wilcox, Philosophy Department; Associate Professor Kevin Toh, Philosophy Department; or Professor Michael Graham, Political Science Department. Pre-law students may pursue the Philosophy and Law emphasis in the Philosophy Department or, upon advisement, construct an individual interdisciplinary pre-law major. The Department of Political Science provides a similar advising service for students majoring in one of the behavioral and social sciences. Pre-law students not majoring in these departments may consult either for advising.

 

Pre-teaching Programs

Many students decide at some point during their undergraduate major that they would like to consider teaching in the public schools. In most cases, the requirements for the major must be adjusted to accommodate an Approved Single Subject Matter Preparation Program, those courses in a single subject that are required for entrance into teaching credential programs at this and other universities. A list of the courses required for teacher preparation in various subjects is available in department offices, as well as in the Credential Bulletin published by the Graduate College of Education.

 

Students considering teaching as a career are urged to contact the department’s credential adviser early in their planning, to identify the specific courses that satisfy requirements for both the major and the Subject Matter Preparation Program, and to arrange for assessment of subject-matter competency. The credential adviser will also inform them about other pre-teaching requirements that they may wish to fulfill before graduation.

 

Galleries, Labs, Theatres and Workshops

Creative Arts facilities throughout the college are custom-designed to meet the needs of the college’s programs. There are five performing arts auditoria, including McKenna Theatre (seats 701, with proscenium stage, orchestra pit, fly system and 35mm projection and video system), Knuth Hall (seats 322), Little Theatre (seats 253), Studio Theatre (seats 78, with thrust stage) and the Brown Bag Theatre (seats 55, black-box design). The Coppola Theatre screening room seats 146.

 

The Art programs include the 3,200-square-foot Fine Arts Gallery with rear projection screen, curatorial rooms and the Martin Wong Gallery. The department houses a slide library of more than 100,000 slides and a printmaking archive of 500 works.

 

Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts students have access to professional-grade production equipment, studios and laboratories. Work completed by students in the department is distribution-ready for Federal Communications Commission broadcast guidelines and is in continuous distribution through terrestrial broadcast, cablecast (both radio and video) and Internet delivery. KSFSmedia.net is the student-run distribution hub for all BECA student productions.

 

Production facilities include three high-definition, multi-camera television studios, a radio station, two music recording studios, two advanced sound-design-for-video studios and an array of field production equipment ranging from large-scale audio and multi-camera video simulcast equipment to professional-quality audio and video single-camera and electronic news gathering equipment. The BECA Department also maintains more than 75 computer workstations for audio and video production and post-production activity.

 

Cinema facilities include a 250-foot shooting stage, several editing and post-production labs, sound recording and mixing studios with digital editing workstations, a Foley stage, an animation studio with film and computer workstations, two computer labs, a media library, the Bill Nichols Reading Room and the Cinema Studies Center.

 

The Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives, housed in the Creative Writing Department, holds the nation’s largest, most comprehensive and heterogeneous collection of poetry on tape that is accessible to the public.

 

Design and Industry facilities include digital laboratories for graphic design, interactive media, computer-aided drafting (CAD), 3D surface and solid-modeling computer graphics and computer-aided manufacturing/rapid-prototyping.

 

The School of Music and Dance has dedicated large and small ensemble rehearsal spaces, three piano laboratories, a large number of practice rooms, an electronic music laboratory, and a dance studio with projection booth and foldout seating.

 

The Theatre Arts Department, in addition to four theatres, includes a scene and paint shop, costume shop, properties shop, lighting laboratory and sound design laboratory.

 

The college supervises computer laboratories used by classes.

 

 

SF State Home