Research alliance welcomes JMU
James Madison
University has been accepted as a founding member of the Alliance for the Arts
in Research Universities largely for its proven reputation as an institution
valuing and supporting interdisciplinary undergraduate research.
JMU is one of 28
founders and the only comprehensive institution in the alliance whose aim is
"to help equip students and faculty to address the world's most pressing,
complex and open-ended challenges with creative confidence as well as disciplinary
expertise," according to alliance documents.
While JMU's
membership in the organization of research universities seems an unlikely fit, Dr.
George Sparks, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, who presented
the case for JMU's inclusion, sees the university as a great partner in the new
affiliation.
"We're a
comprehensive university, we're a teaching university and we maintain that
excellence in teaching, and at the same time, we're fulfilling a lot of the
characteristics of a research university," said Sparks. "Our faculty
are certainly on a par with the best research universities."
Sparks
investigated the possibility of JMU's inclusion in the A2RU after hearing a
presentation on the proposed alliance at a conference of the International
Council of Fine Arts Deans. A member of the council's executive board, Sparks
corresponded with colleagues who were establishing the alliance, provided data
about JMU's excellence in undergraduate research, assessment and initiatives
arts faculty and students have explored with other campus partners.
The Institute
for Visual Studies and the Madison Art Collection were key arts entities that
Sparks highlighted in his conversations with alliance officials. "I told
them, 'We're interested in joining the alliance if you expand the organization into
undergraduate institutions. If you have an interest in us joining at any time,
just let me know.'"
The alliance was
very interested in JMU and board members voted to extend an invitation to join.
Other state universities joining along with JMU are the University of Virginia,
Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.
Now that the
alliance's initial membership is formed, plans are under way for partners to
meet in March, organize committees and post success stories of university
initiatives on the group's website, www.a2ru.org. An alliance conference is tentatively
planned for late 2013.
"The
alliance is interested in what's going on across the country in universities in
which arts partner with other disciplines in initiatives," Sparks said. "They
are interested in how artistic thinking and practice can positively influence
research in engineering and science."
Among the
initiatives JMU plans to share are the 2010-11 academic year integrated arts
and sciences focus on the study of the human genome, The Dance of Art and
Science. That yearlong study brought Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National
Institutes of Health and former director of the National Human Genome Research
Institute, and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange to campus. Lerman's ensemble
worked with JMU students and faculty on "Ferocious Beauty: Genome," a
multimedia dance piece created by the collaboration of artists, scientists and
educators with inspiration from the mapping of the human genome.
Campus
sustainability efforts, including ones developed in partnership with Michael
Singer, an internationally known artist and designer who has developed a
cross-disciplinary style that has resulted in public art, architecture,
landscape and planning projects that are models for urban and ecological
renewal, will also be posted. Singer has shared his talent and insight with JMU
colleagues since 2009.
As JMU shares
good ideas via the alliance, Sparks hopes involvement in the new alliance will
open paths for more students to learn about the university. "All the
schools in the College of Visual and Performing Arts would like to expand our
reach, which this opportunity does. This gives us in many ways the best
national stage that we can get in one area, the area of research and
cross-disciplinary arts initiatives. It also gives us incentive to mount new
initiatives with other disciplines on campus."
"Our
membership in the alliance speaks volumes about the distinctiveness of this
university," Sparks said. "At JMU we maintain a great teaching
university status, while our faculty and students do incredible things in
research."
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Feb. 8, 2013
