A new paradigm in cross-disciplinary undergraduate art and design education

Abstract

In 2010, against a background of rising student complaints, the staff at Cardiff School of Art & Design (CSAD) decided to review its undergraduate provision. The findings of that review revealed that the school had inadvertently developed a ‘silo mentality’ where each subject area was perceived to be closed to students from other subject areas. This was frustrating the students as they found it difficult to access specialist materials and workshop equipment, hence the rise in student complaints. The school resolved to address these issues by radically redesigning the entire undergraduate provision and to validate a new scheme that actively encouraged openness, transparency and cross disciplinarily. The first part of this paper describes the structure of this radical new undergraduate scheme and explains how it has transformed the student experience at CSAD into a true cross disciplinary learning environment. The second part is a case study of the success of a student studying under this scheme and illustrates how they have crossed traditional subject boundaries and used materials and techniques that the previous scheme inhibited.