The Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology at Simon Fraser University
Encyclopedia
The Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT) at Simon Fraser University
in British Columbia
, Canada
, offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in Communication, Contemporary Arts, Interactive Arts & Technology, and Publishing. Programs in the Faculty are taught at all three campuses, located in Burnaby, Vancouver
, and Surrey
, B.C. Soon FCAT will also be located in the new Woodward's building
, a new cultural facility in downtown Vancouver
. FCAT was launched in April 2009. As of 2008-2009, the faculty had approximately 1,861 Undergrad FTEs, 208 Graduate Students, 1,600 Majors declared, and 79 continuing full-time faculty members. The current Dean of FCAT is Dr. Cheryl Geisler.
bridges the critical and the applied in its programs. It offers students opportunities and the means to explore, analyze, and critically evaluate the complexities and interplay between the numerous and diverse dimensions of communication — critical analysis of media
; the impacts and assessment of new technology
; the nature of information and media in local, national and global environments; telecommunications; communication and cultural policy
; the political and economic dimensions of communication media; international media systems; culture and communication; international communication; hands-on production and analysis of media; applied communication research and design; and more — all are key components of the programs in the School of Communication. Students in the School of Communication study human interaction from a critical perspective, examining media
and culture
; technology
and society
; and communication policy and political economy
. Collaborating with others, they deploy their combined insights in areas as diverse as healthcare and communication policy development. Degree offered is a Bachelor of Arts.
is focused on the study, production and promotion of contemporary art
. Programs are offered in art and culture studies, dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art. The School offers degree programs in Art and Culture Studies, Dance, Film
, Music
, Theatre
, Visual Art and a Master of Fine Arts.
Programming began in 1965 on a non-credit basis. There was a collaborative atmosphere from the outset, encouraging interaction between the arts and academic departments. Practicing artists, such as theatre director John Juliani
and composer R. Murray Schaefer, ran some of these programs. By the early 1970s, the Centre was a recognized program with a public event series, workshops conducted by invited high profile artists and in-house interdisciplinary productions such as Purcell
's opera Dido and Aeneas. In 1975 the Centre became an academic unit in the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, with credit courses in dance, film, music, theatre, visual art and interdisciplinary art history under its first Director: Dr. Evan Alderson. The University brought in new faculty and initiated minor programs beginning with dance in 1977. Grant Strate
, choreographer and former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada
, became Director in 1980. By 1981, there were minor programs for each disciplinary area of the School, a major in Dance, and a BA with a major in the Fine and Performing Arts. Although subjected to cutbacks as a result of the provincial restraint program in 1983, the Centre maintained the academic programs in all fine arts disciplines. In 1986 a new provincial initiative spawned the establishment of Praxis Centre for Screenwriters as well as a professional non-credit summer program called the Summer Intensives. These two four week courses focused upon a range of topics from Art Theory and Criticism, Voice Training, Choreography, New Media, Film Sound and Music and Javanese Court Gamelan
. In 1989 the school co-founded the Centre for Image and Sound Research. Funded by a major grant from the federal government, CISR supported innovation in new media through a state of the art lab, workshops and grants to industry until 1992. When composer Rudolf Komorous
became Director in 1989, the department was renamed the School for the Contemporary Arts and grew to include BFA's in Film, Theatre, Music, and Visual Art, a BA in Art and Culture Studies, and extended minors in all disciplines. An interdisciplinary MFA was established in 1990. In recent years, under the direction of Owen Underhill (94 - 01, 06-7), Patricia Gruben (97-8) and Martin Gotfrit (01), the School for the Contemporary Arts has increased faculty numbers to 22 tenure-track professors, 5 lecturers, and 2 lab instructors. The School of Contemporary Arts has established Field Schools in Ghana
and India
.
The School has established faculty research centres at the Great Northern Way campus shared by SFU, UBC
, ECIAD and BCIT. Through Praxis
, the School developed a nationally recognized program of professional training for screenwriters, and public events with Canadian and international filmmakers like Atom Egoyan
, Sally Potter
, Costa-Gavras
, Mike Leigh
, and Walter Murch
.
In 2010, the School for the Contemporary Arts will relocate to the innovative new Woodward's
redevelopment in downtown Vancouver. The SFU Contemporary Arts at Woodward's building
will be at the centre of Vancouver
's lively art and cultural scene and a magnet for visitors from across the country and around the world.
. In the 16-month program, a select cohort of MPub candidates learn practical skills from faculty and guest industry professionals. The MPub operates under the umbrella of the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing (CCSP), Canada’s book, magazine, and online publishing research and education centre. As part of its mandate to work closely with the Canadian publishing industry, the Master of Publishing program consults regularly with an Advisory Board.
and culture
, the creation of original and experimental works of art, and the implementation of new technologies. The SIAT program includes design studios where cross-functional teams collaboratively work with new media and interactive applications, and the study of the human experience of technology that helps to generate creative design theories and approaches. SIAT combines research with graduate and undergraduate degree programs (MA, MSc, PhD, BA, BSc). Graduates have gone on to many careers in numerous sectors, worked with local and international companies, and have pursued further research and post-doctoral studies for careers in industrial research laboratories and universities. SIAT is one of the first schools to offer PhD degrees in the area of interactive arts and technology, and is unique in that it offers first year undergraduate study through to Master's and PhD level study.
in Surrey
. In TechOne, students study design and technology, and the roles they play in the everyday lives of people. The core courses are interdisciplinary and represent critical concepts in communication, art, and technology theory and practice: design, technology, spatial thinking and collaboration. Each one of these courses offers a concise overview of the central concept, exploring its traditional role in industry, society and academia, as well as students' lives. In all core courses, students work through a combination of theoretical study, hands-on exploration, practice and critical inquiry to develop a solid understanding of the fundamentals of each field and build a broad set of skills that will support them in future work and academic pursuits.
Bachelor of Science Degrees in:
Master of Science and Ph.D. Degrees in:
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in Communication, Contemporary Arts, Interactive Arts & Technology, and Publishing. Programs in the Faculty are taught at all three campuses, located in Burnaby, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, B.C. Soon FCAT will also be located in the new Woodward's building
Woodward's building
The Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
, a new cultural facility in downtown Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. FCAT was launched in April 2009. As of 2008-2009, the faculty had approximately 1,861 Undergrad FTEs, 208 Graduate Students, 1,600 Majors declared, and 79 continuing full-time faculty members. The current Dean of FCAT is Dr. Cheryl Geisler.
School of Communication
The School of Communication at Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
bridges the critical and the applied in its programs. It offers students opportunities and the means to explore, analyze, and critically evaluate the complexities and interplay between the numerous and diverse dimensions of communication — critical analysis of media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
; the impacts and assessment of new technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
; the nature of information and media in local, national and global environments; telecommunications; communication and cultural policy
Cultural policy
Cultural Policy is the area of public policy-making that governs activities related to the arts and culture. Generally, this involves fostering processes, legal classifications and institutions which promote cultural diversity and accessibility, as well as enhancing and promulgating the artistic,...
; the political and economic dimensions of communication media; international media systems; culture and communication; international communication; hands-on production and analysis of media; applied communication research and design; and more — all are key components of the programs in the School of Communication. Students in the School of Communication study human interaction from a critical perspective, examining media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
; technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
; and communication policy and political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
. Collaborating with others, they deploy their combined insights in areas as diverse as healthcare and communication policy development. Degree offered is a Bachelor of Arts.
School for the Contemporary Arts
The School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
is focused on the study, production and promotion of contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
. Programs are offered in art and culture studies, dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art. The School offers degree programs in Art and Culture Studies, Dance, Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, Visual Art and a Master of Fine Arts.
Programming began in 1965 on a non-credit basis. There was a collaborative atmosphere from the outset, encouraging interaction between the arts and academic departments. Practicing artists, such as theatre director John Juliani
John Juliani
John Juliani was a Canadian actor, writer, producer, director and educator. His career spanned four decades in a number of different media, including radio and film. In addition to his artistic contributions, Juliani was a strong advocate of Canadian theatre and the arts...
and composer R. Murray Schaefer, ran some of these programs. By the early 1970s, the Centre was a recognized program with a public event series, workshops conducted by invited high profile artists and in-house interdisciplinary productions such as Purcell
Purcell
Henry Purcell was an English composer.Purcell may also refer to:*Purcell, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Johnson Township, Knox County, Indiana*Purcell, Missouri, a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States...
's opera Dido and Aeneas. In 1975 the Centre became an academic unit in the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, with credit courses in dance, film, music, theatre, visual art and interdisciplinary art history under its first Director: Dr. Evan Alderson. The University brought in new faculty and initiated minor programs beginning with dance in 1977. Grant Strate
Grant Strate
Grant Strate, is a Canadian dancer, choreographer, and academic.Born in Cardston, Alberta, though he started out in Edmonton as a lawyer he was an original member of the National Ballet of Canada and was a soloist, choreographer and teacher with the Company as well. From 1970 to 1980, he was the...
, choreographer and former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
, became Director in 1980. By 1981, there were minor programs for each disciplinary area of the School, a major in Dance, and a BA with a major in the Fine and Performing Arts. Although subjected to cutbacks as a result of the provincial restraint program in 1983, the Centre maintained the academic programs in all fine arts disciplines. In 1986 a new provincial initiative spawned the establishment of Praxis Centre for Screenwriters as well as a professional non-credit summer program called the Summer Intensives. These two four week courses focused upon a range of topics from Art Theory and Criticism, Voice Training, Choreography, New Media, Film Sound and Music and Javanese Court Gamelan
Javanese Court Gamelan
Note: the first cover is of the first CD issue of the album, released during the 1990s.Javanese Court Gamelan is a recording of the gamelan of the Paku Alaman court in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. It was recorded by ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown. It was issued on compact disc on April 17, 1991...
. In 1989 the school co-founded the Centre for Image and Sound Research. Funded by a major grant from the federal government, CISR supported innovation in new media through a state of the art lab, workshops and grants to industry until 1992. When composer Rudolf Komorous
Rudolf Komorous
Rudolf Komorous is a Canadian composer. His works includue Twenty-Three Poems about Horses , based on the poetry of Li Ho, the opera No no miya which uses elements of Noh theatre and the Li Ch’ing Chao Madrigals .-References:...
became Director in 1989, the department was renamed the School for the Contemporary Arts and grew to include BFA's in Film, Theatre, Music, and Visual Art, a BA in Art and Culture Studies, and extended minors in all disciplines. An interdisciplinary MFA was established in 1990. In recent years, under the direction of Owen Underhill (94 - 01, 06-7), Patricia Gruben (97-8) and Martin Gotfrit (01), the School for the Contemporary Arts has increased faculty numbers to 22 tenure-track professors, 5 lecturers, and 2 lab instructors. The School of Contemporary Arts has established Field Schools in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The School has established faculty research centres at the Great Northern Way campus shared by SFU, UBC
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, ECIAD and BCIT. Through Praxis
Praxis
Praxis is the putting of theory into practice. The term may refer to:* Christian theological praxis* Praxis , the practice of faith, especially worship* The Praxis School, a school of Marxist philosophy...
, the School developed a nationally recognized program of professional training for screenwriters, and public events with Canadian and international filmmakers like Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
, Sally Potter
Sally Potter
Charlotte Sally Potter is an English film director and screenwriter.-Career:Having left school at sixteen to become a filmmaker, Potter joined the London Film-Makers' Co-op and started making experimental short films, including Jerk and Play...
, Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras, is a Greek filmmaker, who lives and works in France, best known for films with overt political themes, most famously the fast-paced thriller, Z...
, Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh
Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
, and Walter Murch
Walter Murch
Walter Scott Murch is an American film editor and sound designer.-Early life:Murch was born in New York City, New York, the son of Katharine and Canadian-born Walter Tandy Murch , a painter. He went to The Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, from 1949 to 1961...
.
In 2010, the School for the Contemporary Arts will relocate to the innovative new Woodward's
Woodward's
Woodward's was the name of a department store chain which operated in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada for one hundred years, before its sale to the Hudson's Bay Company .-History:...
redevelopment in downtown Vancouver. The SFU Contemporary Arts at Woodward's building
Woodward's building
The Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...
will be at the centre of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's lively art and cultural scene and a magnet for visitors from across the country and around the world.
Publishing Program
The Masters in Publishing (MPub) program is the only program in Canada to offer a postgraduate degree in publishingPublishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
. In the 16-month program, a select cohort of MPub candidates learn practical skills from faculty and guest industry professionals. The MPub operates under the umbrella of the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing (CCSP), Canada’s book, magazine, and online publishing research and education centre. As part of its mandate to work closely with the Canadian publishing industry, the Master of Publishing program consults regularly with an Advisory Board.
School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT)
SFU Surrey’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) explores ideas where technology and art meet. Students learn about digital interactive media, knowledge management and human computer interaction in labs and instructional facilities. SIAT is an interdisciplinary research focused school where technologists, artists, designers and theorists collaborate in research and study. A SIAT education combines the science of human experience, the analysis of mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, the creation of original and experimental works of art, and the implementation of new technologies. The SIAT program includes design studios where cross-functional teams collaboratively work with new media and interactive applications, and the study of the human experience of technology that helps to generate creative design theories and approaches. SIAT combines research with graduate and undergraduate degree programs (MA, MSc, PhD, BA, BSc). Graduates have gone on to many careers in numerous sectors, worked with local and international companies, and have pursued further research and post-doctoral studies for careers in industrial research laboratories and universities. SIAT is one of the first schools to offer PhD degrees in the area of interactive arts and technology, and is unique in that it offers first year undergraduate study through to Master's and PhD level study.
TechOne
TechOne is the first year cohort program for the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology and is exclusively offered at Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In TechOne, students study design and technology, and the roles they play in the everyday lives of people. The core courses are interdisciplinary and represent critical concepts in communication, art, and technology theory and practice: design, technology, spatial thinking and collaboration. Each one of these courses offers a concise overview of the central concept, exploring its traditional role in industry, society and academia, as well as students' lives. In all core courses, students work through a combination of theoretical study, hands-on exploration, practice and critical inquiry to develop a solid understanding of the fundamentals of each field and build a broad set of skills that will support them in future work and academic pursuits.
Undergraduate Programs
Bachelor of Arts Degrees in:- Communication
- Contemporary Arts
- Interactive Arts and Technology
- Publishing
- TechOne (first year of B.A. or B.Sc.)
Bachelor of Science Degrees in:
- Interactive Arts and Technology
Graduate programs
M.A. and PhD Graduate Degrees in:- Communication
- Contemporary Arts
- Interactive Arts and Technology
- Publishing
Master of Science and Ph.D. Degrees in:
- Interactive Arts and Technology
See also
- Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing
- Education in CanadaEducation in CanadaEducation in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, funded and overseen by federal, provincial, and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by...
- Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
- Higher Education in British ColumbiaHigher education in British ColumbiaHigher education in British Columbia is delivered by 25 publicly funded institutions that are composed of eleven universities, eleven colleges, and three institutes. This is in addition to three private universities, five private colleges, and six theological colleges...
- Woodward's buildingWoodward's buildingThe Woodward's building was a historic building in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1903 for the Woodward's Department Store when that area of Cordova Street was the heart of Vancouver's retail shopping district. ...