M E M O R A N D U M
								March 23, 2010
To:	           Members of the Board of Trustees
From:		Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor
Subject:	Degree Authorization for the Fashion Institute of Technology
	I recommend that the Board of Trustees adopt the following resolution:
Resolved that the Chancellor be, and hereby is, directed to seek the authorization of the Board of Regents for the Fashion Institute of Technology to confer the degree of Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.).
Background
	Approval of this resolution will authorize the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to confer the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents.  Degree authorization is necessary as the award represents the Fashion Institute of Technology�s first use of the Master of Fine Arts degree.  
        The M.F.A. degree is consistent with the mission of FIT and will further enhance the College�s ability to prepare students for professional excellence in design that fosters creativity, career focus, and global perspective. In 2004, the M.A. in Illustration was approved, bringing to six the number of master�s programs offered by FIT�s School of Graduate Studies. The field of illustration is well represented by the College, with a B.F.A. in Illustration in existence since 1983. Building on this experience, the M.F.A. program at FIT will provide access to the terminal degree in art and design within academia and industry, and to expanded markets within the illustration field.  The projected enrollment will be 20 students.
        The proposed revision is a substantial change and upgrading of the M.A. coursework, with the addition of new courses, revisions in existing courses, and some deletions. The field of illustration today has undergone significant changes, and expectations for illustrators have also increased. The dominance of the moving image in film, television, the Internet, interactive video games, and entertainment, among other areas, has placed growing demands on illustrators and created expanding markets in the field. The contemporary illustrator must be more versatile, computer savvy and responsive than ever before � both as a freelancer and an employee within the industry. With illustration no longer a predominantly print-based medium, many mid-career illustrators are returning to school to enhance their careers and acquaint themselves with the language and skills that are now becoming a necessity. These enhanced abilities have been discussed at meetings with advisors, art buyers, and artists� representatives and at industry conferences, such as The Illustration Conference (ICON), and at meetings of the Board of Directors for the Educator�s Symposium at the Society of Illustrators in NYC. As the terminal degree in academia and in industry, the M.F.A. is a highly-valued credential, and among the preferred qualifications in classified ads seeking experienced illustrators to teach. The M.A. program has had an average of 50 applicants a year, and rarely does a conversation take place with the majority of them that does not include reference to an M.F.A. or a request to FIT to develop one.
        With expanded curricular offerings and studio courses, the proposed M.F.A. will enable students to explore work in these new emerging media applications, which include digital matte painting, character design, animation and video-gaming. These changes will also provide more advanced, graduate-level coursework through progressive, student-centered studies integrating theory and practice. As little formal instruction at this level is being offered either by SUNY or colleges elsewhere, FIT�s revised curriculum, with its expanded offerings taught by highly-skilled, industry-experienced professionals, will further develop and enrich students� aesthetic, analytical, and technological abilities. FIT illustration faculty are well qualified to teach courses in the M.F.A., as they are among the most noted and high-profile illustrators in the industry. 
        Currently, there are no other M.F.A. degree programs specifically in illustration offered anywhere in the SUNY system, and FIT�s proposed M.F.A. would be the first. It would also be one of only three M.F.A. Illustration programs in the tri-state area, along with The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in NYC and the University of Hartford in Connecticut. As the only public college in NYC to offer an M.F.A., FIT would provide an affordable option to students, enabling them to continue to freelance and/or work in full-time jobs while also attending college in the evening or the weekend � a desirable aspect noted consistently by potential applicants and open house attendees.
Board Resolution	-2-	March 23, 2010