The Butte College Ceramics Program offers a solid foundation in the technical and aesthetics aspects of clay construction. Although ceramics as a creative art medium is emphasized, students also study the interrelationship between industry, business and ceramics. Our staff strives to offer a well-rounded art education including instruction in the skills needed to develop a working portfolio for employment and higher education purposes.
Ceramics is a vibrant program that currently offers four courses: ART 50, 52, and 56, Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Ceramics, and ART 54, which is an intermediate course that focuses on low-fire glazes and surface treatments. Beginning classes introduce and develop fundamental skills, while Intermediate, Advanced, and Low-Fire classes offer students the opportunity to develop techniques and a body of work that will prepare them for transfer and upper-division work and/or employment as artists. Students can earn a Certificate of Achievement and/or an A.A. degree in Ceramics. Classes are offered in a spacious classroom (ARTS 140) and Glaze Room, which includes an outdoor state-of�the-art laboratory. Classes are taught by three-five Associate faculty members. The program has a lab technician who assists in the operation of the area.
Therre were no recommendations made in our Program Review Validation Report that specifically focused on Ceramics. However, the following commendations were offered in support of successes achieved by the Ceramics area:
The Validation Team commends the Art Department on maintaining a high level of quality instruction. Full-time and associate faculty and department staff engage in professional development. They obviously work hard and strive toward making Arts-related subject matter interesting, relevant, and accessible to our students.
Since the retirement of fulltime instructor, Idie Adams over 10 years ago, this area has been largely managed by Associate Faculty and Jacob Troester, lab tech., with oversight of Department Chair, Daniel Donnelly. Margie Allen, Cathryn Hudin, Michael Murphy, Pat Koszis, and Jacob Troester are to be commended for carrying an inordinate load in keeping this highly successful program going strong.
Strategy 1 - Support students to complete degrees/certificates
Students will be more successful in the outside world if they hold a college degree or certificate. Incorporate success and completion of the Ceramics AA Degree/Certificate of Achievement into the language of everyday instruction. Encourage students to explore other degree/certificate options within the department to support their success.
Students will be more successful in the outside world if they hold a college degree or certificate. In order to meet the Chancellor's Vision for Success goals we must assist students in completing degrees/certificates and to transfer to university. Vision for Success Goal # 1 "Over 5 years, increase degrees, certificates by 20% (that prepare them for an in-demand job) Programs and course sequences need to match regional economies and employers." In order to meet this goal we will need 6 students who have earned AA Degrees and 18 students who have earned a Certificates of Achievement in Ceramics.
In order to reach the Chancellor's Vision for Success Goal #2 "Over 5 years, increase by 35% the number of students transferring to CSU and UC. This increase is needed to meet the future workforce demand for BA. In California demand for workers with BAs in increasing faster the demand for workers with AA or less" we will need to increase the number of ceramics students transferring.
In addition, ceramics students who earn an AA/CA in Arts Entrepreneurship will be better prepared for moving directly into arts business or transfer.
Advertising assistance.
We have developed a marketing campaign - Unleash Your Creative Side. We need help marketing this to local communities who are unaware of what we offer in Art, Design, and Performing Arts, or were put off by the lack of opportunities the college offered during the last deep budget cut and the repeatability changes.
Art-C earns a small amount of revenue selling clay to students and during its semi-annual Ceramic Sale. These funds are deposited into the Ceramic foundation account.
About a year ago one of the Ceramics Lab’s most valuable electric kilns had a literal melt-down resulting in its complete destruction. This kiln, because of its “front loading” design, was funded through ‘Disabled Student Services’ so that students with disabilities would have the opportunity to learn the process of loading and unloading electric kilns. We've sourced a new kiln that is considerably smaller in size and less in cost than the original, but will still be effective as an accessible tool and learning opportunity for disabled students, while also being an overall asset to the efficiency and quality of the ceramics studio. We would like to investigate if there may be funding, or even partial funding available from DSPS for a new kiln.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Ceramics | Equipment | 11-000-512-1-100230 | $1,630.00 | $0.00 | |
| Replacement lid for Bailey kiln | A replacement lid is needed before the current lid becomes a safety hazard. |
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| 2 | Ceramics | Equipment | 11-000-512-1-100230 | $15,241.00 | $0.00 | |
| Bailey Front Loader Thermallogic Kiln | Two years ago one of the Ceramics Lab�s most valuable electric kilns had a literal melt-down resulting in its complete destruction. Because of its �front loading� design, it was funded through �Disabled Student Services� so that students with disabilities would have the opportunity to learn the process of loading and unloading electric kilns. Our other �top load� designed kilns do not offer this opportunity. This primary request for this year�s unit plan is a similarly designed kiln to replace the one that was destroyed. The kiln we have sourced is considerably smaller in size and less in cost than the original, but will still be effective as an accessible tool and learning opportunity for disabled students, while also being an overall asset to the efficiency and quality of the ceramics studio. |
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