November 23, 1998

Media Contact: José A. Álvarez (619) 594-2585

 

Six Degrees of Discovery

 

When San Diego State University student Joseph Pagan walked into his PSFA 400 class for the first time, he got a big surprise. He wasn’t astounded by the amount of reading required for the course. What amazed him was seeing six professors in class at the same time, stimulating discussions and debate, making the class come alive.

"I was very surprised. This is something a college student almost never gets to experience," said Pagan, a junior majoring in film. "Having six professors teach the course is like sitting in on a dinner party where the conversation is wide-ranging and where each guest is an expert in a different area of knowledge," said theatrical design professor Beeb Salzer, the lead professor of the course. "We are all students together. Each class is an eye-opening experience as we learn from each other."

The students agree. They say they really enjoy the interaction with the professors and the different points of view presented in class. "The class gives you the perspective of several individuals, not just that of one instructor," added Pagan.

"They add to the experience of getting an education," stated Christine Stern, a senior majoring in art. "The professors all teach different subjects, but they all work together and complement each other."

"I have never attended a class like this before," commented Melissa Jones, a communications major. "I love the fact that there is a change every day". Twentieth Century Revolutions, Art, Society, and the Individual, a new course in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts (PSFA) at San Diego State, focuses on the primary historic events, artists and movements in the arts of the 20th century that changed the way society perceived and imagined itself. The chronological journey is presented by six professors from five different disciplines: art, theatre, film, dance and music. The lectures are coordinated with labs and studio experiences, giving students an opportunity to create works of art and participate in dance performances, music compositions, theatrical presentations, and in film and studio art workshops.

"The majority of the students have never had the experience of participating in the arts in the ways that this course provides," said art professor Robert Mansfield.

For the professors, the course is also a change from the teaching routine they have become accustomed to. "The intellectual stimulation of the cross-disciplinary discussions is rejuvenating," stated music professor Thomas Stauffer. "The interaction…is a wonderful antidote to the isolation of the normal teaching situation."

According to Salzer, the faculty like teaching this class so much, the group is now designing a new course on the connections between art and science. This one will be taught by 10 professors. "Maybe the students will be inspired to see faculty still involved with learning in an open and happy environment," he concluded.

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