Substantive Change Application, Part 1: General Questions · already been scheduled, this filing will initiate the process of scheduling the visit. 2. The institution files Part 2

© Higher Learning Commission Page 1 Version 2.0 . August 2011

Substantive Change Application, Part 1: General Questions

New Programs Institution: College for Creative Studies City, State: Detroit, Michigan

Name of person completing this application: Eleanor Fuchs Date Submitted: 06/18/2013

Title: Assistant Provost Phone: 313-664-1495 Email: [email protected] The questions are designed to elicit brief, succinct, detailed information, rather than a narrative or references to extensive supporting documents. Do not attach other documents unless they are specifically requested in the questions. The total submission should be no more than 10-12 pages on a single classification of change. The submission should be no more than 20 pages total on an application addressing multiple change requests. Submit the completed application as a single electronic document (in Adobe PDF format) emailed to [email protected]. Requested Change(s). Concisely describe the change for which the institution seeks approval. Please Note: If submitting a change request for a new program and distance offerings or a new program and location, the institution should submit the New Program Application. Otherwise an institution submitting more than one change request should complete multiple applications, one for each type of change.

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) seeks approval for two new graduate programs, Master of Fine Arts in Interaction Design and Master of Fine Arts in Color and Materials Design. While these new degree programs are the impetus for the current application, the College also requests that the Higher Learning Commission accept the proposed amendment of CCS’s Statement of Affiliation Status to “Accreditation at the Master’s level is restricted to the Master of Fine Arts.”

Classification of Change Request. Check all boxes that apply to the change.

Note: not every institutional change requires prior review and approval. Review the “Overview of Commission Policies and Procedures for Institutional Changes Requiring Commission Notification or Approval” to make certain that current HLC policy requires the institution to seek approval.

Change in mission or student body: o change in mission o change in student body

New academic program(s) requiring HLC approval: o certificate o bachelor’s o diploma ü master’s/specialist o associate’s o doctorate

New additional locations: o in home state o in other state(s) or in other country(ies)

New branch campus: o new or additional campus(es)

Distance Delivery: o Initiation of distance education o Expansion of distance education o Initiation of correspondence education

o Expansion of correspondence education

Substantive Change Application: New Programs


Consortial or contractual arrangement:

o Consortial arrangement

o Contractual arrangement o The institution has completed the

Screening Form for Contractual Arrangements and has been advised that approval is required. (If not, see the Substantive Change Screening Form for Contractual Arrangements)

Other: o Substantially changing the clock or credit

hours required for a program

Institutional Context for Substantive Change Review. In 1-2 paragraphs, describe the key dynamics — institutional mission and internal or external forces — that stimulated and shaped the change. With its origins in the American Arts and Crafts movement, CCS has been a leader in art and design education for more than a century. Its mission is to nurture the creativity that is vital to the enrichment of modern culture. The College educates visual artists and designers, knowledgeable in varied fields, who will be leaders in creative professions that shape society and advance economic growth. The College fosters students' resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, embrace their responsibilities as citizens of diverse local and global communities, and learn throughout their lives. The College engages in community service by offering opportunities for artistic development and opening career pathways to talented individuals of all ages. The College strives to be at the forefront of education in a wide range of creative disciplines. Expanding graduate program offerings is a logical step in fulfilling the institution’s mission. CCS launched its first two graduate programs, Design and Transportation Design, in 2009. Since then, there have been three graduating classes: 12 students in 2011, 13 in 2012, and 11 in 2013. The Graduate Studies Division employs a Dean of Graduate Studies, two full-time graduate faculty, and a Graduate Division Coordinator. The College also hired a Graduate Admissions recruiter and a full-time International Student Services Advisor to serve the Graduate Studies Division. Additionally, the enrollment consulting firm Noel-Levitz was retained a year after the program’s launch to help develop the recruitment infrastructure and processes required to ensure the viability and future growth of graduate programs. The Graduate Studies Division currently has 48 full-time students who are located in a 13,400 sq. ft. space in the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, a 750,000 sq. ft. facility developed in 2009. An additional unused 40,000 sq. ft. floor has been earmarked for future graduate programs. Finally, the new programs have been developed in response to an identifiable external market need. As consumer markets have matured, there has been a steady rise in discernment and design consciousness in all segments. The ubiquity of interactive computer technologies has necessitated designers to develop specialized skills in the application of colors, materials, and finishes so as to differentiate their products from competitors, as well as to meet users’ increasingly sophisticated needs and preferences. Likewise, the proliferation of applications and other systems for these devices call for integrated design solutions that take into account a vast array of technological requirements and usage patterns. CCS has developed the proposed programs to provide the necessary training for designers to become highly specialized in their fields and address these technological design challenges.

Special conditions. Underline YES or NO attesting to whether any of the conditions identified below fit the institution. If YES, explain the situation in the box provided.



Is the institution, in its relations with other regional, specialized, or national accrediting agencies, currently under or recommended for a negative status or action (e.g., withdrawal, probation, sanction, warning, show-cause, etc.)?

YES

NO

Is the institution now undergoing or facing substantial monitoring, special review, or financial restrictions from the U.S. Dept. of Education or other federal or state government agencies?

YES

NO

Has the institution’s senior leadership or board membership experienced substantial resignations or removals in the past year?

YES

NO

Is the institution experiencing financial difficulty through such conditions as a currently declared state of exigency, a deficit of 10 percent or more, a default or failure to make payroll during the past year, or consecutive deficits in the two most recent years?

YES

NO

Is the institution experiencing other pressures that might affect its ability to carry out the proposal (e.g., a collective bargaining dispute or a significant lawsuit)?

YES

NO

Approvals. Check the approvals that are required prior to implementing the proposed change and include documentation of the approvals to the request.

ü Internal (faculty, board) approvals

o System approvals (for an institution that is part of a system)

o State approval(s) for requests other than for Distance Delivery

o For Distance Delivery only: process in place to ascertain and secure state approval(s) as required

o Foreign country(ies) approvals (for an overseas program or site) o No approval required Specialized Accreditation Complete this section only if specialized accreditation is required for licensure or practice in program(s) covered by this change application. ü The institution has already obtained the appropriate specialized accreditation. Attach a copy of the

letter from the agency granting accreditation. o The institution has begun the process of seeking or plans to seek specialized accreditation. Specify

the name of the agency and the timeline for completing the process. (If approval is a multi-stage process, the institution should contact the HLC staff liaison to discuss the timeline before submitting this change application form.)



o The institution does not plan to seek specialized accreditation. Provide a rationale for not seeking

this accreditation. Changes Requiring Visits

Complete this section only if the institution is already aware that the proposed change will need to be reviewed through a visit. (If the institution is unsure whether a visit is required, the Commission will advise the institution based on the information provided in the change application.)

o Request to schedule a Change Visit.

If a Change Visit has already been planned in consultation with Commission staff, specify the date set for the visit: ________________

o Request to add a proposed change to an already scheduled visit. Specify type of visit and date scheduled: _________

Whether the change will be reviewed through a separate Change Visit or embedded in an already scheduled visit, the following schedule will apply.

1. The institution files Part 1 of this change form at least 4 months before the visit. If the visit has not already been scheduled, this filing will initiate the process of scheduling the visit.

2. The institution files Part 2 of this change form at least 2 months before the scheduled visit. If the change will be embedded in an already scheduled visit, the form should be filed as an attachment to the report prepared for that visit.

Please note: The Commission plans to update the change forms annually, on or about September 1 of each year. However, if a Change Application form was accessed more than 90 days prior to filing, it is recommended that the institution visit http://www.ncahlc.org/change to ensure that there have been no changes in the application form in the intervening time.



Substantive Change Application, Part 2: Topic-Specific Questions

New Programs

An institution should submit a separate application for each requested program. Each proposed new program should be identified by using the Classification of Instructional Programs terminology (CIP codes). CIP codes are established by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics as a taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completions activity. More information is available at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/.

Attach the “Substantive Change Application–General Questions” as page one of your application. That completed form and your answers to the questions below will constitute your request for approval of a substantive change. It will be provided to future HLC review processes.

Name of Institution: College for Creative Studies

Part 1. Characteristics of the Change Requested 1. Identify the basic characteristics of the proposed educational program as indicated below:

a. the full name of the proposed program, the specific degree (if applicable) or the instructional level (if not a degree program), and the six-digit CIP code XX.XXXX of the program [CIP codes, program name, and additional description (optional)]

Color and Materials Design, Master of Fine Arts: CIP code 50.0404, Industrial and Product Design, a program that will teach students about color, materials, finishes, and processes to develop a practitioner expertise in the application to various design problems. The curriculum focuses on how these elements relate to effectively communicate a design message and product identity. In addition, it includes courses in related behavioral and consumer research methods, trends and future scenarios, and environmental sustainability as well as practica in the business of the design profession. Interaction Design, Master of Fine Arts: CIP code 50.0401, a program in the applied visual arts that is focused on teaching the principles and techniques used in designing effective and aesthetically pleasing human interaction with digital and mechanical devices. The basic principles of applied aesthetics, ergonomics, and cognitive psychology are components of the curriculum, as well as instruction in the application of the relevant digital tools. b. the total credit hours (indicate whether semester or quarter) for completion of the program

Both programs are 60 semester credit hours. c. normal or typical length of time for students to complete the program

Both are two-year programs.



d. the proposed initial date for implementation of the program The proposed initial implementation for both programs is fall 2014. e. the primary target audience for the program (e.g., full-time, part-time, traditional college age,

working adults, transfer students, military personnel, or particular ethnic group)

The primary target audience for the programs is traditional college age and working adults. The program will be full-time. f. the projected life of the program (single cohort or ongoing)

Both programs will be ongoing.

2. If 50 percent or more of the proposed program will be offered at a location or locations other than the

main campus (i.e., existing additional location or branch campus already approved by the Commission), please list the program and location.

N/A

3. If the proposed program will be offered via alternative delivery method (hybrid, online, ITV, accelerated, etc.), identify the maximum number of credit hours that may be earned in the program through each method.

N/A

4. Identify whether credit for evidence of prior learning (other than credit transferred from formal courses or awarded from Advanced Placement) will be accepted, and if so, for what number of credits. N/A

5. If you are planning any involvement by external organizations (other than accredited higher education institutions) in key operations as identified below, provide the information requested for each planned involvement. (Note that such involvement by a parent company or by one of its subsidiaries external to the institution in any of these operations should be reported.)

Type of involvement Name(s) of external organization(s)

Percent of Involvement

A. Recruitment and admission of students N/A

B. Course placement and advising of students N/A

C. Design and oversight of curriculum N/A

D. Direct instruction and oversight N/A



E. Other support for delivery of instruction N/A

6. If you are planning any involvement with other accredited higher education institutions in key

operations identified above, provide the name(s) of the other institutions and the nature of the involvement.

N/A

Part 2. Institution’s History with Programs 7. Does the institution currently offer a program at the same instructional level and with the same 4-digit

CIP code (XX.XX) as the proposed program? If so, identify the program currently offered and whether it is a degree program. Will the proposed program replace the program currently offered? CCS currently offers a program at the same instructional level and with the same 4-digit CIP code 50.04 as the Interaction Design and Color and Materials Design programs. The Transportation Design program is a degree program conferring a Master of Fine Arts degree upon successful completion. The proposed programs are to be offered in addition to existing graduate and undergraduate programs.

8. Does the institution currently offer two or more programs at the same instructional level with same 2-

digit CIP code (XX.) as the proposed program? If so, identify the two such programs with the highest numbers of graduates during the past year, along with their numbers of graduates. CCS currently offers two programs at the same instructional level with same interdisciplinary 2-digit CIP code 50 as the proposed programs. The two programs are Master of Fine Arts in Design and Master of Fine Arts in Transportation Design, with five (5) and six (6) graduates, respectively, in the 2012/2013 academic year.

Part 3. Institutional Planning for Program Change 9. What impact might the proposed program(s) have on challenges identified as part of or subsequent to

the last comprehensive visit or reaffirmation panel and how has the institution addressed the challenges? There have been significant upgrades to administrative functions, facilities, and plant since the 2006 comprehensive combined HLC/NCA and NASAD visit. At the time, the joint visiting team identified various issues that required attention concerning governance and student academic advising. While it was determined that CCS met these criteria, there was a recommendation that a progress report addressing the concerns be submitted by 2009. Extensive internal work followed. Various committees and taskforces comprising faculty and staff were formed and their work led to revisions to the Faculty Handbook, revisions to the roles and responsibilities of faculty committees, a substantial reorganization of Academic Advising, and the creation of a department of Academic Technologies to serve the computing needs of faculty and students. The College also created a centralized student services center that houses Financial Aid, Academic Advising, Career Services, International Student Services, and a counseling center. In 2009, CCS submitted a formal progress report as requested and the College is in good standing with both HLC/NCA and NASAD.



The challenges identified by the 2006 review panels have been addressed, and given the numerous infrastructure, facilities, and personnel upgrades, the foundations have been laid for the expansion of graduate studies at CCS.

10. What is the impact of the proposed program on existing programs in terms of finances, enrollment,

and staffing? Enrollment: The College’s current undergraduate student population is predominantly drawn from regional high schools. The proposed graduate programs would have no impact on undergraduate enrollment because they will be marketed to a broader national and international audience of art and design students and professionals, beyond the Detroit metropolitan area. Financial: The College has strictly controlled budgeting and account-reconciliation processes that ensure promotion, marketing, and other expenses are appropriately offset by tuition revenue flowing from enrollment. CCS has temporarily redirected funds from existing graduate programs to support the startup of the Interaction Design and Color and Materials Design programs. Budgetary shortfalls will be covered as necessary by redirected funds and fundraising revenue. The proposed programs’ budgets and growth targets were reviewed and set by CCS leadership, which review all budgets annually. For more information on the proposed programs’ finances, see Appendix A. Staffing: The College anticipates the proposed programs will have minimal impact on existing staff and faculty. Support from existing personnel will be within the College’s policies and procedures as outlined in the Faculty and Staff Handbooks. To further mitigate the impact on existing personnel, the College will secure dedicated full-time Department Chairpersons for the new programs. The programs will be further supported by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Division Coordinator. Additional support will be provided by the directors and staff of the following departments:

• Academic Technologies • Academic Facilities • International Student Services • Residence Life • Career Services • Financial Aid • Student Life • Student Success Center

11. What are the physical facilities and equipment needed to support the program? Indicate the impact

that the proposed change will have on the physical resources and laboratories that currently accommodate existing programs and services, or identify new laboratory and preceptor needs. The College is well resourced to support the planned launch of the Interaction Design and Color and Materials Design programs. The Division of Graduate Studies currently resides on the ninth floor of the Taubman Center with ample space available for expansion. The studio and classroom spaces are equipped with wireless infrastructure and state-of-the-art computer workstations. There is a dedicated Graduate Studies lab plus open-access 24-hour labs equipped with high-end computer workstations—both Mac and PC—as well as various printers and other peripherals. In total, there are 578 computers between the two campuses for student use, of which computer labs account for 116 and eight are solely for graduate students’ use.



CCS has 13,974 square feet of well-equipped shops including a state-of-the-art rapid prototyping facility. These facilities will be available to students in both programs and are adequate to serve the anticipated workload. In anticipation of the graduate program’s growth, CCS plans to dedicate the seventh floor of the Taubman Center, which is currently unoccupied, to the Graduate Studies Division. Existing equipment and labs will be transferred upon completion of the seventh floor build out. As is standard at the College, the programs will utilize shared classrooms, computer labs, and libraries; however, this will not affect the academics, finances, or physical resources of existing programs. In addition, the College has budgeted for increased financial and physical resources for the new programs, ensuring the current graduate programs are not adversely affected. Color and Materials Design: The College’s Color and Materials Library, which maintains a large inventory of color and materials samples and textbooks specifically related to design, is housed in the same building as the Division of Graduate Studies. It will be readily available to students in Color and Materials Design. In addition to a broad selection of onsite research materials and samples, the Color and Materials Library subscribes to the Material ConneXion Virtual Materials database and provides access to several other online databases, web portals, and electronic resources specifically dedicated to color and materials. The library is also equipped with computer workstations, a scanner, and printers to enable access to these online resources.

12. What is the evidence that a market for the new program(s) exists? How has estimated program

demand been factored into realistic enrollment projections? How have planning and budgeting processes used this evidence to develop a quality program that can be sustained? The proposed graduate programs stand apart because the comprehensive curriculum uniquely integrates relevant aspects of the business, research, and design disciplines for the professional designer. The program’s faculty will comprise successful industry practitioners and leaders who challenge students to meet industry standards. This faculty and the College as a whole will provide students with an active network of collaboration and partnerships involving a wide range of professional design organizations. This network will also give students post-graduation internship and employment opportunities not otherwise available. Finally, the program will offer students the College’s state-of-the-art studio facilities, with access to advanced technological capabilities.

Enrollment projections as reflected in Section 13 are based on best practices from the launch of the Design and Transportation Design programs in the fall of 2009, and the findings of the programs’ Advisory Boards. A total of 17 students were enrolled in both programs in the inaugural 2009 class, and have estimated that Color and Materials Design and Interaction Design will attract a total of 16 students in the first year. The four-year budget projections (see Appendix A) include two full-time faculty positions, a tech position, facility upgrades, investment in library and other resources, and investment in software and hardware, as well as funds assigned to faculty development and program marketing. Even with these significant expenses, the programs are budgeted to generate a surplus in 2017, the third year of operation. The budget projection for the program has been developed with the consideration of upfront marketing and capital expenses, and anticipated enrollment. For more information, see Appendix A. Color and Materials Design: Beginning in 2006, CCS elicited the help of a team of color and materials industry experts to guide and support the development of this proposal. The group became the Color and Materials Advisory Board and was led by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Their work included over 20 interviews with color and materials design experts from a broad range of fields—consumer electronics, transportation, apparel and sportswear, contract furnishings, and materials and



color consultancies. With the help of the Advisory Board and other professionals, CCS gained insight on industry recruitment needs, the skill and knowledge requirements of color and materials designers, as well as input on the desired learning outcomes of the various courses as the curriculum was being developed. The Advisory Board indicated that industry is increasingly challenged to evolve in response to the ubiquity of technologies and rising global competition. In the current professional environment, designers must develop unique products intended to address immediate consumer needs. The Advisory Board indicated the increasing importance of both the technical and aesthetic design of colors and materials as key to success in this competitive environment. Designers should also be able to function rapidly, be familiar with sourcing, and have a strong grasp of trends and trend forecasting. CCS also researched educational opportunities and found that a prominent Color and Materials Design program has yet to emerge in the United States. CCS’s proposed program will address the needs identified by the Advisory Board by teaching students to make technically feasible, aesthetically pleasing color and materials design solutions for a wide range of goods and services.

Interaction Design: In June 2012, CCS elicited the help of a team of industry experts to form an Interaction Design Advisory Board to assist in expanding the College’s insight on industry recruitment needs, the skill and knowledge requirements of interaction designers, as well as provide input on the learning objectives of the various courses as the curriculum was being developed. Further, CCS engaged a diverse group of Los Angeles based interaction design experts, including consumer electronics, transportation, apparel and sportswear, contract furnishings, and interaction design consultancies to explore curriculum content. Both the Detroit and LA groups affirmed there is a general shortage of qualified interaction design talent nationally. Specific to CCS, in spite of the fact there are only two interaction design courses in the current MFA Design program, companies, including Chrysler, ATX, Lenovo, Lextant, and Delphi, have hired approximately 50 percent of CCS MFA graduates to work in User Interface fields, clearly demonstrating the market need as well as CCS’s ability to develop curriculum in response to industry need. The Interaction Design program is unique because of its holistic approach to design education. The curriculum incorporates the study of marketing fundamentals and entrepreneurial practices, observational and ethnographic research methodologies, and future scenario planning with real-world design challenges.

13. If the Higher Learning Commission approves your program request, what future growth do you

anticipate (e.g., in the next six months, three years, 10-20 years)? Color and Materials Design: The program’s anticipated enrollment is as follows:

• Fall 2014 – Eight students • Fall 2015 – 10 new students and six returning, totaling 16 enrolled • Fall 2016 – 15 new students and eight returning, totaling 23 enrolled • Fall 2017 – 15 new students and 12 returning, totaling 27 enrolled • Fall 2018 – 15 new students and 12 returning, totaling 27 enrolled

Interaction Design: The program’s anticipated enrollment is as follows:

• Fall 2014 – Eight students • Fall 2015 – 10 new students and seven returning, totaling 17 enrolled • Fall 2016 – 15 new students and nine returning, totaling 24 enrolled • Fall 2017 – 15 new students and 13 returning, totaling 28 enrolled • Fall 2018 – 15 new students and 13 returning, totaling 28 enrolled

14. How do you plan to manage this growth?



As described in section 10, growth in the proposed programs will be managed incrementally and will be informed by revenue from tuition, fees, and industry-sponsored projects. Resources for the program will be allotted as needed within the aforementioned revenue streams.

15. What financial support and resources are in place to sustain the proposed program? Outline your

plan indicating revenue/expense, staffing, and enrollment projections for the first five years of operation showing both gross income and gross projected expenses. The proposed programs are expected to grow at a modest rate for the first two years, enrolling a combined total of approximately 47 students by 2016. The cost implications are therefore expected to be manageable. CCS has budgeted funds based on anticipated revenue growth. Revenue from other programs and fundraising will cover any shortfalls in the initial years. Revenue streams for the program will include tuition, fees, and industry-sponsored projects. Expenditures will include: • Personnel • Faculty Professional Development • Curriculum Development • Library and Instructional Resources • Marketing • Upfront Capital Expenses

The proposed program will begin to return a surplus in the third year of operation. For more information, see Appendix A.

16. How do you assure that promotion, marketing, and enrollment for your program stay in balance with

your actual resources and technical capabilities? As detailed in section 10, CCS has strictly controlled budgeting and account-reconciliation processes that assure programmatic expenses are appropriately offset by tuition revenue accrued from enrollment. Budgets and growth targets are reviewed and set annually by CCS leadership with monthly reconciliations reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Provost of the College, the Deans of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, the Department Chairpersons, and the President. Funds allocated through the budgeting process for promotion, marketing, and enrollment are determined based on annual revenue projections. CCS has not had an perating deficit, exclusive of unrealized market results, for over 10 years.

17. What controls are in place to ensure that the information presented to students in advertising,

brochures, and other communications will be accurate? The Graduate Studies Division has controls in place to ensure that the information presented to students in advertising, brochures, and other communications is accurate. The Department Chairpersons and the Dean of Graduate Studies are required to proofread and approve all promotional material created by the Marketing Department. The President’s formal authorization is required before anything is either published or produced.

Part 4. Curriculum and Instructional Design 18. Please list all the courses that comprise the program. Include course descriptions and number of

credit hours for each. Color and Materials Design:



The Color and Materials Design curriculum requires students to complete 60-credits of full-time graduate study in a two-year period. At least 85 percent of the prescribed courses are graduate level; studio courses comprise 50 percent of the curriculum and 35 percent of the total program is devoted to academic studies. The curriculum formally assigns 15 percent to electives selected from upper-level undergraduate classes, subject to the Department Chairperson’s approval. These electives are opportunities for students to supplement specific software skills and improve visual communication skills.

Contextual Design Research I: Business, Customer, and User Research Methods – 3 Credits Students will learn the methods, tools, and techniques of research relevant to designing for product, experience, space, or service. The methods and tools fall into the categories of “what people say,” “what people do,” and “what people need.”

Contextual Design Research II: Trend Forecasting and Future Scenario Planning – 3 Credits Students will learn how to identify, assess, and forecast both long-term and short-term trends that can be researched through a variety of information sources – consumer demographics and psychographics, developments in technology, manufacturing, and the sciences as well as cultural, social, environmental, and economic influences. Short-term forecasts will be researched through current events and activities across a wide range of design and art industries – such as fashion, industrial design, and architecture as well as in the areas of science, technology, and business.

Business Practices I: Marketing as a Strategy – 3 Credits

Students will study modules on the fundamental principles of marketing, including a module specific to branding and the impact that color and materials can have on a company’s ability to differentiate its products through design. Students must create mini-business cases and use simulation tools to test their knowledge of the marketing concepts learned in class.

Business Practices II: Entrepreneurial Essentials – 6 Credits Business Practices II expands on the knowledge gained in Business Practices I and calls on students to develop a formal business plan. Students will learn the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship and the keys to innovation. These include understanding business concepts and vocabulary, developing and market-testing new ideas in the structural elements of a business case, and acquiring the skills to analyze, execute, and deliver highly effective oral and written presentations. Attention will also be paid to business skills such as reading and preparing financial statements and understanding how business opportunities are evaluated.

Graduate Seminar: Foundations of Global Thinking – 3 Credits This seminar provides a foundation for thinking about economic, political, cultural, and aesthetic issues in a global context, especially as they might inform the student’s local action, i.e. individual design practice. The seminar begins by examining the process of exchange and in particular the ways in which humans interact with one another through market transactions. Students then examine various ways of understanding globalization as an economic and cultural system. Subsequent courses focus on the mechanisms of the global market and the increasingly important role design has come to play. Of particular concern are the aesthetic and informational values built into production and consumption practices. This further entails consideration of questions of sustainability and ethics.

Materials and Processes: A Comprehensive Study – 3 Credits This course will address a variety of materials, processes, and applications. Students will be exposed to class lectures, visiting speakers, and manufacturing field trips to gain first hand knowledge of materials and processes. They will also be introduced to resources they can draw upon to locate manufacturers and material suppliers.



Graduate Studio I: Materials for Sustainable Living – 3 Credits Students will work in groups to research the latest advances in sustainable materials and processes. The students will be required to create a new brand and product line using the material(s) of their choosing. The project will have an initial research phase in which students will target and analyze an emerging market, its segments, relevant trend influences, and advanced materials for sustainable living. Students will build a case for using their chosen materials and explain the benefits for reducing environmental impact. The group will be required to create a branded product line with a palette of colors and support their final decisions with trend data and findings through written reports and presentation boards.

Graduate Studio II: Materials in the Field – 3 Credits Students must select a brand and look at several environments to influence product line palettes. Students will be required to use the Peclers approach– creating color stories for an entire season and strategies for pushing ideas into the marketplace. Some of the potential brand types are:

• Outdoor Brands – Columbia, North Face: Students will look to the natural environment for inspiration in color, materials, texture, and graphics. There will be image heavy research and trend boards.

• Urban Brands – Ecko, Phat Farm: Students will look to the urban environment to inspire their choices.

Graduate Studio III: Power of Brand Identity in Product Evolution – 3 Credits

Students will work in groups and will be assigned a sports figure (e.g., Michael Jordan or Serena Williams) and his or her brand, or a high-profile product line (e.g., Nike Running, Nike Soccer). They will be required to thoroughly research the sports personality or product line, the brand history, its customer base, current product line, and competition. Groups will develop an innovative color and materials strategy that integrates cutting edge technology and expresses the brand’s overall style.

Graduate Studio IV: Transportation Interiors and Consumer Persona – 3 Credits Students will be required to design a broad palette of colors, materials, and finishes tailored to specific users and transportation interior design challenges. One proposed industry-sponsored project would involve the luxury recreational vehicle manufacturer, Airstream, an icon of America manufacturing and transportation located in Jackson Center, Ohio. Airstream lends itself to teaching and applying the skills stated above. Research would be centered on the company’s loyal customer base to generate personas for which color and material palettes will be developed.

Graduate Thesis I and II – 6 credits each, totaling 12 credits The second year of the curriculum focuses on the Graduate Thesis. This is a self-directed capstone project in which the students must propose a business case, conduct research, synthesize their findings, and translate them into a design solution that resonates with an identified market segment.

Studio Elective I-III – 3 credits each, totaling 9 credits The curriculum includes three elective courses. These are opportunities for graduate students to select CCS studio courses from a wide-range of upper-level undergraduate programs either to gain studio experience related to an intended thesis direction or augment basic skills. Students will make their selection in consultation with their graduate advisor.

Interaction Design:

The Interaction Design curriculum requires students to complete 60-units of full-time graduate study in a two-year period. At least 90 percent of the prescribed courses are graduate level; studio courses



comprise 50 percent of the curriculum and 40 percent of the total program is devoted to academic studies. The curriculum formally assigns 10 percent to electives selected from upper-level undergraduate classes, subject to the Department Chairperson’s approval. These electives are opportunities for students to supplement specific software and/or visual communications gaps.

Interaction Design Research I, II, III, and IV – 3 credits each, totaling 12 credits The study of Interaction Design demands a strong foundation in user-centric investigation and research. The Interaction Design Research courses provide this foundation, beginning with studies of psychological tenets relevant to impactful interaction design. These studies include:

• Human Behavior, Capabilities, and Cognition: Relevant principles of psychology, human behavior, human performance, and physical and cognitive abilities that should be considered when designing products, experiences, and services.

• Customer and User Research Methods: Methods, tools, and techniques of research that are relevant to designing with people in mind for product, experience, space, or service. The methods and tools fall into the categories of “what people say,” “what people do,” and “what people need.”

Results from the above studies will enable students to identify unmet or unarticulated user needs that can be translated into differentiable design solutions that are then validated through testing and analysis. The focus areas of Interaction Design Research III and IV include:

• Experimental Design and Analysis: The fundamentals of experimental design used to conduct unbiased testing, analyze findings, assess meaning, and make appropriate design decisions.

• Product Evaluation Methods: A range of product evaluation methods aimed at identifying needed features and improving existing ones, including competitor analysis, usability testing, and inspection.

Business Practices I and II Through tailored courses focused on business practices, students will learn how creativity can drive entrepreneurial and innovative ideas, and how they can be commercialized.

Business Practices I: Marketing as a Strategy – 3 credits In Business Practices I, students will study modules on the principles of digital and traditional marketing, including a module specifically developed around the impact of digital and interactive media in the business and social context. They will create mini-business cases and use simulation tools to test their knowledge of the marketing concepts learned in class.

Business Practices II: Entrepreneurial Essentials –6 credits This course expands on the knowledge gained in Business Practices I and calls on students to develop a business plan. Students will learn the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurialism and the keys to innovation. These include understanding business concepts and vocabulary, developing and market testing new ideas in the structural elements of a business case, and acquiring the skills to analyze, execute, and deliver highly effective oral and written presentations. Attention will also be paid to business skills such as reading and preparing financial statements and understanding how business opportunities are evaluated.

Practicum in Technology – 3 credits This is a practical course designed to instruct students on how to communicate and provide an opportunity to apply their design solutions throughout the design and technology development process. Students will learn how to articulate clear design specifications and usability requirements.



They will also learn and apply the tools, documentation requirements, and communication processes involved in managing complex multi-functional projects.

As reflected in the studio-related courses of the Interaction Design curriculum, students are required to incorporate what they learn from the preparatory courses to produce individual and/or team-based solutions that contribute to the body of knowledge in the practice of interaction design. All studio projects require:

• The study of current and future trends in technology and consumer markets • The application of research to identify unmet and undiscovered user needs as well as the

ability to validate ideas through testing • The utilization of scenario planning to explore innovative design opportunities for the future • The translation and visualization of concepts and rapid iteration of prototypes in studio

settings

Finally, these projects will be sponsored by industry and are designed to mirror real-life business challenges resulting in design-driven and interdisciplinary solutions. Graduate Studio I, II, III, IV – 3 credits each, totaling 12 credits The Graduate Studio I, II, III, and IV courses are designed to challenge students with projects of increasing complexity and to progressively strengthen the students' problem-solving skills in Interaction Design. Students will solve design problems rooted in the business context, each requiring a substantive research phase, a concept development phase, followed by refinement and execution phases. Research methodologies and business objectives will be applied to develop and evaluate proposed solutions. These courses will be sponsored by industry and structured to simulate the professional studio environment with formally scheduled milestones and defined deliverables. Students will be reviewed by both faculty and industry professionals through formal presentations.

Graduate Thesis I and II – 6 credits each, totaling 12 credits The Graduate Thesis I and II curriculum is designed to help students synthesize external factors - such as technology, global, and environmental issues and trends, including social change – and translate them into a form that is meaningful in a business setting, and create relevant design solutions. “Relevant” in this context requires that students design solutions that resonate with an identified market segment, from all design and functional standpoints. The Thesis course will require that students follow a design development path that commences with an extensive and rigorous research phase. A business case and/or a creative brief will grow out of the research findings and will serve as the plan of work for the completion of the Thesis. Students will work independently with consultation from advisors to execute an original body of work in preparation for final thesis review and graduation.

The curriculum also includes courses that delve deeper into the mechanics of interaction design:

• Interface Design I and II are courses on information architecture and interface-related design aesthetics related to screen design. Through tools such as use-case scenarios and wireframes, students will be able to translate content into functional, beautiful interface solutions.

• Studio Electives I and II (3 credits each) offer opportunities for graduate students to select CCS studio courses from a wide range of upper-level undergraduate programs - either to gain studio experience related to an intended thesis direction or augment basic skills. Students will make their selection in consultation with their graduate advisor.

19. What are the requirements students must fulfill to complete the program successfully (including

specific courses, course options, and any other requirements)?



In addition to the required courses listed in the previous section, students must meet the following requirements to be certified for graduation:

• Complete and successfully defend the Graduate Thesis project and paper • Receive written approval to graduate from the Dean of Graduate Studies • Complete 60 credits of graduate program curriculum • Have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.0 • Participate in the annual Student Exhibition • Have all official transcripts from other schools on file in the Academic Advising and

Registration Office no later than the last day of the drop/add period of the semester in which graduation is to occur

• Be enrolled at CCS at the time that their degree is awarded • File an Application for Graduation with the Academic Advising and Registration Office no

later than the end of the fourth week of the semester in which they anticipate graduating Specific degree requirements and procedures are as follows:

a. Residence: Students will be expected to be in residence, that is, to attend classes on campus for the full duration of the program.

b. Language: As all classes are taught in English, ESL international students will require a minimum TOEFL paper score of 550, a computer score of 217, or an Internet-based score of 71. The College offers an accelerated English language program in the Student Success Center for international students who have English language proficiency below this standard.

c. Course Work: The curriculum for the program is structured so that at least 85 percent of the prescribed courses are graduate level only. The percentage will vary slightly for each student, depending on prior experience and skill levels of the individual. The exact program is determined by consultation between the student with his/her graduate advisor.

d. Evaluations: As with our undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty will be obliged to carefully assess each student's progress in the courses they teach. The College requires that mid-term grades be reported in all classes, as well as a final grade at the end of each semester. In the lecture courses, including Graduate Seminar, students will be required to write papers and/or make various presentations, with the grades from these forming the basis for the mid-term and final grades. The College's undergraduate attendance policy will also apply for graduate students. At the completion of the second semester, each student, in consultation with his/her graduate advisor, will be required to complete a thesis project proposal which will formally describe their proposed thesis project, the completion schedule, and deliverables for the remaining two semesters. The thesis proposal, once approved, will serve as a contract of work between the student and the College. Students formally present their thesis proposals and summaries of their first two semesters’ work to a mid-program review panel consisting of their academic advisor, the Chairpersons of the Interaction Design/Color and Materials Design, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. The outcome of the review will determine whether a student is permitted to commence with his/her graduate thesis in the following semester.

e. Final Projects: For graduate students, the thesis project is considered to be the capstone of the program. Requirements include a paper, a design artifact with supporting visual material, a formal oral defense before a Thesis Review Committee, and display the project’s outcomes in the Student Exhibition.

f. Graduation Requirements: The Registrar will confirm that each student has completed all curriculum requirements prior to being awarded a degree. This practice is consistent with existing College policies as published on the CCS website and in all publications.



20. For programs using prior learning credit, compressed time frames, online delivery, accelerated formats, or other innovative approaches to learning, describe the methodology for determining that levels of knowledge and competencies comparable to those required in traditional formats have been achieved. N/A

Part 5. Institutional Staffing and Faculty Support 21. How many and what types (full-time, part-time, adjunct) of faculty will be employed in the program?

Why is the number of full-time faculty members adequate to support the program?

Due to the specialized technical experience required for both Color and Materials Design and Interaction Design programs, full-time Department Chairpersons will be recruited to oversee each program. Consistent with established practice in CCS’s Graduate Design program, the Department Chairpersons will be required to teach two classes per semester. The programs will utilize full-time faculty from existing CCS programs who will teach one three-credit course each semester, totaling six credits per academic year. The programs will employ adjunct instructors to teach the remaining 24 credits.

The impact of the proposed programs on faculty workload will be managed in accordance with policies and procedures set forth in the CCS Faculty Handbook. As in all programs at CCS, design professionals employed in private industry may serve as adjunct instructors to ensure that studio classroom practices replicate current industry methods and standards. Similarly, it is envisaged that adjunct instructors from industry and other specialized academic areas such as business and technology will play roles in the new program. Adjunct instructors teaching in all graduate programs are required to have either a terminal degree, or a minimum of 10 years professional experience. Candidates must provide demonstrable evidence that they possess the experience, knowledge, and capability in the area of intended participation.

22. What will the impact of the new initiative have on faculty workload?

Workload for existing full-time and adjunct faculty will not change as the College’s policy of requisite credit hours taught by faculty per semester will not change. There will inevitably be changes to individual teaching assignments that will impact certain faculty. Both academic and administrative workloads will be carefully monitored throughout the first year and additional personnel will be added, as described in the budget detailed in Appendix A, subject to the programs reaching the budgeted enrollment targets.

23. Provide a brief attachment that inventories each faculty member employed to teach in the program,

including names of existing personnel, a description of each faculty member’s academic qualifications, their prior instructional responsibility and other experiences relevant to the courses they will teach in the program in question, each faculty member’s course load in the new program, and the course work each teaches in other programs currently offered. See Appendix B.

24. For graduate programs, document scholarship and research capability of each faculty member; for

doctoral programs, document faculty experience in directing student research. As an art and design college, CCS equates adjunct and full-time faculty’s professional practice with research. Evidence of professional practice for the graduate division includes previous industry



experience, research and project oversight, and maintaining currency with industry trends. Specific examples of full-time faculty’s previous industry experiences include: Dean of Graduate Studies Joanne Healy’s 20 years of strategic design experience, including serving as Vice President of the Interactive Strategies Group for T. Rowe Price Associates; Design Professor and Chair Maria Luisa Rossi’s 15+ years of interior, product, and sculpture design; and Transportation Professor and Chair Mark West’s term as the Senior Design Manager at Visteon Corporation, where he led the company’s research and development efforts. As graduate faculty, the Dean and department Chairpersons direct industry-sponsored research projects with students, conduct professional design training workshops, and attend industry design conferences to stay current with industry trends.

Part 6. Student Support 25. What library and information resources—general as well as specific to the program(s)—and staffing

and services are in place to support the initiative? If the proposed new program is at the graduate level, document discipline-specific refereed journals and primary source materials. The College for Creative Studies’ Libraries provide reference materials and research services in support of CCS’s graduate programs for students, faculty, and staff.

CCS has two libraries to serve its undergraduate and graduate programs; the Ford Campus Library, and the Color & Materials Library, located in the Taubman Center. The Color and Materials Library houses a unique collection of over 7,000 books, 74 periodicals, and over 3,500 physical materials that are primarily focused on colors, materials, and finishes for design. The Library features the following periodicals relevant to the Color and Materials Design curriculum:

• Interior Design – A residential, commercial, corporate, and hospitality design magazine highlighting color and material innovations in the interior design industry

• New Design – An innovative new product design magazine, featuring materials, processes, and technologies across multiple disciplines

• Surface – A publication covering several design fields, such as fashion and accessories, interiors, automotive, furniture, and more.

• Icon – A publication featuring articles on color and materials as they relate to architecture, product and furniture design, as well as fine arts

• Innovation – The quarterly publication of the Industrial Designers Society of America • Interior Motives – A publication discussing automotive interiors, including colors, materials,

trim, and finishes • Metropolis – This product, furniture, and architecture design magazine frequently features

articles on color and material design • MD – A publication exploring materials in design • Green Source – This publication focuses on sustainable architectural design and materials

In addition to the Color and Materials Library’s current periodicals, it features hundreds of samples of paint color, pantone matching system, textiles, laminate, metal, wood and wood-like materials, plastics, glass, and monographed materials. The Library also includes dozens of binders of furniture samples, wall coverings, paper samplings, and color-aid swatches. Finally, the Color and Materials Library maintains a subscription to Material ConneXion’s Virtual Material database. This online resource is available on- and off-campus, and is accessible through the Library’s Blackboard page.

The Ford Campus Library, housed in the Manoogian Visual Resource Center on the Ford campus, is the larger of the two, with nearly 60,000 volumes, 267 periodicals, and over 2500 DVDs,



approximately 90 percent of which are related to art and design. The list of peer-reviewed publications includes:

• African Arts • Afterall • Art Bulletin • Art Education • Art Issues • Art Therapy • College and Research Libraries News • Design Issues • Design Journal • Educational Leadership • Harvard Design Magazine • Innovation • International Journal of Comic Art • International Review of African American Art • Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism • Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts • Master Drawings • of Contemporary African Art • October • Rethinking Schools • Studies in Comics • Women’s Art Journal • Women in the Arts • Visible Language

CCS’s online public access catalog is automated and allows for a number of searching options of the CCS collections. While logged into their account, students, faculty and staff can look up available literature, place holds, and request materials for interlibrary loan or acquisition. Both CCS libraries have Wi-Fi capability, and all computers are equipped with Internet access and word processing software. The libraries subscribe to eighteen electronic databases, which are specific to art and design, and an additional seventy general education and newspaper databases through the College’s consortium with the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services. Remote access to all electronic resources is available through e-z proxy via the College’s Blackboard portal. Document delivery needs and Inter-library loan services are also available for resources the libraries do not hold or are unable to acquire. In addition, currently registered students have borrowing privileges at Detroit Public Library, Wayne State University (WSU) libraries, and a number of other academic institutions through CCS’s membership in SEMLOL (Southeastern Michigan League of Libraries). Access to WSU’s public catalog can be found on the CCS Library Blackboard page. This consortium gives CCS students access to more than 200 electronic resources, including peer-reviewed journals.

Suggestions for library acquisitions by faculty, students, and staff are given the highest priority. The Ford Campus Library is open seven days a week for a total of 78 hours, and the Color & Materials Library is open five days a week for a total of 52 hours. Certified librarians staff both libraries during all hours of operation. Bibliographic sessions are available in a dedicated lab located on the Ford Campus, which is equipped with a LED projector/screen and 18 computer stations that offer students visual and auditory instruction. In-class instruction and ad-hoc workshops are also offered on both campuses. Numerous handouts have been developed targeted to specific student issues, including



writing, scholarly research, citation of sources, plagiarism, and evaluation of Internet sources. All handouts are available on Blackboard.

CCS subscribes to the Luna digital image database with over 300,000 images for teaching and research purposes. The database can be accessed online. There are two collections: a CCS Images for Teaching database of 53,419 images that has been created in-house by the Visual Resources Curator and staff, and AMICA, which holds approximately 254,800 images by subscription. Luna also allows the user access in images from Flickr, enabling personal collections to be included in classroom presentations. In order to be copyright compliant, the database is accessed through a secure network; faculty must obtain training and an official login from Academic Technologies in order to obtain high-resolution images online.

Part 7. Evaluation and Assessment 26. How will you monitor and evaluate the overall effectiveness and quality of the program?

The proposed MFA programs will be evaluated in accordance with CCS’s other academic programs through a combination of graduate employment tracking, course evaluations, year-end faculty reviews, and student portfolio reviews. Specific to CCS’s graduate programs is the Graduate Thesis, an outcome that is formally evaluated by a dedicated Thesis Review Committee and archived. External evaluators will be invited to analyze and provide a written report of their overall impressions and recommendations concerning the effectiveness and quality of the programs in terms of pedagogy and outcomes. An important measure of the quality and effectiveness of the program is the ability to garner sponsored research projects and other industry partnerships—such as internship placements—to benefit student learning. Another metric will be the success of graduates in securing employment over time.

The Division ensures that students are able to provide feedback on the quality of the programs and on the College as a whole. Every course includes a course evaluation that is available for three weeks at the end of every semester. It asks students to evaluate the course, the instructor, project critiques, CCS facilities, and themselves. The survey includes both process and results-focused questions. Graduate students also complete the more comprehensive Adult Students Priority Survey that evaluates the quality and applicability of course content, the timeliness of faculty feedback, the quality of instruction, and the sufficiency of options within the programs of study.

27. How will you assess and ensure expected student learning and achievement?

The Division takes great strides to define and achieve student learning outcomes and to pursue continuous curricular and programmatic assessment. It utilizes course syllabi, strategic evaluations, and student milestones and deliverables to determine each program’s effectiveness and to adjust as necessary. In addition to program-specific skills, students are reviewed throughout their graduate career on the development of the following:

• A sound business perspective: The marketing fundamentals and research methods learned will enable students to identify opportunities and unmet needs in the consumer market where design can play a significant role in impacting how people use and interact with technology.

• Critical thinking skills: These skills are developed through a curriculum that emphasizes the application of a clear, consistent design process. Students move from the business objective through the research phases, enabling them to develop useful, innovative concepts through to execution.

• Effective communications skills: Students are required to articulate their ideas and share their work-in-progress at multiple reviews throughout each course. These reviews are strategically embedded at critical milestones in the project schedule where professional practitioners and



leaders participate in the evaluation of the student work. The presentation evaluation criteria reflect professional industry standards, as well as academic, and often include instructor, industry, and peer-to-peer assessments.

• Leadership and teamwork skills: Students are assigned specific team member functional roles on projects, and are given the opportunity to also be a team leader. Through these assignments, students learn to develop peer empathy, constructive communications skills, and how to function effectively on a multi-disciplinary team both as leaders as well as contributors.

These skills are incorporated into the research, studio, and business courses. Each course syllabus includes a detailed evaluation section that clearly stipulates the criteria and weight for assignments or deliverables that are defined at specific project phases. Each deliverable is assigned a value towards the cumulative total grade for each course. Every syllabus also provides expected learning outcomes, assignment descriptions, a weekly lesson plan with milestone presentation dates, and evaluation criteria. The students’ comprehension and competencies are tested through written work, concept development, prototypes or storyboards, examinations, and formal presentations. These formal presentations increase in difficulty as the students matriculate and include:

• Faculty-only evaluations • A combination of faculty, peer-to-peer, and team member-to-member evaluations where the

students’ ability to provide insightful and constructive criticism/comments will be tested • Industry-only evaluations where the criteria will be based on professional readiness

For the Graduate Thesis, the students’ evaluations require the completion of distinct deliverables at critical milestones. Each phase includes student evaluations and grades that are weighted with specifically defined criteria. A special Graduate Thesis Review Committee is established for the final presentation evaluation. This committee consists minimally of three industry practitioners or leaders and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students are evaluated on professional industry standards and the committee’s grade constitutes 15 percent of the overall thesis grade. These standards include:

• Strength of the business case or rationale • Breadth and depth of the supportive research • Level of creativity and innovation • Quality of the execution

The College has also identified assessment as an area with room for improvement and will enroll in the HLC’s Academy for Assessment of Student Learning in fall 2013. This will ensure CCS more effectively assesses students’ learning outcomes and achievements as they matriculate.

28. Explain how the results of evaluation will be used to improve the program’s curriculum, teaching,

services, and operations.

The results of evaluation will be used to improve the program’s curriculum, teaching, services, and operations. The Dean of Graduate Studies, Department Chairpersons, and faculty will meet to review the program annually. The Dean will report the findings of this review to the Provost who will work with the Dean to determine what improvements need to be made. Responsibility for implementing and monitoring improvements will rest with the Dean and Chairpersons to ensure that curriculum, pedagogy, and support systems respond to the identified need for continuous improvement.

29. How will you assess and improve the learning of students in the program to ensure that they achieve

the levels of performance that you expect and that your stakeholders require?



Student learning will be assessed each semester, and plans to improve levels of performance will be adopted as needed. Each student will be formally assigned two thesis advisors – a faculty member as well as an appropriately credentialed external advisor from either industry or academia. Both advisors will be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and will meet with the student on a regular basis for the duration of the thesis to ensure performance levels are being met. The Graduate Thesis archive will form a cumulative record that can be evaluated for trends in quality and other factors. Stakeholders will be interviewed regularly to provide feedback on the program’s overall success and need for improvement. The Department Chairperson will have primary responsibility for this function, reporting to the Dean of Graduate Studies as needed.

Documents

Substantive Change Application, Part 1: General Questions · already been scheduled, this filing will initiate the process of scheduling the visit. 2. The institution files Part 2