Visual Culture Studies

My experiences teaching introduction to visual culture studies at NSCAD U during the 1990's were primarily good with classes ranging from 130-200 students and 4-6 tutorial groups lead by MFA students.
I found that inclduing plenty of visual material and inviting colleagues in from various disciplines to present their fields of expertise was a good way for them to recognise the compatibility of their discipline centred research and creative work to the interdisciplinary nature of [visual]culture studies. There was resistance to the course from some areas and especially when an administrative --cost saving act) attempted to meld several departments Art History, Art Education, English)into a faculty of visual culture studies under one assistant dean. The biggest problem was student literacy which is not unusual in an art school context. I have spoken to the person who presently teaches the course as well as graduate student tutors and generally students continue to be stimulated by the material and readings in the course. Students are more politically aware now but don't necessarily know how to put their political consciousness into action.