A SCHOOL ON THE RISE

WRITTEN BY BRENDAN MAXWELL

AS A LEADER IN DESIGN EDUCATION, UCO has created many “firsts” within Oklahoma, including becoming the state’s first and only School of Design, facilitator of Master of Fine Arts programs in design and illustration, and a National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accreditation recipient.

Prospective students have taken notice of this excellence. Over the last five years, enrollment has increased by 3-5% each year, even as demographic shifts have reduced overall enrollment at universities across Oklahoma and the nation.

However, as a result of these increases in student numbers, the UCO School of Design has run out of space, currently operating out of less than half of the square footage typically allocated for a school of this size, as defined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education allocation standards. Design classrooms and offices are spread across five buildings. Classes are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., due to limited availability of rooms. Often students share workstations, a practice that is not conducive to longterm success and is becoming untenable.

“We are currently out of space, and can no longer grow,” said Steven Hansen, M.F.A., dean of the UCO College of Fine Arts and Design. “Our aspirations are to be one of the best schools of design in the United States and to fuel the creation of Oklahoma City as a respected design hub in the western United

States. To do that, we need space.”

Until recently, moving to a larger building has been a far-off goal for many years. In January 2020, UCO announced that the former Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church and School had been designated as the new home of the School of Design. The property sits just across from the main campus on University Drive. The building offers 25,000 square feet, versus the 12,000 square feet the School of Design currently occupies, and allows the school to have students, faculty and equipment all in a single facility. The new School of Design will house classroom space, critique space, faculty offices, a makerspace, a print center, photography studios, an outdoor courtyard, a supply store and a design gallery.

“We will be able to schedule classes based on student needs rather than classroom availability,” said Amy Johnson, M.F.A., director of the UCO School of Design. “A single site will also enhance faculty communication and collaboration.”

Hansen echoed Johnson’s sentiments, adding “acquiring new space for the School of Design will benefit all our other programs, as well as open up spaces in the Library and Communication buildings for other academic units. We will finally have a bit of room to grow.” r ABOVE

The St. Mary’s project is the result of a 2016 property agreement between the church and UCO. The two organizations agreed to swap property in 2016. The congregation of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church agreed to exchange its three acres of property at 325 E. First in exchange for 23 acres of property near Broadway and Covell Road, plus $1.4 million.

The renovation to the building will require $3.2 million. Using university, College of Fine Arts and Design and School of Design funds, Central has pledged $2.1 million toward the restoration of the space.

However, that leaves a $1.1 million gap between allocated funds and the project’s completion. In order to close this gap, the school has announced the launch of its “Make Ready” campaign. “As a college, we have saved funds for these renovations over the course of the past three years internally and are hoping to augment those through fundraising and philanthropy,” Hansen said.

With the help of donor dollars, the school’s move to the new facility will boost enrollment capacity for the program, furthering its culture of excellence to a broader number of students. Since 2011, School of Design students and faculty have won more than 1,045 design awards from local, regional, national and international competitions, and with increased capacity, these numbers will continue to grow.

To donate to the capital campaign or for more information, contact Tami Jackson, College of Fine Art and Design development project coordinator, at 405-974-3783 or tjackson45@uco.edu.

Smile s BELOW INTERIOR COURTYARD rendering by w

INDOORS MEETS OUTDOORS IN THIS SPACE DESIGNED FOR COLLABORATION, STUDY AND NATURAL INSPIRATION.