Cultural Resource Management Courses

Heritage Resource Management

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of heritage conservation. The concept of heritage has expanded to encompass historic districts, cultural landscapes and living heritage as well as buildings, structures and gardens. This expansion of the concept of heritage has had a profound impact on the principles that guide conservation actions, the types of strategies employed to safeguard historic places and the role of heritage practitioners.

This course introduces values-based conservation and the practices that flow from it. A broad range of case studies is used to illustrate key concepts, and the assignments provide the opportunity to apply ideas and concepts to real situations. Topics include:

• definitions of historic place
• authenticity and conservation
• links between heritage conservation and broader societal goals, such as sustainability

The course explores approaches to heritage evaluation, planning, interventions, interpretation and urban revitalization, and introduces the roles of governments, organizations and citizens.

Museum Principles and Practices I

Explore the purpose and functions of museums with particular emphasis on relationships with communities and on the ways in which knowledge is created and preserved through collections and research. Topics include history and organization of museums and collections, curatorship, research, documentation and care.

Museum Principles and Practices II

By balancing theory and practice, this course provides a foundation for your work in museums and challenges you to develop your professional philosophy, to think critically, and to recognize both the constant and the changing factors that shape museum work.

Museum Principles and Practices I: Communities, Curatorship, and Collections covered the foundations of museum practice and explored the various ways in which museums create and preserve knowledge through their curatorial and collections management functions. This offering, AHVS 486B Museum Principles and Practices II: Programming, Exhibitions, and Management, covers public programming and exhibitions and goes on to consider core management strategies and issues.

Both courses address a range of functional tasks encountered in museums, and also emphasize a number of important themes in museum studies. As you work through these materials, you will note recurrent attention to the following:

• the need to respect diverse cultural values and perspectives
• the need to involve the communities in shaping museum collections, programming, and operations
• the impact of information technologies on the work of the museum
• the impact of increased demands for accountability from a range of stakeholders on all aspects of museum work

These themes are woven throughout both courses and provide a frame of reference for both your studies and your work as you translate theory into practice.

Caring for Museum Collections

This course provides an introduction to preventive conservation. During the 14 weeks of this course, we focus on identifying and quantifying the environmental factors or agents of deterioration that affect collections, and on developing strategies that mitigate those factors. We build our understanding of the materials that make up a museum collection, both in how they degrade and in how they react to their environment and the objects around them. As well, we explore strategies for evaluating conservation requirements for the safe exhibition and storage of museum collections. Finally, we explore the role of an integrated planning and a risk management approach to collections care.

Collections Management

Central to the museum’s existence—from nature preserve to anthropology museum, contemporary art gallery to historical site—is the collection and use of objects and specimens: the material evidence of humans and their environment.

Examine the development and contemporary roles of museum collections, with an emphasis on the principles and practices involved in their management, including policy development, legal and ethical considerations, documentation and information management, acquisitions, accessioning and deaccessioning, loans, risk management and care and handling. Issues of ownership, access and collections planning are also addressed.

Together, we will understand the impact that our changing society and profession is having on managing collections for the future.

Communicating Through Exhibitions

This course is about creating exhibitions that communicate clearly, that tell stories well, connect with the visitors as people and get them thinking. 

As a foundation, we shall analyze what makes exhibitions successful and how to look at all exhibitions with a critical eye. Making good decisions throughout the exhibition development process is essential to effective communication.

We will explore the entire planning process, however the primary focus will be on the story and how it is told. Mastering the art of interpretation is essential to creating exhibitions that work for visitors. We will look at the principles of powerful interpretation, the construction of the story and the particular art of writing for exhibitions. And, we will explore the tools a designer uses (including display cases, signage, lighting, digital presentations and more) to construct an exhibition that has a point to make, that moves the visitor emotionally and goes beyond simply conveying information. 

The course relies heavily on real life examples and practical exercises. You will also gain experience in developing interpretive content for an exhibition through collaboration as a member of a team.

Community Engagement and Social Change

Museums and other cultural heritage organizations have the capacity to serve as dynamic social spaces for community engagement and action. This course explores the profound social changes that are reshaping the nature and purposes of museums in a pluralistic society and considers the implications for all aspects of their specialized functions. Participants utilize a group of core resources to assist their learning about how the museum and cultural field has evolved, why social and community engagement is a critical foundation for all other professional practices, and how other organizations have begun their journeys towards engagement. The course introduces participants to a series of skills and practices to initiate, facilitate, and support community engagement and embed them in organizational life. Participants complete either a community engagement assessment of a museum or cultural heritage organization utilizing a number of assessment tools or a community engagement plan, with components on strategy, participants, proposed engagement process / steps, and follow up activities to embed community engagement into ongoing practice.

Contemporary Perspectives in Curatorship

Contemporary Perspectives in Curatorship reflects our growing understanding of the important relationships that exist between museums and their constituents. Museums and other public exhibition sites of all disciplines, sizes and settings are not only mirrors of society but also play influential roles. As societies change, these sites become zones of contestation in which notions of popular and high culture, old and new technologies, science and art, race and gender, individuals and communities interact. They can develop into arenas for important public debates about the definition and creation of a good society.

Museums are no longer expected simply to be civilizing sites of knowledge where the information flows in one direction; they are now places of dialogue where the visiting public and community partners are invited to bring their own perspectives and expertise into the learning and sharing process. Within the museum arena, these perspectives, beliefs and ways of doing things can either collide or fracture apart or they can become new hybrids: fresh sources of greater understanding and collaborative ventures.

Today, the curator must know how to function in this highly politicized setting and facilitate the debates and discussions that arise. For those who operate within these contested areas, there is an urgent need to develop attitudes and skills that will enable them to flourish in possibly the most challenging of museum professions. These are exciting times.

Cultural Landscapes

From the landscapes associated with historic buildings, industries and rural communities, to traditional use sites of First Nations peoples, cultural landscapes are tremendously diverse resources that present special conservation and management challenges. This course focuses on the complex nature of cultural landscapes and develops your ability to identify, evaluate and develop conservation strategies for landscape resources that are integral to your community.

This course is designed to meet the needs of professionals from a wide range of fields that come together in the management of cultural landscapes.

From the landscapes associated with historic buildings, industries and rural communities, to traditional use sites of First Nations peoples, cultural landscapes are tremendously diverse resources that present special conservation and management challenges. This course focuses on the complex nature of cultural landscapes and develops your ability to identify, evaluate and develop conservation strategies for landscape resources that are integral to your community.

View information on accommodations in Victoria.

Curatorial Planning and Practice

In early 19th century English museums, a curator was the person charged with "keeping" a collection: that is, cataloging, organizing, caring for and displaying the myriad and oft-times chaotic array of objects. In the 20th century, as museums evolved from dusty buildings with monotonous displays into dynamic community- and market-oriented institutions, the curator’s role changed dramatically. Curators were typically scholars responsible for researching and acquiring objects and then working with a designer to develop scholarly and educational displays. Today, in the 21st century, the roles and responsibilities of curators far exceed the traditional "keeper" and "scholar" roles. Whether employed by an organization or working independently, today’s curators act as "cultural producers"—curators research, acquire and care for both tangible and intangible objects, and they also work with diverse communities to create meaningful exhibitions and interpret meaning to the public.

This course is designed to familiarize students with both the theory and practice of curating in art, history, anthropology, science and interdisciplinary museums. The first five weeks of the course will focus on theory, history and ethics. Through reading, analysis and online discussion, students will explore and debate the evolving definitions of what is involved in curating. The remainder of the course will focus on practice. In addition to continued reading and online discussion, students will select one public site in their community and engage in a series of exercises that encourage them to explore best practices in curating. Each student will critique two exhibitions at their case study site, propose the accessioning of an object into that site’s permanent collection, communicate intellectual content for that object to the public through a blog post or tweet, and create a concept and plan for a new exhibition that incorporates that objects for their chosen case study site.

Digital Planning for the Cultural Sector

The question is no longer whether digital technologies have a place in museums and cultural organizations, rather the question now is how to best implement them. From providing engaging learner experiences, digitizing collections, improving wayfinding for visitors, curating the visitor journey, connecting with new audiences and streamlining operations, technology has diverse and growing applications in the cultural sector.

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities for cultural organizations in a digital economy, alongside tools and strategies to successfully plan and implement digital initiatives.

Exhibit Fabrication

Topics covered will include:

• the basics of case design, layout and installation, including a summary of conservation-approved methods and materials
• basic lighting of collections
• simple mount making and support of objects on display
• how to produce affordable yet professional labels, signage and other graphic elements
• how to lay out and hang framed artwork
• ideas for special effects such as scents, sound and light effects, projections, etc.
• basic faux finishing, sculpting, and molding and casting for creating props, replicas and other creative/decorative elements

Join us to find simple and achievable solutions to your exhibition challenges.

View information on accommodations in Victoria.

Exhibition Planning and Design

Exhibitions are the public face of your museum or gallery. They should inspire powerful visitor experiences. This immersive course examines the entire exhibition development sequence. It explores the principles that lie behind creating successful exhibitions that engage visitors' minds and emotions. It will address the following topics:

• the foundation of planning
• the planning process
• storytelling and interpretive planning
• exhibition design
• design of graphics and signage
• interactive exhibit design
• fabrication and installation

Fieldwork, teamwork and presentation of an exhibition design concept provide you with opportunities to build exhibition planning and design skills. The course is designed for anyone who is, or might be, involved in planning an exhibition in a museum, gallery, science centre, and heritage site or tourist destination. 

View information on accommodations in Victoria.

Heritage Conservation Planning

This course provides an overview of heritage planning, the field within heritage conservation that addresses interventions to historic places in the context of urban (and rural) planning and development. The objective of heritage planning is to manage change wisely. The course will use a pragmatic approach to consider individual and collective historic places (e.g., buildings, historic districts, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites) in a wide variety of geographical and physical contexts. Heritage planning will be addressed within the larger framework of sustainability.

Indigenous Cultural Stewardship

Develop an understanding of the historical relationship between the museum/heritage sector and Indigenous communities, and develop foundational knowledge and skills to support the preservation and stewardship of Indigenous tangible and intangible culture and heritage.

Managing Archival Collections

Many museums hold archival materials—including documents, maps, photographs and other documentary evidence—that require specialized organization, management and care.  Topics include: the value and nature of archival materials; theories, principles, and practices governing archival management; legal, administrative, and professional frameworks; appraisal, acquisition, and accessioning; arrangement and description; physical processing and storage; preventive conservation; reference services and access; and sharing archives and using them to enhance exhibits, education and outreach.

Managing Cultural Organizations

This course provides participants with an opportunity for intensive study of the application of management theory and practice in cultural organizations, with particular emphasis on: characteristics of non-profit cultural organizations; governance and leadership; establishing mission goals and objectives; roles of executive and artistic directors; policy development and implementation; personnel management and team building; financial management; strategic and operational planning; information management; public relations; marketing; volunteer development; and ethical and legal issues.

The course will explore of the role of cultural organizations in society and the complex legal, ethical, and social values that shape our organizations and the people that lead them. Various issues, including leaders and leadership, social relevance and impact, and management systems and tools will also be examined. You will be challenged to critically analyze the trends and tools at your disposal and the role of your management style and values in guiding planning, goal setting, decision-making and evaluation.

Practicum in Cultural Resource Management

The practicum in Cultural Resource Management provides you a unique opportunity to integrate theory with practice in a museum, art gallery or heritage organization.

The practicum will consist of at least 50 hours of activity for a 1.5 unit practicum and at least 100 hours of activity for a 3.0 unit practicum. Practicum students are welcome to complete more hours than the minimum required if they choose and the organization has the capacity to support this.

The key characteristics of a practicum are that it:

• is planned to meet your specific learning objectives
• is normally completed in one academic term (January-April, May-August, or September-December)
• focuses on a defined project as well as related duties that support real work at the host organization
• is supervised by a person in the host organization who has the qualifications—and time—to provide guidance and to address your learning needs
• can be effectively monitored and evaluated by the Cultural Resource Management Program (CRMP) office

Preparing for your practicum experience:

• Your practicum should normally be completed in the final year of your studies, after most core and elective courses for the CRMP Diploma have been completed.
• You are encouraged to contact the Cultural Resource Management Program Coordinator at least one term prior to the anticipated start date of your practicum.
• Please note that there is no programmatic funding for practicums; while the host organization may provide a stipend or external grant funding may be arranged, you should be aware that there is no guarantee of compensation as you enter the practicum planning process.

Please contact the CRM Coordinator for more information.

Public Programming

Examine the central role of public programming and interpretation in museums and heritage organizations. Consider the development of impactful museum experiences that respond to community interests and audience learning priorities. Explore planning, delivery, management and evaluation strategies for a range of programming approaches.

Recognizing the Significance of Heritage Resources

Heritage is a cultural construct that emerged from a variety of collective interests and needs. Science, politics, social and economic concerns have all influenced the definition and conservation of heritage resources at various degrees. The legacy of these influences is a rich 'collection' of places administered by government authorities and private owners.

Recognizing the significance of heritage resources is also a means to articulate the importance of a place in the landscape and for the people associated with it. While Western views of heritage have dominated the field until later in the 20th century, various professional principles, charters, and guidelines have provided the means to respect the diversity of cultural interpretations of what constitutes heritage.

In order to recognize the significance of heritage resources, it is essential to identify and work with the biases that influenced past designations, as well as integrate the multiple perspectives that come into play in current definitions of heritage.

Explore the theory and practice of evaluating cultural heritage resources using a values-based approach to heritage conservation.

Visitor Experiences

This course explores the evolving concept and implications of an holistic approach to visitor engagement in museums and other cultural heritage institutions. Topics include:

• museums’ relationships with their publics
• museums’ capacity to serve as social spaces
• strategies for audience research
• the characteristics of visitors
• communications
• exhibitions
• formal and informal learning activities
• evaluation strategies