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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 400 Level Courses > HISP 471-EE: Theories and Practice of Cultural Resource management

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

HISP 471-EE: THEORIES AND PRACTICE OF
CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Spring 2007                Assoc. Prof. Douglas Sanford

Combs 025                 TR: 12:30 – 1:45 PM

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Cultural resource management (CRM) defines a broad field of preservation related activities that combine field and background research methods, data analysis, diverse formats for communicating information, and services provided to public institutions, governments, and private individuals. Often termed consulting , compliance , or contract work, CRM is a major domain of employment for people with historic preservation skills and aptitudes for integrating academic studies and business operations with the demand for multifaceted preservation work in the public sector. Successful CRM practice depends upon an applied knowledge of preservation and environmental laws, and of planning mechanisms and processes as much as strategies for architectural and archaeological survey and historic resource assessment.

  This seminar format course examines how these activities, skills, and practices influence one another, and how CRM is currently conducted by private firms and public agencies with different sized staffs. Topics of focus include organizational management, constructing and maintaining budgets, and writing proposals and contracts. Also considered are ethical issues related to CRM's business, professional, and political realms. Regional CRM practitioners will speak to the class and provide a forum for discussing contemporary trends, such as cultural politics and shifting economic and environmental concerns.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the current nature of American CRM as a preservation service-oriented business that involves research, assessment, and planning processes. CRM has transformed modern American archaeology, historic preservation, and folklore; and now increasingly influences the fields of history, heritage management, and heritage tourism. While it can be distinguished from Federal and State management of cultural resources, CRM as a professional business has close associations with the ways in which public agencies and private organizations preserve and interpret cultural resources.

2. Become familiar with the current practices and literature of CRM, so as to facilitate future interactions with CRM activities and to be prepared for CRM employment opportunities.

3. Gain organizational and management skills with respect to people, tasks, facilities, schedules, and budgets.

4. Gain experience in writing proposals for different kinds and scales of preservation projects. Applicable goals for such proposals include research value, clarity, organization, relevance, demonstrated competence, and feasibility.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

(1) Required texts include: Cultural Resource Law and Practice: An Introductory Guide, by Thomas R. King (2004, 2 nd edition); and, Assessing Site Significance: A Guide for Archaeologists and Historians , by Donald L. Hardesty and Barbara J. Little (2000). Additional readings will consist of handout materials and those placed on reserve. As a seminar course, students must participate in class and discuss readings on a regular basis. At scheduled times specific students will be responsible for particular readings.

(2) There is no mid-term examination. The final examination will occur on Thursday, May 3rd, 12 noon - 2:30 PM .

(3) Assignments: a series of small to large assignments provide the basis for gaining experience with CRM applications and for class discussion. Assignment requirements will be discussed fully in class.

  A. CRM On-Line: Gathering intelligence on what's out there.
  B. Assessing Local Resources: National Register inventories and State contexts.
  C. CRM project proposal and budget.   

N.B. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PENALTY.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED TO PASS THE COURSE. 

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COURSE INFORMATION

(1) Grading Scale:   A: 93-100; A-: 90-92; B+: 87-89; B: 83-86; B-: 80-82; C+: 77-79; C: 73-76; C-: 70-72; D+: 67-69: D: 63-66; D-: 60-62; F: 0-59.  Your final grade will be determined on the following basis: Assignment A (20%); Assignment B (20%); Assignment C (30%); Final examination (10%); Class participation (discussions, exercises, presentations - 20%).

     (2) Office Hours: Combs 133:  Mon., 11 AM – 12 noon; Tues., 9-10 AM; Wed., 3-4 PM; Thurs., 2-3 PM; Fri., 11 AM-12 noon, and by appointment.  Office phone: 654-1314.  Home phone: 373-9747, please do not call between 6 and 8 PM.  You can leave a message for me in my departmental mail box or by e-mail: dsanford@umw.edu (I work best by e-mail).  Course information also will occur via the Blackboard system. ---

CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS

JJAN. 16            CLASS INTRODUCTION – CRM’S CURRENT STATUS.

JAN. 18            CRM'S PERMEABLE BOUNDARIES.
            Reading:          King, Preface to 2nd Edition & Chpt. 1.

JAN. 23            CRM'S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
            Reading:          King, Chpt. 2.

JAN. 25            CRM'S HISTORICAL TRENDS AND FACTIONS.

JAN. 30           CLASS DISCUSSION OF CHPT.’S 2, 3.  CRM AS A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS.
            Reading:          King, Chpt. 3.

Assignment A:  Internet access & CRM's Nature.

FEB. 1             LEGISLATIVE REVIEW.

FEB. 6             THE LAWS, PLANNING MECHANISMS, AND PROJECT ORIGINS.
            Reading:          King, Chpts. 4, 6.

FEB. 8             CLASS DISCUSSION – CHPT.’S 4, 6.

FEB. 13            BACKGROUND RESEARCH & RESEARCH STRATEGIES:  ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING INVENTORIES & CONTEXTS, AND PLANNING FOR THE FIELD.

Assignment A due.
Assignment B: National Register & VDHR Contexts.

FEB. 15            FIRST SPEAKER

FEB. 20            SIGNIFICANCE:  THE LAW AND WHAT PEOPLE SAY.
            Reading:            Hardesty & Little, Chpts. 1, 3

FEB. 22            SIGNIFICANCE AND SECTION 106.
            Reading:            Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 2.
                                    King, Chpt. 5.

FEB. 27           FINISH SECTION 106.  RESEARCH DESIGN I - RFPs (WHAT THE CLIENT WANTS).

Assignment B due.
Assignment C:  Project Budget and Proposal.

MAR. 1           DRAFTING RESPONSES & PROPOSALS.
            Student Group 1: Discussion of “Linear Sites” (Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 4)

MAR. 3-11        NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK

MAR. 13            SECOND SPEAKER

MAR. 15         FIELDWORK: SURVEY STRATEGIES, FORMS, & STAGE ADAPTATIONS.

MAR. 20         CRM AS A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS - ORGANIZATION & MANAGEMENT I: PEOPLE, TASKS, JOBS, FACILITIES.  ORGANIZATIONAL SCALE & AFFILIATION.

Reading:  Wolley Vawser (2004): “Government Archaeology: Teaching Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management.” AND White et. al. (2004): “Academic Archaeology is Public Archaeology.”  Available in pdf format through the Society of American Archaeology website (both short articles):
http://www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/mar04.pdf

MAR. 22            ORGANIZATION & MANAGEMENT II:  PROPOSALS & BUDGETS.

MAR. 27            BUDGET SESSION (with EXCEL at the computer lab).

MAR. 29            CONTRACTS & THE LAW: OBTAINING & NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS.
CONTRACTING CONSULTANTS & SPECIALIZED SERVICES.
            Student Group 2: Discussion of “Industrial Sites” (Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 5).       

ARR. 3            PERSONNEL: JOBS, QUALIFICATIONS, VITA.  STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE (COMPETENCY).

APR. 5             CRM REPORTS & COMMUNICATION FORMATS: STRUCTURE, CONTENT, STANDARDS & GUIDELINES.  PLANNING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
Reading:            King, Chpts. 7, 8.
                        Structural Review of distributed CRM reports.

APR. 10            FIELD TRIP - SURVEY, ASSESSEMENT, & IMPACTS.

(graded group assignment)

APR. 12            FIELD TRIP WORKSHOP – RESULTS, RECOMMENDATIONS.

APR. 17            WRITING GRANTS:  SOURCES & STRATEGIES.
Student Group 3: Discussion of “Domestic Sites” (Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 6).

APR. 19            PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND ETHICS.  PUBLIC CONTROVERSIES & BUSINESS DILEMMAS.
            Reading:            Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 8
                                    King, Chpt. 9

APR. 24           CULTURAL POLITICS: HERITAGE MANAGEMENT & HERITAGE TOURISM
            Reading:          Hanna et al. (2004): “Representation as Work in ‘America’s Most Historic
City.”  AND Shackel (2005): “Local Identity, National Memory, and Heritage Tourism: Creating a Sense of Place with Archaeology.”

            Student Group 4: Discussion of “Large-Scale Sites” (Hardesty & Little, Chpt. 7).

APR. 26            FINAL DISCUSSION: HERTIAGE TOURISM.

MAY 3RD - FINAL EXAMINATION, 12 NOON - 2:30 PM.