Academic Uses – Ideas proposed by Academic Departments

—Art

  • Graphic design for all aspects: house, arboretum, sustainability, tours, events
  • Sculpture: on and off-campus artists, invitational
  • Art Abroad or workshop housing, Senior Art majors
  • Cross-disciplinary: English-art, biology-art, etc.
  • Danne Rhaesa
    • ARTS 103 Three Dimensional Design
    • ARTS 295 Sustainable Design
  • 2 new courses “could also utilize the structure and its restoration as key to understanding the importance of place in design and the critical need to respect historical presence.”

—Art History

  • Finest surviving Shingle Style structure in the St. Louis area
    • Alexander Longfellow apprenticed with Henry Hobson Richardson
    • The only direct precedent for Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses
  • These courses would naturally include Eliestoun:
    • ARTH 257 Architecture in America
    • ARTH 258 Art in the USA
    • ARTH 285 20th Century Architecture
    • ARTH 355 Advanced Studies/19th-20th century
      • Students would be introduced to research in primary sources (Principia’s archive holds anecdotal material and has access to University of Maryland’s holdings of Dr. Hosmer’s research).
      • Students would be introduced to preservation principles (Charles Hosmer a preeminent voice) and be able to see them in action.
    • New Course: History of Historic Preservation

—Business Administration

  • Provides an opportunity to create a truncated entrepreneurial business plan in two courses:
    • BUAD 255 Integrated Principles
    • BUAD 320 Marketing

—Educational Studies

  • Block students live and study together
  • Experiential gap year program
  • Summertime experiential education program
  • Boot camp program for underprepared students
  • Offered PGTI as RA

—Communication and Music

  • Prin Internet Radio and The Pilot
  • Marketing & PR courses MCOM: 210, 224, 266, etc.
    • an Eliestoun project of some type
  • With qualified Photography/Video Faculty
    • Module in class(es) to document progress
    • MCOM 388 The Photographic Essay
    • MCOM 392 Documentary Video
  • Music Dept would be happy to provide student musicians as background entertainment for “Events at Eliestoun”
  • Student-run music events on the Eliestoun porch

—Sustainability

  • Enhances and expands the sustainability program and its resources
    • LEED-Eb achievement of the historical home
    • Solar/wind installation evaluation process
    • Student Sustainability group possibly working with a visiting expert on a sustainability-related project that relates to Eliestoun as they live there
    • Proximity of newly planted Food Forest
  • Additional student courses related to Sustainability project both from SUS as well as other departments

—Biology and National Resources

  • Biology uses the grounds heavily now
  • BNR 313 Forest Ecology: Colorado Blue Spruce, Mountain Pine, Japanese Maple. These advanced botany students could be involved with refreshing the design of the arboretum.
  • 3 courses utilize the ephemeral pond (they have no fish)
    • Salamanders, 3 species frogs, 1 species of toad
    • This is a breeding pond and cannot be cleared out, no trees may be cut, plastic fencing needs to remain, although the form could change
  • Bluff prairies: removing trees would be helpful as it will help bring back nesting places of the state threatened species, the timber rattlesnake (from Hutchinson to Lockhaven)
  • Biology retreat and/or Senior majors culmination study project
  • Pushing hard to set up: science students (mix of disciplines) research projects on: rattlesnakes, forest, prairies, birds and other wildlife.