. After shepherding the merger with UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, Southwest School President Paula Owen will retire June 30 from the job she’s held since 1996.
UTSA’s main campus will house the faculty and students from the Southwest School of Art starting in the Fall semester.The average class size at Southwest School has been around eight students, Boyd said, which is not necessarily a positive or a negative. Having more students in the classroom can mean more perspectives and opinions for a richer dialogue, he said.
During national searches, prospective arts faculty candidates are generally asked to make a presentation to art faculty and students, often including an example of a class lesson or assignment. Boyd said he and other Southwest School faculty successfully pressed for presentations to be added to the process so they could be fairly judged for their demonstrated experience and creative capabilities.
Whether the merger of the two programs lives up to its full potential will depend on the vision that person brings to the position, Boyd said.