The mission of the Butte College Fashion Program is to provide high quality education and services to the community. The Fashion Program prepares students for careers related to working within the Fashion industry. It provides students the opportunity to discover the inner workings of the industry, including the design concept, construction of product, and the distribution and sales of merchandise, from the designer and manufacturing level through the retail level and ultimately, to the consumer.
The Butte College Fashion Program is housed within the Art Department. The Fashion Program offers an AS Degree and a Certificate of Achievement in Fashion Merchandising, a Certificate I Clothing Construction, and a Certificate in Fashion Design. Each semester three to five courses are offered. Fashion courses are taught by two to three Associate faculty members. The program has a classroom dedicated to clothing design and construction, ARTS 241, and another classroom, ARTS 246, for lecture classes. The program is well equipped with 18 sewing machines, an embroidery machine, 15 dress forms, and cutting and pattern making equipment and furniture. Each year Fashion students have an opportunity to display their work in the Butte College Fashion Show held in May.
Based on the Validation Team recommendation that the Fashion Program needed more leadership and support, the program has been moved under the Art department. It is receiving support from the Chair and fulltime faculty. Plans are underway to request Perkins funds in order to provide stipends for part time faculty and/or a Fashion program coordinator.
In response to the Validation Team recommendation that the Fashion program enhance their curriculum and currency, program faculty have been meeting with Fiber Arts faculty to design new curriculum and degree/certificates that will meet the needs of students. Research is underway to incorporate electronic portfolios and insure that students learn the latest in fashion design technologies.
Fashion program faculty, with the help of the Chair has met with Steve St. Cin to outline and map a Transfer Degree using existing articulation agreements with San Francisco State (and other CSU’s such as Sacramento, Northridge, and Long Beach) to update/replace a previously offered transfer degree, as per the Validation Team recommendation.
The Validation Team recommended that the District support the Fashion Program’s strategic scheduling by allowing at least 6 classes to be offered each semester so that students can progress through the program without delay. Before this recommendation can be met, the program needs to implement an outreach plan increase student demand. This can best be accomplished by having a program coordinator.
The Validation Team recommended that one of the required courses CSCI 2 be replaced by BCIS 18 in the Fashion Merchandising AS Degree and Certificate. This change has been made and is reflected in the current catalog.
The Validation Team recommended that the Fashion Program reach out to the junior and senior high schools to develop interest in Butte College’s Fashion program. It recommended that the program reach out to the local merchant community to develop internship possibilities and Advisory Board participation. A Fashion Program coordinator would have the time and resources to develop both of these recommendations.
The Validation Team recommended the Fashion program enhance student advisement. A Fashion program coordinator would be able to meet this recommendation.
The Validation Team recommended that the Fashion program ensure that students have a public forum for demonstrating their work. The program currently supports students’ needs by way of the Fashion Club organizing a Fashion Show. Offering FASH 90, Fashion Promotions, once a year will allow students an opportunity to obtain an organized course of study in fashion show experience. This recommendation has been addressed, a public forum (fashion show) continues to be held each spring, but continues to need support from the department andcollege.
The Validation Team recommended that the Fashion Show “close the loop” in their assessing and reporting of SLO/PLOs in Curricunet. The Chair is currently meeting this recommendation.
Strategy 1 - Expand Enrollment and Support Student Success
Encourage existing students to work toward a degree and/or certificate by advising them about careers in fashion and by offering guidance in navigating the course offerings and mapping course progression. Market the program to potential students.
Existing students should be made aware of the career options and the value of a degree/certificate in Fashion.
Many have taken over half the courses and need only a few to complete a certificate or degree.
Potential students should be made aware of the degrees, certificates, and course offerings at Butte College. A local opportunity to earn a degree in fashion is advantageous to many local students who would have to move to a major metropolitan area such as Sacramento, San Francisco, or Los Angeles to enroll in a fashion program.
Strategy 2 - Fashion Advisory Board
Create a Fashion Advisory Board made up of community members.
The Fashion Advisory Board would provide guidance to the Fashion Program sustainability and future development. In addition, creating an Advisory Board would allow the program to make connections and build networks with local businesses that are focused on textile, retail, and fashion garment manufacturing, in order to establish internships and career pathways for our Fashion students.
Strategy 3 - AS Degree in Fashion Design
Implement a drafted AS Degree in Fashion Design and additional courses in Fashion Design (levels I-III), Digital Design for Fashion and Textiles, and Surface Design. Review and reinstate courses in Weaving and Hat & Headdress Design.
Currently we have fashion students transferring to other 2-year trade schools to get the courses they need when we should be serving them right here. Fashion is an ever-evolving area of study. Ongoing course modification and development will serve to keep the Fashion program's content current and relevant to employment market conditions. There is a need for qualified entry-level employees in the fashion industry. This degree will insure employers that Butte students have achieved a level of knowledge and understanding of fashion commensurate with a entry level position.
Strategy 4 - Certificate in Textiles and Fiber Arts
Continue developing a new certificate in Textile and Fiber Arts which connects the Fashion Program and the Art Program.
In a joint meeting of the Fashion and Fiber Arts faculty it was recognized by that there are many connections between Fashion and Fiber Arts, and that textile production is a primary source of cultural development on the earth. We determined that we should initially create a Certificate of Achievement rather than a degree. Faculty identified courses and developed course pathways. Present these ideas to Chair and Dean.
The alliance will allow students to create unique textiles through weaving, felting, and surface design, etc., that can be used in individually designed, sewn wearable, home and fashion applications. There is potential for future careers in a developing local textile industry, along with agricultural production of flax and wool, and construction of a mini-textile mill. Currently, there are only off-shore textile mills.
This will also allow students to develop marketable skills in areas of fashion and related art that are not currently served by either department.
Strategy 5 - Support SLO and PLO Dialog, Assessment & Reporting
Ensure that program faculty members meet to discuss SLO/PLO, followed by reporting, and applied improvements are made to courses and program.
Proper PLO/SLO assessment maintains the quality of the Fashion courses/program by encouraging all faculty members to exchange ideas, suggestions, questions and concerns in a supportive environment with a common goal - improving student performance and completion.
Strategy 6 - Enhance Transfer Opportunities
Implement a drafted Tansfer Degree that aligns with San Francisco State’s Apparel Design major, as well as other CSU's including Sacramento.
Articulate a transfer major with San Francisco State’s major in Apparel Design and Merchandising. Currently FASH 6, 9, 13 and 64 are articulated with San Francisco State.
One of the major missions of the college is to increase transfer rates. Articulating fashion classes will create a smoother, more attractive transfer pathway from Butte to SF State.
Strategy 7 - Technology - Techniques and Methods
Ensure that all courses are technologically current, incorporating the latest techniques and methods, and the Fashion faculty members are trained in cutting-edge digital techniques and programs.
The Fashion industry has embraced new technologies, both for design purposes and for social media marketing. The industry expects that employees will have a working knowledge of how to use the computer to generate designs, draft patterns and design textiles.
Strategy 8 - Showcase Student Work
Ensure there is a Fashion Show each year.
It is essential for Fashion students have a platform to share their creative efforts with the public. This gives them much needed production experience and exposes their efforts to a broad audience.
The Fashion Program requests full support from the Counseling Office in accurate advisement information for students regarding the Fashion Program.
The Fashion Program also requests support via informal training on new technology within the ARTS department that is applicable to fashion (i.e. textile printer and large-format paper printer(s))
The Fashion Program earns revenue for its Foundation account by profits from ticket sales to their annual fashion show. Amount can vary. Last year the department made $150. Typically this fund exists as start-up money for the following year's show.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Fashion | Personnel | 11-000-512-1-130310 | $0.00 | $2,000.00 | |
| Stipends for Fashion Show managers | The annual fashion show to showcase student work requires an additional 100+ hours of work by a faculty members to coordinate multiple activities related to the production of the show, as well as guide students who are learning how to produce a special event. This includes building stages, lighting, painting and other projects. |
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| 2 | Equipment | 11-000-512-1-130310 | $450.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Pipe and Drape Setup | For use during outreach marketing as well as the annual Fashion Show and visual merchandising displays. |
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| 3 | Equipment | 11-000-512-1-130310 | $700.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Quartet Oval Office Fabric Bulletin Boards (6 ea.) | These boards are used in the fashion lab for sewing and pattern making to protect existing equipment and for additional work surfaces that require being pinned into. CONSIDER FOR PERKINS FUNDING: 1303.00-FASHION |
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| 4 | Fashion | Equipment | 1-000-512-1-061460 | 56411 | $30,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Replacement of 10-year old sewing machines | Our sewing machines are 10 years old and have been repaired multiple times since they were purchased when the new Arts building was built. |
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