MUSL 530 -100 Laura-Edythe S.

Coleman,
Fall 2019 MLIS, Ph.D.
lsc64@drexel.edu
(386)965-8208
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MUSEUM MANAGEMENT

This course will examine how museums are structured and the functions that different individuals perform. We will
study the activities of curators, conservators, registrars, educators, fund raisers and administrators and consider the ways in which
museums are organized and managed. 3 credit hours-Lecture/Discussion.

Course Purpose:

This is a required course in the Museum Leadership Program because it is an introduction to the way that museums
work and the audiences that they serve. Museums are complex organizations responsible to a diverse group of stakeholders each
of whom share in the ownership of these public service institutions. Successful museum leaders have a broad understanding of
the many skills needed to maintain and grow vibrant museums. In this course, we will collectively examine the responsibilities
and contributions of museum staff, trustees, members, donors, volunteers, outside consultants and vendors. Museum leaders must
act as conductors who bring together these various elements into “a place of wonder” where collections, research, buildings,
programs, experiences and entertainment all combine to serve diverse communities and to help build a civil society.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the general administrative structure of a standard, non-profit, museum.
2. Explain the use and value of different kinds of museum collections.
3. Explain how museums interpret collections and present educational programs.
4. Identify the different roles that museum professionals play and differentiate between them.
5. List the ways that museums manage their finances and prepare a simple budget.
6. List at least 5 major professional museum associations and describe their function.
7. Conduct oral presentations that are compelling and cohesive.
8. Plan and develop a program for a “start-up” museum.

Course Structure:
This course is divided into six lessons and an introduction. A week-by-week course schedule is available on Blackboard. The
weeks are as follows:

Week 1: Introduction – What are Museums for?

Weeks 2 & 3: Lesson 1 – Museums are for people
Weeks 4 & 5: Lesson 2 – Museums are for objects
Week 6: Lesson 3 – Museums are physical spaces
Week 7: Lesson 4 – Museums are generators & consumers of money
Weeks 8 & 9: Lesson 5 – Museums are places to work
Week 10: Lesson 6 – Museums must plan

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Assignments
Active & Prepared Participation in Class (in-person & online) 30 Points
Oral Presentations I (about museum types) 15 Points
Oral presentation II (about museum careers) 15 Points
Museum Visit 20 Points
Group Project (presentation and written assessment) 20 Points

Total Possible Points 100 Points

Active Participation In-Person & Online Discussion Boards

Students are expected to be active learners and participants in this class with a goal of helping to create an interesting
learning experience that will lay the foundation for a future career as a museum leader.
The specific requirements are:
1. Attend all weekly classes
2. Complete all assigned reading
3. Actively contribute to class discussions both online & in-person
4. Complete all assignments in a timely and serious manner
5. Share in the learning and gain a passion for museums

Rules of Engagement for Class Discussions

1. Come to class prepared having read all materials thoroughly and having formulated questions and
opinions about the reading.
2. Own the class discussion by being an active talker as well as a considerate listener. Reinforce what other
students say by repeating their positions in your own words. Be aware of students who are more reluctant
to participate.
3. No one speaks twice before everyone has had a chance to speak once.
4. Support all claims with clear examples from the readings or from experience.
5. Disagree politely.

Every student is required to participate in each Lesson’s Discussion Forum. This consists of an answer to the question
in each thread (there will be more than one thread for each lesson) and responses to at least TWO classmates' post in EACH
thread. This is the requirement for this class, however, you are welcome to start your own threads or post more than the
required amount. You must complete all the assigned readings each unit to participate effectively in the Discussion Forum. Try
to post early in the lesson so that we have time to build up a lively discussion. Please note that Discussion postings and
contributions that meet minimum requirements and/or are posted within a few hours of the deadline do not earn full points in
the category of Active Participation as outlined below in the Discussion Guidelines Grading Rubric. To earn full points you
need to spread out responses and engagement over the course of the week. Your initial post is due on Saturday, midnight, each
week and you will respond to your peers by midnight the following Tuesday. Please be sure to read all of the discussion posts
each lesson. To cite readings in your discussion posts you will need to use APA (Author, Date, Page #). So for example you
might write (Falk, 2009, p. 350).

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Required Texts - Please purchase these books through the bookstore, Amazon, or acquire through Worldcat.org &
ILL -Other readings are available in Blackboard via “Course Reserves”

1. Ambrose, T. & Paine, C. (2018). Museum Basics: The International Handbook. (4th Edition) New York, NY:
Routledge.

2. Genoways, H., Ireland, L. & Caitlin-Legutko, C. (2017). Museum Administration 2.0. Lanham, MD: Rowman
& Littlefield.
Technology Requirements. In order to fully participate in this class, you will need regular access to a computer and the Internet.
A substantial portion of our readings will be made available via the Course Reserves tab in Blackboard. Each week, please check
the reserves for additional readings. I recommend printing and placing in a 5 inch, three-ring binder. Yes, we will fill the binder by
the end of the course!
Technical Difficulties?
Reach out to me ASAP - I have 4 years experience in a fast-paced IT Helpdesk and I'm rather techy!

Library Difficulties? Can't find an article?

Reach out to me ASAP - I'm also a librarian!

Expectations Regarding Class Participation. This will be a highly participatory course. Students are expected to complete all
readings, participate actively in the online portions of the course, as well as during museum visits. Discussion and active
participation are expected each week that the course is in session.

Grade Point Scale

A+ = 97-100
 B+ = 87-89
 C+ = 77-79 D+ = 67-69
A = 93-96
 B = 83-86
 C = 73-76
 D = 63-66

A- = 90-92 B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72 F = Below 63
Academic Policies
All students should be familiar with policies pertaining to graduate students at Drexel.

Course Change Policy:

Changes to the course schedule are at the discretion of the instructor and will be announced in class and through BB Learn.

Academic and Honesty Policy:

You are responsible for being familiar with Drexel’s academic policies: http://www.drexel.edu/provost/graduatestudies/
policies.asp. http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/academic_dishonesty.asp
Students are responsible for properly acknowledging all sources for their written work.

Graduate Student Handbook, Policies and Academic Calendar:

All students are expected to be familiar with any applicable student policies and deadlines. These policies may be found at
www.drexel.edu/provost/graduatestudies/policies/, along with a downloadable pdf of Drexel’s Graduate Student Handbook.
The Academic Calendar, containing important information such as deadlines to add, drop or withdraw from a class, may be
found at www.drexel.edu/provost/calendars/

Statement for Students with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations and services at Drexel University need to present a current
Accommodation Verification Letter (AVL) to faculty before accommodations can be made. AVL's are issued by the Office
of Disability Resources (ODR). For additional information, contact ODR at www.drexel.edu/odr, 3201 Arch St., Street,
Suite 210, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215.895.1401 (V), or 215.895.2299 (TTY).

Library Resources:
The Library is available to help students access online resources, develop search strategies, find scholarly sources, evaluate
information and more. www.library.drexel.edu/

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