Section 3 - Programs of the Center
There are a wide variety of educational programs under the umbrella of OSU’s Doel Reed Center. What started as a single Credit Course offering has grown to include programming for OSU students, alumni and friends and Taos community partners.
Credit Classes
Credit Classes at the Doel Reed Center give OSU students an experience that they will not have elsewhere in their academic journey. These specially designed classes include trips to culturally significant sites in northern New Mexico, hands-on experiences, as well as lectures and discussions.
OSU professors submit their class proposals for the two week summer offerings which are then reviewed by an OSU faculty committee. Classes may be related to art, literature, cultural understanding or even nature and ecology, and are designed to take advantage of the many cultural and natural attractions that exist in the northern New Mexico area. The Center Director coordinates the lodging arrangements for students as well as a thorough orientation to the Center and its use. Students are responsible for their own travel. OSU contracts for rooms for students with the Sagebrush Inn, located not too far from the Center and providing safe, clean and convenient lodging for students.
The description of the 2022 Credit Class offerings can be found on the DRC website. IF you have not reviewed them, you may do so here.
Leisure Learning Classes
Although Leisure Learning classes are not taken for academic credit, these offerings at the Doel Reed Center greatly expand the educational reach of Oklahoma State University by engaging adults who are alumni and friends of the University. Topics for the classes are wide ranging and take full advantage of the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the southwest. Instructors for these classes may be a part of the OSU family or others with expertise in a particular subject. Class proposals are reviewed and subsequently selected by the Center Director and the Leisure Learning committee, a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee.
In early 2021 when the pandemic restricted gatherings and summer classes could not be offered, Leisure Learning lectures and remote learning workshops were established by Director Carol Moder. These activities served to keep the Leisure Learning audience engaged and even expanded the reach by engaging persons who are unable to make the trip to Taos.
Visiting Artist and Visiting Scholar Programs
Through the generous contributions of donors, the Visiting Scholar and Visiting Artist Programs have been established to further enhance the OSU in Taos experience. The Center Director has responsibility for organization and supervision of both programs.
The Jim and Linda Burke Visiting Scholar or Writer allows the Center to bring some of the best and brightest literary minds to interact with OSU students enrolled in one of the summer Credit classes. Applications for scholars are solicited by the Center Director from universities and other appropriate literary sources, reviewed by expert OSU faculty and a committee which includes members of the Doel Reed Center Advisory Committee. The chosen scholar is provided with a $5,000 stipend as well as expenses for travel and lodging. In addition to the expectation that the Visiting Scholar will interact with students during summer classes, there is a stipulation that a workshop will be presented in Stillwater and possibly in Taos.
In similar fashion to the Visiting Scholar program, Smelser - Vallion Visiting Artist Program, applications are solicited through appropriate publications and websites, candidates are vetted by OSU faculty and reviewed and selected by a larger committee, including volunteers from the Advisory Committee. The Visiting Artist is expected to take on a project related to the southwest culture and to bring expertise to the students studying in summer Credit classes related to the arts. The compensation and expectations are also similar to that of the Visiting Scholar.
Keep in mind that the program was not active in 2020 or 2021 because of pandemic restrictions. Both programs will be in place again in 2023. Meet the past and present Visiting Scholars and Visiting Artists here.
Student Scholarships
Thanks to generous donors who understand the impact that such experiences can have for OSU students, most students receive some scholarship assistance in order to be able to take advantage of this one of a kind experience. Any OSU student may enroll for the summer classes but most students are encouraged to do so by their department faculty. The students may be recommended to receive a scholarship for as much as $1,500 for study at the Center.
Community outreach, workshops and events
Examples of previous workshops can be found here.
The Scholar Development Workshops held at the Center provide an opportunity for OSU students who are applying for prestigious national and international scholarships (such as the Truman and Goldwater) to receive intensive one-on-one coaching and assistance preparing their applications while experiencing the sites of Taos.
The Hargis Fellows program brings OSU faculty to the Center while researching topics or completing scholarly works related to the southwest arts and culture. Residencies may last two to four weeks in June. By participating in the fellowship program, faculty agree to teach a future Credit course related to their work. Participants are selected by the Center Director. This program is made possible by private funding through the Burns and Ann Hargis Professorship fund.
A list of past Hargis Fellows and their fields of study can be found on the DRC website. You may view it here.
Virtual lectures are the latest addition to the educational outreach activities arranged by the Center Director. As virtual offerings are scheduled they will be listed on the Doel Reed Center website under News and Events and will be promoted by the OSU Foundation, the OSU Alumni Association and on the Doel Reed Center social media platforms.
Community outreach is a part of the plan for the Center. Through a partnership with the Taos Integrated School for the Arts (TISA), elementary and middle school students are hosted at the Doel Reed Center to learn printmaking techniques. This is the second summer for the TISA workshops.
Summer internship program - The Center is often able to hire an OSU student intern to fulfill designated roles for summer activities. The most recent intern worked with the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House photographing the Museum's entire collection, inventorying objects, and conducting research to ensure the collection's database contains complete and accurate information.