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Preventive Conservation (CUMC90029)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
May
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | May |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject examines the physical and chemical causes of deterioration of cultural material, and considers how these can be effectively mitigated. Areas of study include the ten agents of deterioration that include light, incorrect relative humidities, incorrect temperature, physical stresses, biodeterioration, pollutants, pests, fire, criminal activity and dissociation. Students will critically evaluate current theories, international standards and guidelines for the management of museum and cultural collection environments and contexts. The context and opportunities for the implementation of a preventive conservation approach within an overall risk management framework will be emphasised, including environmental impact, budgetary implications, sustainability, and stakeholder management.
It is now readily acknowledged by most commentators that it is culturally preferable as well as financially advantageous to minimise or prevent deterioration of cultural material than to apply remedial conservation intervention after avoidable damage has been sustained. However this is a collective decision-making process embedded in individual, institutional and community needs. As such this subject lays a critical foundation for effective professional practice as a conservator in preventive conservation.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject students should be able to:
- identify the main deterioration mechanisms that affect cultural material using the ten agents of deterioration;
- explain the causes and effects of different physical and environmental conditions on cultural materials;
- formulate the risks associated in different physical and environmental conditions and collection contexts using an evidence based framework;
- apply preventive conservation principles to collection surveys, environmental risk strategies, storage, packing, transport and display methods for cultural material in diverse contexts, communities, geographic locations and environments; and
- apply sustainable thinking and strategies in preventive conservation.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Students enrolling into this subject must be admitted to the MC-CULMC Master of Cultural Material Conservation or the GCA-ARTS Graduate Certificate in Arts (Specialisation in Cultural Material Conservation).
Students who have completed CUMC40004 Preventive Conservation, are not eligible to enrol in this subject.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
A class presentation
| During the teaching period | 20% |
A class paper
| During the assessment period | 20% |
A report
| During the assessment period | 60% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 100% of seminars in order to pass this subject. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- May
Coordinator Nicole Tse Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 36 hours of lectures and seminars across the teaching period. Total time commitment 170 hours Pre teaching start date 27 April 2020 Pre teaching requirements During the pre-teaching period students are expected to complete the course readings, review the lectures and any other course preparation as outlined in the LMS. The LMS will be available at the commencement of the pre-teaching period. Teaching period 18 May 2020 to 29 May 2020 Last self-enrol date 1 May 2020 Census date 22 May 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 29 May 2020 Assessment period ends 19 June 2020 May contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
A subject reader will be available in the pre-teaching period with access to the Readings Online.
Recommended texts and other resources
Staniforth, S (ed) 2013 Historical perspectives on preventive conservation, Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, UniM Bail High Use 069.53 HIST
Szczepanowska, H 2013 ‘Preventive Conservation’ in Conservation of Cultural Heritage : Key Principles and Approaches, Routledge, eBook, pp. 14-47.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage Specialisation (formal) Principles of Cultural Materials Conservation - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022