Hi Martha,
This is a great initiative. What an exciting program to build.
While I don't come from a historian or museum studies background, I'd offer a perspective from the business and operations side, which could be a valuable complement to the academic curriculum.
In addition to areas like curation, ethics, and diversity (which are clearly essential), it may be helpful to expose students to how museums actually operate as organizations. For example:
- How museums generate revenue (memberships, events, partnerships, grants)
- Strategies for attracting and retaining visitors
- Basics of marketing, audience development, and community engagement
- Operational workflows and how different teams collaborate
- Using data to inform decisions and improve performance
- Leveraging data and AI tools to improve decision-making, streamline operations, and enhance visitor engagement
Understanding these aspects can help students see the full picture. How mission and sustainability work together and better prepare them for real-world roles within museums.
Just a thought from a different angle, but I hope it's helpful.
Cheers
Tanya
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Tanya Lipovich
Fractional CMO
San Ramon CA
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