Online workshop on establishing a conservation practice

The Foundation of the AIC is pleased to offer the online course,
"Establishing a Conservation Practice," starting January 17, 2008,
to meet the needs of conservators who wish to own or manage a
professional conservation business.  The course is helpful for
conservators who:

    *   Find themselves thinking about establishing their own
        professional conservation practice.

    *   Do a bit of private practice now, and want to become more
        "business-like" about what they're doing.

    *   Have recently taken on some managerial functions for their
        employer, and find they want more information

In this course, you will encounter readings, case studies, work
sheets, presentations, and exercises to get you thinking and
planning for success.  On-line discussion forums allow you to draw
on the combined experience of other participants, the course
facilitator, and select outside experts.  Best of all, "Establishing
a Conservation Practice" comes to you.  All you need is a computer
with Internet access and you are ready to learn.

About the course: "Establishing a Conservation Practice" is a
four-week course.  The course will begin on Thursday, January 17,
2008 and continue, with new activities and discussions each week,
through Wednesday, February 13, 2008. Course materials will remain
available to participants for two weeks after the course ends.

What the course will cover:

    Week 1      Defining a Practice
    Week 2      Establishing a Practice
    Week 3      The Finances of a Practice
    Week 4      Organizing a practice

In this course, you will learn to:

    *   Recognize the advantages and drawbacks of private practice

    *   Identify and define the documents that provide short and
        long term business guidance

    *   Understand the advantages and drawbacks of various business
        structures, such as sole proprietorship, partnership, and
        corporation

    *   Understand the role of legal, accounting, finance,
        marketing, employment, and other expertise in business
        management and maintenance

    *   Use model documents and spreadsheets to plan your business

    *   Locate additional resources on the internet and elsewhere to
        assist in setting up a private practice

Special note to international participants:  This course is designed
for conservators seeking to begin a private practice in the United
States. Because legal and taxation environments vary from one
country to another, some material (perhaps 20%) will not be
applicable outside the U.S.

About the Series: "Establishing a Conservation Practice" is part of
FAIC's online education series, "Business and Management Practices
for Conservators." Seven related courses will be offered in this
series during 2008.

Time Requirements: Expect to spend at least six hours per week on
the course--roughly the equivalent of attending a full-day workshop
each week.  You will use this time to complete exercises and to read
and respond to the work of others in the course.  You choose when,
according to your own schedule--at noon during your lunch break, in
the evening with a cup of coffee by your side, or at 6 in the
morning in your favorite jammies.

Registration: The fee for this course is $200 for AIC members, $300
for non-members. To register, complete and return the registration
form, which is available at <URL:http://aic.stanford.edu/education>
or from the AIC office.  The registration deadline is January 15,
2008. Participants will be accepted in order of receipt of paid
registration. Enrollment is limited, so early registration is
advised.

About the Facilitator:

    Sarah Lowengard, Ph.D., has more than twenty years' teaching
    experience in both formal university classrooms and informal
    education programs. She has developed, taught, or led courses,
    workshops, and tutorials in art conservation, collections care,
    history, academic research and materials analysis.  A
    private-practice art conservator since 1979, she initiated the
    Conservation Course Syllabus Web pages for Conservation OnLine
    and served on the AIC Education and Training Committee.

This course was created with funding from the Getty Foundation. It
is presented with funding from the FAIC Endowment for Professional
Development, which is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
and by gifts from members and friends of the American Institute for
Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

For more information, contact:

    Eric Pourchot
    Professional Development Director
    American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic
        Works
    1156 15th Street NW, Suite 320
    Washington, DC 20005
    202-452-9545, ext. 5
    Fax: 202-452-9328
    epourchot<-a t->aic-faic< . >org


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:37
                  Distributed: Friday, January 4, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-37-016
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