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Abstract
All undergraduate degree programs in the Faculty of the Built Environment (FBE) at UNSW (Architecture, Building and Construction Management (now Construction Management and Property), Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Planning and Urban Development) were reviewed in 2004-2005 with the twin objectives of finding ways to strengthen the separate programs, and also to identify opportunities for greater cross-disciplinary learning and teaching. One response to increase the Faculty’s cross-disciplinary experiences was to form a First Year Common Course (FYCC) Group. The eight-member group met on a regular basis during 2004 and 2005 to develop a course proposal (Creativity, Innovation and Change) that made it through each of the necessary committee levels of approval within the faculty. At the final hurdle when the degree programs had to agree to adopt the new course (or not) a majority of the Heads of Program decided not to incorporate the new course in their degrees. This paper outlines the rationale for having a FYCC, the process involved and the proposal that emerged from the work of the FYCC Group; and reviews reasons the proposal was not adopted faculty-wide even after receiving formal approval as a new course from the appropriate Faculty committees.