Charitable Chair Curriculum

The Charitable Chair event objective

is to promote the importance of community outreach through student involvement and classroom curriculum. The purpose is two-fold: First, to provide opportunity to illustrate the importance and satisfaction of service while promoting community exposure to the value of higher education; and second, to incorporate accreditation curriculum standards with practical experience and the design process.

Students, mentored by faculty members, will participate. Students are required as part of the course* final project, to refurbish or design a new chair with historical significance or influence. Students will take part in all phases of project management including soliciting community sponsors for each individual/team. Sponsors
may donate services, product or funds to help with the initial cost of purchasing and refurbishing or manufacturing the chair. Chairs will then be auctioned at an event in which proceeds will be split between a community partner and the WSU Interior Design program.

Project Requirements:

WSU Interior Design students in designated courses must participate regardless of whether or not the student has participated before. The Charitable Chair event is considered the final project of each course. 

*Charitable Chair may involve up to six interior design courses --- IDT 2010 Sustainability I, IDT 2040 Architectural Detailing, IDT 3010 Historical
Interiors and Furnishings, IDT 3020 American and Modern Interiors, IDT 3030 Sustainability II. IDT 3045 Residential Design
Students:

• Can work as individuals or teams of two
• Must find at least one sponsor willing to donate materials, time, product or funds in the amount of at least $100. Students may have as
• many sponsors as they would like.
• Can be a reclaimed or original designed chair
• Must be appropriate in style --- each student/team must be able to identify the historical style of the chair, the finishing techniques and
• upholstery
• Each chair must be MARKETABLE and must have a professional presentation quality
• Each chair, if upholstered, must be re-upholstered with new fabric that is indicative of the furniture style
• finish must be of high quality
• Each chair must have secure joints and repaired, if necessary
• Provide a detailed cost breakdown
• Must attend the Charitable Chair event regardless of whether or not their chair is accepted to participate in the Charitable Chair event

The project has 4 components:

1. The Proposal
2. The Marketing
3. The Chair
4. The Event

(1)The Proposal:

Each student/student team must prepare a proposal to submit detailing the project management plan for their chair.
The proposal should be crafted in a professional manner, coil bound with cover page and vinyl back. Proposals should include a table of contents. The proposal
should include the following items listed on separate pages:

• Chair name (can be included on title page)
• Detailed information on team participants including designer logos (teams may consist of no more than 2 individuals)
• Sponsor names, logos, and sponsor funds amounts
• Photographs of chair
• Written description in bullet format of project description to include:
  • All needs to restore/manufacture chair including but not limited to: acquisition of chair, acquisition of sponsors, stabilization, refinishing, fabric purchase, upholstery.
  • Costs and budgetary information
• Plan of action, resources, contacts and detailed timeline
• Historical information ---- style, influence, time period, current events that were happening during the time period
• Approval signatures for 1) Chair; 2) Fabric selection
• Coil bound, 5” x 7”

(2) Marketing

Along with the proposal and chair, each project will also feature marketing that describes the chair, it’s historical style/significance and the design team and sponsors.

The marketing must:

• Be created digitally
• Highlight chair name
• Illustrate the historical significance
• Include staged photograph of chair --- see ID faculty for photograph information
• Include sponsor logos, names
• Include individual student logos of all students on team
• Size, quantity specifics will be provided prior to the event by the instructor

The marketing may:

• Highlight construction drawings, details of chair
• Highlight sketches, renderings
• Be of portrait or landscape orientation

The marketing will:

• Be turned in at the time the chair is submitted to the instructor.
  • Date to be determined
• Will be featured next to the chair should the chair be chosen for the Charitable Chair event
• Not be returned to the student once it is submitted to the instructor

(3) The Chair:

Each individual/team will produce a full-scale chair as part of this project.
The chair may be:

• Reclaimed, refurbished or a new design however the chair may not be an unused, newly-purchased retail item
• Wood or upholstered
• For adults, children
• Used for any purpose --- Seating, dining, or any utilitarian purpose

The chair must be:

• Approved prior to purchase for both the chair and the fabric selection (signed approval sheet as part of the proposal)
• Titled
  • Title may be an original name or can feature sponsor name
• Refinished and of professional quality
• Marketable in style, finish and upholstery
• Submitted for review and approval if of a creative nature or use
• Structurally sound
• Photographed --- before, during and after the project process --- see ID faculty for end-of-project staging photography
• Historically referenced
• Professionally reupholstered, if an upholstered piece
• Sponsored by at least one individual/business in the amount of $100
  • Sponsorship may include services, products, funds
  • Sponsorship funds are to be used for the student for the acquisition of the chair and related products for this project.
  • If funds are paid to WSU, the funds will be disbursed for the exact amount of each sponsorship to the student/team.
  • Students may have multiple sponsors.
  • Sponsors may elect to include their logo/business name on some marketing materials associated with the Charitable Chair event as well as the chair presentation board. Students are responsible for the acquisition of all logos and the inclusion of such in the chair publications.

The chair will be:

• Considered as part of the final project for each course as participant in the Charitable Chair event
• Considered separately depending on the curriculum structure of each individual course
• Subject to faculty approval for public auction/event
  • o Each chair will be reviewed by faculty for quality craftsmanship. In the event a chair does not meet professional or historical standards or is deemed inappropriate for any reason, the chair may be denied approval for participation in the Charitable Chair event.
• Turned in approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the Charitable Chair event for review.
  • At the time the chair is turned in for review, students are responsible to fix any needed repairs determined by faculty, if any.
  • If approved, the chair will then be allocated for auction at the Charitable Chair event.
  • Chairs will be professionally photographed approximately 1-2 days after submission if approved.. Any chairs not turned in on the specified date will NOT be photographed by a photographer secured by the interior design program. Photographs will then be part of an online gallery on the ID website.
  • The day of the event, the chair becomes the property of the Weber State University Interior Design program and will not be returned to the student.
  • If the chair is not sold at auction, the Weber State University Interior Design program may choose to find another purchase source or retain for a later auction or for the department’s use.
• Auctioned at the Charitable Chair event
  • The chair may be auctioned by auctioneer or silent auction
  • Proceeds for chairs will be paid to Weber State University. Weber State University will then issue a check for a portion of the proceeds to charity, half to the WSU IDT program.

(4) The Event

The project will culminate at an auction event in which chairs will be highlighted and auctioned to the highest bidder. The event will showcase the chairs accepted for auction as well as the brochure.

• Students are required to attend the event, regardless of whether or not their chair is accepted to participate.
• Students are required to sell 4 tickets to the event to the public NOT sponsors---- in addition, each student will be given 2 complimentary tickets to attend the event.
• Students are required to invite all sponsors to the event, providing marketing materials as provided by the interior design program.
• The event may be held at a location off-campus.
• Students are required to deliver their chair to the photography staging location and/or the event site.
• The student may be required to develop a “set” for their chair at the event site
• All chairs may be photographed and used as marketing material for future events.
• Students may be required to be on-hand at the event to answer questions about their chair to potential bidders.
  • Students should prepare a short speech that provides historical information including current events of the day (e.g. 1920’s, etc.), sponsors, why you chose the chair and refurbishing information ----- students should not reveal the initial cost to purchase the chair.

Fine Print:

• Students participating in Charitable Chair are encouraged to work with faculty and student mentors to select, secure and arrange for refurbishing of their chair.
• Students will produce a chair 2 times before acting as student mentor in the Charitable Chair process. Students taking more than one class at a time participating in Charitable Chair may use the same chair in all classes.
• Students are responsible for securing sponsorships, collecting sponsor funds and paying all artisans for work completed on their chair.
• Students who do not have chairs or upholstery pre-approved may be subject to alteration if quality, appropriateness, craftsmanship are not up to par.
• Chairs that are lacking in quality, appropriateness, craftsmanship at the time of submission will be required to repair the chair per the faculty instructions in order to participate in the auction.