Traditions
A Rich Tradition in Creativity Education
As the first and oldest degree granting program in creativity in the world, the foundation of ICSC dates back to Alex Osborn's seminal work in creativity education in the 1940s and 1950s. Osborn, the developer of brainstorming and the originator of the Creative Problem Solving process, saw the need for a more creative trend in American education and business. It was this vision and dream that eventually led to the establishment of the Center for Studies in Creativity in 1967.
An experimental study carried out on the courses offered in the late 1960s and early 1970s, showed that those courses significantly enhanced undergraduate students' creative abilities, as well as improved their academic and nonacademic performance. Osborn's dream was fully realized when Dr. Sidney Parnes and Dr. Ruth Noller established a permanent academic home for the Creative Studies Program at Buffalo State.
Timeline
1954—Creative Education Foundation formed at the University of Buffalo.
1967—Creative Education Foundation moved to Buffalo State. First graduate courses taught at Buffalo State. Creative Studies collection started at E. H. Butler Library.
1969—Creative Studies Project initiated; a comprehensive experimental study on the impact of a sequence of undergraduate creativity courses.
1975—Graduate program approved.
1987—Graduate Certificate Program approved. Creativity Based Information Resources (CBIR) database started.
1990-1—Center hosts major international research conference and working research meeting focusing on the disciplinary aspects of the domain of creativity.
1997—Graduate courses offered via distance education. Our 125th student graduates with M.S. in Creativity.
1999—Center faculty initiates first overseas graduate course.
2001—Center faculty initiates Graduate Certificate for Professionals through distance strategies.
2002—Name changed to the International Center for Studies in Creativity, housed within the Creative Studies Department.