<p>My boyfriend is in the 5-year combined-degree Tufts/SMFA program. He applied to both separately and was accepted to both schools, and that's how he could get into the combined-degree BA & BFA program.</p>
<p>Since he is also an SMFA student, I've hung out with several SMFA students who aren't in the 5-year program (just the regular BFA program they offer there). However, something in conversation this past weekend struck me. One of these students, who's doing the normal BFA program at the SMFA told me his degree is going to read as being from Tufts. I got quietly huffy inside thinking, "Please, you got into the SMFA, you did not get into Tufts. So while you can take courses at Tufts, your degree is from the SMFA. You didn't have the SATs (if you took them) nor the grades to get into my fine institution, though you might be a fine drawer." I said this to him in much more polite terms, and he shrugged and said, "Look, I got into Tufts through the backdoor." I wanted to slap him.</p>
<p>Then I go to the SMFA website and, indeed, it says the BFA degrees are granted by Tufts University. HELP! Someone explain how Tufts can give out degrees to students it didn't accept by the same criteria it accepted the rest of us; in fact, it didn't even accept them at all -- the SMFA did! I feel this is a travesty. I know this reeks of elitism on my part, but I feel that cheapens the degree for those of us that got into what I consider the real Tufts University. If you go to the SMFA website, they use the fact that the degrees are granted by Tufts as a huge selling point, which is infuriating to me.</p>
<p>Can anyone elucidate on this for me? Can the SMFA simply not grant degrees, or what? Why are all their degrees granted by Tufts?</p>
<p>NOTE: I want to say that while I have met some very talented people at the SMFA, many of the dullest people in my Art History classes are SMFA kids. I think this says something. This is an academic university, not a studio arts school, and I don't think Tufts should be putting its name on their diplomas. As a sidenote, they don't even pay the horrendous $46K pricetag we pay every year; their tuition is roughly half. I think this says something as well. Am I the only one slightly bothered by this?</p>
<p>Does anyone actually have a response to or any opinions on what I talked about in the first post? To put into terms for those who are not (yet) Jumbos: it's like saying that because RISD and Brown have cross-enrollment (much like Tufts and the SMFA), all the RISD kids get Brown on their diplomas. They do not. So why do SMFAers get Tufts on theirs?</p>
<p>I guess it's legit for SMFA students to get Tufts on their diplomas, as they do attend class here, some live in the dorms, and it is a joint program. I think Tufts benefits from having a joint program with the MFA, as it broadens the academic experience, and gives Tufts another strong specialty that it wouldn't have otherwise. </p>
<p>However, I think it's COMPLETELY UNFAIR to the point of being RIDICULOUS that SMFA students get reduced tuition. If their diploma says "tufts" on it, they should have to pay the Tufts tuition.</p>
<p>No, no I'm not talking about the joint degree people. Those are the ones who, like my boyfriend, are doing the five-year BA & BFA program, and they were simultaneously/individually accepted at either school. They're also the only ones who can live in Tufts housing. (Sidenote: they also pay full Tufts tuition for four years; the fifth year they pay SMFA tuition only.)</p>
<p>I'm talking about the kids who got in only to the SMFA and who take a smattering of courses at Tufts (like languages, literature and the like) because the SMFA doesn't offer them (the SMFA offers only studio art & art history courses). I object to THEM having Tufts on their diplomas for two main reasons: 1) they weren't accepted to Tufts University and 2) like you said, they don't pay our tuition, so why should they have the same school printed on their diploma?</p>
<p>Wow, it does seem like wat you say is true. This is what it says on the SMFA website:</p>
<p>"Whether you choose the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education, or the Combined-Degree program (BFA/BA or BFA/BS), youll be fully enrolled at both the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Youll immerse yourself in studio practice at the SMFA, get an in-depth liberal arts education from Tufts, and graduate with a highly respected degree from Tufts."</p>
<p>That does seem weird. I wonder if their diploma or the title of their degree is somehow different. It does seem kind of crappy that someone can say they have a BFA from Tufts, when they didn't actually get accepted there.</p>
<p>This is ridiculous. I can't believe this. Why do SMFA kids get Tufts on their diploma if the kids at the New England Conservatory, which has the same cross-enrollment agreement with Tufts as the SMFA and Tufts do, not do that? I'd personally prefer some smart musicians to have Tufts on their diploma than some artsy fartsies. I agree with LolaBelle, I've had some stuuuupid SMFA kids in some of my classes -- they're even the worst in the art history classes.</p>
<p>The difference is that Barnard girls get Barnard College of Columbia University on their diplomas. SMFA kids' degrees mention no SMFA, simply BFA from Tufts University. It's ludicrous!</p>
<p>"I'd personally prefer some smart musicians to have Tufts on their diploma than some artsy fartsies. I agree with LolaBelle, I've had some stuuuupid SMFA kids in some of my classes -- they're even the worst in the art history classes."</p>
<p>LOL, when I said this I was said to be "insensative" or something along those lines.</p>
<p>But cheers mate. Those art students are a friggin' embarrasment to this university. YAY! Lets smoke pot all day and fingerpaint...and then four years later lets be rewarded for the life of hedonism we've led for the past half decade. It's <strong><em>ing *</em></strong>*** dude. I can't believe Tufts just wasted tens of millions of dollars on new facilities for those jokers. They don't contribute **** to this school.</p>
<p>All they do is sit around and ***** about how bad America is, how religion is propaganda, how we're all fascists and that sort of thing and then after classes they'll head down to Davis Sqaure to panhandle a bit so that they can obtain funds for a night of drinking and vomitting. </p>
<p>RBAY: take note that we're "dissing" SMFA students, not art history students at Tufts, and also not the dual-degree students who got into both Tufts and SMFA. We're talking about SMFA-only students who seem to be mooching off the Tufts name.</p>
<p>Although my opinion doesn't change all that much, lol. So yeah, I just put $500 in the Western Union for you down at the Campus Mart by Dunkin' Donuts Lolla. </p>
<p>"There is a sort of jealousy which needs very little fire; it is hardly a passion, but blight bred in the cloudy, damp despondency of uneasy egoism."<br>
Mary Anne Evans ~ aka~ George Eliot ;)</p>
<p>They didn't work as hard as I did to get a Tufts degree. That certainly brings unease to my damp ego. I never concealed that; I've been totally upfront here. Interesting that this is your "first" post.</p>
<p>I've taken several classes at the SMFA, and my boyfriend is a dual-degree Tufts/SMFA student, as I explained before. I know plenty about the SMFA and its rigor. My problem is not with the SMFA's curriculum being easy or not, my problem with this issue is that the SMFA students get a Tufts degree without being accepted here. I just think they should have a degree that reads "SFMA". 'Tis all. And yes, totally, there are certainly tons of people who would probably not have gotten into Tufts had they not had URM status, connections of some sort, etc. as you said. However, at least they were accepted through Bendetson Hall. That's all. Are you an SMFA or Tufts student, btw (just for context/out of curiosity). Good night!</p>