Review of SCAD by parent

Colleges and Universities A-Z Savannah College of Art and Design
81

<p>I was glad to see replies from Raining Again and Tax Guy, as I was steaming at some of the Balloon Fairy's comments made about SCAD. I think the replies already posted have pretty much debunked most of those clearly misinformed and biased statements Balloon Fairy made, but I wanted to put my two cents in.</p>

<p>My daughter is in her freshman year at SCAD. From the post-admission communications to the orientation and first term experience, I have to give the college very good marks. Like any "city" school, students need to be careful where they travel, but SCAD went out of there way to advise students where to go, and where NOT to go in town. They run three separate shuttle buses around town to get to the various buildings on the campus, which are spread throughout the city. THeu have a clever mandatory freshman program that requires students to get "stamps" at various locales throughout the SCAD campus and run programs to help them get acclimated. </p>

<p>Classes are not a cakewalk and TA's are not teaching classes. My daughter is being challenged in her Foundation classes and understands what she needs to be successful. The College has a very active support system; my daughter had some roommate issues and the entire network provided a lot of assistance, which helps parents hundreds of miles away feel more comfortable.</p>

<p>If you review the mandated federal crime statistics at SCAD you'll find that the college is pretty safe. Dorms are very secure and security is visible. A group of kids were recently kicked out of the dorms for smoking pot on a SCAD athletic field late one evening; they do take discipline seriously and that is fine. There are computer labs in many places, but most students have their own printers. The college strongly discourages freshman from buying computers before the first semester. Most kids come with computers anyway, but the on-campus support is fine - a bit overwhelmed in the beginning, but fine. </p>

<p>There are things to do every weekend in Savannah and the kids are quick to find things they like to do. Some kids are too busy with love interests and other side attractions, but that is normal. </p>

<p>So far, I feel like we are getting a good value for the money. She is happy, engaged, meeting friends, learning, and enthusiastic. SCAD is getting increasingly popular and its reputation among arts professionals is growing rapidly. I feel as if we are at the cusp of a very great institution, and the college is acting and feeling like a major high level institution. The staff is accommodating and quick to respond. No serious complaints at all. I would strongly recommend SCAD to any student that is serious about art and design, recognizing that no school is right for every kid.</p>

82

<p>Ehnonymous, thanks for bringing in the perspective of a current parent.</p>

83

<p>SCAD has a great reputation, accredited by NASAD or not. It is known across the nation and respected. I know a woman who went there and now owns an extremely successful jewlery business in New Orleans. I think it depends what exactly your major is, but SCAD is great...no matter what people say. I see a lot of complaining about top art schools like Pratt and RISD, the whole, "They only care about your money" thing. Some people just aren't happy anywhere...</p>

84

<p>Iā€™d just like to say that the bad things that are implied here about SCAD seem to be the same with a lot of colleges. For example, I currently attend New Jersey Institute of Technology and study architecture with the intent of transferring to SCAD for interactive design and game development next fall. NJIT is apparently very good and highly thought of in the work field (yet from what I can tell only within New Jersey, where Iā€™m from nobody had ever heard of it until its horrible basketball team made news on ESPN), yet upon coming here last year I found that it is a horrible place to attend. The faculty is absolutely horrific, the campus isnā€™t all that great, the administration is not helpful at all and to be honest is usually rude, and honestly I feel itā€™s not worth the money Iā€™m paying, even though Iā€™m on a half scholarship. The math program here especially is terrible, and is built to make the students fail out in order to get their money for a few semesters real quick before they lose their scholarships and are forced to leave. They accept students that obviously to do not deserve to be there and it is very obvious to see, as I have talked to students whos grades were horrible in high school and SAT scores werenā€™t all that great. They get there reputation as a good school because of how ā€œrigorousā€ the course work is, but they achieve this by admitting students they know are going to fail. As I see it all colleges are money hungry and do what they need to help themselves. I will be attending SCAD in the fall and have heard so many great things about it from people I have met here from all over. I look forward to attending this college. As for the crimeā€¦I live in freakin Newark, NJ for schoolā€¦I donā€™t think that the crime rate is going to be much of an issue for me haha.</p>

85

<p>/// Iā€™d just like to say that the bad things that are implied here about SCAD seem to be the same with a lot of colleges. For example, I currently attend New Jersey Institute of Technology and study architecture with the intent of transferring to SCAD for interactive design and game development next fall. ///</p>

<p>I know NJIT and Newark, NJ fairly well. SCAD and Savannah will be quite a change for you.</p>

86

<p>//// So far, I feel like we are getting a good value for the money. She is happy, engaged, meeting friends, learning, and enthusiastic. SCAD is getting increasingly popular and its reputation among arts professionals is growing rapidly. I feel as if we are at the cusp of a very great institution, and the college is acting and feeling like a major high level institution. The staff is accommodating and quick to respond. No serious complaints at all. I would strongly recommend SCAD to any student that is serious about art and design, recognizing that no school is right for every kid. ////</p>

<p>It is very satisfying to read that you - and others - have found SCAD to be an excellent place for art and design education.</p>

87

<p>Reading through most of the threads of this discussion I must say this:</p>

<p>I graduated High School Early in January of 2007 and decided to take two years off of school to find out who I am and what exactly I want to do with my life. Last summer I decided to apply to SCAD-Savannah for Art History and have been accepted. I have visited Savannah a few times and every time I go the experience is always a great experience. RainingAgain, I must say I am happy your views of SCAD have changed in the last year or so because no matter what school a person attends there is going to be a crime rate of some sort, there are always people (Staff and students alike) that are miserable, and money will always be an issue anywhere a person goes. I am NOT a trust fund baby, my family has no money and how I have made it on my own so far, I honestly do not know, But I am satisfied with SCADā€™s fees as well as itā€™s curriculum, staff and students. What Iā€™ve said also goes to Doude, Shy1520, taxguy and ehnonymous. As far as balloon<em>fary goes, well this person is obviously just sour about school in general, Every person I know, friend and foe, who has been accepted had to go through some great lengths. A person applying to SCAD does not get accepted freely, there are some harsh criteria one must follow, and although you do not have to they highly recommend you send in a portfolio of your work. I have never taken an art class in my LIFE so I chose not to, but I did go through some trials and obstacles to prove I have enough talent to be accepted. As far as rape and theft goes balloon</em>fary is correctā€¦ But again, almost any school you go to, and even any city you go to, there is always a crime rate of some sort so just watch out for yourself, and whoever is with you, wherever you decide to go.</p>

88

<p>I am sorry but anyone sending there kids to this college should think twiceā€¦ The previous post summed it up the best this place is run like a bizzness not an institution of art. </p>

<p>No professors have tenure so everyone is expendable, making the entire staff and faculty constantly in flux. They treat there employees like crap. They bully them into submission, thus leaving anyone that speaks up canned. Those that donā€™t, stay, but are subdued into passive partakers of the scad bizzness plan.</p>

<p>Art is about the questioning of social norms. Scad rules the content of exhibitions with a conservative iron fist.</p>

<p>It seems that the powers that be have no idea of art history, and certainly not the education and tact that it takes to administrate an art college. After constant editing of nudity or anything that the administration dislikes, it seems the school is left with,ā€¦ An expensive art camp for kids. </p>

<p>If you want to pay high prices for an baby sitter that is going to let your kid glue macaroni to a plate, and then pat them on the head, please send your kid here, they will fit in perfect!!! But if you want your kid to learn something and have meaningful conversations about art with their colleges and professors please send them somewhere else, anywhere elseā€¦ Please believe me.</p>

89

<p>As the parent of a current SCAD student, I respectfully disagree with the previous posterā€™s opinionā€¦which is what it is, their opinion. Its not the right school for everyone, nor should it be. </p>

<p>The tenure issue described doesnā€™t bother me in the least, and quite honestly I wish tenure didnā€™t exist anywhere. A professor should have to retain their position based on teaching and results, not length of service.</p>

<p>Based on conversations with my daughter and viewing the work she has produced thus far, the school is hardly an ā€œexpensive art campā€. Hours are spent on detailed projects (no, not a single piece of macaroni used) that have clearly expanded my daughterā€™s range of skills.</p>

90

<p>My daughter is also working hard at SCAD and learning a lot. She has one teacher who was her favorite from last year teaching her again this year, so while there may not be tenure, there is not a ruthless discarding of teachers from year to year.</p>

91

<p>i am sorry but tenure letā€™s teachers do what they are supposed to do, teach!! not crunch numbers to get the best profit marginsā€¦ </p>

<p>After working at scad, and a parent of a student i can tell you it in not a good place. sorry but you might have fallen into delusional parent modeā€¦ i am sure your daughter is doing great at SCAD, but the way they have their teachers and staff over a barrel, leaves people to hide in the corners of the school un-noticed and uninspiredā€¦ giving you and all the other parents the false sense of learningā€¦ the turnover rate at this school is insane, in the exhibitions department alone, 12 of the 18 employees have been there for less than a yearā€¦ hmmmmm?</p>

<p>i am sorry but this school needs to have an ethics review, this is something that can not been seen by a student, and surely not by the parent of a student, take it from the horses mouth this place is evil!!! please donā€™t put your kid in this dream killing machine!!!</p>

92

<p>I attended SCAD for 4 years, during the course of those 4 years I saw an almost complete change out of teachers. 2 of my academic advisors were mysteriously let go without any reason. Tuition went up almost 100% from when I first enrolled, murders were covered up, students were arrested and expelled for speaking their minds. There is no student government anymore, it was dissolved and professors were sent memos to assign more work to prevent ā€œboredom.ā€ In the last 5 years, SCAD has gone from being a respectable institution filled with students determined to become artists, to a giant party school filled with drunks, coke heads, and dropouts who semester after semester waste the 4 grand a class because they donā€™t care. The new fresh out of college teachers who have replaced all of the professors who could not take any more of the bureaucratic bull$hit that infests the administration, do not have the experience necessary to keep up with the ā€œsuccessful job placementā€ that SCAD advertises. They do not provide motivation, just piles of mindless, controlled assignments that completely drain and destroy the free mind. They also use and market student work for profit. This is all besides the fact that when I originally enrolled classes started at 9am and went no later than 7.30pm, classes now start at 8am and go until 10.30pm, this is a dangerous situation, and students have been mugged, raped and killed because of this cramming, money making policy. SCAD does a nice job working with the Chatham county police force to cover these up. Go to SCAD for 4 years, then go on a SCAD day tour and see the lies they use to suck people in. I also implore you to try to find anything negative on them anywhere, if you do congratulations, you found something that must have slipped by the committee they pay to keep their image positive.</p>

<p>For further reading on the shady history of SCAD please go toā€¦
[A</a> 30-year history of the Savannah College of Art and Design | savannahnow.com](<a href=ā€œhttp://savannahnow.com/node/676764]Aā€>http://savannahnow.com/node/676764)</p>

93

<p>I sent the above off to my daughter, who is in her sophomore year at SCAD. Hereā€™s her response:</p>

<p>ā€œā€¦I wonder how a school that has no fraternities or sororities and a strict no-alcohol policy could really be considered a ā€œparty schoolā€, but whatever. I havenā€™t heard of any students being raped or murdered on campus, though I suppose that could be because of a massive cover-up and really the whole place is a death camp in disguise. (There is the occasional mugging, but mostly in the borderlands of campus, and itā€™s not a weekly thing. Also, whenever one happens security is alerted and a school-wide email goes out alerting people as to what area and time it took place in.) As for the classes that end at 10:30 PM, there are very few of those, and I donā€™t know any people who have taken them, but I doubt theyā€™re a leading cause of death among students. And students being unmotivated? My preproduction class just shot a commercial thatā€™s going to air on local television, using every student in the class and even recruiting others; my friends are almost constantly working on their projects (theyā€™ve both spent straight ten-hour periods on them); Iā€™ve met students who write scripts in their spare time and students who put together art shows to sell their own work and students who spend six hours a night rehearsing for school-sponsored theatre productions; we work damn hard, we learn a hell of a lot, and anyone who says otherwise is an outright liar. Whoever wrote that post should come here and say it to our faces. I doubt theyā€™d get a good reception.ā€</p>

94

<p>Just curious ā€” all of you who are complaining about the crime, have you ever lived in a large city?</p>

<p>Iā€™ve been looking at the crime stats for Savannah on a number of different websites and comparing them to Chicago ā€” both the entire city, specific neighborhoods I have lived in, and the area around my school. To put it simply, thereā€™s no comparison. (By the way, Iā€™m not an idiot, Iā€™m looking at averages, percentages, per 100000 stats, and so on . . . not total numbers.)
Even Columbia, SC (where I visit often) and Grand Rapids, MI (another place Iā€™ve lived) have higher numbers than Savannah, and theyā€™re much closer in size than Chicago and Savannah. Grand Rapids has maybe one definable ā€œbadā€ area which is about as ghetto as the many neighborhoods students safely live in in Chicago. </p>

<p>I suppose my frame of reference is different than many people, but I think these things should be considered before jumping on the ā€œIā€™m going to get raped and murdered if I move to Savannahā€ bandwagon. Especially since many of the other schools your or your children are considering are in larger cities with just as much or maybe more crime.</p>

95

<p>Well, I lived in Los Angeles for 3 years before transferring to SCAD. I lived in a pretty crappy neighborhood too, because I needed cheap rent! I read these posts with skepticism before coming here too, but the crime here is definitely felt by students. I think what makes it so overwhelming is that some of the incidents this quarter have happened close to the dorms or close to class buldings, not just off in the middle of nowhere at 3am. I have a class that ends at 7:30pm at Arnold, where a professor was carjacked earlier this quarter, and many of my classmates offer to drive each other to our cars even if the person parked further away is just one street down. Iā€™m serious, weā€™re scared. We do get updated when people are mugged or carjacked via scad e-mail and I think weā€™ve had 6 or 7 this quarter, three separate events happened in one night, and for reference we just ended week 9. And you have to realize these are ONLY scad students and only the people reporting it to scad security, other crimes involving nonstudents or lesser crimes (including stolen or damaged vehicles) arenā€™t reported by e-mail. I think, to me, it just feels like the crime is really concentrated in downtown Savannah. One of the least safe places to walk is the bridge in between the freshman dorms and Boundary (an upperclassmen dorm). SCAD students are targets. Maybe the crime rates of Savannah as a whole are comparable to other cities, but the point Iā€™m trying to make is here itā€™s really concentrated around the places where SCAD students can be found because people see private school art kids as easy targets.</p>

96

<p>The truth of the matter is that SCAD is purposely placing dorms and facilities near crime infested areas because it should force security and the local police force to become more involved in these areas. The reason this isnā€™t working is because the security force is made up mainly of kids from the crime infested neighborhoods and students, and elderly men and women who would not physically be able to cause any kind of diversion to someone breaking into a dorm. Besides the fact that the police force in Savannah is one of the most overworked, underpaid and just plain arrogant forces I have ever encountered. During my stay in the SCAD dorms, there were 4 or 5 incidents of people getting past security and robbing kids blind as they went in their rooms. If you do enough searching you can find some of these incidents, but that one post above is definitely correct. They make sure nothing spoils their beautiful positive image, they need you to keep coming and spending all of your money. Why would a college with nothing to lose own every domain that has anything to do with the 4 letters S C A and D? They even own scad-sucks.info The actual quality of education is definitely slipping but I canā€™t say that for all departments. What I can tell you is that any degree you get from SCAD that isnā€™t in a more technical field(and there are exceptions to that) will probably be laughed at when trying to transfer to another school for post-grad work. They are not accredited with NASAD and most of their programs are under watch. The school is under investigation by the IRS and FBI for falsifying tax records and making profit off of student work without reimbursement of any kind. They do a lot of sneaky sometimes out of this world crazy things, but if you want your student to learn how to make money off of art, as opposed to learning to express themselves, this is the place for them. If they are into partying and drugs, plenty of that too, unless they are a shut-in. Also please be forewarned that their billing system is very confusing as is their phone system.</p>

97

<p>I have spent alot of time at this school (SCAD), during semesters and during the summer. Every city has its sketchy areas, and Savannah does as well. There is crime, there are alot of homeless, and if you go a way down MLK blvd. you<code>ll run into seedy neighborhoods. The school is alot of fun, but I would hardly call it a ā€œParty Schoolā€. Most of the students are coming from wealthy, to extremely wealthy homes, in the states and internationally, therefore, they have alot of fun, and they dont have many limits, but it does not overshadow hard working student WHATSOEVER. Is it the school that is producing the greatest fine artists in the world? No. Are their successful artists and recent graduates who are doing VERY WELL as studio artists? Iā€™d say so, definately. I loved all my professors at SCAD, they were great at what they did, and they were extremely intuitive to what every student was interested in. I got into every major art school in the nation when I applied, SAIC, SFAI, SVAā€¦ etc. While these are some of the best programs in the nation, I still loved my time in savannah and studying there. The truth of the matter is, Savannah is no a dream-killing machine. I thank SCAD for alot of opportunities that opened up for me, and I wouldnt be getting into gallery spaces around the nation with out it, and my art wouldnt be where it is. The bottom line-- if your child once a career working as a studio artist in New York City and world famous name, Then it wont matter where they go because eventually they</code>ll be successful. Most great artists start from very small public or private schools, and transfer into graduate programs at larger universities or private art schools. If you want a career in film, animation, anything graphic or done on the computers, cgi, whatever, SCAD will get you a job doing it. Those that went to this school and could not find jobs after leaving, can only blame it on their lack of talent and lack of hard work. Any art school, NASAD accredited or not, are only going to get you what you want by what you, or your child, is willing to put into it. Art school is expensive, SCAD loves money, but all private universities love their money, It is the only way they can survive. Whether you agree with me or not, I do not care, Iā€™m never going to be back on this thread. But for those who are skeptical, Art school is what you (your child) is willing to put into it. If theyā€™re talented, they could go anywhere, as long as theyre willing to do the work to get there. I have many friends who are attending SCAD in the film program. One of them as a freshman has already completed a Coca-Cola commercial, in which he was set with an $11,000 budget by Coca Cola, something I and others would consider a beautiful early accomplishment, helped by the school he goes too . SCAD credits are transferable to other universities, no matter what anyone says, plenty of people in architecture programs at scad and other art majors that transfer if the school theyre transferring to has that program. Graduate programs do no laugh at students transferring from SCAD, they dont laugh at all, and they dont scrutinize so shrodley against where youre coming from, but the work youā€™re doing. If youā€™re a conceptual fine artist who wants to paint the rest of their lives, go to another school. If you want to be a graphic designer, you could go anywhere because every school in the world offers that program. But SCAD is not an awful crime riddin hell hole, nor is it a dream killer. If youā€™ve got the money, and your child is in love with this school, or that school, and they<code>ve gotten good or good enough scholarships, Let them follow theyre own path. Their success is not your success. I have known successful artists, and successful people in general who came from SCAD, they are doing what they want to do, and they are glad with what they did. There are always better schools in different areas, or maybe all areas, but do not cast this school aside because their is crime in the city, or things have happened that worry you, if youā€™re in any major city, you face being victimized by crime. Do you think anything in life comes without risks? You could face crime anywhere in a larger city, or anywhere in bad neighborhoods. SCAD security is very good from my experience. The freshman dorms are great (Turner hall and Turner Annex) Dyson is not so great, Id advise moving into an apartment with roomates (Its Cheaper then SCAD housing). These posts reflect personal opinions by me. No school can tell you, if youre child comes here, they</code>ll be successful, they<code>ll do great, they</code>ll accomplish their dream. That is up to the student. If youā€™re meant to be successful in art, it is only based on an even and steady balance between work ethic and talent- as well as artistic progression and the ability to make artistic decisions. The truth is, their are artists who went to the greatest acclaimed RISD and wished theyā€™d gone somewhere else because they didnt get what they wanted. Art is what you make it, no pun intended, and it is not a careerist endeavor, thats why I do it. Dont overburden your children by pushing them towards school because of this accreditation versus this. SCAD is not a FIDM, or a Full Sail academy. It is a real, working, accredited university, that SUCCESFUL WORKING STUDENTS ATTEND, and allows opportunities that may not be endless, but are definitely plentiful. If you all are so worried about sending your child to a private art school, then dont, because it is all a mess. Send them to a concrete public university, because it is only the truly ā€œsafe routeā€ to take. </p>

<p>SCAD all together-
around 42,000 dollars + living costs</p>

<p>SAIC all together-
around 53,000 dollars +living costs (much higher)</p>

<p>Where am I going to be happy? Somewhere that is conducive to artistic creation. Not the place that has this accreditation versus this, or this alumni program versus this. My success is based on my work ethic and talent, which so far, has brought me success in all my endeavors. If your child cant make an educated mature decision without your help, then they will never be able to make career decisions or decisions that may redirect their future. </p>

<p>Again this is a personal opinion I hold on my own, I am not alumni of this school, nor do I work for this school, I am simply familiar with this school. I have been completely honest.</p>

98

<p>First I am using my real name- unlike tax guy, I stand behind my accusations.
Scad is accredited- itā€™s easy to look up yourselves- donā€™t be so damn lazy.
Second: after graduating from the mfa program, I have been offered multiple teaching positions from first tier art schools. They arevery impressed with scadgraduates.
Third: scadā€™s graphic design undergrads had an 85% placement rate last year. One of the highest in the country.
Fourth; my time at scad was challenging, productive, and it prepared me for my future teaching positions. The professors I had were amazing- bar none, e best I have had. I am also a law graduate so I do have some experience in grad school to compare this to.</p>

<p>There are some very vocal, and annonomous people (tax man?) who under various fake names have spewed the same garbage and misinformation about scad on multiple boards. Identify yourself tax man-- back up your accusations and give us your identity so we can judge for ourselves the credibility of your accusations. </p>

<p>Itā€™s unbelievable that anyone on this boa would take the opinions of this guy seriouslyā€“
Are you all really that gullible? </p>

<p>Feel free to email me if you have questions about the graphic design or motion graphics program at scadā€¦ I loved my experience there. It was fantastic and worth very cent.
Kidkyote@gmail(dot)com</p>

99

<p>Some thoughts about the SCAD Fashion Department from an insider. There is no Chairperson - nobody wants the job. The Dean is new and inexperienced in education and design - clueless. There is difficulty keeping profs. 3 good ones left this past year and havenā€™t been replaced.
Aside from the flashy visitors, the connections to NYC are zero. Not what they are at FIT / Parsons and Pratt - . The placement person is useless. Half the profs are excellent and the rest going thru the motions - of the remaining ones - all have no current connection to the fashion world. Half have their Masters degrees from SCAD. You are on your own getting an internship. Job placement figures they quote are a lie. Because of the open admissions - classes are dragged down by the less talented and lazyā€¦ The most recent collaboration with Malandrino and Posen was a disaster.</p>

100

<p>Also, take RainingAgainā€™s reply, there are more than 600, with a grain of salt. The profile is obviously a shill for SCAD posing as a person.</p>