<p>More than 600 what?</p>
<p>I sent you my real life name in a PM thinking I might know you; you did not reply, why not? I have nothing to hide here. Do you? </p>
<p>It looks like you came on here with a personal vendetta against the college. If you are from the time of President Richard Rowan, SVA, and that terrible mess, I can understand the basis of your beef – but that was 15+ years ago and it is no longer relevant. Try to move on if you can.</p>
<p>This thread is a very sad thing. There are 4 posts on this page alone by Iknowitall, surpemelorax, mosesdark, and LALondonNY, that reek of venom and spit. If you’ve landed on this page because you are looking for info on SCAD, it is sad that you have to be exposed to the rants and lies of people who are very bitter because of events that transpired 15+ years ago.</p>
<p>I’d address ridiculous accusations such as this and others, “…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…” but I have better things to do. PM me if you wish a fair opinion.</p>
<p>Unbelievable.</p>
<p>The observations expressed in my recent post(s) are as recent as today reaching back 2 years and were/are observed directly as a faculty member.<br>
Happily the Chair has stepped down but the Dean is incompetent, inexperienced and the students and faculty are paying the price. The new Dean is no leader. A very sad situation for the students and professors. Worse is the administrations handling of this high profile department which stinks of the old days…<br>
And there is NO way to safely and honestly make constructive changes / criticism without raising hackles. This attitude is what makes SCAD infamous and will haunt it until that attitude changes.<br>
For the moment - SCAD has chosen size ($) over excellence.<br>
Other departments function perfectly well. I would advise prospective students to ask VERY hard questions before committing. Same of prospective faculty. Done here.</p>
<p>//// … Other departments function perfectly well. … ///</p>
<p>Well that is certainly good to know. </p>
<p>May I offer some advice…</p>
<p>If you want to come on a forum like this and provide constructive criticism, I think that’s fine. Forums like this exist for that very reason. I don’t think this site is for airing dirty laundry. I think it exists for constructive criticism and feedback. There is a difference, and you crossed the line.</p>
<p>The nature of your comments and multiple copy/pasted posts makes it seem as though you erupted in a fit of anger and desperately wanted to attack and injure the fashion department and the Dean. When someone is angry, they often lose objectivity.</p>
<p>Start one thread and list your reasons with cause to back their validity. Saying that the collaboration with Malandrino and Posen was a failure, for example, could be a matter of personal opinion and one not shared by others. You could explain why it was a “disaster”.</p>
<p>In another post you claimed “…that employees are trapped.” Making profoundly ridiculous statements like that will not help your credibility. You can begin to make plans in January to leave, and by June you could be on your way.</p>
<p>Calling me “pathetic” and accusing me of being a “shill” also indicates you are in attack mode. If you wish to contradict anything I have said, please use facts and objectivity. I’m disappointed you did not reply to my PM. Why not?</p>
<p>You stated the chair stepped down, but the SCAD web site identifies an Assistant Chair, who has been at SCAD for quite some time. I recall mentoring the Assistant Chair back in 2002ish. With her experience, she ought to provide relevant leadership.</p>
<p>What exactly happened two years ago to cause the department these issues? </p>
<p>About the “less talented and the lazy”. SCAD provides opportunities to a broad spectrum of students. As a professor, it is your task to educate “less talented” students, some of whom may be very eager and ready to work diligently. By their fourth year they will have competent skills to work in an industry they love passionately.</p>
<p>As for the lazy, it is your task as an educator to hold them accountable to their actions and “laziness”. Drop the hammer on them if necessary.</p>
<p>You say you are “done here”? Perhaps you can return and offer meaningful insight rather than ranting and raving with serious accusations.</p>
<p>Wait, so the academic scholarship is just based on SAT scores? What about GPA? Is a weighted GPA of 4.2 and a 1490 SAT good enough for a full ride? And I though the admissions people looked at resumes and recommendation letters too?</p>
<p>Not speaking from experience here, but I think there is much more to getting a free ride at SCAD than academics…there are a very limited number of ‘full rides’ given out at SCAD. </p>
<p>My daughter has a merit scholarship based purely on her academics (it was awarded before she submitted her portfolio for an artistic scholarship) and was based on her SAT scores and her GPA. Here stats were slightly lower than yours.</p>
<p>yes, I found this new meaning of SCAD-Sleep Comes After Death…how sad. Its the truth at times. I wish I had seen more things about SCAD before my kid when there. We had toured Both SCAD’s in GA. My kid went to the one in Atlanta, I will use the (kid term due to the fact it wouldn’t matter girl or boy and the fact if I could sue them I would) </p>
<p>The first year was like any college lots of work, and getting use to living away from home, far away. Knowing a couple of others at the same college. It was the second year that SCAD showed there true colors shall I say. When an very early sunday call home, from a very sick kid. Thinking maybe it was time to leave that college. I flew down there, only to find my kid super sick with the flu and running a high fever. Finding medical care and getting my kid back on there feet. I spend a week down there, and spoke to student services, how they would work with my child and help to get back on track…well for the one of the teachers that I meant, what an total joke he was. I could name him, but like I said if I could sue SCAD I would, and I just might be able to…he went on about my college student not dress like a business man and speaking like a King would. OMG! Are you joking, ( note on all tours were done with seniors at both SCAD’s, each of them had clothes on that look like they slept in them and they spoke ok, but not in like an address to the country like a King! really, they are still learning right? )</p>
<p>As a parent I wish I would have pulled my kid out of SCAD at the end of that quarter, all I heard was they were hard on students, ok like college is a lot of work. I even remember that, but I had time to breath also. I heard from the guards at the dorm in Atlanta, but told me how hard those kids work around the clock, which came from 5 different guards and none of them were group up, each told me this on there own. Hmmmm, take note of that. I did feel that the kids in Atlanta were more safe then in Savannah. Also note that if your kid is more then 15 mins late, three times in a quarter for the same class they will not get any credit for that class and will be told to drop it…even at the cost of $3000.00 per class in the year of 2010 and 2011. Now if you even think that after seeing a doctor and notes how sick and the med’s he was on they would work something out! NO, they DON’T! yeah I watch as my kid push to the limit try to make up work and etc. ok so that quarter sucked for my kid. Then after that my kid thinks would like to finish up second year at SCAD and look for something else. As for the major is was Game Design/ Game Devoplement. OK, so first year you don’t major, second year you do…and I can tell you in the second year for my kid…there wasn’t a class that a computer was used other then to write papers now and then…the 3D class projects were not even close for that major. ALL SCAD students are in the same 3D class…GREAT NOT! like the fashion dept whats to learn 3D on gaming or 3D gaming on fashion! I have one very over price Lamp, thank you to a 3D class…what that has to do with gaming hmmm…can you see the point to this. SCAD is not what it use to be, after reading all I can now about it. Yes, SCAD does not what the dark side to come out. Non-profit is a joke when the head lady (for lack of another name for her ) in 2008 almost get paid 2 million!!! Lets also state most of her family works in other SCAD’s and get over paid. </p>
<p>I would have to say giving the major, check everything you can ahead of time on all sites and get all side then see what you might like in any college…</p>
<p>So here was the finally straw on SCAD for me…my kid is wrapping up his second year…and well I am hearing all the same thing…pushing and pushing on projects none has a thing to do with his major like the lamp! Meeting with student services and etc…so last month at the college meets with a lady in student services…( oh yes all them are different again this year from first year…in fact over 80% of who was in there are gone! really…hmmmm ) So my kid tells this lady its time at the end of the quarter to stop being at SCAD and walk away. What the Hell she did next I like to slap her face…she tells my kid of little sleep and a ton of work to come with her. So not knowing what was about to happen. She take my kid out to her car and they drive to an hospital…yes you got it a hospital…she thinks my kid is having a break down…What the hell…only say it was time to leave SCAD for something else. Has my kid in the Hospial and some doctor and no phone call to us, even when there is a sign paper from our kid to call us on anything that would be important on health and etc…so my kid now spends the better part of a day in this hospital and then she drives my kid back to SCAD…then the phone call is place…really! Tell me what parent would not be upset! …then this lady tells me that my kid should go to a hospital full time and take online classes! What the ??? She wants to place my kid in a hospital in another state away from anyone and take online classes…REALLY…I DON’T THINK SO! If my kid was that sick or mentally sick…why would any parent do this??? No you would want to have your kid close to you if this was needed…well 3 weeks later my husband is there to move him back home and he calls me and our kid is more then happy and well upset how things went the cost of the college and feels bad about everything. Our kid knows SCAD was not cheap…and we tell our kid that they are more important then SCAD or Money. If you don’t love what or where your education is at then you leave and find another college. Which our kid is in another college.</p>
<p>Getting the credits transfer now to this other college is to be seen, still working on some of the classes…yes another oh my god moment…SCAD will not transfer all credits! I feel like we bought a lemon of a colllege with SCAD…Now sad, our kid was looked at my SCAD more then a few times when still in High School cuase of placement with Art and awards as a High School student. Yes, SCAD wanted our kid…and so our kid thought to want SCAD only in the end to see the dark side of SCAD…its been 6 months out of SCAD and our kid is much happier and doing well at another college. I only wish I would have seen it sooner then later. </p>
<p>Word to all parents, and students thinking of SCAD or at SCAD now…watch for the sign’s…be sure your kid is getting the education that they need to in the major they are in…sad to say, our kid has learned more on making games with books and talking with others in the field. Has wrote changes in older games and made them work…no, none of this credit goes to SCAD…they never once touched on it like promised to do so in the second year…Its very sad…and yet I am still very upset with so called lady in student services. </p>
<p>I can only hope others will notice problems sooner. After having our kid home and speaking to some other college’s in our area, and yes some teach at different ones, they do have heard SCAD turn over rate is very high…and about 40% of students leave SCAD to go to other colleges…I am sure for many reasons. </p>
<p>College parents and students be aware of SCAD…still have a couple of friends that their kids go to SCAD…but different majors…so far I get looks like they know the dark side…but it’s the same look , as if it could never happen to my kid…just others!</p>
<p>I graduated SCAD recently and during my time there I got lots of insider info through the professors. The school is a complete and total fraud. The professors are pushed to teach classes of which they have no actual knowledge. Grades are meted out based on a desired curve not on merit. If the entire class produces garbage (not uncommon), they will still receive the expected range of grades. Almost 100% of my fellow graduating class are completely unemployable and owe huge tuition loans. Lectures are copied from art textbooks available at any Barnes and Nobel. The post graduation student placement statistics are false. The place is run to make a huge profit for Paula Wallace and the students mean nothing. If you are going to payout 100K for a school , go to Art Center or to Cal Arts. those schools are not perfect but they do get you employed.</p>
<p>ScadIsNotAll-</p>
<p>Your kid is an adult. Let him/her take responsibility for handling being sick and arranging time off. I had a hand injury one quarter and was able to drop a class, with money credited for the next quarter, and given incompletes so I could take an extra month to finish my work. By simply asking for help, someone was assigned to help me take notes in class so I was never too far behind. </p>
<p>It’s never fun to end up sick or hurt in college, but there’s always a way to work things out if you don’t freak out and handle things with dignity.</p>
<p>As for transferring credits from SCAD to another school, that’s not SCAD’s problem. They don’t decide what transfers out. The new school decides whether coursework aligns with their program and most schools limit how many major courses will transfer to ensure you do most of your directed work at the new school. Often if there’s a mismatch, you can transfer classes as electives, showing a portfolio as needed.</p>
<p>This is an Art school…not a trade school !</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There is more than enough testimony on this site to disprove your assertion. Anytime I see someone here with one or two posts, it makes me wonder if it isn’t the same person with an axe to grind creating multiple user names.</p>
<p>With an average loan debt of between $135,000.00 and $153,000.00, SCAD graduates have risen to the challenge of making their estimated $1,325.000 a month payments. With the mid-Georgian modesty of which she is renowned, Dear Leader explains to H post how SCAD prepares students to replay their loans.</p>
<p>(1) By courting partnerships with companies like Chick-Fil-A, and the Candlewood Suites in Mobile Alabama, SCAD offers students the opportunity to build their portfolio and their resume. This experience provides SCAD students a competitive advantage over competing art school graduates who spend their time in university focused primarily on developing their craft. </p>
<p>(2) SCADs annual Film Festival features as many celebrities as the SCAD entertainment budget can afford. The presence of these celebrities provide the SCAD film students photo-ops, as well as the opportunity to say in job interviews that the student has met celebrity “xyz” (SCAD understands the importance of name dropping).</p>
<p>(3) SCAD Fashion department has handed out more lifetime achievement awards to aging fashion designers than any other art school in the United States. These events offer students the opportunity to be photographed with the fashion industries greatest practitioners. </p>
<p>(4) Finally, SCADs Hong Kong campus, located in the poorest district of Hong Kong, provides SCAD students the opportunity to experience first hand, what real poverty looks like. This life altering experience helps the SCAD student to appreciate what little money will be left over after paying their student loan each month.
Updates at scadsecrets(dot)com</p>
<p>My daughter completed one year at SCAD in Savannah- 2010. She did not like it and either did we. She transferred to a large public university ( same major) and is much happier. Lots of drugs, weak administration, no good social programs for students. Beware.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Shennanigans.</p>
<p>Never hard to spot a ■■■■■. Always one post. Sometimes two. No posts about any other school, just SCAD–and negative. Probably the same person with a 20-year axe to grind.</p>
<p>How is the school evil? I am thinking of going there; however, this has given me a new perspective. Please let me know. Thanks.</p>
<p>I am an undergrad student, studying art history and painting. I started at SCAD (Savannah) in 2012, and loved every second of it. The classes were amazing and they have a broad range of subjects to study. We took lots of ‘field trips’ and all of the professors I had except for one (who wasn’t even in my major) were absolutely the best. Before attending SCAD, I went to a tech school, and after the first year I had to leave for monetary reasons. Yes, it’s ridiculously expensive. Yes, it’s very, very hard. But it’s worth it.
SCAD students are forced to manage their time well, to work hard, and to make decisions about the work they’re putting out, as opposed to just handing in crap. If you don’t give it everything, you won’t make it at SCAD, and that’s exactly what I love about it. For those of you who are talking about having a sick kid and someone drive them to the hospital, I’m sorry you had that experience, I guess it’s not for everyone, and that was a little out of bounds, I think, for that person to do that without your consent or knowledge, if what you say is true, but at the same time, it’s a college and we’re expected to behave like adults, and be held accountable for our own actions. That includes missing classes, regardless of the reason.
Now, I had to leave after the first year and took classes at a regular college in the mean time and I know there is a HUGE difference. Plus, with just one year at SCAD I’ve been able to market myself and sell a lot of my work, so I really think that, like any other college, you get out what you put in. If you go into it thinking that the school owes you something, it doesn’t. It’s a business, and it’s up to you, or your student, to take advantage of what it has to offer, and use it to their advantage.</p>
<p>Edit: And the admin is, yes, terrible. Most of them have no idea what they’re doing, but the important thing are the classes and the professors, the resources, and the opportunities a school has to offer, and all of those things are amazing.
Just stay on top of your financial aid people and look up what you should be getting from the government website (double check everything) and you should be fine.</p>
<p>-Nobody I knew drank excessively or did drugs because, frankly, nobody has time for that crap. If you want your kid to go to a party school and play around all the time, go somewhere else; if you want your kid to get a top-notch education, network with other artists, and develop as a person and professional, go to SCAD. They also have tons of study abroad opportunities and work study programs, plus a million clubs, and the school has workshops, talks/presentations, and events ALL THE TIME. They have fun things, stress-relieving things, skill things, academic things, cultural things. And they have free open model sessions for visual artists, which is a big deal. Nobody does that.</p>
<p>Hello guys. First of all I am an international student coming to study Master of Architecture for fall 2014. From what I’ve read about SCAD, most of the comments are negatives. Can somebody tell me their experience for the graduate architecture programs in SCAD? Is it good compare to the other school? Will SCAD architecture students will be easily hired after graduate? By the way, since I am international students, I am really worry about the safety there. I am planning to stay alone rather than staying in dorms. I really hope somebody can help me.</p>
<p>My experience with the quarter class scheduling system and MARCH degree at SCAD.</p>
<p>I attended SCAD from 2001 to 2004 studying architecture in the Master of Architecture program. Since I was a student with an undergraduate degree in a related discipline, I needed to go for 3 years to meet the requirements. For anyone considering to go to Scad I can provide some first hand experience that can help anyone make their own decisions of where to go to college. I am going to list the major things that someone should consider before going to SCAD.</p>
<ol>
<li>SCAD has the quarter scheduling system. A quarter system class scheduling system is a lot different than a semester system class schedule. A quarter system academic year is three quarters: fall, winter, spring. A full time class schedule is 3 classes. This sounds reasonable but each class is 2.5 hours long. Studio classes are 5.5 hours long. If you schedule a studio class and a regular class back to back you are in class all day. In architecture studio classes. we spent a lot of time discussing our own projects or other students projects with the class which limits your own time of getting your projects completed.</li>
</ol>
<p>To make up the time, students have to spend long hours into the night to get their projects complete. Eichberg Hall where the architecture department is located at SCAD was open 24/7 when I was there. Students had to do a lot of all nighters because the quarter system class periods are too long.</p>
<p>I personally did about 100 all nighters in 3 years while attending SCAD. I look back and consider that torture. I would never go to a quarter system college again. All nighters become a very painful experience after a while.</p>
<p>Another downfall of the quarter system is that professors have difficulty maintaining a class for 2.5 hours. I had some professors at SCAD cancel class after about 1 hour of teaching. But I paid for 2.5 hours of class time. SCAD is very expensive.</p>
<p>I also think the quarter system is not flexible. You cannot take extra classes over full time like you can a semester system. </p>
<p>I went to a semester system college for my undergraduate degree. Class periods are only 50 minutes long 3 times a week or 1.5 hours long 2 times a week. Since the class times are shorter I had much more time after class to do my work. I only needed to do 1 all nighter and that was because I was taking extra classes over full time. I was able to take 1 or 2 classes over full time each semester in order to study business classes outside of my major and complete the required elective classes for my major.</p>
<p>When I got my first job at an architecture firm in Maryland in 2004 after graduating from SCAD, I was working in an office with intern architects from other institutions such as Drexel and Catholic University. Those intern architects were very experienced with the software programs Sketchup and Revit. At Scad, I never heard of Sketchup or Revit, so it took me a while to gain experience with Sketchup and Revit like the other interns. Scad’s first electronic design class was Microstation. Unfortunately, most firms do not use microstation. So, taking that class was less useful to me. To be fair, Scad does have more electronic design classes. I just did not have the time/money to take them all due to other required classes.</p>
<p>Working at architecture firms also made me realize that there is not enough class instruction/preparation on construction document production. Intern architects have to compete with people who go to trade schools to learn drafting. Students who go to trade schools for drafting receive more training in drafting than intern architects. I have gone to interviews at architecture firms and was given an AutoCad practical. So, these architecture firms have high expectations for employees to be very knowledgeable of AutoCad and will hire someone who went to a trade school for drafting and knows AutoCAD really well over an intern architect with weak drafting skills. </p>
<p>I began taking the Architecture Registration Exams in 2011. I have taken 4 exams so far and passed them all with 1 try. The Ncarb website posts pass rates for the exam divisions from different states and architecture colleges in those states. Pass rates for SCAD students are not that great ranging from 49 percent to 76 percent in the different divisions in 2012. Pass rates for Penn State University ranges from 71 percent to 89 percent in 2012. Penn State is a semester system college. </p>
<p>To any student considering going to college, I highly recommend going to a semester system college. </p>
<p>I think the quarter system is a fundamentally flawed educational system. Don’t go to a quarter system.</p>
<p>I regret going to SCAD for that reason.</p>
<p>
</p>
<ol>
<li>To be clear, you graduated in 2004 – almost ten years ago. I know SCAD presently uses Revit Architecture. SCAD is even featured on the Autodesk web site. I did not look into Sketchit. </li>
</ol>
<p>[Autodesk</a> - Educators - Savannah College of Art and Design](<a href=“Autodesk | 3D Design, Engineering & Construction Software”>Autodesk | 3D Design, Engineering & Construction Software)</p>
<p>
</p>
<ol>
<li>The NCARB data to which you referred may be very helpful for students to choose an architectural program. Here is a link to the data:</li>
</ol>
<p>[NCARB</a> - National Council of Architectural Registration Boards](<a href=“http://www.ncarb.org/ARE/ARE-Pass-Rates/Pass-Rates-by-School.aspx]NCARB”>http://www.ncarb.org/ARE/ARE-Pass-Rates/Pass-Rates-by-School.aspx)</p>
<p>Here are the latest pass rate (2012) SCAD scores for each test:</p>
<p>Programming, Planning & Practice: 49%
Site Planning & Design: 76%
Building Design & Construction Systems: 61%
Schematic Design: 71%
Structural Systems: 73%
Building Systems: 58%
Construction Documents & Services: 63%</p>
<p>To be fair to SCAD, here are RISD’s 2012 scores:</p>
<p>Programming, Planning & Practice: 56%
Site Planning & Design: 71%
Building Design & Construction Systems: 64%
Schematic Design: 55%
Structural Systems: 65%
Building Systems: 71%
Construction Documents & Services: 62%</p>
<p>If these numbers are important, than obviously SCAD – or RISD – are not exemplary institutions for Architectural Design. Based on these scores both would appear to be grouped with many other mediocre schools.</p>
<p>quarter2004, Im sorry to hear that you have reservations about your time at SCAD but I find most of your criticism unfairly aimed at the quarter system. I am by no means a SCAD apologist, having left SCAD to study at another institution, but I think it is important to contextualize your comments with an understanding of how architecture is universally taught.</p>
<ol>
<li> In architecture studio classes. we spent a lot of time discussing our own projects or other students projects with the class which limits your own time of getting your projects completed.</li>
</ol>
<p>Your experience was 10 years ago, I graduated more recently. My experience was that most of class time was treated as it was valuable. Discussing your own and others projects is integral to architectural education. The presentation, and the critique that follows of architectural projects is the purpose of architectural education. Architecture school is not meant to be a trade school, where you learn a set of skills, but is about learning a process of thinking. It is the communicating of your process and ideas and their result that is being honed by architecture school, and this happens during these discussions. That is not to say you arent there to learn any skills, but learning how to make stairs in a computer program is secondary to that. </p>
<ol>
<li> To make up the time, students have to spend long hours into the night to get their projects complete. I personally did about 100 all nighters in 3 years while attending SCAD. I would never go to a quarter system college again.</li>
</ol>
<p>The all-nighter is not the result of long classes in the quarter system, it is endemic of architectural education. Architecture school, for reasons outside of the scope of this discussion, promotes an attitude towards working that glorifies and requires an unhealthy work-life balance at every institution. One only needs to talk to another student of architecture at any other school to confirm this. </p>
<ol>
<li> I had some professors at SCAD cancel class after about 1 hour of teaching. But I paid for 2.5 hours of class time.</li>
</ol>
<p>As stated earlier, most of my experience was that class time was treated as valuable.</p>
<ol>
<li> You cannot take extra classes over full time like you can a semester system. </li>
</ol>
<p>Not sure if this has changed, but you can now. </p>
<ol>
<li> Those intern architects were very experienced with the software programs Sketchup and Revit. At Scad, I never heard of Sketchup or Revit
</li>
</ol>
<p>As state by another poster, SCAD today teaches Revit heavily (I would say to an unhealthy degree, but thats another discussion.) </p>
<ol>
<li> Working at architecture firms also made me realize that there is not enough class instruction/preparation on construction document production.</li>
</ol>
<p>The preparation of construction documents is the purpose of an architectural internship. Very few, if any, schools teach this to any significant degree in school. </p>
<ol>
<li> Pass rates for SCAD students are not that great ranging from 49 percent to 76 percent in the different divisions in 2012. </li>
</ol>
<p>Looking at other schools passage rates this range seems relatively normal, and the 49% is only in one category. In all the categories the passage rates are similar to Georgia Techs. </p>
<p>Once again, Im sorry to hear that you regret your time at SCAD. Things have changed in the years since youve graduated and I think some of the issues have been rectified. However, I think it is unfair to blame the quarter system for some of the issues you had with SCAD, and other issues are just part of architectural education that will anyone studying elsewhere will also encounter.</p>
<p>I dont post a lot on here but I felt it was appropriate to chime in as I dont want parents/students to be dissuaded by things that were framed as being issues SCAD exclusively has.</p>