<p><<response: scad="" is="" different="" from="" all="" these="" in="" that="" is,="" or="" at="" least="" was="" when="" i="" last="" looked,="" a="" "for="" profit"="" school.="">></response:></p>
<p>No longer. That designation has been removed from the school. The school is now a non-profit organization.</p>
<p>Just a note here. My daughter applied to and was admitted to SCAD. She was also offered a $10,000 scholarship. We like Savannah, which I wouldn't ever call a "small provincial town" -- and much less as a way to defend SCAD's difficulties in attracting students and faculty.</p>
<p>The problem that we had ultimately was that the standards were so uneven, and we learned that the fact that students weren't required to have portfolios meant that there were many students who just couldn't hack it there. (The comparatively high attrition rate attests to this.) Further, the uneven quality also meant that a lot of what's essential to the training of artists and designers might be missing or inconsistent at SCAD -- namely, the interaction and feedback with classmates. Art and design is not a solitary profession. Crits are an essential part of the training. Teamwork is also very important in design projects. When I also see the history of AAUP censure (still unresolved), then I also become concerned about the administration's priorities. In short, there's plenty of reason for students who have a choice about where to study art/design to look at SCAD with a skeptical eye and ask for evidence of improving standards and strong leadership.</p>
<p><<we like="" savannah,="" which="" i="" wouldn't="" ever="" call="" a="" "small="" provincial="" town"="">></we></p>
<p>Nor did I. </p>
<p>I called it a provincial city. I suggest you review the meaning of "provincial" as well. Either you do not understand the word, or the city.</p>
<p><<and much="" less="" as="" a="" way="" to="" defend="" scad's="" difficulties="" in="" attracting="" students="" and="" faculty.="">></and></p>
<p>Again, you misquote or misunderstand me. I never made mention of any difficulty attracting students because of the location, nor faculty even.</p>
<p>What I said was that the nature of Savannah, makes it difficult to RETAIN faculty. You may disagree if you like, but having lived there for an extended period and having spoken to many many many faculty, I'd say my perspective is likely to be worth consideration while yours is based upon...what?</p>
<p>Certainly, there is a broad range of skills per the students attending the college. So be it. That's what it is. You may certainly use that as a criteria to decide whether your child should attend.</p>
<p>However, as stated elsewhere, a student w/o a well-developed portfolio does not necessarily point to a student w/o talent or the ability to succeed. Many high schools have limited art programs or really bad art instruction. Why hold students accountable for situations they cannot control? Also, grades, letters of recommendation, etc, may also speak well of a student's ability to succeed. You may find many students with excellent portfolios wash out because they lack the discipline to earn good grades through the rigors of practice and study. If attrition is high and students wash out, then by the third or fourth year the remaining students will be those of the highest abilities.</p>
<p>Functional design in many disciplines can be learned. Professional competency may be achieved in photography, graphic design, architecture, 3-d modeling, interactive programming, etc. Talent will separate and elevate the gifted from the functional, but both are needed in professional workflows.</p>
<p>Per censure....read the case closely. The four faculty members were horrible profs who apparently were not given hearings after their dismissals. The language of their contracts, depending upon interpretation, did not require hearings. The college felt as though their performances were so egregious that there was no basis for the hearings. The group that "censured" the college has no real power or significance. They are not unbiased moderators or arbitrators. Of what relevance is the dismissal of four horrible profs to the quality of a student's education? Thankfully, they were dismissed. I heard of one of them from classmates, and he was baaaaaaad.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call Savannah a small provincial city either. Stop parsing words like a partisan candidate for office, and focus on what's important. I have read the censure case closely. We took a good hard look at SCAD. It didn't hold up to scrutiny.</p>
<ol>
<li>It's a city. You should call it that.</li>
<li>The AAUP's decision is a non-issue.</li>
</ol>
<p>Recently SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) got ranked best for studying arts (top 25 universities) by Newsweek. Keeping all the history in mind (or not), what do you guys have to say? Worth going there? Graduates from SCAD are working for Pixar, CNN or running their own production houses and seem to be happy from the interviews given in the DVD profile. Whats your opinion, now?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Graduates from SCAD are working for Pixar, CNN or running their own production houses and seem to be happy from the interviews given in the DVD profile.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't keep up with all the statistics in the world, but I do know that Atlanta College of Art, which SCAD recently absorbed, is located near CNN. When I was looking at Atlanta, I distinctly recall them making a big hoopla that you could work for CNN and Cartoon Network (Turner) among other companies located nearby. As for Pixar and Scad's students working there, that may or may not be connected with the acquisition of Atlanta College of Art and its students. Someone else can clarify that.</p>
<p>SCAD is STILL NOT NASAD accredited. This bothers me.</p>
<p>As for Pixar and Scad's students working there, that may or may not be connected with the acquisition of Atlanta College of Art and its students//</p>
<p>It has nothing to do with Atlanta. Many SCAD grads have been working in Hollywood for years. SCAD nurtures a working relationship with Hollywood culture. They have a very nice little film festival that started, I think 7 or 8 years ago.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scadondemand.com/sff/sff_interviews.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.scadondemand.com/sff/sff_interviews.html</a>
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/filmfest/highlights.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/filmfest/highlights.cfm</a></p>
<p>Here's some info about a SCAD grad at PIXAR
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/about/news/magazine/2005/fall/superjob.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/about/news/magazine/2005/fall/superjob.cfm</a></p>
<p>Here's a quoute from the Kaplan/Newsweek issue that named SCAD one of the 25 hottest colleges.</p>
<p>The Hollywood special-effects-company recruiters have SCAD on their speed dials, and graduates are working for Digital Domain, Pixar and Disney Imagineering, as well as more traditional employers of artists like Procter & Gamble and the TV networks.</p>
<p>Here's an interesting bit about a donation legendary 2-D animator Don Bluth made to SCAD:
<a href="http://www.dexigner.com/digital/news-g5763.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.dexigner.com/digital/news-g5763.html</a></p>
<p>Here's a post on some message board about Pixar visiting SCAD:
<i>When I was going to SCAD, Pixar came and did a talk with us, and showed us Toy Story...it was AWESOME! We got to ask questions and see work in progress and everything. Dreamworks came also, when they were just getting started. Those are the privledges I miss about going to college! Those are great opportunities!</i></p>
<p>Here are the names of a few SCAD alumni. I went to school with Steve LaVietes BTW.</p>
<p><i>Mark Therrell, technical director of Pixar Studios; Dimitri Ellingson, art director with LucasArts, the entertainment software company; Steve LaVietes, senior technical director visual effects for Sony Pictures Imageworks</i></p>
<p>I'd say they have some pretty impressive positions. And just think - SCAD isn't NASAD accredited! Wow! </p>
<p>For the 999th time TaxGuy, SCAD is accredited by SACS which holds the schools to the highest academic standards. SCAD has NEVER sought NASAD approval. I have no idea why, and I agree it would be a good idea just to silence the people who wonder why, but as a graduate and former staff member I can tell you it has not held any student back. It is a VERY good college. Yes it is not as selective as Yale, or RISD, etc. But having also attended RIT, I can tell you that the quality of my educations at RIT and SCAD were equal.</p>
<p>[rainingagain]
"For the 999th time TaxGuy, SCAD is accredited by SACS which holds the schools to the highest academic standards. SCAD has NEVER sought NASAD approval."</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>And for the 2nd time, I'll say I agree with your POV on this. I wonder if Taxguy would refrain from investing in Microsoft because it's not one of the Dow Jones stocks..... (probably just a coupla fly by night geeks from Seattle. They'll never make it).</p>
<p>But, having said that, I'll also say I really appreciate Taxguy's thorough and comprehensive reviews of most of the leading design schools in the East. That one blind spot though about SCAD's standing as a worthwhile design school to attend...... I just don't get it.</p>
<p>SCAD isn't bad. It just has a reputation to live down, that's all, and the recent attention to it is helping.</p>
<p>Whatever, as RainingAgain says, Savannah is a CITY. But Chicago is "my kind of TOWN." Oops. Can a city be a town, a town be a city? Not if you're persnickity, I guess.</p>
<p>Now now, this is a healthy discussion. Lets not gang up on taxguy here. Remember, he's done ALOT of research and given us alot of information to work with. What's wrong in him believing that a NASAD accreditation grants more security to the students studying there. </p>
<p>I appreciate all you've done taxguy. And for the rest of you, your information and opinions as well.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, SCAD has remained, and will remain a controversial topic until the point where it gets its NASAD accreditation. You can't help but be biased. It's human nature. I still will apply to SCAD and it is a university of preference.</p>
<p>Thanks Itsabish. </p>
<p>Let me note to all interested in SCAD: I have NEVER said that SCAD is a bad school or has bad programs. I haven't visited the school; thus, I can't really make any valid statement about their programs, placement or facilities. However, I do find it troubling that they aren't NASAD accredited and haven't been since their inception. </p>
<p>I also find that they have had a "dubious reputation" since the fired professor aired his views ( and seemingly well documented points) about SCAD previous "academic fraud." The professor alledged that he was given a masters degree without ever attending classes or doing any work in order to provide more professors with terminal degrees. He aired both his class schedule and teaching class schedule to show there were evident conflicts where he couldn't be attending the classes that SCAD said he took. It is too bad that this professor has since removed his web site discussion about SCAD.</p>
<p>I am sure that all this previous negativity can be overcome over time. SCAD certainly moved in the right direction with electing non profit status, although I am a bit troubled that the president and former owner of SCAD makes more in compensation than any of the presidents of any ivy league school! Perhaps, as one person noted, it is irrelevant since the tuition at SCAD is more reasonable than that of many other comparable schools.</p>
<p>I also don't like all the comments about the serious crime problems in SCAD's location in Savannah. Again, I haven't visited the school. However, these crime problems have been noted by a number of students in the students review forums.</p>
<p>I also find that they have had a "dubious reputation" since the fired professor aired his views ( and seemingly well documented points) about SCAD previous "academic fraud." The professor alledged that he was given a masters degree without ever attending classes or doing any work in order to provide more professors with terminal degrees. He aired both his class schedule and teaching class schedule to show there were evident conflicts where he couldn't be attending the classes that SCAD said he took. It is too bad that this professor has since removed his web site discussion about SCAD.//</p>
<p>Please try to get the information right.</p>
<ol>
<li>He did not receive a Masters Degree. He said he was given credit for courses he did not attend.</li>
<li>If you read the court testimonies, you'd understand that he was assigned grades based upon work submitted as Independent Study with the school Chair. He did not attend classes because you don't attend a class in an independent study.</li>
<li>The professor apparently had no qualms with this setup until his wife, also a professor, was fired. </li>
<li>The fact that he did not have a terminal degree as a professor is not really that much of an issue in case you were wondering. The man had years and years of professional experience, but for some reason accrediting bodies like NASAD and SACS do not consider someone with 30 years of professional experience as "qualified" as someone who went straight from a BFA to an MFA to teaching for example. That seems ridiculous to me, but for accreditation it is important that all faculty terminal degrees. Perhaps there was some impropriety, but I think it was an isolated case and should not cast a shadow on the college. Also, as a result, I'm told the college virtually eliminated independent study opportunities.</li>
</ol>
<p>About the crime; most of the crime was theft from automobiles. The school has a security service open 24-hours, students can call for a ride between buildings, the school provides regular bus service as well. Every now and then there were robberies, but SCAD is a city. I'll bet there's crime around Pratt, MICA, etc as well. I was there for 6 years; lived downtown and my car window got smashed once, but that was it.</p>
<p>About the presiden'ts salary. If you started a company and risked your monies, and worked your butt off to build it into a profitable venture, and 30 years later your salary was just over 1/2 of 1% of the company's revenues, would you consider that indulgent or inappropriate? Especially when the tuition is extremely reasonable compared to other private schools, and that the school is very generous in distributing portfolio and need-based aid to its students?</p>
<p>BTW Taxguy, at RIT I personally knew of two faculty who engaged in "inappropriate" relations with female students under the age of 20. One is still employed by the school. I suppose I could start a "I hate RIT" website and get all kinds of negative comments about RIT and other students' experiences.</p>
<p>Rainingagain, for what it's worth, my daughter didn't apply to both Pratt and MICA because she didn't like the area too. Syracuse University is also at the bottom of her list because of an "incident" at the school. She is very wary of any school that isn't very safe; thus, big city schools are a "no-no" for her.</p>
<p>Also, you note "court testimony." Can you please post the URL for me to read the court opinion and for any testimony? Thanks</p>
<p>Also, you note "court testimony." Can you please post the URL for me to read the court opinion and for any testimony? Thanks//</p>
<p>It was on that site, but it is presently Under Construction.</p>
<p>
[quote]
BTW Taxguy, at RIT I personally knew of two faculty who engaged in "inappropriate" relations with female students under the age of 20. One is still employed by the school. I suppose I could start a "I hate RIT" website and get all kinds of negative comments about RIT and other students' experiences.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>RainingAgain,</p>
<p>You are so petty; has anyone ever told you?</p>
<p>Agree with college-ish. Not exactly the best representation for SCAD alumni...</p>
<p>You miss the point...every college is likely to have groups of disgruntled students or faculty with issues and gripes. Just because some incidents occured at SCAD, doesn't mean that it was/is the only college that has a skeleton or two. Colleges are microcosms of society. The same issues occur everywhere. Every college will have problems. </p>
<p>Quite frankly, I am tired and irritated by Taxguy constantly harping on the negative whenever possible; not NASAD accredited, the President makes too much money, a negative web site...yack yack yack. If I post a correction, or something decent about the school, he fails to acknowledge his lack of insight or misinformation, or makes mockery. Sorry, but I'm going to protect the reputation of my degree.</p>
<p>What on earth would my personality have anything to do with SCAD. You want to tell me that jerks don't attend RIT or SVA or RISD or Yale? Please.</p>