SCAD in general

Colleges and Universities A-Z Savannah College of Art and Design
261

<p>It's just our guess that it's a business-motivated decision. It could also possibly be that the foundation courses all those kids took were graded under a harder rubric than before, and they were looking at a sudden drop in freshman GPA.</p>

<p>At some level, everything a college does to retain kids (tutoring, counseling, even movie nights) is business motivated -- a college can't succeed in educating if there is no one to educate. I hear your points about inconsistancy and unfairness to previous cohorts, though.</p>

262

<p>Oh, could someone please help me out? What are SCAD's minimum GPA and SAT score requirements? I don't see it listed anywhere on their site, and I don't want to go all the way to the library and look in the periodicals if I don't have to.</p>

263

<p>//At some level, everything a college does to retain kids (tutoring, counseling, even movie nights) is business motivated -- a college can't succeed in educating if there is no one to educate.//</p>

<p>Certainly. SCAD does this very well. Some complain there is a little too much hand-holding at times, but I think decisions are generally fairly balanced between genuine concern for the welfare of the student as well as that of the institution.</p>

264

<p>Oh, never mind. I found it on collegeboard.com! :)</p>

265

<p>SCAD for Production Design???
Does anybody know anything about Savannah's Program for a BA in production design? The course seems somewhat limited and I was wondering if it really worth while. I love the idea of being there, but I am not sure the program is extensive enough.</p>

<p>Ultimately I want to be a scenic artists though I believe I may have to go further in my studies and do Stage/Production Design since that is what the schools seem to be offering.</p>

<p>If anybody has any other suggestions, I would love to here them. Georgia is about as far south as I am willing to go, I am from Connecticut. Thanks.</p>

266

<p>My experiences at SCAD were mixed. The foundations and Art History programs at SCAD are excellent. But things could fall off sharply in your major of concentration. Though I understand my old major, Broadcast Design, has made some in-roads since they got a new department director, it was a bad joke when I was there. My broadcast design profs didn't have any technical knowledge at all. Mostly they could only offer opinions of your work as they were unable to help you past any technical hurdles. Most students in other majors had good things to report, however. The only other two programs that I heard constant complaints of inadequacy were Architecture and Interactive Design.</p>

<p>There were also a couple other negative forces that effected all students equally. The political system at SCAD is an ugly beast. Being a private school, the administration can do anything it wants to students and professors alike with no consultation or repercussions. A totalitarian benefit the school often took advantage of. The marketing department is also a force against students. I had to give up a day of class 3 times in order to spend two hours filling out their questionnaires. You pay about $380 per class, so it would have been nice to be reimbursed for that amount. Personally, I would have preferred more knowledgeable professors over the army of flat screens strewn about campus. But only one of those things can be witnessed on the tour.</p>

<p>I could write pages of more specific complaints and examples of the schools misdirected efforts, but who'd want to read it? I would simply suggest to anyone considering SCAD to interview alumni from their specific major of interest and give what they have to say the greatest consideration in your decision making.</p>

267

<p>"My broadcast design profs didn't have any technical knowledge at all. Mostly they could only offer opinions of your work as they were unable to help you past any technical hurdles"</p>

<p>This is an interesting statement. How long ago were you at SCAD?</p>

<p>When we visited in the Fall we were told that all professors were required to be current in their field which would make it hard to understand why a professor had no technical knowledge.</p>

268

<p>///When we visited in the Fall we were told that all professors were required to be current in their field which would make it hard to understand why a professor had no technical knowledge.///</p>

<p>Hmmm, how can I respond to this? </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Faculty credentials are reviewed when hired, but some faculty might be stronger theoretically than technically. Many schools do not stress or teach technical skills, but spend more time addressing theoretical concerns. MICA for example does not teach software. </p></li>
<li><p>Over time a faculty member may not keep up with industry trends, especially rapid year to year technical advancements. </p></li>
<li><p>Sometimes faculty are asked to teach classes outside the realm/niche of their expertise. </p></li>
<li><p>There are good faculty and bad faculty.</p></li>
</ol>

269

<p>/////My experiences at SCAD were mixed. The foundations and Art History programs at SCAD are excellent. But things could fall off sharply in your major of concentration./////</p>

<p>With 25+ majors, some are certainly better than others.</p>

<p>/////Though I understand my old major, Broadcast Design, has made some in-roads since they got a new department director, it was a bad joke when I was there. My broadcast design profs didn't have any technical knowledge at all. Mostly they could only offer opinions of your work as they were unable to help you past any technical hurdles. Most students in other majors had good things to report, however. The only other two programs that I heard constant complaints of inadequacy were Architecture and Interactive Design./////</p>

<p>I can offer this...SCAD's Computer Art department was split into 4 separate departments/majors about 8 years ago including Visual Effects, Broadcast Design, Interactive Design/Game Development, and Animation. I think they went through a rough period initially as each department tried to establish itself. I do not know the strength of these departments presently. As I mentioned in another class, some schools stress theory over teaching technology which can be learned from a book. While craftsmanship is relevant, great design is conceptually based first.</p>

<p>//////There were also a couple other negative forces that effected all students equally. The political system at SCAD is an ugly beast. Being a private school, the administration can do anything it wants to students and professors alike with no consultation or repercussions. A totalitarian benefit the school often took advantage of.//////</p>

<p>The school caters diligently to the needs of students. The administration considers students to be "customers" and are very concerned with meeting their needs to the point of bending over backwards for them. There are times when faculty would bemoan the overzealous concern of the students for the satisfaction of the students. I once had a pretty solid case of plagerism overturned in the student's favor, because of one small and almost inconsequential element of doubt.</p>

<p>/////The marketing department is also a force against students. I had to give up a day of class 3 times in order to spend two hours filling out their questionnaires.//////</p>

<p>I took and administered these questionaires many many times. They are required for accreditation, and the school uses them to evaluate faculty performance as well as student satisfaction. The questionaires never took more than 20 minutes to complete. There was one survey given one time per year which may have taken longer, but I never lost more than 1 hour of class time in a single class. Nowadays you can take the class questionaires online and at your leisure. The college uses this information for the benefit of students. It is very concerned with your satisfaction.</p>

<p>//////I would simply suggest to anyone considering SCAD to interview alumni from their specific major of interest and give what they have to say the greatest consideration in your decision making.///////</p>

<p>Good advice.</p>

270

<p>msmayor wrote:</p>

<p>////"This is an interesting statement. How long ago were you at SCAD?"////</p>

<p>I attended from 2003 - 2007. The department was very young at the time. I met the new director, Jill Taffet, on my way out and was impressed with her working knowledge. She also had the forethought to start the inspire awards. Motion graphics companies love to win awards. I suspect things have changed for the better since she took the helm. It just sucks for me that my timing was so bad.</p>

<p>RainingAgain wrote:</p>

<p>////"While craftsmanship is relevant, great design is conceptually based first."////</p>

<p>I completely agree with you, however a professor shouldn't let that philosophy become an excuse not to teach technical material. I was well taught and properly exposed to the principles and elements of design at SCAD. I felt frustrated that when it came time the professors in my major couldn't help me to realize my ideas. I also feel that being shown how to do something is always superior to reading how to do it in a book.</p>

<p>////"The school caters diligently to the needs of students."////</p>

<p>I never meant to imply they didn't. It's the audible dissenters whom they deal with harshly. Personally I never witnessed any retaliations, but I did know professors and students who claimed they did. There was a time when I and several other student were discussing department deficiencies openly in class and the professor stated that he couldn't participate in the conversation because he could get in trouble. Only he knows why he felt that way.</p>

<p>////"I took and administered these questionaires many many times. They are required for accreditation, and the school uses them to evaluate faculty performance as well as student satisfaction. The questionaires never took more than 20 minutes to complete. There was one survey given one time per year which may have taken longer, but I never lost more than 1 hour of class time in a single class."////</p>

<p>I wasn't referring to the end of semester class evaluation questionnaires. I was writing about the longer marketing surveys. It seemed like a person could breeze through them in under an hour. However, two out of the three times I experienced this the class was excused early because over half the class time had been spent and attendance was so low.</p>

271

<p>////There was a time when I and several other student were discussing department deficiencies openly in class and the professor stated that he couldn't participate in the conversation because he could get in trouble/////</p>

<p>Yes, some faculty may feel restrained because of what happened in the 1990s, and to a fair degree it is unprofessional to be openly critical and distress the student body. However, a professor can moderate a discussion without offering an opinion. </p>

<p>But...once, during a classroom observation, I drew a symbol of a swastika and a cross on the board to make a point to the students. Later I was told to avoid controversial topics because some students might complain - and they do. </p>

<p>////However, two out of the three times I experienced this the class was excused early because over half the class time had been spent and attendance was so low.////</p>

<p>Faculty at SCAD are told to use all of their time efficiently and effectively. The first day they are expected to use ALL 2.5 hours. They are also expected to be on time and not to excuse class early as well. With only 20 classes per course per quarter, time was precious. It is too bad these faculty ended class early. Their conduct was unprofessional.</p>

272

<p>We're thinking of making a trip from New England to visit SCAD and Ringling in April. My D is interested in interior design. The trip is a big $$ commitment, and I have two questions:
1. Can anybody tell us anything about the interior design programs at the two schools? Should we even consider them?
2. Can somebody talk about the choice of SCAD-Atlanta versus SCAD-Savannah? We were just going to visit the Savannah campus. Should we also visit the Atlanta one?</p>

273

<p>There has been NUMEROUS discussion about why SCAD isn't NASAD accredited. Obviously this is a thorn to many folks and does raise ,"Red flags." I , therefore, did some research on this issue.</p>

<p>It seems that private schools are treated differently from state universities for NASAD accreditation. State universities can get individual programs approved by NASAD. However, for private schools like SCAD, all programs must be NASAD approved. Suposedly, the ID department wanted NASAD approval and some of the dapartments at SCAD didn't,which prevented NASAD accreditation. Supposedly , they did try for the accreditation, to their credit.</p>

274

<p>I can't speak to the interior design qualifications of either school. Do check to see if that major is even offered in SCAD Atlanta -- it's a much smaller campus and doesn't have all the majors. It would make more sense for it be in Savannah, as that would tie into the architecture and historical preservation majors that are in Savannah. AND, Savannah is just so gorgeous, if you are in that neck of the woods it's a treat just to be there.</p>

275

<p>My daughter's at SCAD, staying over for her first spring break. The dorm cafeterias are free for the week for students! No swipes taken on the SCAD card. This is a nice perk.</p>

276

<p>I have been accepted by SCAD with the total scholarship of $13k per year and by CCA with $10k. Im international student and, anyway, it's not enough for me to get in. I have the last chance to apply for the Frances Larkin McCommon Scholarship in SCAD which covers full tuition and fees but also it's really really hard. Do u have any advice or any experience about this? Or do u know any one who got this scholarship? Im so upset now for there's nearly no chance for me to get in SCAD.</p>

277

<p>If you are strong academically AND your portfolio blows them away, you have a shot. I do not believe there are a minimum or maximum number of students who might be awarded this scholarship. It's open to anyone they believe will be a "star". Unfortunately it is not need-based.</p>

278

<p>For the longest time my first choice school was SCAD but when I visited I wasn't too thrilled with the way the film department works. I've gotten into SAIC and I'm currently applying to KCAI. If anyone knows anything about all of them please let me know. I've been having the worst times deciding which school's program is better! Thank you</p>

279

<p>my brother went to scad and studied film there. there's no way I can tell you that it's better than another department since he hasn't gone to any other schools to compare them with, but I can say that he had a great time there and that he really enjoyed everything they taught him.</p>

280

<p>//// For the longest time my first choice school was SCAD but when I visited I wasn't too thrilled with the way the film department works. I've gotten into SAIC and I'm currently applying to KCAI. If anyone knows anything about all of them please let me know. I've been having the worst times deciding which school's program is better! Thank you ////</p>

<p>Perhaps you could describe "the way the film department works" and other posters who are familiar with the programs at other schools could give you feedback on whether "the way it works" is consistent with other programs as well.</p>