<p>//First off, I would take 'Raining Again's responses with a grain of salt.//</p>
<p>Perhaps readers should take yours with a grain of salt as well?</p>
<p>//After reading a number of posts by this person, they seem to cover quite a wide range of topics that I really don't think any one person could be informed about.//</p>
<p>You are incorrect. I am that well-informed. I attended the college and worked for it for a few years in 2 departments as a staff member. I have access to a broad range of friends that work at SCAD presently in many positions. I also attend events and meet some students. </p>
<p>//Second, I graduated from the school in 1992. During the time I was there, the student revolt occurred. The bottom line was the students were unhappy with the way the school was being run.//</p>
<p>Absolutely correct. I had lunch just the other day with a SCAD MFA grad that graduated in 1992 like yourself, and knew Batman, the faculty, and went through the whole ordeal. I arrived a few years later so I missed out on the whole uproar. The concerns of the students and faculty were valid; and Richard and his ego - in addition to some legit concerns - created a bad situation.</p>
<p>//don't know what it's like now...//</p>
<p>Okay, so how are you qualified to speak as to SCAD in 2007?</p>
<p>//but based on my experiences there, the Rowans and their cronies are a shady group of individuals.//</p>
<p>You might have noticed that 15 years have gone buy; let's face it, the school went through significant growing pains.</p>
<p>//...it's obvious he [ Richard ] was just a figurehead and she was/is the evil matriarch running the show.//</p>
<p>Why do you jump to that assumption? Richard had an extremely strong ego. My personal experience with Paula Wallace was very different. And the college has responded top the needs of the students, like a Student Center, and a student-run newspaper.</p>
<p>//'d recommend staying away from that school until all the Rowans are pushing up daisies - and maybe give it another 10 to 20 years to see if the corruption dies too.//</p>
<p>You seem to have a severe chip on your shoulder. That is a mean statement. BTW, what corruption, you just stated you don't know what it is like now.</p>
<p>//Third, I would question any college that hires their graduates immediately after graduation to be professors.//</p>
<p>Yes, it does happen in a few departments, and it is not the best thing. But consider that the rapid growth of the college - plus a tainted public image based upon events in the early 1990s - have created some issues with staffing.</p>
<p>//Fourth, the comment has been made 'the school will accept anybody' which our pal RainingAgain has denied (like he/she/it is part of the acceptance committee?).//</p>
<p>I worked for admissions; I am very familiar with acceptance rates. And I am certain that during your time, the school did accept just about anyone. But as you said, you don't know what it is like now; I do. I have many close faculty and some staff friends - none of whom are in the "administration" by the way.</p>
<p>//And by that I mean people that have no business being in an art school at all.//</p>
<p>SCAD is not just a fine arts college; it is also a college of design arts. Many successful photographers can't draw worth a lick. Architecture requires one skill set, graphic design another, etc. What is the college's mission statement? To prepare students for professional careers. Sorry if that bothers you, but if you are someone gifted in painting or one of the fine art disciplines, sure - I can understand some of your frustrations, but they are misplaced.</p>
<p>//The school does not actively filter out folks that would be better suited to community education programs or turn away folks with no skills whatsoever.//</p>
<p>Would you please clarify how you can speak in the present tense when you: 1. graduated in 1992, and 2. admit you have no idea what it is like now?</p>
<p>//Fifth, I encountered a severe change over of professors while I attended and it was not due to the one year contract stipulations or their displeasure with Savannah.//</p>
<p>Sure, in 1992 there were many disgruntled faculty. And I am sure that not everyone is a happy camper in 2007, but I was told that faculty retention year to year is generally 95% these days.</p>
<p>//It being such a small school, I expected and looked forward to having many of the same professors throughout my time there. This was not the case and from what I've been able to gather, it does not appear to have changed.//</p>
<ol>
<li>It is no longer a small school.</li>
<li>It has changed much for the better.</li>
</ol>
<p>//Seventh, I was shot at (but not hit) one night while riding my bike down the street...Downtown Savannah is occupied by the well-to-do but surrounded on 3 sides by ghettos. Not everybody plays nice if you get my meaning..//</p>
<p>You might get shot at in NYC. No one denies the fact that Savannah has a problem with crime, but it does tend to get exaggerated. Also, during the time you attended, there was an extremely notorious street gang which was responsible for a great deal of problems. Still, the city has issues, I am sorry that SCAD cannot fix them. I notice that the school has a bicycle patrol force of it's own, building to building shuttles even after hours, and a patrol staff in vehicles as well. Plus the city attracts a lot of tourists. People do seem to get in and out without incident somehow.</p>
<p>//Eighth, the school would not allow a student run paper or radio station during the time I attended even though there were formal requests made by students.//</p>
<p>They have both. And they have two papers.</p>
<p>//The school later decided to start a paper but it was run by a specific staff. Students could contribute but not actually be in charge of anything. It's a perfect example of the 'Third Reich'-like underbelly the school had (and may very well still have).//</p>
<p>You reveal your ignorance of SCAD 2007. Yes, the Chronicle is staffed by the college, but The District is published entirely by students. </p>
<p>//Ninth, while the animation and game development departments may have industry connections, no one I know who has graduated has ever had any assistance with job placement or been able to utilize the school for such a thing.//</p>
<p>You graduated in 1992 and seem out of the loop as to present practice. One thing you conveniently dismiss and forget is that the college is located in a tiny provincial city. There are not a lot of opportunities here. However, the college has nurtured relationships within industries very well. Putting a campus in Atlanta was one "fix" to this dilemma. Dig?</p>
<p>//Now that I've written all this, I'm sure it's going to be countered by "you-know-who".//</p>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>//All I can say is, during the time I attended and the additional 3 years I chose to remain in Savannah, I learned that SCAD and some of it's staff are not to be trusted and had questionable ethics and methods.//</p>
<p>Hello! It is 2007!</p>
<p>//I have also followed the happenings related to the school in the years since I left Savannah.//</p>
<p>Apparently not. You have a chip on your shoulder and see what you want to see. It's more than obvious.</p>
<p>BTW, I was not 100% satisfied with the college during my time; it wasn't perfect, but I have watched it - in person and through faculty friends/staff - make adjustments and address many of your concerns to a significant degree. It only seems as though my glasses are rose-colored because I refuse to let people like yourself - who remain upset and vindictive - to perpetuate viewpoints that are not applicable today. I understand where you are coming from, but the college has left 1992 in the past, while you cling to it.</p>
<p>//It does have a high crime rate and the pollution there is incredibly bad - paper mills, radioactive waste, weapons plants, chemical explosions, etc.//</p>
<p>LOL! Crime rate is not good. Pollution? You mean the paper mill smell? Union Camp was bought out and I don't know what happened, but it doesn't stink up the area on a daily basis like it used to. I don't like it either, but don't blame SCAD. Radioactive waste? I know what you are referring to - but you shouldn't make such statements w/o backing them up and explaining. I don't have the time for that one. Chemical explosions? You mean the ONE back in 1997ish? </p>
<p>//The main thing is, while I do not believe attending SCAD would necessarily be a bad choice, I cannot recommend the school to anyone based on what I know about it's founders and experienced first hand as a student.//</p>
<p>It is 2007, wake up and acknowledge the fact that the school has addressed many of the concerns you experienced in 1992.</p>