WHAT ADDITIONAL INFO WOULD HELP YOU RESPOND?

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1 SUMMARY - ART TEACHER SESSIONS WHAT DO STUDENTS ASK YOU? Jobs & Careers - Will I get a job? What kinds of jobs exist? What are the salaries earned by art school graduates? Will I be able to support myself/family? What do the jobs specifically entail? Do art schools offer career guidance and preparation? Teacher comments: Stigma/concern associated with making a living in art. Parents are not supportive; anxiety about art schools and their value. Rush to get out of college and into high paying job. Getting In - What to include in portfolio? How do I develop a portfolio? Is art school expensive? How do I fund my education? What type of aid is available? Teacher comments: Money is a huge issue! Teachers feel uninformed about money issues. Portfolios are like a big wall. Students would benefit from a standardized portfolio requirement. They want to submit in digital format. Schools that do not require a portfolio are not enticing to students or teachers. College Information - Specific/type of college to attend? What to major in? Whether to major in art? Am I good enough to get in? Where did you go? Should they study at an art school or a college or university art program? Which schools have which majors? Support for students with disabilities? Opportunities for international study? Teacher comments: Students not prepared for the intensity of art schools. Students need to know the value of liberal arts & that they are requirements in art schools. Some aren't sure they can "cut it" in art school. Students don t want to deal with gray areas - want specific 1+1=2 answers - want instant gratification. For info on specific institutions we recommend web research. Want to help students find the right "fit." WHAT ADDITIONAL INFO WOULD HELP YOU RESPOND? Portfolios - Specific portfolio requirements at each school. Examples of good and bad slides, scholarship winners. How to assemble a portfolio (digital vs. slides vs. actual work). Pre-College & Summer Programs - Summer programs are valuable. Pre-college opportunities that are shorter and/or less costly. Educate counselors to steer art students into the correct preparatory classes. Career Information - More/better career information. Success stories of alumni. Each specific schools outcomes for job placement. How art schools compare to trade schools in career preparation. Examples of what one can do with art skills. Address parents - art is a viable career choice. Information about college placement offices. Educate public too. Specific school information - Quick fact sheet on Schools (cost, degrees, majors, admis-

2 2 sions/portfolio requirements). Also, school s specific philosophy, approach. An unbiased account of the most successful majors and specialties of each school. Interactive web site with a counselor to advise them. Informational website listing admissions requirements for all the colleges. Don t hide deadlines, financial aid, or tuition info! Real examples of aid packages. Parents concerned about living situation (safety, life on campus, drugs etc.). Presentations - More and better! Bad presentations reflect on the school. Need to be shortened by 15 minutes - attention span of students = 30 min. TV show. Leave time for portfolio reviews afterward. Flashy presentations get students attention go high tech. Students like seeing student work. Would like HS alums (as college freshman) to go back to their HS and talk about their experience at art college. Look at more than just seniors to get younger students excited about the prospect of attending art schools. Visits - Visiting days at colleges - experience schools first hand more than just tour, need to do workshops and interact with students - allow teachers to be part of classroom experience. Bring current students from schools for visits. Publicity - Local and national sponsored competitions. Bring back Scholastic Art Awards in all areas. Copies of brochures for parents. Highlight the benefits of living and studying in an urban environment; might attract more students. HOW CAN WE BEST TRANSMIT THIS INFORMATION? Media - Roughly in order) Posters, DVD's/Videos/CD's, s, web sites, pamphlets/brochures, postcards, Catalogs/books. AICAD web site as central place for links and info about all schools. Consistent, centralized, standardized, detailed info from each school as a list. A one-stop shopping site. Web site and publications should include: Majors offered; careers opportunities; costs; scholarships; faculty bios; job placement rates; retention figures; info on internships; affiliations with other colleges; % of majors in each department; study-abroad opportunities; precollege programs; facilities; foundation program or not; learning Resource Center or not; average class size; urban/suburban/rural setting; campus life; student activities; Visits/Presentations - In-person classroom visits. Visiting professors who bring workshops to HS. Meeting the faculty helps alleviate insecurities about attending a specialized school. Reinforce what HS art teachers do in class, esp. portfolio development. Hosting teacher and student groups. Leave presentations on disc at schools. WHAT ARE STUDENTS TOP TWO OR THREE CONCERNS? Money/Careers - Paying for college, Tuition, scholarships, making money, career outcomes, bang for their buck - why would they spend the tuition? School specific information - Location, environment, distance from home, which school has the best program for them, which school is best for which majors?

3 3 Qualification - Am I (my portfolio) good enough? Can I survive? What do I need to get into good school? Test scores/gpa. Parental approval. WHAT ARE PARENT'S TOP TWO OR THREE CONCERNS? Money/Careers - How to pay for college, scholarships, careers, economic outcomes, want them to get out and be well into career right away, starving artist, job [placement results, listing of art professionals students/parents can talk to/visit, don t see the money in art. Qualification - Is their student "good" or ready, what are the criteria for success? School specific information - Campus neighborhood safety, distance from home, is art school the right choice, what is art school, college choices, concrete names of who which school is best? Also, recommendations, deadlines, applications, etc. Teacher comments: If parents visit they will see that the location is not scary and the people at the college are not the stereotypes that they think they are. First generation college students parents need most help. Most parents are not supportive of art school. Parents want students to be at a liberal arts college for the academics, where a broader range of majors is offered, in a bigger city that is culturally diverse. Parents are wary of the stereotypical art student. HOW CAN WE BEST RESPOND TO THESE CONCERNS? Media/Publicity - (Roughly in order) Website, brochures/pamphlets, DVD's, posters, book. Also: creative advertising, digital media ( MySpace, Facebook and YouTube). Leave stack of materials with art teacher. Content - Photos of student life, photos of facilities, alumni success stories, more information about careers in art and design, explain life after graduation. Students don t realize how many careers there are until that classroom presentation. Art careers should be represented at career fairs/career nights so they become an option in the mindset of parents and students. Visits/contact - Classroom visits are still invaluable, personal contact, s, open campus days, person to person interview/meetings. Invitations to events students can relate to (ie student shows). Business-like speakers for parents. Portfolio Days are still the best thing. HOW ELSE CAN WE ASSIST TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS? Materials/Publications - Fact Sheets (online too) with: comparative costs; student/teacher ratio; breakdown of programs; simple and clear portfolio requirements; career information: art career poster; entry level salaries; show wide range of choices & outcomes. Create a full online information resource for parents, teachers, and students. Teacher comments: Stress problem solver aspect and work ethic, address the "starving artist" problem with parents, advise students to study what they love and their careers will work them-

4 4 selves out, perhaps job shadowing will help people figure out what they do/do not want in a career, show multi-career people, send books on each school every year w/o teachers having to ask. Visits/Presentations - College student visits to HS - HS students see that they could be them in the future - HS kids need someone to relate to and not feel alone. Better communicate benefits of attending independent art schools. Teacher comments: Regular communication from AICAD and AICAD-member schools. An AICAD listserv for art teachers. Communication and sharing of research between AICAD and NAEA. Professional development opportunities for art teachers. Opportunities for art teachers to visit AICAD campuses. Scholarships are definitely the swing vote. DO STUDENTS GENERALLY FOLLOW THE ADVICE YOU GIVE THEM? Yes. But: they need to hear it from the colleges as well; it dissipates (lack of parental support, senioritis, etc); parents have enormous input too; most students who ask for advice have a good relationship with their teacher and are looking for reinforcement of their decisions. Teacher comments: Art teachers feel responsible to their students, they take their roles very seriously, student and parents trust and depend on them, don't forget the power of student to student influence on what they consider the hot schools each year. I am personally terrified by the impact I have on my students; it s too much responsibility. DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE RESPONDING? Split between "completely" and "partly" comfortable - They need specifics, somewhat aware of difference between AI/trade schools and AICAD schools but not of details, information about particular institutions is hard to find. They felt parents needed convincing early in the process before they set parameters on a student's direction in high school and later where to apply or not. GUIDANCE COUNSELORS OBSERVATIONS Teachers field questions from counselors almost more than from parents. Guidance counselors are well meaning but have antiquated knowledge of art schools and careers. Neither students, parents, nor teachers depend on counselors. You should have an event for GCs on art schools. Raise awareness with guidance counselors. Guidance is influential in advising course selection, but typically counsel students to research college on their own. Give GCs more info on art careers, which courses to take for art college, the need to prepare a portfolio, and coursework needed to achieve a strong portfolio. This information would be useful for parents too and needs to be communicated early! OTHER OBSERVATIONS Kids don t have time to be kids, students look at education as being the means to a career. Teachers would love part time MFA programs. Diminishing HS art programs and increasing emphasis on standardized tests will impact the development of students' portfolios and will increase the likelihood that students won't develop an interest in art. Despite the growing

5 importance of digital media, most high school students are unable to experience digital art due to weak or disconnected technology and art departments. 5