<p>Looks like you’re taking a beating on this thread, but I appreciate you standing up for your school. </p>
<p>Still, I guess the whole debate about accreditation is worth looking into, but based on what I saw on my visit to the school and discussions with many students, I want to believe the best, because I was really impressed.</p>
<p>But am I just being seduced by it’s charm and effective advertising campaign? (rhetorical question).</p>
<p>DGB, it’s not that SCAD isn’t accredited because it is. However, it is accredited by a regional accreditation body that accredits colleges and not necessarily art schools. NASAD is an accrediting body specfically to raise the standards of art education. Many of the better ranked and more well known art programs are ALSO accredited by NASAD. If you go to the NASAD site and check out all the accredited programs, you would be impressed. Their url is:<a href=“http://www.arts-accredit.org/intro.jsp[/url]”>http://www.arts-accredit.org/intro.jsp</a></p>
<p>Go to NASAD and then to member lists. </p>
<p>We just don’t understand why SCAD isn’t NASAD accredited. They don’t say on their site and keep the reason very confidential. Maybe with the purchase of the Atlanta College of Art, which is NASAD accredited, they will get their foot in the door for NASAD accreditation. Who knows? I will say that the SCAD program looks quite good for many majors on paper. However, I don’t know how good SCAD is in actual practice or what their placement rate is.</p>
<p>“The SCAD administration and Board of Trustees have found the SACS accreditation sufficient for graduates to successfully attend graduate schools and pursue careers in their chosen fields. SCAD has never sought accreditation by NASAD, but is always open to considering what is best for students or necessary for their success as practicing artists and designers. The SCAD professional M.Arch. program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, which is necessary for graduates to pursue licensure in any state” (<a href=“http://www.scad.edu/about/news/topstories/2005/081805.cfm)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.scad.edu/about/news/topstories/2005/081805.cfm)</a>.</p>
<p>Jkolko, you are still begging the question. It is easy to say that they found SACS accreditation more than sufficient. If you check the NASAD web site, most members, if not all of the NASAD accredited schools, are accredited by both NASAD and their regional accrediting bodies. NASAD was established to establish rigorous standards for schools of art and design that are not necessarily required by regional accreditation. SCAD has known for years that this issue is a thorn in its side. There have been numerous postings about why they haven’t achieved this. It is a major question as to why they just don’t get the accreditation and be done with it. Frankly, SCAD certainly has the funding to get some staff member to pursue this. This should be a non-issue,but it remains a major question. Too many top art programs have this accreditation to leave this issue in abeyance. In fact, getting this accreditation would drastically increase applications in my opinion, which is another reason why I dont’ understand their lack of interest in this accreditation.</p>
<p>I also do understand that SCAD notes that they feel that regional accreditation is good enough,but good enough, in this case, is not good enough.</p>
<p>You said, “They don’t say on their site and keep the reason very confidential”. I’m posting what they say on their site. I don’t have any other information.</p>
<p>//But am I just being seduced by it’s charm and effective advertising campaign? (rhetorical question).//</p>
<p>Consider reviewing the the first employment opportunities held by 2004 graduates:
<a href=“http://www.scad.edu/alumni/where/years/2004.cfm[/url]”>http://www.scad.edu/alumni/where/years/2004.cfm</a></p>
<p>Consider reviewing faculty credentials. Note the many who attended schools like Yale, RISD, Cranbrook, RIT, SVA, Pratt, etc. All have terminal degrees in their fields.
<a href=“http://www.scad.edu/academic/faculty/full1.cfm[/url]”>http://www.scad.edu/academic/faculty/full1.cfm</a></p>
<p>//NASAD was established to establish rigorous standards for schools of art and design that are not necessarily required by regional accreditation.//</p>
<p>Which is not to say that you can’t uphold the highest standards of art and design education without NASAD accreditation. Right? Answer that question please.</p>
<p>I attended both RIT and SCAD. Really…I saw no relevant difference.</p>
<p>//SCAD has known for years that this issue is a thorn in its side.//</p>
<p>How do you know this? Is this one of your “facts.” Please tell me who you spoke to and when. Again, it seems you come across stating opinion as fact.</p>
<p>//There have been numerous postings about why they haven’t achieved this.//</p>
<p>Poor use of language on your part, Taxguy. “Achieved” implys that they have pursued NASAD accreditation. They have not. You might ask instead, why they have not pursued it. I have no idea. I don’t work there any longer, and it is NOT appropriate to assume that if they have not, then their standards to not measure up to NASAD. Having reviewed NASAD standards, and having attended and worked at the college, I see no reason why they would not if they chose to apply.</p>
<p>//It is a major question as to why they just don’t get the accreditation and be done with it. Frankly, SCAD certainly has the funding to get some staff member to pursue this.//</p>
<p>Find a staff member and just be done with it? You obviously have NO idea what a campus-wide activity it is. It places stress on all departments, staff and employees…(chuckle). Have you ever been through an accreditation process? Don’t trivialize the process. Sheesh. Stick to taxes.</p>
<p>//Looks like you’re taking a beating on this thread. //</p>
<p>How would that be?</p>
<p>//In fact, getting this accreditation would drastically increase applications in my opinion, which is another reason why I dont’ understand their lack of interest in this accreditation.//</p>
<p>“In fact…” + “…my opinion,” ? Oh…you mean you’re stating your opinion again as fact? Sheesh.</p>
<p>Rainingagain asks:
How do you know this? Is this one of your “facts.” Please tell me who you spoke to and when. Again, it seems you come across stating opinion as fact."</p>
<p>Response:I am sure that you are aware of the disgruntled professor who posted a web site about SCAD’s failings. He might have been both disgruntled and a little bit nuts;however, he did get quite a following. His site was mentioned on various Live Journal forums and and other forums. Again, it is not whether he was crazy or disgruntled,but his information did get out to the main stream public. Whenever I check on any art program, I personally always check on their NASAD accreditation. I am sure that others feel the same way.</p>
<p>Oh Yes, schools can still hold to high standards without being NASAD accredited, in answer to your query. However, just like kids can still be great college material even if they don’t get high SATS, college don’t usually take chances on these types of kids unless they are applying for majors that are not SAT related such as art or music. SCAD may be terrific, and in fact, honestly seems to have great offerings, but I, and others like me, don’t want to take chances on non NASAD accredited schools. Obviously, there are people who will. However, it certainly seems to be to the benefit of SCAD to obtain, achieve, acquire, or whatever word you wish, NASAD accreditation.</p>
<p>I have my own personal opinion of NASAD, but strickly from an objective point of view, why would it benefit SCAD to obtain, achieve or acquire this accreditation if they have managed to grown from 70 people to 7000 in about 25 years? They seem to be doing just fine without it.</p>
<p>Jkolko, well, they might go from 70 to 10,000 or even 12,000 applications.</p>
<p>I think the most reliable indicator of the quality of a school is the work of its students. That’s mostly how I decided which school I wanted to go to - I collected the schools’ catalogues when they sent them to me and when I went to portfolio days, and I looked at the student work. </p>
<p>Stats and information about the professors can be misleading, but the student work is telling. You see what kinds of people the school accepts and how selective it is. It matters less how good the professors are, because if the best students are congregating in other schools, that makes them better schools, doesn’t it? Also, the catalogues usually showcase the best work of the past several years, so it seems to be an unusually accurate measure of the school’s quality. If they all try to show their best work, then they should be on equal footing.</p>
<p>So, I thought that the best work came from RISD and MICA. I decided to go to RISD because of the location, and the proximity to Brown. MICA’s student work was easily as good. I didnt apply to SCAD because the student work didnt impress me. </p>
<p>I’m anticipating you insisting that an 18-year-old is no judge of the quality of artwork, and that’s fine. I realize that I’m not basing my analysis on hard facts, but I think my way of looking at it is factual in its own right.</p>
<p>Weile has the right approach. Al Hail Weile!</p>
<p>I agree. The student work - and the student attitudes (gleaned from talking to them) - are the best representation of a school.</p>
<p>//Looks like you’re taking a beating on this thread. //</p>
<p>How would that be?</p>
<p>~~~~~~~
I meant that this thread has become a sounding board for a lot of SCAD-skeptics, and that you appear to be in a distinct minority… and also that the argument is getting personal and kind of mean-spirited. If you go back to the original post that the quote is from, you will notice I was giving you props for fighting the good fight.</p>
<p>Carry on.</p>
<p>//Carry on.//</p>
<p>Ah…thx. Indeed I shall.</p>
<p>//I didnt apply to SCAD because the student work didnt impress me. //</p>
<p>On that note…take a look at CMYK magazine which publishes student work in advertising, graphic design, photography and illustration. I believe it is a S.F.-based publication, and that many art colleges submit student work to it. I believe you might find student work from SCAD published with some regularity, at least it was when I was a student. Anyway, it’s worth checking out to see additional student work. I’ve seen it at most of the B & N bookstores I’ve been in.</p>
<p>Heck…here’s the link.
<a href=“Free XXX Movies, Best Sex Videos, Hot LevelPorn Tube on LevelPorn.com”>Hot Porn Movies, Free Sex Videos, Best LevelPorn Tube on LevelPorn.com;
<p>I looked at the oil paintings for four of the issues and several batches of photos but I didn’t see any SCAD stuff. Maybe there’s some in design, I don’t know. Painting and drawing are my main interests so the quality of work in those areas concerns me more.</p>
<p>But these results have to do with rankings, again. It’s the judgement of ‘professionals in the field,’ whose tastes we don’t know anything about. I really would rather judge the work for myself.</p>
<p>Please read what I said previously…I offered no “fact.”</p>
<p>“I believe you might find student work from SCAD published with some regularity, at least it was when I was a student.”</p>
<p>//But these results have to do with rankings, again. It’s the judgement of ‘professionals in the field,’ whose tastes we don’t know anything about. I really would rather judge the work for myself.//</p>
<p>It wasn’t brought up per rankings. If you look at the message I was replying to you might understand the context of my response.</p>
<p>I recall Stefen Sagmeister was a judge in an issue for which my work was chosen eons ago. So let’s not simply dismiss the opinions of the “professionals”. And, perhaps you should get to know their tastes, many are pretty relevant in the industries, …the kind of people who hire students.</p>
<p>Anyway that’s the point (yours) that I was making per the quote from the previous poster. Look at the work and decide if you like what is coming out of the schools. The more you can see the better to ascertain what school may sit your needs the best.</p>
<p>BTW…here’s a feature on some SCAD student work from the GD dept on the Adobe site.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/posters/main.html[/url]”>http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/posters/main.html</a></p>
<p>Oh look! Here’s one from motion graphics…
<a href=“http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/main.html[/url]”>http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/main.html</a></p>
<p>Hey look, another!
<a href=“http://www.adobe.com/education/winners/2005/johnson.html[/url]”>http://www.adobe.com/education/winners/2005/johnson.html</a></p>
<p>Oh for gosh sakes, how about one more!
<a href=“http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/envirographics.html[/url]”>http://www.adobe.com/education/gallery/scad/envirographics.html</a></p>
<p>Can you stand one more Adobe spotlight?
<a href=“http://www.adobe.com/education/winners/2005/edwards.html[/url]”>http://www.adobe.com/education/winners/2005/edwards.html</a></p>