Dean Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts
Students, alumni push back against VPA's programme to cutting art video program
Wendy Wang | Asst. Photo Editor
Undergraduate and graduate students expressed their frustration at VPA's decision to shut their art video program in a letter of solidarity.
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Students in Syracuse University'due south College of Visual and Performing Arts are pushing back against VPA's decision to close its fine art video program.
This fall, VPA administrators decided to cut the plan, and its website states that the department is no longer accepting applications for the bachelor of fine arts program.
Students expressed their frustration in a alphabetic character of solidarity backing the art video program, consisting of both undergraduate and graduate studies. The version of the letter that was sent on Tuesday to Michael Tick, the dean of VPA, had 178 signatures fabricated up of students and alumni in both VPA and other SU schools and colleges.
VPA has been receiving criticism from students in other programs, as well. Junior students in the picture department recently wrote a letter to the kinesthesia voicing their concerns and frustrations with the program.
Keaton Trick, an SU alumna and an fine art video major who graduated in 2014, said that the faculty members of the programme helped her tremendously during her years at SU. Simply she said the college and SU didn't provide plenty support for the programme and its students.
"The fact, that especially now in 2021, that this art video plan could potentially exist gone just is also entirely nonsensical, given the land of 21st century advice existence through this medium of video," said Fox.
Zelikha Shoja, a student in the art video program, said she felt supported by the kinesthesia members in the program.
"I have complete organized religion in all of my professors from the (art video) program," Shoja said. "I really value the education that I have from them and the experience that they have."
The letter said closing the program would exist "a mistake that disregards the rich legacy of the program's past, disrupts the instruction of students in the program's present, and denies the reality of a time to come media mural in which fine art video is growing ever more relevant."
Educatee Letter of Solidarity With Art Video (1) by The Daily Orange on Scribd
The alphabetic character also states that while many who signed it are not in the art video program, they believe the program's closure will negatively affect the creative ecosystem.
"(The alphabetic character) is to bear witness support by all other transmedia students. Then none of the (fine art) video students or professors have signed it. But that doesn't mean that we aren't in solidarity with them," Shoja said.
"It's not only the people who are in the major that benefit from the program. It'southward all of the transmedia department," Fox said. "Considering the program encourages disquisitional thinking and encourages freedom, it'south this infinite in between photo (and) film where people can try new things and aren't pressured to just work on the stuff that'due south inside of their major."
The students attempted to accomplish out to Dean Tick and other VPA administrators, Shoja said. The college's administration held a ane-hour coming together with concerned current and former students, but Shoja said there was no substantial information given during the meeting.
"(Dean Tick) hasn't made public the data on what the criteria was for closing the program. So we don't know who we're supposed to contact," Shoja said.
Shoja, a third-year graduate, said although she wouldn't exist afflicted as much as the commencement-year students would be, she was frustrated past the uncertain future of the plan. She also said that the closure of the program may negatively affect her future career, given it is unclear if SU volition keep the program-related information accessible.
"Information technology was announced after (first-twelvemonth students) paid the tuition that the plan is closing," Shoja said. "So they experience very misled and they don't desire to be in the same classes with (but) two or three other students. That's not off-white for them, and they don't feel supported at all."
Alex Kulick, a third-twelvemonth MFA candidate in the art video plan, said that the university is but focused on what is deemed "commercially successful," which is non what going to art school is about.
"I'm pretty furious," Kulick said. "It definitely shows where the university's interests are headed."
Kulick said that the whole situation is "fishy," and she also said she feels frustrated for the people that chose SU peculiarly for this program.
"All of united states came here … because we wanted to study this specific affair, and because we knew the history of the programme," said Kulick. "We wanted to go downward a very specific management. … We all could have gone somewhere else, but we didn't become somewhere else. We chose here."
She has hope that VPA will reverse their decision and bring the programme back, said Kulick.
Chika Ma, a sophomore in the art photography program, has to have an art video class this year as one of the required classes for her major and said that the form has "profoundly influenced her as an artist and a person." She believes that the best fashion to get better every bit an artist is by exploring different mediums, and the art video program is the perfect opportunity for all VPA students to explore their artistic skills and grow every bit creatives.
Going into higher, Ma thought that she was going to exist done trying to salve fine art programs, which accept been on the decline — an issue she said she faced throughout high schoolhouse.
"I thought that when I left loftier school, I could go out backside the 'save the fine art program' mentality," Ma said. "I feel similar I'one thousand in loftier school again, trying to better the arts."
I thought that when I left loftier schoolhouse, I could leave behind the 'save the art program' mentality. I feel similar I'm in high school again, trying to better the arts.
Chika Ma, sophomore in art photography program
Ma said that she has experienced a broad range of emotions since hearing about the closure of the program. First it was acrimony, then it was a wave of thwarting. And now she feels extremely disrespected.
"A lot of my peers feel disrespected too because fine art video has such a big bear upon," Ma said. "(VPA is) removing so much potential and then much talent."
DISCLAIMER: Multiple staff members at The Daily Orange, none of whom influenced the editorial content of this article, signed this petition.
Published on November 3, 2021 at 1:08 am
Contact Hannah: hcferrer@syr.edu
Source: http://2www.dailyorange.com/2021/11/visual-performing-arts-students-alumni-syracuse-university-push-back/
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