Tag Archives: Center for the Student Experience

Fall 2014 Orientation: Ready. Set. School!

New students touring campus with peer mentors

New students touring campus with peer mentors

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

This week, 450 new undergraduate and graduate students will meet with key staff members who will aid in their transition to Art Center, get to know peers, mingle with upper term students from various disciplines, receive insight from faculty members and have a chance to get acclimated to campus life through a networking gathering. This is Art Center orientation—expertly crafted and designed by the Center for the Student Experience (CSE) to prepare the entering class for success in their studies.

It is a week defined by securing ID cards and parking passes, touring the campus, eating, listening and observing. Everything planned this week will help the rookies succeed at Art Center. But one of the most important ways to prepare for what lies ahead is to listen to those who have done it. In the spirit of learning from others’ mistakes and successes, The Dotted Line gathered some nuggets of expert advice (solicited on Facebook from current and former students) for the newcomers among us:

Continue reading →

Summer 2013 Orientation Week Welcomes New Students

This week, Art Center officially welcomes the Summer 2013 incoming class with a week of orientation activities organized by the College’s Center for the Student Experience.

Art Center students in the classroom

Art Center students sketch in Justine Parish’s Costume Design course.

“An effective orientation program for new college students is a critical component of student success,” says Dean of Students Jeffrey Hoffman. “When students feel connected, understand college culture and expectations, and get off to a good start in their classes, they are more likely to get the most out of their learning experience, to graduate, and thus realize their professional goals.”

Here’s the lineup of what’s to come to help new students maximize their education—both in and out of the classroom.

Tuesday, May 7

8:30–9 a.m.: New student orientation check in.

9–9:30 a.m.: Dean of Students Jeffrey Hoffman and Kit Baron, Senior Vice President, Admissions welcome new students.

9:45 a.m.–noon: Tour the campus and have lunch with peer mentors (12–1:30 p.m.).

1:30–3 p.m. or 3:30–5 p.m.: Undergraduate students have the option of taking digital waiver tests.

2–5:30 p.m.: Graduate student orientation and course selections.

Wednesday, May 8

8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: International student orientation. Assistant Director for International Student Advising and Programming Jeonghan Ryu and Coordinator for Intercultural and Diversity Programming Milyn Villareal welcome new international students.

10:15–11:45 a.m.: Financial literacy seminar for domestic students receiving state and federal aid with Financial Aid Associate Director Allison Lee.

12:45–4:35 p.m.: A round of sessions for all students to learn about campus sustainability, health insurance, the library, alumni relations and more.

Thursday, May 9

9:30–10:15 a.m.: Information on campus technology and equipment insurance, followed by tips on managing class schedules and academic progress.

10:15–11 a.m.: A lesson on the infamous Art Center critique, the culture of critique, researching as a resource for inspiration, and interpreting objects and images.

11 a.m.–4:15 p.m.: Students tour the James Lemont Fogg Memorial Library, take care of administrative business (ID cards, parking information, course logins) and partake in special peer mentor activity. Bring new student information form and vehicle registration.

Friday, May 10

8 a.m.–noon: Parents, spouses, partners and other family members are invited to an informal breakfast followed by campus tours and orientation.

11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.: Students lunch with their department chairs, followed by a departmental orientation.

Reminder: Classes officially begin Saturday, May 11.

Welcome to Art Center College of Design, and we wish everyone a happy start to the term!


Meet the Woman Behind the “Girls of ID” Student Organization

Laura Jonason started the Girls of ID student organization about three terms into her studies in the Transportation Design program at Art Center to connect all the women in the department. She wasn’t surprised to be part of a very small minority but she thought, after growing up a tomboy and working for 8 years in a myriad of jobs before coming to Art Center, she wouldn’t find it to be a problem. After a few terms being the only woman in her class, however, she began to feel a little isolated and wanted to reach out to other women in her major. “It is hard for men and women to be friends with each other in the same way they are with their own gender and it can be lonely being the only girl in a class full of guys.” Laura founded the student organization so that women in industrial design majors who are similarly grappling with that kind of isolation have somewhere to go. The Girls of ID offers these women a place to find camaraderie.

The Girls of ID. Courtesy Laura Jonason

It’s not the first time Laura has looked for ways to connect women. Prior to Art Center, while working at Circuit City, Laura founded a similar group for women who wanted to pursue leadership positions. One of the things they would talk about is that as a woman you can’t act the same way a man does and get the same reaction. They used an analogy about how to react in boiling water – you don’t want to be a carrot that gets limp and soft and you don’t want to be an egg that hardens – you want to be coffee because it mixes with the boiling water and becomes something good.

On women in Transportation Design:

“We need female car designers. Everybody has a unique design perspective and adding gender into that mix can only help. Today’s woman really wants something La Femme Nikita – we want to be powerful and sexy.”

About the Girls of ID mentor, Product Design Department Chair Karen Hofmann:

“Karen  is awesome. It is really great to have a teacher and mentor who is a woman. You can go to her with questions about what it is like as a woman to work in a male-dominated industry. Currently there are no female Trans teachers so it is really wonderful to be able to go to her.”

About being a mentor:

“People come to me and tell me about someone who could use the support of our group. Trans faculty will let me know if they see a female student who is struggling and some of the men will also let me know if there is a girl in their class who looks like she could use a friend.”

About automotive interior design:

“Before coming to Art Center I was interested in designing interiors – how long have cars been around and we still don’t have a place to put a purse? After starting at Art Center, however, I fell in love with form and now I’m focusing on exteriors.”

The Girls of ID meet three times each term. At the beginning of the term, they have a picnic or potluck that includes students and alumni from Art Center as well as Cal State Long Beach and Cal Poly. Sometime around midterms they get together in a classroom with snacks and drinks to work on projects and socialize. At the end of each term they go out to dinner.

For more information about the Girls of ID and any other student group, see the Center for the Student Experience.

Get Involved! Make Friends! Join a Club or Organization at Art Center

The life of an Art Center student can be stressful. Find a group of people who share your passion and understand your stress by joining a club or organization. The Center for the Student Experience sponsors and supports twenty-five different student clubs and organizations. Students had an opportunity to check out all the clubs and organizations at the Club & Organization Fair last Wednesday in the Cafeteria. It is not too late to join even if you missed the fair. Please visit the Center for the Student Experience to find out how to contact any of the clubs or organizations.

Students getting together on Cafe Lawn. Photo: Juan Posada/Art Center College of Design

Here brief descriptions of this term’s registered clubs and organizations:

  • Art Center Chinese Student Association – the Chinese Student Association (CSA) exists to bring together the Chinese student community at Art Center. CSA holds a series of social and peer mentor related events throughout the term that enhance the student experience.

  • Art Center Christian Fellowship – The purpose of the Art Center Christian Fellowship is twofold: to provide a place on campus for the body of Christians and all interested people to grow in community, share their struggles, pray, worship and discuss biblical ideas; and to engage the greater Art Center community in dialogue about the convergence of art, design and spirituality.
  • Art Center Indie — Art Center Indie’s aim is to explore the world of Indie film making (past, recent, and current) through regular screenings at various locations in homes or in theaters.
  • Assa – Korean students at Art Center join together to build relationships, share information and explore their common culture. ASSA helps students strengthen their self-awareness and individuality, and also assists students in making connections.

Continue reading →

Open Market This Sunday

This Sunday is the Art & Design Open Market at One Colorado.

Open Market is free and open to the public. It allows a rare opportunity to purchase prints, photography, sculpture and fine art created by students, faculty and alumni form Art Center and PCC. All of the proceeds from sales will go to the artists.

Since its launch in 2003, the Open Market has provided visibility for more than 700 artists and has served as a destination for thousands of art collectors and enthusiasts. Art for sale includes photography, fine art, paintings, illustrations, graphic design, ceramics, sculptures and more. For photos of the Fall 2010 Open Market, click here.

For more information, visit onecolorado.com or call 626.564.1066.

Art + Design Open Market
Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
One Colorado
24 East Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91103