Studio Culture Policy

A studio culture policy is an agreement negotiated between students, faculty and staff in an effort to create a positive learning environment. The intention is that through these guidelines a culture of respect, optimism, sharing and innovation will emerge; one in which faculty are mindful of the environment they create. Promoting a healthy studio environment is paramount to fostering designers who are socially responsible, confident, and engaged in the profession.

In addition to affecting the learning environment and experience for students, the studio culture policy is also a condition for NAAB accreditation. Although the policy will be a living document that is always open to debate and revision, submitting a carefully considered and thorough draft to NAAB is very important to our accreditation review which will be taking place this spring. Please download the pdf or refer to the handout you received during convocation and post any comments or concerns you have on this blog entry. If you have any questions please email the AIAS at aiasunccharlotte@gmail.com

Let's chat, shall we?

We've all been there… it's 3 o'clock in the morning, stressed out and fed up you just have to get something off your chest. It could be anything. Maybe you haven't been getting constructive feedback on your project. Maybe there is a new policy you don't agree with, or maybe they just haven't been stocking your favorite candy bar in the vending machine (if that last one pushes you over the edge, might be time to go home and get some sleep). A brief exclamation resonates through the studios and strikes a chord with a few of your fellow classmates. Suddenly, what started as a sarcastic outburst to relieve some stress evolves into a 30 minute free-for-all rant. While these late night gripe sessions are usually more one-liners and exaggerations than constructive criticism, they often do make a good point.

That's what this post is for; those random things that have nothing to do with anything but are important nonetheless. Whenever you have a topic that you think people ought to talk about, a question that has been troubling you, or an idea that you need help with, this blog is always available. Anytime, day or night. For all the things that don't pertain to another specific post, put it here. And for the things that don't necessarily concern the general student population, you can always email AIAS directly.