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>>> News Articles: LA Times, LA Weekly, Pasadena Star
A place for members of the Art Center College of Design community - students, faculty, staff, administration, board members and alumni - to engage in a constructive dialog about the future of the school.
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News Flash
>>> No standard staff or faculty salary increases or cost of living adjustments in January. Typically each year most staff & faculty have received a 2.5% - 3% increase.
>>> No rise in tuition for Spring 2009
>>> No rise in tuition for Spring 2009
>>> Ellsworth implements new organization and downsizes administration
>>> Art Center CORRECTS Commitment to College’s current Hilllside Master Plan "Full Speed Ahead", now states buildings will require further board/city approvals.
>>> Art Center commits to "Zero Waste Plan" that includes organic waste composting, compostable cafeteria packaging/supplies, and campus-wide waste reduction.
>>> News articles on non-renewal of Koshalek's contract LA Times, Pasadena Star-News
>>> News articles on non-renewal of Koshalek's contract LA Times, Pasadena Star-News
Links
- Art Center Forum
- Board of Trustees Statement
- ACsG letter to the Board of Trustees
- June 10th forum video
- Education First! Unified Petition
- Videos of student meeting of May 28th
- Serious Trash - Nathan's original post
- Education First! Facebook Group (160+ members)
- Quintero's desc of the ACCD EIR presentation
ACsG letter to the ACCD Board
Blog Archive
Verified Facts
>>> The Board of Trustees would not agree to have a student at their meeting. Instead, John Henry Baliton (ACsG President) met with John Puerner (Board Presdent) and Jean Ford (SVP Human Resources) on Wednesday prior to the Board meeting. Baliton presented the student issues, and Puerner agreed to hand out the one-sheet to the Board himself.
>>> Rachel Tiede was dismissed without options for further employment on May 28th, contrary to statements by Koshalek. See her statement.
>>> Nathan was requested to remove his blog post by administration officials, but he has been apologized to.
>>> The erasure of Nate Young's image was intentional, but there has been an apology and the image was restored. Evidence.
>>> Nate Young resigned because he disagreed about the direction of education
>>> Rachel Tiede was dismissed without options for further employment on May 28th, contrary to statements by Koshalek. See her statement.
>>> Nathan was requested to remove his blog post by administration officials, but he has been apologized to.
>>> The erasure of Nate Young's image was intentional, but there has been an apology and the image was restored. Evidence.
>>> Nate Young resigned because he disagreed about the direction of education
10 comments:
From Nathan's blog:
PETITION
Here is a rough draft of a petition that I am putting together. If anyone has comments/critiques/suggestions please make yourself heard! This is a community effort and will represent everyone's voice! Again, the point of this petition is simply to ask the Board to not renew Koshalek's contract. it is meant to be simple and straight to the point.
We, the undersigned members of the Art Center community, are asking the Board of Trustees to not renew Mr. Richard Koshalek’s contract. We are concerned with the direction the school is taking and believe a change of leadership is necessary. The current administration’s policies of increased enrollment, unnecessary expansion, and lack of transparency and communication have negatively impacted the quality of education. We believe that the school needs to make excellence in education and quality of students its top priority once again.
any suggestions or helpful ideas please contact me at astods@gmail.com.
on another, sadder note, I stopped by Rachel Tiede's office to thank her for speaking out yesterday to find that she is indeed leaving her job. I don't know what the circumstances are, but it is just another example of all the fine people this institution is losing.
So let's do something about it!
~Ashley
Very succinct Ashley.
Excellent, Ashley. Please know that although the faculty and staff may not be able to be publicly supportive for fear of being fired, we are behind you.
To all Art Center students: most of the criticism of Koshalek on Nathan's blog has been accurate. It is difficult to defend that claim, because we cannot produce proof without revealing our identities. Very frustrating, believe me. Frustrating for you students, too, because you don't know who to believe.
If you are unsure, I would suggest approaching the petition by considering what you DO know for sure:
1. The main campus building has been neglected. Needed educational materials are in short supply.
2. Tuition continues to increase, but does not seem to be applied to the issues in #1.
3. There is great pressure on increasing enrollment. This may or may not be a good idea in general, but in a time of financial difficulty it threatens to place quotas at a higher priority than quality. This erodes the investment you have in an Art Center degree. Art Center is in financial difficulty presently, due in large part to a bloated administration, money-losing conferences, architect's fees, and extensive travel.
4. The president's emphasis is clearly on buildings and PR events, not education, and his track-record on making them relevant and useful to YOUR education is not good.
5. The president has failed to communicate well, and he has demonstrated a paranoia regarding criticism of his regime that has resulted in firings and forced resignations of top-notch people. He has created an atmosphere of fear, rather than an academic environment of open and constructie dialogue.
6. Scholarships, which should be the top priority of fundraising, have suffered by the distraction of trying to raise money for buildings. Buildings are important, but they do not need to have the price-tag of celebrity architects in order to be strong and proud design statements.
6. The faculty are underpaid, frustrated, and have been consistently denied a real voice in influencing management of the college.
Throwing all the other arguments and petty differences expressed on Nathan's blog aside, these central issues are a compelling reason to vote for new leadership. Koshalek is a charming intelligent person, but his nine-year agenda has brought us to this point, to the six points above. After nine years, his pattern is well known. It is too late for him to promise to change. It is too little too late for him to claim a sudden interest in real and effective dialogue.
By signing the petition you are not voting to fire Koshalek. You are stating that when his contract expires in 2009, after ten years at the helm, it will be time for him to move on. Ten years is a long time for any college president. Colleges are complex environments and they benefit from renewed leaderhship that looks at festering issues with a fresh vision. That is what Art Center needs.
New leadership at Art Center is called for. It is a reasonable and timely expectation. The difficult job of addressing issues and needs articulated here and at Nathan's blog will take time, and will not be solved overnight. A change in leaderhsip creates the opportunity to address those issues and needs in a serious way. Demanding new leadership is the vehicle by which you students can have a real influence and affect real change at Art Center.
Cross posting from Nathan's blog:
Breaking News ACCD - Subject
Tonight there has been a breakthrough. We have formed a Student Network of International Proportions. We have brought in alumni from across the globe to further our issues. They are on our side. We will be giving out more information as it unfolds. This network will be created like a worker union Now that we have Alumni support, we will seek to receive local government support. Stay tuned throughout the evening as events develop.
Francois E.
Public Relations Associate Director
Network For Student Initiatives
Cross posted from Nathan's blog - original author: Ophelia Chong
To The Students
"What's on the table?"
Come join ACCD alumni for a potluck dinner on Tuesday June 3 @ 6pm in the student cafeteria. We will feed you, listen to you, and support the students and the faculty in your cause for an environment that fosters great education, mutual respect, and a workplace free of fear from retaliation.
All you need to bring is a fork, we will provide the real plates and real food.
=====================
To the Alumni
What's On The Table? : In Support of Faculty and Students of ACCD
As an alumni of ACCD you either never came back to the college or you participate in a few events. Really, there wasn't any form of school unity at ACCD while you there; you went for the best education available in the States, not for the social scene. Now the
only reason ACCD exists is in jeopardy.
The college in the last 3 weeks has undergone a major shakeup and is on the verge of a student revolt. All they want is the education they came to ACCD for. However due to Administration's plan to expand, most of the resources and their focus have been on building rather than education. Because of the unrest, the working environment for students, faculty and staff that don't align themselves with the administration is completely stressed.
To show our support to the faculty and students of ACCD there will be a Potluck dinner at the hillside campus on Tuesday June 3rd @ 6pm. We the alumni will be there to show the Administration that we do care and that our voices will be heard alongside the students. It's your legacy to the students of ACCD. BRING YOUR FAVORITE POTLUCK DISH.
PLEASE PASS THIS ONTO YOUR CONTACTS AS WELL. :O)) because you know I can only make so much lasagna....:O)
On Nathan's first blog, we heard from Rachael. I am posting this here because I don't want this to be overlooked. It goes to the "culture of fear" and I think that a serious look at school employment policies is an important part of the transparency we all desire. Thank you Rachael for being brave and honest.
Rachael Tiede said...
To all who are concerned with the future of Art Center:
I have always planned on setting the record straight concerning my dismissal from Art Center last week, however I needed to take care of a few things before that was possible.
Over the last 10 years I have worked for three different departments at Art Center (my last position being the Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer), through this I have come to know and respect many of the students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I have a great love for this school and never imagined this is how I would leave. The current administration would have you believe I left on my own accord to pursue other career goals. THIS IS NOT TRUE. In my final meeting with Human Resources I was told I could not work in any other department on campus and my only option was to leave. This happened less than 24 hours after I stood up in the student meeting in the cafeteria and explained why Nate Young resigned from his position as Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer.
In the ACSG meeting last Friday, Richard Koshalek stated that Human Resources asked me to come work for them and wanted me to stay at Art Center. Again I emphatically state that THIS IS NOT TRUE. Human Resources did ask that the temp (Francis) working in our office at the time stay on and work, but I was not given that as an option. Though I have been told by legal council and others that I have serious grounds for a law suit, I have decided against this course of action at this time as the only ones who would suffer and pay are the students.
check out nathan's blog starting with June 9, 2008 3:22 PM
Nik Hafermaas up to no good.........
NEWS FLASH:
the defendants of the master plan have decided to appeal to those who know NOTHING of the educational needs at Art Center. Luckily Discovalante (sp?) is onto it and posted the url. I just can't believe this. Some savvy students were obviously right on top of it if you scroll down to comments.
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=76218_0_24_0_C
The impression that is trying to be put out there is that everyone who raises questions is conservatively against contemporary architecture. This is absurd. And there is more blather about how we haven't relaxed standards for admissions. 2005 it was a 70 percent admittance rate--what do you imagine it was last semester?
Anyway, take a look.
Regarding the 6/10/08 article in the Pasadena Star-News; Koshalek is quoted as saying "much of the discontent...is nothing new for college students." Which college students is he talking about? If he's saying that college students always complain about slipping educational standards, I don't know what he's talking about? Is this true in the art and design world? I hadn't heard this. I do know that alums of UCLA and USC talk about how they wouldn't be able to get into their alma maters because entrance standards have risen since they graduated. What is Koshalek talking about? Is he just dismissing Art Center students as just being whiney? I know this is a small point but it bothers me.
Good post.
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