>> So what is CCA lacking in this area, in your opinion? <<

Nothing, now that they've made some major program changes. It's now something like the #6 interior design program in the country. They finally figured it out.

Wendy

>> I remember an especially unhappy studio taught by then partners with a drill sargent in boot camp mentality. <<

I'm afraid to say that doesn't sound totally unfamiliar at all, with a handful of instructors.

I take it by your change of thread title that you know who I was referring to? At least the latter didn't particularly scream. He was just completely indifferent. It's damned annoying trying to learn anything from someone like that.

When I had him, RS was co-teaching with LG. I couldn't tell you if they were partners or not otherwise, although I think not. That studio was straight from hell, though. Talk about impossible demands - that man absolutely invented the concept, I swear. Who ever heard of doing things like building 11 models in two days, on top of drawings?

My very first studio (Visual Dynamics) - we're talking my *very* first day in class there, and I hadn't done a thing art-wise since grade school - the instructors walked into the studio, and without even introducing themselves or the course, started in a rather drill sargent-like manner to divide us up into groups and give us a group exercise to do right then. I don't remember the details, but it was virtually impossible since we weren't even allowed to leave to buy materials. I think they limited us to a couple of things anyways, like a tarp and rope. That wasn't even an architecture studio, although the instructor that pissed us off the most was an architect and used to teaching architecture studios.

We revolted rather quickly, and ultimately, we got things all straightened out and I learned more from those two than I've learned from any other instructors I've had since, but damn, it was brutal at first.

But RS was the worst, by far. Everyone in the school always knew when he was in the building, because it seemed like he was *always* swearing at someone about something, and could be heard from one end of the building at least halfway to the other. People were always in hysterics after one of his crits. He reduced me to tears on multiple occasions just during *desk crits*.

One of the hardest things for me was that I didn't have an art background, so I didn't even know the first thing about basic materials or techniques, and none of the instructors were willing to actually discuss them. I'd get materials and supplies lists that read like absolute Greek, or instructions to use such-and-such in a project, without the first bit of instruction in what those things were, let alone how to actually *use* them. They seemed to have the idea that we ought to figure out the basics like that on our own. I don't know if they're still doing that in the core classes or not, but at least they seem to have figured out that it's useful to actually *teach* things like how to use your materials.

>> Especially since most instructors had unreasonable demands. <<

I think they've gotten more reasonable, at least in my department, but it was so bad the first couple of years that I got into some really terrible habits that I haven't been really able to break (like too many all-nighters), and it's taken a real toll on my health. The really annoying thing is that I've lost the productivity I used to have in going at things that way right along with it.

I remember the old campus, as that's where the school was when I first considered going there. The sheer crowding made me decide I didn't want to do it.

Wendy