School of Design Fall 2020 Academic Plan

Graphic Design | Illustration | Interaction Design | Product Design | MDes Product Design | MFA/MA Museum Studies

The School of Design redefines what it means to educate a 21st-century designer by celebrating the reality that the boundaries between all sorts of contemporary design practices are more permeable than ever before, and that a modern designer needs a greatly expanded skill set. In this way, the School of Design initiates innovation and empowers students to pursue their passions, build core values, broaden their design exposure and become the design leaders of the future.

• Design requires both introspection and extroversion. This Fall 2020, we plan to deliver course content both in-person and remotely, closely reflecting current industry practice and the future reality of Design’s complete virtual workflow.
• The health and safety of our students and faculty are top priorities. School of Design programs have planned a hybrid semester that balances a minimum 50% time on campus with remote learning. Every course will provide the full curriculum. Students will get the same education they expected and deserve.
• All courses are entirely remote after Thanksgiving break.
• On-campus class start and end times have been carefully staggered to minimize the numbers of students, faculty and staff moving through our buildings, lobbies, labs and studios at any given time.
• Students in the School of Design will return to studios and classrooms that meet social distancing protocols.
• Seniors and most grad students will be assigned access to dedicated studios. Usage will be monitored and under strictly observed safety protocols.
• The majority of School of Design lecture and elective classes will be fully remote; these are often not studio courses and do not involve the creation of artwork. Examples would be grad level seminar or discipline history courses.
• The social aspect to education is an important rationale for on-campus learning for building community and relationships and sharing learning experiences. Although social distancing has its challenges, we believe Design students and faculty will rediscover and reinvent community as we know it.

In the School of Design, relevance means an education that excites and challenges a diverse student body and provides the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing field: top-notch critical thinking and technical skills; a solid understanding of design history as well as familiarity with current design developments and practitioners; a flexible approach to problem-solving via solutions encompassing all media formats; and exposure to professional design practices.

Looking ahead, the role Designers play in the larger culture is completely changing. Designers will create new experiences beyond what we can now imagine. One thing is certain—in the future, there will be more design problems to solve, not less.