Academy of Art University

Infobox_University
name = Academy of Art University
motto = Built by artists for artists


tagline = Built By Artists for Artists
established = 1929
type = Private, for-profit
president = Elisa Stephens
city = San Francisco
state = California
country = United States
faculty =
students = 11,335
undergrad = 8,646
postgrad = 2,689
campus = Urban and online
athletics = NCAA Division II for cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, golf, tennis
mascot = Urban Knight
colors = Black and Red colorbox|blackcolorbox|red
website = [http://www.academyart.edu/ www.academyart.edu]

The Academy of Art University (formerly Academy of Art College), a proprietary, private university owned by the Stephens Institute, was founded in San Francisco, California in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens. With an enrollment of nearly 12,000 students, the academy is reportedly the largest art and design school in the United States. [http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/IDD.asp?orderLineNum=681919-3&reprjid=12&inunId=5004&typeVC=InstVc&sponsor=1 College close-up: Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California.] (2006). Peterson’s, a Nelnet Company. Retrieved December 15, 2006.]

History

In 1929, the Academy of Art University was established in San Francisco as the Academy of Art Advertising by Richard S. Stephens, a fine arts painter and the creative director for "Sunset". Assisted by his wife, Clara Stephens, Stephens opened the new school in a rented loft at 215 Kearny Street to teach advertising art. Over the next few years, he hired a faculty of practicing art and design professionals and formulated the school's philosophy to hire established professionals to teach future professionals. In 1933, the curriculum was expanded to include Fashion Illustration, and a Fine Art Department was added in 1936.

Stephen's son, Richard A. Stephens, took over direction of the school after graduating from Stanford University in 1951. During the son's tenure, the academy expanded its enrollment from 50 to 5,200 students. Richard A. Stephens oversaw continued expansion of department majors, starting with the addition of a Foundations Department, which offered courses in the basic principles of art and design, along with other Fine Art departments. In 1966, the school was incorporated as the Academy of Art College, and the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education granted the school the authority to confer the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that same year. In 1977, the Academy of Art College added the Master of Fine Arts program to its degree offerings, marking the inauguration of its graduate school, with the state of California later approving the Masters program in 1983. In 1992, Elisa Stephens, granddaughter of the school's founder, succeeded her father, Richard A. Stephens, as president of the school.

Academic programs

The Academy of Art University offers both on-campus (traditional instructor-led) and distance education (online) degree and Certificate programs in its fine arts programs. These programs include Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts for undergraduate degrees, Master of Fine Arts and Master of Architecture for graduate degrees, and certificate programs for personal enrichment. The academy offers degree and certificate programs in 13 majors: Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture (M.Arch only), [ [http://www.academyart.edu/architecture-school/index.html Academy of Art University: Architecture School, Architecture Schools ] ] Computer Arts & New Media, Digital Arts & Communications (AA and BFA only), Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Motion Pictures & Television and Photography.

Accreditation

In May 2007, the Academy of Art University received regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of the six major regional accreditation commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. [ [http://www.wascsenior.org/institutions/affiliation.aspx?accessID=1031 Statement of accreditation status: Academy of Art University.] (2007, July 19). Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Retrieved July 24, 2007.] Degree programs offered by the Academy of Art University are also accredited nationally by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) [ [http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=Member+Lists&memberId=3dc6ca8ce6105280edf4c1090dc5f3cb NASAD member list.] (2006). National Association of Schools of Art and Design. (2006). Retrieved December 16, 2006.] . The academy is also an institutional member of the Career College Association (CCA) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). [ [http://www.chea.org/search/actionInst.asp?CheaID=168190 Database of institutions accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations: Academy of Art University.] (2006). Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Retrieved December 16, 2006.]

The on-campus Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program offered by the academy in Interior Architecture & Design is accredited as a Professional Level Program by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly "FIDER," the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research). [ [http://www.accredit-id.org/accreditedprograms.html#california Accredited programs: California.] Council for Interior Design Accreditation. Retrieved December 18, 2006.] In addition, the on-campus Master of Architecture program offered by the academy's School of Architecture has been accredited as a Professional Level Program since 2006 by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). [http://www.naab.org/cal_cat1724/cal_cat_show.htm?doc_id=268171 Architecture programs: Academy of Art University.] (2006). National Architectural Accrediting Board. Retrieved January 20, 2007.] Although the academy offers separate on-campus and online graduate degree programs with the term "Architecture" in their names (Master of Interior Architecture & Design, an interior design program, and the architecture degree programs for Master of Arts in Architecture and Master of Architecture), the NAAB accredited only the on-campus degree program for Master of Architecture.

Facilities

The Academy of Art University holds classes in a number of buildings, with most buildings located within a few blocks of each other in downtown San Francisco. Several of the buildings are significant historical structures — in some cases, bought by the academy to preserve them from demolition or commercial redevelopment. The academy also owns a series of art studios that were once owned by the non-profit San Francisco Art Institute. Residence facilities and all academic buildings are linked by an extensive school shuttle bus system used by both students and employees of the school.Lloyd, C. (2004, September 14). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/09/14/carollloyd.DTL The creative landlord: The Academy of Art University runs a bustling dormitory business in downtown SF.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved December 24, 2006.] The academy converted some of its buildings into dormitories for its its full-time students. Some of the buildings that the school converted into dormitories occupy structures that were built during the early 20th century.

Controversies

The Academy of Art University's rapid growth and acquisition of numerous buildings throughout San Francisco has generated several controversies, including debates about specific buildings, as well as a 2007 city government investigation for ignoring building permit processes and signage regulations.Whiting, S. (2007, September 30). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/30/CMUVRHOG3.DTL Making art pay.] "The San Francisco Chronicle." Retrieved December 26, 2007.]

Eviction of San Francisco Flower Mart

In 2007, the Academy of Art University signed a contract to purchase the historic Flower Mart located in San Francisco, which the academy plans to convert into a site for housing sculpture studios. Eviction of tenants from the Flower Mart would result in the closure of 30 businesses and jeopardize the employment of more than 300 people. The proposed eviction comes at a time when the academy is under close scrutiny for accruing more planning permit violations than any other property owner in San Francisco, leading to the academy hiring a land-use attorney to address issues related to the acquired properties. [Duxbury, S. (2007, November 30). [http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/othercities/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/12/03/story1.html?b=1196658000%5E1557724 Art academy draws up big expansion.] "South Florida Business Journal". Retrieved December 26, 2007.]

Eviction of the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre

The Academy of Art University exercised an option to purchase the building where it leases space for dormitories and houses the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, a prominent African-American theater.Hurwitt, R. (2007, June 23). [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/06/23/MNG07QKNDM1.DTL Black theater company's home in S.F. threatened.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved June 23, 2007.] The academy entered into an agreement to purchase the building from Sutter Taylor, the owner and seller of the building and real estate development company that planned originally to convert the building into high-end condominiums.Hamlin, J. (2007, June 27). [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/27/BAGRDQME551.DTL Art academy offers to help pay theater to relocate: Lorraine Hansberry signed away lease options for free rent.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved July 1, 2007.] With the purchase of the building, the university announced that it planned to reconvert the building, a former YWCA designed by Lewis Hobart that already houses a pool, back to a gymnasium "for the private use its its students." The theater's lease with Sutter Taylor is scheduled to expire on July 31 2007.

The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre launched a campaign with the help of arts groups and politicians to retain its theater space within the building, complaining that the loss of the space threatened to cancel the already-scheduled 2007-2008 season, which the theater and its supporters allege could lead to the theater's demise. According to the academy, Sutter Taylor promised that the building would be vacant at the completion of the sale, and the theater knew of the school's plans to purchase the building as far back as 2005. Back then, the theater chose to forego the option of renewing its lease with Sutter Taylor, receiving in exchange free rent of the space from 2005 until its lease expires at the end of July 2007. The academy offered to help pay a comprehensive assistance and relocation package totaling up to $125,000 to the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, while the school awaits information from the theater about the costs of the move. In spite of the help offered by the academy, the theater wants to revisit and question the agreement it made with Sutter Taylor about the space within the building to be purchased by the academy.

Purchase of St. Brigid Church

During Summer 2005, the Archdiocese of San Francisco sold St. Brigid Catholic Church to the Academy of Art University. St. Brigid Church, which first opened as a parish in 1864 and survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, was closed in 1994 by the archdiocese as a cost-saving measure because of declining attendance, repair costs for damage caused by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the need to pay court judgments resulting from the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.Herel, S. (2005, February 3). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/03/BAGMTB4NTJ1.DTL Supes seek to save St. Brigid Church landmark status could thwart archdiocese plan to raze, sell land to pay abuse suits.] "San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved January 25, 2007.] After a seismic restoration forecast showed that $7 million USD was needed to shore up the church building, the academy petitioned the City of San Francisco to remove the church from the historic landmark registry to proceed with restoration of the building. Several parishioners, who wanted to preserve St. Brigid Church, petitioned the San Francisco Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board to prevent the academy from making changes to the church's exterior and interior features and preserve the whole of the church as a historic landmark. [ [http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/resolutions05/r0110-05.pdf Resolution 110-05: Resolution to initiate the designation of 2151 Van Ness Avenue, St. Brigid Church, as a landmark, File No. 050194.] (2005, February 11). Planning Department, City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).] [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=4623145 Supervisors vote to preserve part of St. Brigid Church.] (2005, October 3). ABC 7 News, KGO-TV (San Francisco, CA). Retrieved January 25, 2007.]

During discussions about the landmark designation for St. Brigid Church, the academy agreed with the former parishioners that the exterior of the church should be preserved in its present form, although the academy continued to disagree with them regarding landmark status for the church's interior.Marshall, C. (2006, April 2). [http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/us/02brigid.html Their church shut and now sold, parishioners fight on.] "The New York Times". Retrieved on June 6, 2007.] According to the academy, "landmark status for the interior was never part of the plan," and it was really caught in the middle of a dispute between the former parishioners and the Catholic Church over the closing and sale of St. Brigid Church.

Although the Archdiocese of San Francisco declined to preserve landmark status for St. Brigid Church and despite the academy's requests to remove the church from the historic registry, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to grant partial landmark status to the church. [ [http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/ordinances06/o0263-06.pdf Ordinance No. 263-06: Ordinance to designate 2151 Van Ness Avenue, St. Brigid Church, as a landmark under Planning Code Article 10, Amendment of the whole in Board 10/3/06, File No. 051772.] (2006, October 24). Planning Department, City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Retrieved on June 6, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).] In its October 3, 2006 ruling, the board accorded St. Brigid Church historic landmark status for its exterior, leaving open the question about preserving the church's interior features for another time. [ [http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/planning_page.asp?id=48964 Final action minutes of the San Francisco Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Meeting.] (2006, October 4). Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, City and County of San Francisco, California. Retrieved December 17, 2006.]

Expulsion of student writer

In December 2003, a controversy erupted when the academy expelled a student for writing a story in a creative writing class featuring a male serial killer who dismembered his female victims. Jan Richman, the student's instructor and an award-winning poet and former recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, became concerned about the subject matter of the student's fictional story.Brahinsky, R. (2004, April 14). [http://www.sfbg.com/38/29/news_art.html Expelling edgy writers.] "San Francisco Bay Guardian", 38(29). Retrieved December 24, 2006.]

Richman referred the matter to her department's coordinator, seeking advice and guidance for how to handle the student's submission. The department coordinator suggested to Richman that she recommend the student read the first chapter of "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold in order to initiate a discussion about the power of violence in artful storytelling.Sullivan, J. (2004, March 25). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/25/MNGI85QTK11.DTL A work of art or a harbinger of violence? Grisly short story gets student expelled from S.F. academy — and costs teacher her job.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved December 18, 2006.] Richman also supplemented the academy-approved text books with reading assignments from "Girl With Curious Hair", a short story by award-winning author David Foster Wallace. When the academy's administration office later learned of the student's graphic short story, the academy expelled the student and referred the student's graphic story to the homicide division of the San Francisco Police Department for criminal profiling. Richman also lost her job after the academy accused her of violating school policy by assigning textbooks not approved in advance for the course, although no policy existed officially at that time governing use of supplemental materials. [Snyder, M.D. (2004, July-August). [http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2004/JA/Col/sotp.htm State of the profession: Dread risk in San Francisco.] "Academe Magazine", 90(4). Retrieved September 9, 2007.]

Alan Kaufman, another faculty member at the academy and author of the "Jew Boy" and "Matches", [ [http://www.kqed.org/arts/people/profile.jsp?id=8986 People profile: Alan Kaufman.] (n.d.). KQED Arts & Culture. Retrieved December 20, 2006.] took up the cause of the student's expulsion and Richman's firing by organizing protests against the academy's response. Kaufman was later dismissed from his job at the academy because of his role in leading protests about the controversy. In support of Kaufman's protest against the student's expulsion, authors Stephen King and Salman Rushdie (at the time, Rushdie was President of the PEN American Center) wrote letters of protest concerning the academy's handling of the matter.Benson, H. (2004, April 8). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/08/BAGNF61TM449.DTL Class takes to street to protest censorship: Academy of Art's expulsion of pupil angers authors, too.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved December 18, 2006.] The academy defended its actions to expel the student and request criminal profiling of the student's story by arguing that its actions were a response to the Columbine High School shootings and the September 11 attacks. After the Virginia Tech Massacre in April 2007, the Academy of Art University was mentioned in the press as an example of a school that had been assailed for expelling students for the use of threatening language. Sallie Hunting, the school's vice president for public relations, stated that the incident at Virginia Tech made evident that schools should observe with more alarm students' use of what she called threatening language. Hunting noted that, although laws exist to protect an individual's right to privacy, safety issues may sometimes present the need to look deeper to balance this issue with security concerns. [Stancill, J. & Clark, L. (2007, April 18). [http://www.mcclatchydc.com/staff/lesley_clark/story/16002.html Cho was a known psychological problem, but he'd broken no laws.] "McClatchy Newspapers". Retrieved on July 4, 2007.]

During the protests, "Starving Artist", the academy's student newspaper, also covered the story about the student's expulsion. After the student editor of "Starving Artist" approached the academy about covering the protests, the academy granted permission to cover the protests in two parts so that the student newspaper could give equal weight to both sides of the controversy. In its initial coverage of the protests, "Starving Artist" featured the headline "Safety from What?" on its front page, along with a photo of a student with a taped over mouth wearing the sign "At the Academy of Art ... Students = Credit Cards." The student newspaper also included an editorial comparing the academy's response to fears that erupted during the September 11 attacks. To quell the ongoing disruption of protests on the campus, the academy shut down the newspaper after seizing the undistributed newspaper copies featuring the provocative headline and rescinded permission for the student newspaper to cover and print the remaining part of the story.Brahinsky, R. (2004). [http://www.sfbg.com/38/38/news_censor.html Censorship on campus: The Academy of Art University compounds its student-expulsion controversy by shutting down the student newspaper.] "San Francisco Bay Guardian", 38(38). Retrieved December 17, 2006.]

Battling the faculty union

During late 1970s-early 1980s, the faculty at the then Academy of Art College formed a union, certified by the National Labor Relations Board as the California Federation of Art Teachers. ["Stephens Institute, d/b/a Academy of Art College", 241 N.L.R.B. 454 (1979).] After many attempts by the school and a protracted legal battle to prevent the union from becoming active, the National Labor Relations Board prevailed in federal court and secured back pay for many instructors who were fired illegally in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. ["Stephens Institute, d/b/a Academy of Art College v. Nat'l Labor Relations Bd.", 620 F.2d 720 (9th Cir.), "cert. denied", 449 U.S. 953, 101 S. Ct. 358, 66 L. Ed. 2d 217 (1980). Retrieved January 21, 2007 from the Lexis-Nexis Academic database.]

Notable alumni

*Chris Milk, music video director for such artists as U2, Green Day, Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, John Mellencamp, Modest Mouse, Chemical Brothers, and others. [ [http://www.chrismilk.com/moving/ Chris Milk Official Site.] "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved May 7, 2008.]
*The design works of the academy's current and former students – Natasha Shah, Malia McGlothlin Pawsey, Jessica Thompson, Jennifer Bolanos and Tianyu Li – were featured on the Home and Garden Television (HGTV) show "Designer Finals". [ [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf Designer Finals,] Home and Garden Television (HGTV). See "Designer Finals" interviews of [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf/article/0,1805,HGTV_15858_3067533,00.html Natasha Shah] (episode 105), [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf/article/0,1805,HGTV_15858_3084073,00.html Malia McGlothlin Pawsey] (episode 108), [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf/article/0,1805,HGTV_15858_3151093,00.html Jessica Thompson] (episode 110), [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf/article/0,1805,HGTV_15858_3203945,00.html Jennifer Bolanos] (episode 205) and [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdsf/article/0,1805,HGTV_15858_3378832,00.html Tianyu Li] (episode 209).]
*Mari Matsumoto, an MFA School of Fashion graduate of the Academy of Art University, was mentioned by Forbes Magazine as one of "five future fashion designers to watch." [Tang, S. (2006, September 15). [http://www.forbes.com/collecting/2006/09/15/fashion-week-trends_life_collect_cx_st_0915runway.html Connoisseur's guide: Ones to watch.] Forbes Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2006.]
*Deanne Fitzmaurice, a BFA graduate of the academy and a staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle, won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography [ [http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2005/feature-photography/bio Feature photography - Biography: Deanne Fitzmaurice.] The Pulitzer Prizes, Columbia University. Retrieved December 17, 2006.] for her photo essay of efforts by Children's Hospital Oakland to treat an Iraqi boy for life threatening injuries sustained in an explosion. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/saleh Operation Lion Heart.] (2005). "The San Francisco Chronicle". Retrieved December 24, 2006.]
*John Vasicek, an MFA graduate of the academy's School of Motion Pictures & Television, wrote, produced, and directed the feature film "Voyeur", a film accepted by multiple film festivals, including the notable Sonoma Valley Film Festival. [ [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=chart_film_prod_d&dept=Film&recordid=1117785608 Film production chart: Voyeur.] (2005, June 16). "Variety Magazine". Retrieved March 5, 2007.] [ [http://sonomafilmfest.org/pages/program%5B1%5D 2007 Official film selections announced!] Sonoma Valley Film Society. Retrieved March 5, 2007.]
*Kevin Pereira, Attack of the Show! host.Fact|date=September 2008
*Jason Sperling, copywriter for Mac vs. PC campaign.Fact|date=September 2008

Notable faculty and staff

*Diane Baker, Director of School of Motion Pictures and Television and veteran actressFact|date=September 2008
*Baoping Chen, Fine Art instructor and internationally recognized painterFact|date=September 2008
*Terryl Whitlatch, Illustration instructor and celebrated film illustrator [cite web
title=Highly Celebrated Terryl Whitlatch Joins Illustration Department
publisher=Academy of Art University
url=http://www.academyart.edu/news/campus_news_0187.html
accessdate=2008-09-20]
*Simon Ungless, Director of Graduate Fashion, work experience covers Fashion Design, Textiles, Forecasting and MarketingFact|date=September 2008
*Lindsey Yamasaki, former basketball player at Stanford and the WNBA, currently coaching the university's women's basketball team [cite web
title=2008-2009 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff
publisher=Academy of Art University
url=http://academyartathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=9&path=wbball
accessdate=2008-09-20]

tudent Life

Many students ride bicycles to the spread out campus through out San Francisco as a convenient, healthy, and fun way to get from class to class on time.

References