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We can’t believe it’s already time to start planning for graduation! Students recently received information on preparing for graduation, which can be found online. As graduation approaches, the site will be updated continuously.

Graduation is Saturday, May 10, 2014. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, 144 E. Wells Street 53202, and is approximately two hours long.

Students receive 6 tickets, and are able to request more.

Questions regarding graduation can be answered by Ricky Heldt (rickyheldt@miad.edu).

Hello MIAD Parents,

It is hard to believe that it is tax filing time, and time to file the 2014-2015 FAFSA. Kristina and I will be available to assist you through the 2014-2015 financial aid process again this year.

During the first week of the spring semester, I will be sending an email to all our current students reminding them that it is once again time to file their FAFSA for the 2014-2015 academic year. The 2014-2015 FAFSA application is very similar to the FAFSA 2013-2014 application. Let’s review:
Continue reading It’s time to file the 2014-2015 FAFSA

During spring semester’s Major Declaration Day, your student will get a formal welcome and introduction into the major they are considering joining. There is time to ask questions and discover what is awaiting your student as they enter their major in the fall. This session will also introduce students to the faculty member from that major who will end up being their advisor throughout their remaining educational career at MIAD. The day ends with dinner, and students officially declaring a major.

What if your son or daughter is unsure of which major to choose? Does selection of a specific course lock them into a major? Is being uncertain about a major normal?

If you student is unsure about which major to register for that day, that is okay. They have plenty of time to make that decision.

Continue reading Discussing your student’s major

Hailey, Cathy and Brian Cass enjoy the opening of the 2013 Research, Practice and Methods First-Year Exhibition (RPM), November 13 – 26 in the Fourth Floor Gallery.

View images from the RPM opening and the Currents, Tendencies opening – an exhibit featuring students from all years reacting to the Current Tendencies III exhibition on view at the Haggerty Museum at Marquette University. More information on the RPM and Currents, Tendencies exhibitions is available here.

MIAD’s Winter Weekend featuring the 2013 Student/Alumni Art & Design Sale and Parent/Partner Day was a success, with the highest number of artists participating in the sale, and more than 100 family members and students joining in Parent/Partner Day. View images from MIAD’s Winter Weekend.

This month, all students meet with their advisors and register for spring classes. Juniors and seniors register on November 8; freshmen and sophomores register on November 15.

Read further to see a bulleted list by class year of key questions and topics your student and advisor should discuss this month. These meetings are integral to your student’s academic and professional success. Continue reading Key questions during your student’s advising this month

This year, MIAD’s annual Parent/Partner Day on December 7 is part of MIAD’s Winter Weekend. All parents, students and alumni are invited to participate in the activities. These include the fourth annual Student/Alumni Art & Design Sale December 5 – 7 – an event eagerly awaited by the Milwaukee community – and Parent/Partner’s day of roundtables, workshops, tours and demonstrations on December 7. The Third Ward’s Christmas in the Ward activities are also that weekend, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Please encourage your student to participate in the Student/Alumni Art & Design Sale through the link in their River Rat e-newsletter, and watch for more information for parents on engaging with the entire MIAD community. Continue reading for the day’s schedule and links to an RSVP form (preferred but not required); a story about the Art & Design Sale; and the Historic Third Ward activities.
Continue reading Tell us you’re attending Parent/Partner Day Dec. 7; Student/Alumni Art & Design Sale

“It’s great to be open and see that there are so many connections between majors,” said a Foundations student during Majors Dialogue on October 3.

Majors Dialogue is a unique night when Foundations students get a further look at the different majors MIAD offers, with students and alumni from each major describing the program, offering tips and answering questions.

Hearing what each program of study has to offer helps students to make an informed decision before declaring their majors in the spring.

Finding the connections between majors was a common theme of the night, as Foundations students discovered the fine art aspects of Communication Design and Illustration, and the design aesthetics found in Painting and Drawing.

Another Foundations student added, “Hearing current students talk about their work and classes made me realize you can take a class not in your major and it will still be useful for your own work – everything’s valuable.”

During the week of October 28 – November 1, your student will be asked by his or her professor to take a Student Satisfaction Inventory – a completely confidential electronic survey that asks questions about everything from their course of study to their quality of life at MIAD.

The last SSI was given to students in Fall 2011, the third of our biannual survey. The results provided much to celebrate. At the same time, they identified specific areas where we were able to improve the value and quality of our students’ educational and student life experience.

Some of the changes include: Continue reading Encourage your student to complete the 2013 Student Satisfaction Survey

At one time or another, almost all college students experience some form of stress. Some may experience it early in their college experience; others at various times and closer to their graduation.

But there are two kinds of stress:  The kind that fuels inspiration, drives work and motivates students to succeed; and the kind that becomes overwhelming and impedes students’ progress in college.

It’s important to note that stress is a process that builds, and it is therefore more effective to intervene early rather than later.  Without help, stress can become overwhelming. This column is intended to help you understand how we help your students, and how you, in turn, can help your son or daughter manage college. Continue reading Helping your student with stress

Sophomores from all of MIAD’s majors gathered with faculty and alumni to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the “Sophomore Experience,” ask questions about their majors and focus, and hear advice from successful alumni.

Core Coordinator and faculty Nicholas Frank, who is integral to shaping experiences designed specifically for sophomores, advised students that they are constantly in a period of definition, during which asking questions is critical to realizing the path they will take.

Alumni advised students to:

• Take advantage of your classes and embrace everything you learn, even things that may seem unrelated to your major, because the knowledge will have value
• Seek out internship opportunities, including fine art internships
• Participate in your education – seek feedback from fellow students and instructors
• Cherish the friendships you will make this year as you enter your major field of study – they will stay with you for life

Continue reading Sophomores welcomed to pivotal year

At MIAD, we pride ourselves on our inquiry-based environment, driven by you with our faculty. As we head toward a new academic year, we welcome all of you, especially our new students, and would like to share news and questions we’ve heard from some of you.

What do people think about my potential? The first internationally renowned creative to visit through the MIAD Creativity Series, Mark Rios, principal of Rios Clementi Hale Studios in Los Angeles, said the following after spending several days engaging with students across many majors:

“I’ve visited many art and design schools around the world and found an atmosphere and confidence at MIAD that are unique…. Students have a clear and well-deserved sense of themselves and their work, and that is a rare thing.”

Continue reading From the President to all students

As we excitedly await the arrival of your students, we’d like to share with you a communication your students recently received. The mandatory health insurance program all full-time MIAD students have been enrolled in for the past five years will not be renewed this coming year. The reason for the non-renewal is two-fold.

• First, the cost of the program – more than $700 for the coming year – makes it too expensive for a secondary plan.
• Second, because of rising costs and changes precipitated by PPAACA (Obamacare), the vast majority of our students are now enrolled in a major medical plan through their families, making a secondary plan unnecessary.

For most of you, this will come as a relief because you or your student won’t have to pay for a plan they don’t need. For some of you, this news means your student is without insurance for the coming year. Measures have been taken to ensure healthcare for all MIAD students.

Continue reading From Dean of Students Tony Nowak: Student Health Insurance

Associate Professor of Industrial Design John Caruso, a nationally renowned expert on design thinking, sat down with the Milwaukee BizTimes to discuss how design thinking can change a company. Design thinking continues to break industry boundaries and has become a more critical component of companies’ innovation strategies.

“Design thinking is all about process, Caruso said, and openness to exploring innovative ideas never before envisioned, no matter how absurd or impractical they may appear at first. Through the creative problem-solving process, which seeks to make lateral connections between seemingly disparate ideas, industrial designers help companies improve their products and services to fit the needs and preferences of consumers as best as possible.”

Continue reading.

Maintaining communication with your son or daughter when they are in college is important,  whether they are a first-year student or a senior. College students want to be on their own, while, at the same time, often continuing to turn to you for support. By maintaining open communication with your student, you will have a better understanding of what they are going through and how you can offer support when it is needed.

Following are tips for communicating with your student to facilitate an open exchange of information. Below them are typical conversation topics that may arise throughout the year and how you can respond. Continue reading Openly communicating throughout the year

“Milwaukee would not be Milwaukee without the Third Ward,” said Manuja Waldia ’14 (Communication Design) while discussing her winning design for a map of Milwaukee. “The inspiration came from the Third Ward and the awesome art scene that it envelopes.”

Waldia’s creativity and love of the Third Ward, where MIAD is located, led her to recently place first in Mapping MKE, a competition for Milwaukee Magazine that asked participants to create maps of Milwaukee that are not necessarily geographical, yet depict elements that make Milwaukee special.

Read more.

Milwaukee jumped 13 spots from last year to be named the 6th Best College Destination for mid-size metros from 2012-2013 by the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) College Destinations Index.

AIER CDI includes the top 75 towns and cities in the United States for college students, based on a larger evaluation of the 227 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with student populations of 15,000 or more.

“At a time when approximately half of current college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, the pros and cons of a particular college destination should be an important factor in making a college selection,” said Julie Zhu, the AIER research analyst who oversaw compilation of the Index.

Continue reading Milwaukee named 6th best college destination

Study abroad programs allow students unique and enriching opportunities to broaden their world-view. This summer, MIAD offers three programs:

• Ireland’s Burren: Landscape, Memory and Imagination
• Paris: Cultural Capital of the World
• Glasgow, Scotland: The Spirit of Place

Follow the Paris, Ireland and Altered Landscapes blogs to discover students’ study abroad experiences.

Featuring the work of 140 seniors, the 2013 Senior Exhibition, April 19 – May 11, was packed with incredible work, performances and reimagined gallery spaces.

The exhibition included work from Alumni Thesis Scholarship recipients Hayley Eichenbaum (Integrated Studio Arts) and Marissa Waraksa (Sculpture), who integrated performance in their multidisciplinary work; five students who reimagined a gallery space; and designers who expanded on the empathy, compassion and user experience that defines their work.

The influence of MIAD’s yearlong collaboration with GE Healthcare, “The Compassion Project,” was prevalent in many Industrial Design students’ projects. Expanding on design’s empathic focus on the user experience, for example:

• Alex Boese created a self-reliant and portable chemotherapy dispensing device
• Sarah Geraldson focused on reusable, hygienic feminine care devices and cleaning systems for Third World countries so that girls aged 12 – 16 do not have to drop out of school
• Brett Pearson fostered the dignity of women while creating a functionally appropriate mammography gown
• Sean Simmons created a mobile, hands-free, nebulizer medication dispensing system
• Michael Stilp designed hanging hospital beds for Third World use based on indigenous materials.

As part of the senior exhibition, the college held its third annual MIAD DEFINE Day – April 24 – for campus-wide inquiry and discussion into the seniors’ journey and the MIAD experience.

Gallery Night also featured nearly 60 Integrated Studio Arts students in MAM After Dark: Black and White. From freshmen to seniors, students collaborated to create works of art for this one-night-only event.

Seniors were also available Gallery Night, April 19, to discuss their work with the public, and during Gallery Day Conversations, April 20, for more intimate discussions of their capstone projects.

Sean Simmons ’13 (Industrial Design) was honored at this year’s Service Learning Symposium, March 29, for exemplary service, completed at Sweet Water Organics.

Speaking at the symposium, Senior Director of Health Policy at First Focus in Washington, D.C., Carrie Fitzgerlad discussed her belief that compassion should be an essential component of everyone’s work.

Seeing compassion as a driver, Simmons incorporated compassionate action into his work for the 2013 Senior Exhibition.

Vice President of Academic Affairs David Martin said, “Sean has been a leader in the Compassion Project that has involved over 300 students…. You are not only doing good in the MIAD community, you are impacting the broader community.”

Image: Sean Simmons ’13

This semester, the MIAD Creativity Series continued with visits from acclaimed New York-based artists Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson, and Vice President of Global Design at Steelcase Inc. James Ludwig.

Schutz and Johnson, who visited March 19 – 20, each held an artist talk open to the community. Assistant Professor of Painting Kristopher Benedict was instrumental in bringing them to MIAD and said, “The artists create highly individualized work with an innovative use of fiction and strong connections to art history.”

Schutz is represented by Petzel, New York, and Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin. Johnson is represented by the Suzanne Geiss Company in New York.

Global designer James Ludwig visited April 23 – 24, and held a public conversation at Discovery World, as well as participated in MIAD DEFINE – a day of college-wide open exchange filled with student and faculty presentations and critiques.

Madeleine Kelly Lubar, MIAD Board Chair and co-founder of the MIAD Creativity Series, said, “By joining artists Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson… James Ludwig elevates the series’ mission of enriching the experiences of MIAD students while engaging the community in new ways of thinking about, and appreciating, the arts and the world of design.”

Top image: Dana Schutz, “Piano in the Rain”
Second image: Work by James Ludwig

It is hard to believe that it is tax filing time and 2013-14 FAFSA applying time already. Seems like a few short months ago I introduced Kristina Alvarez to you as the new Assistant Financial Aid Director. Kristina and I both look forward to assisting you through the 2013-14 financial aid process this year.

Right now, the campus is abuzz as Milwaukee has been designated one of America’s Top Twelve ArtPlaces, communities that have most successfully combined art, artists and venues for creativity and expression. Tomorrow, Monday, a national press conference is being held at MIAD to kick off the event. Milwaukee – the only city in the Midwest on the list – provides many personal and professional opportunities to our students, and we always knew it was one of the top places on the creative map.

So amid this excitement, this week, I will be sending an email to all our current students reminding them that it is once again time to file their FAFSA for the 2013-14 academic year. The 2013-14 FAFSA application is very similar to the FAFSA 2012-13 application. Let’s review: Continue reading It’s FAFSA time again (and Milwaukee has never been a better place to be)