Just because there will be people who will ignore the help doesn't mean we should not provide it.
Business courses are not required but they are certainly available.
Instead of a course that's meant to be an introduction to a particular aspect of business, it would make more sense to offer a series of workshops tailored to operating a small business based around some art practice. That could introduce those students that were interested to what sorts of things they can expect and what sorts of things they must do. And, of course, that also would be difficult to staff. But various professional artists could be approached to lead relevant discussions. But that would all be best left informal and not a degree requirement.
Offer wine and cheese, though, and attendance would bloom.
as well as one in professional ethics
Very interesting. I think they should include some business courses.
That's why I suggested it should be more informal, not a requirement, and geared more toward interest and practically related to the particular field - not general business courses.
Business courses are part of a business program, in university and college. They are incomplete (unless you do the program) and will be largely irrelevant to the particular needs of an art student that may open a small business.
If you look at the plan of study, there is plenty of room for picking up an elective or two from the business department should the student feel a need to expand their knowledge in that area.
Yeah, they do. Really. No one enrolls in an art program without hoping to make a living from it, and that's true not only for photographers but for painters, sculptors, etc. …
That seems like a failure of the institution, as much as the students. Not being allowed to fail students that don't take a course seriously isn't an indictment of the idea of requiring a course, it's an indictment of the people in charge. I took a history of rock and roll class because I thought it would be a fun, easy A, and it fulfilled a general ed requirement of some sort. It had zero relevance to my future career. The professor took it seriously, and most of the class was shocked when grades on the first exam were very low (it was hard!). We took it pretty seriously after that.I TA'd that course a couple of times. Marked over a thousand papers. Well over 90% of them showed no interest in the topic whatsoever - and no depth of understanding. However, I wasn't allowed to mark them like I would a paper in a BA program. They all had to pass.
Make it a requirement.
This is a State University funded by taxpayers. We should be preparing our citizens to be productive. Don't we insist upon certain courses in our public high schools?
Not being allowed to fail students that don't take a course seriously isn't an indictment of the idea of requiring a course,
Business courses are not required but they are certainly available. Again, nothing prevents any art major or any other student from taking business courses if they want to .
Make it a requirement.
.... We should be preparing our citizens to be productive.....
Surely, you're not suggesting that artists who make art are not productive members of society.
Instead of a course that's meant to be an introduction to a particular aspect of business, it would make more sense to offer a series of workshops tailored to operating a small business based around some art practice….
I think he's suggesting that they're not productive if they can't support themselves.
As if the art they produced, and all of the art that hangs in museums today were utterly without value.
If you do not have the business accumen to sell your work then you're of no value to society...is that it?
Where would we humans be without art?
Almost no art actually sells.
It sounds like you would want to eliminate programs/degrees that don’t lead to a specific career path.
Almost no art actually sells.
And Sacramento State appears to have a full department offering them.
I'm going to hazard a guess that Alan has never spent much time working or studying in an Arts related post-secondary institution.
As posted earlier, you really don't want to go to them for training relating to business!
If you look through the course descriptions of Sacramento State's Photography BFA you will see that there are some components that have more relevance to commercial or professional photography, and many components that would have less such relevance. Most likely the instructors for some of the components will have practical experience with photographic business, and would no doubt pass on advice about the importance of having business knowledge and training, but a BFA program is not where you should go for that.
Attending something like a BFA institution is an immersive experience, and much of the educational benefit comes from the interaction with others involved in it - essentially the culture. And that culture would be entirely different than one that would do a good job of training in business skills.
If you are looking for vocational training, look for a different program.
For instance, this program at Langara Community College, which is local to me:
https://langara.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/photo-imaging/index.html
From the blurb for that program:
View attachment 345647
ergo ?
it literally has no value?
and artists are not productive members of society?
I said embellish the program with courses that would help the graduates get a job in the field or help them create ones for themselves.
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