Art Institutes Alumni Wants Forgiveness

Some graduates of the Art Institutes are upset because their professors told them that their degrees were worthless and they had better focus on creating good portfolios.

ThinkProgress interpreted that statement as the professors stating the degrees from that school are worthless.

My take is that art majors, from any school, rely on their portfolios to get hired. But hey, anything is possible.

 

I agree and so do some of the students quoted. In the article, part of Jay Fabares' complaint was that she thought she had prepared a good portfolio, but once she saw those from other schools, she felt that AI's curriculum had not prepared her as well as it should have. A quote:

“But once you get out there and realize what students have done at other schools, you realize, ‘Oh, my portfolio sucks.’ "

J.

 

It's a partial acknowledgement. She seems to understand the importance of a portfolio. But she doesn't appear to consider the notion that her portfolio sucking might not have anything to do with her college.

But if we're going to start forgiving the debt of art majors who can't get art jobs I'd say only a single digit percentage of them will ever end up paying for their degrees.