By Caroline Huftalen
Picture this: my first quarter as a graduate student at SCAD Atlanta. I’m slightly nervous since I’m the new girl and the fact that it’s been a little over a year since I’ve set foot in a classroom. Other than getting lost a few times, the first two weeks went smoothly. Until Thursday of the second week, and then as they say, the other shoe dropped. My required Contemporary Art course had a change of venue, a change of professor and a complete change of syllabus.
Me and my fellow classmates were seated in our fourth class when we heard the unwelcome news: our current professor, Dr. Keri Watson, would be leaving due to another job opportunity and since she would have to start her new position a few weeks before the summer quarter ended, she was being given the early boot. To continue our course we were left with one option — eLearning.
The students tried to make suggestions so we could keep our professor and stay in the same class, to keep from being pushed into an online class after the start of the quarter.
We even suggested the kind-of-thrown-out-there option to make up classes on Fridays and even a Saturday. The students wanted make up classes, the professor agreed to make up classes, but associate dean of liberal arts Dr. Denise Smith politely declined with the words, “We have your best interests in mind.”
We had two options — drop out of the class we had already invested our time in or do a complete 180 and start over in an online course. Drop/add week had passed making it too late to pick up another class, so the latter option was essentially the only one to keep on track.
I had dreaded an art history class. I’m a writer, and not even the art critiquing kind. I knew I needed a professor who would go beyond the terms and opinions that were over my head and into more relatable content. We were going to study Lady Gaga for goodness sake. Our discussions were easy to get into, the artists were interesting, and Dr. Watson made it so art experts and novices alike could have an appreciation, an understanding and a great shot at a good grade.
Now, after finally finding my way to my classroom without any wrong turns or using the wrong elevator, I was back to being lost. I had never taken an online course and had never had any interest in doing so. I was learning a lot sitting in a classroom with other graduate students from different majors and different backgrounds, with a professor who made critiquing art accessible.
My best interest was to stay in the classroom, with the students and the professor with whom I had already developed a rapport. My best interest was to continue getting the most out of my expensive graduate school education. My best interest was to keep learning from a professor who turned something foreign into something enjoyable. Plus, we had all just fought blood, sweat and tears (okay, maybe not that intense) for our midterm and final presentations topics.
During the first two weeks, being at SCAD Atlanta for graduate school had become everything I thought it would be. It was the best choice and investment I had ever made for my future. But now, with what I’ve experienced in my art history class, I’m left feeling a little gypped.
