End of term reviews or critiques are held twice a year during the first two years and at least once each year during the major years, and are required for all students.
Pass/fail grades are assigned. During a review, the student meets with a team of faculty to view a body of work assembled by the student. Reviews provide the opportunity to discuss the student’s progress and to recognize common themes in works from different courses. Attendance and participation in all foundation and major reviews are mandatory.
Guidelines for Foundation Reviews
- You should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time. It is helpful to have done a practice set up of your work in the same room you are to show your work.
- Bring lots of work from all foundation and studio elective classes. Also bring papers and writings from English Composition, Art History and other Liberal Arts classes.
- Don't hesitate to show work that you feel was not particularly successful. It is possible to gain as much benefit and insight from discussing less successful attempts at something new as from successful work. In general, it is always better to have a lot of work at your review rather than not enough.
- An effective presentation allows space between both two- and three-dimensional works. It encourages the viewer to walk amongst three-dimensional work, and to see the relationship to drawing and two-dimensional design. Avoid crowding works together. Find relationships. Arrange tables, pedestals, and chairs in the room so that your work can be seen clearly.
- You will be nervous, especially if this is your first review. Remember, this is a supportive process that seeks to help you see more in your work, to help you identify your strengths, and to learn how to use them to your advantage.
- In preparation for your review, think of questions,you would like to explore or have answered.
- Two or three weeks before your review, ask your faculty and advisor any questions you have about the reviews, what they like to talk about when they participate in reviews and what you can do to better prepare for your review.
- You may ask a friend to attend your review, to listen and take notes. Then you will have someone to talk with about the issues that are discussed.
- Enjoy your work! Foundation Reviews are grade Pass/Fail and are recorded on student transcripts.