Students, alumni push back against VPA’s plan to cut art video program
Wendy Wang | Asst. Photo Editor
Undergraduate and graduate students expressed their frustration at VPA's decision to close their art video program in a letter of solidarity.
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Students in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts are pushing back against VPA’s decision to close its art video program.
This fall, VPA administrators decided to cut the program, and its website states that the department is no longer accepting applications for the bachelor of fine arts program.
Students expressed their frustration in a letter of solidarity backing the art video program, consisting of both undergraduate and graduate studies. The version of the letter that was sent on Tuesday to Michael Tick, the dean of VPA, had 178 signatures made up of students and alumni in both VPA and other SU schools and colleges.
VPA has been receiving criticism from students in other programs, as well. Junior students in the film department recently wrote a letter to the faculty voicing their concerns and frustrations with the program.
Keaton Fox, an SU alumna and an art video major who graduated in 2014, said that the faculty members of the program helped her tremendously during her years at SU. But she said the college and SU didn’t provide enough support for the program and its students.
“The fact, that especially now in 2021, that this art video program could potentially be gone just is also entirely nonsensical, given the state of 21st century communication being through this medium of video,” said Fox.
Zelikha Shoja, a student in the art video program, said she felt supported by the faculty members in the program.
“I have complete faith in all of my professors from the (art video) program,” Shoja said. “I really value the education that I have from them and the experience that they have.”
The letter said closing the program would be “a mistake that disregards the rich legacy of the program’s past, disrupts the education of students in the program’s present, and denies the reality of a future media landscape in which art video is growing ever more relevant.”
Student Letter of Solidarity With Art Video (1) by The Daily Orange on Scribd
The letter also states that while many who signed it are not in the art video program, they believe the program’s closure will negatively affect the creative ecosystem.
“(The letter) is to show support by all other transmedia students. So none of the (art) video students or professors have signed it. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t in solidarity with them,” Shoja said.
“It’s not only the people who are in the major that benefit from the program. It’s all of the transmedia department,” Fox said. “Because the program encourages critical thinking and encourages freedom, it’s this space in between photo (and) film where people can try new things and aren’t pressured to only work on the stuff that’s inside of their major.”
The students attempted to reach out to Dean Tick and other VPA administrators, Shoja said. The college’s administration held a one-hour meeting with concerned current and former students, but Shoja said there was no substantial information given during the meeting.
“(Dean Tick) hasn’t made public the information on what the criteria was for closing the program. So we don’t know who we’re supposed to contact,” Shoja said.
Shoja, a third-year graduate, said although she wouldn’t be affected as much as the first-year students would be, she was frustrated by the uncertain future of the program. She also said that the closure of the program may negatively affect her future career, given it is unclear if SU will keep the program-related information accessible.
“It was announced after (first-year students) paid the tuition that the program is closing,” Shoja said. “So they feel very misled and they don’t want to be in the same classes with (only) two or three other students. That’s not fair for them, and they don’t feel supported at all.”
Alex Kulick, a third-year MFA candidate in the art video program, said that the university is only focused on what is deemed “commercially successful,” which is not what going to art school is about.
“I’m pretty furious,” Kulick said. “It definitely shows where the university’s interests are headed.”
Kulick said that the whole situation is “fishy,” and she also said she feels frustrated for the people that chose SU particularly for this program.
“All of us came here … because we wanted to study this specific thing, and because we knew the history of the program,” said Kulick. “We wanted to go down a very specific direction. … We all could have gone somewhere else, but we didn’t go somewhere else. We chose here.”
She has hope that VPA will reverse their decision and bring the program back, said Kulick.
Chika Ma, a sophomore in the art photography program, has to take an art video class this year as one of the required classes for her major and said that the class has “greatly influenced her as an artist and a person.” She believes that the best way to get better as an artist is by exploring different mediums, and the art video program is the perfect opportunity for all VPA students to explore their artistic skills and grow as creatives.
Going into college, Ma thought that she was going to be done trying to salvage art programs, which have been on the decline — an issue she said she faced throughout high school.
“I thought that when I left high school, I could leave behind the ‘save the art program’ mentality,” Ma said. “I feel like I’m in high school again, trying to better the arts.”
I thought that when I left high school, I could leave behind the ‘save the art program’ mentality. I feel like I’m in high school again, trying to better the arts.Chika Ma, sophomore in art photography program
Ma said that she has experienced a wide range of emotions since hearing about the closure of the program. First it was anger, then it was a wave of disappointment. And now she feels extremely disrespected.
“A lot of my peers feel disrespected too because art video has such a large impact,” Ma said. “(VPA is) removing so much potential and so much talent.”
DISCLAIMER: Multiple staff members at The Daily Orange, none of whom influenced the editorial content of this article, signed this petition.
Published on November 3, 2021 at 1:08 am
Contact Hannah: hcferrer@syr.edu
