MyCCAD January 11, 2021 | Welcome back!
Dates & deadlines
Friday, Jan. 15 = New freshmen/new transfer student orientation/registration for spring semester
Monday, Jan. 18 = Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no classes, offices closed)
Tuesday, Jan. 19–Saturday, March 6 = November
Tuesday, Jan. 19 = First day of classes
Monday, Jan. 25 = Spring registration deadline & deadline to add classes and to register for audit/credit & deadline for May graduation and May Commencement
Tuesday, Jan. 26 = $10/course drop fee in effect
It’s almost time to get started
Welcome back to a new year and a new semester at CCAD. A few short reminders:
- We will be closed Monday, Jan. 18, in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19. As you may recall, all classes, including hybrid classes, will be conducted remotely this first week of the new semester to allow time for testing and quarantining as needed. Students with campus access will need to arrive in advance, as required by the scheduled testing and quarantine period previously outlined by the Dean of Students.
- If you are among those who will be accessing campus this semester and have registered for mandatory COVID-19 testing here at CCAD, make sure to check for important emails from Dean of Students Athena Sanders as well as via the youcanbook.me webpage. They have key details you’ll need to know in advance.
Update on requesting campus access
All upperclass students and graduate students who choose to access campus must make reservations to do so at least 24 hours in advance. This is so they can be accounted for in CCAD's random COVID-19 testing pool.
Make reservations for access (starting Sunday, Jan. 17)
Learn more about campus access
And more important info regarding spring semester
Spring 2021 semester at CCAD will be a bit different than previous semesters as we adapt to changes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reminder, those changes include:
COVID-19 testing: CCAD has partnered with a lab to conduct mandatory testing for students who are accessing campus in the spring semester. A negative test will be required to access campus. Some faculty and staff will be included in the testing program if they are teaching in person or working on campus full-time.
Communicating about cases on campus: CCAD is providing regular updates regarding any active, positive cases identified on campus. Those reports will be shared on a weekly basis via email and on our public health page and will resume for 2021 on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Visit CCAD Together for details
COTA pass changes
COTA has temporarily offered transit services at no charge to the Columbus community since mid-March 2019. Starting today, Monday, Jan. 11, the transit authority will be returning to normal operations and CCAD students will be required to present their college IDs to the operators in order to ride buses for free. CCAD has provided COTA with an updated list of all graduate students, students enrolled in hybrid classes, and students living in residence halls this semester so that those students may continue to ride at no additional cost. Students living off-campus but in central Ohio who rely on COTA services for mobility should email Director of Auxiliary Services Richelle Simonson at rsimonson@ccad.edu.
November in January (& in February & March, too)
Beeler Gallery reopens Tuesday, Jan. 19, with a new exhibition curated by CCAD alum Heather Taylor (Cinematic Arts, 2015). The immersive lens-based, sound-heavy show, scheduled to be on view through Saturday, March 6, features 12 emerging local and international artists and was initially scheduled to open in November 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19. Its name, November, remains as an homage to and a reminder of the ominous tone struck by 2020. November is part of a collaboration with the Cincinnati-based nonprofit arts organization FotoFocus.
Beeler Gallery has numerous new health and safety protocols in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including timed admission tickets, face mask requirements for visitors and staff, limitations to the number of visitors allowed in the gallery at a given time, social distancing requirements, and enhanced cleaning procedures. CCAD will follow guidelines set by the state of Ohio regarding COVID-19 prevention, which may impact plans for November.
The exhibition is free and open to the public, but advance reservations are required.
Why do you need to do the FAFSA?
Learn why it’s so important to fill out your FAFSA ASAP (here’s one reason: you won’t be able to register for fall classes until you do it), and get video tips on how to make the process as easy as possible.
We’re playing to win against crunch culture
Crunch culture—that is, the gaming culture that asks artists and designers to work under grueling conditions while making blockbuster games—has contributed to corporate profits, but too often at the expense of the talented people creating the work. In our Game Art & Design major, we’re pushing against that culture in the service of healthier creative practices.
History of Art update
As you may have heard, due to lack of demand, CCAD is no longer accepting new students into our History of Art & Visual Culture major. Students currently enrolled in the History of Art program will be able to complete their program of study and graduate with a BFA in Studio Art with an Emphasis in the History of Art & Visual Culture. They will continue to have the support and commitment of the faculty as they complete their program of study.
Art history at CCAD will continue to be a core and vital part of every students’ learning, representing at least 10% of all students’ studies. And we will keep classes such as Museum and Gallery Curatorial Practices, Curatorial Projects, and Theoretical Frameworks that resulted from the curriculum developed for the major, but have also been popular across a variety of majors.
A note from our Director of Safety & Security
The CCAD Safety & Security team works hard to keep our campus safe. But you can help, too. Here are a few basic safety tips for life on and off campus:
- Don’t leave valuables unattended for any length of time, and don’t leave valuables visible in your car. Items left briefly unattended make up the majority of thefts reported on campus.
- Be aware of your surroundings and walk with purpose. Don’t be distracted by earbuds or phones.
- Keep documentation of serial numbers and mark valuables with an ultraviolet pen to ensure that your items can positively be identified.
And please remember you can always reach CCAD Safety & Security at 614.222.6165 to report any suspicious activity or individuals or request a safety escort while on campus.
—Wallace Tanksley, Director, Safety & Security
Get more tips from Safety & Security
ICYMI: Fall 2020 grads announced
Congrats to CCAD students who finished their studies at the end of the fall semester! Find a list of our most recent graduates at the link below.
Virtual CCAD
Did the fall semester seem to fly by? Never fear: We’ve got recordings of artist talks, Town Hall conversations, and much more on Virtual CCAD.
Faculty & staff raise scholarship funds
Did you know? Every year, CCAD asks faculty and staff to donate what they can to support scholarships for CCAD students. This year's ask, called CCAD: Creating a way, together, raised $42,614 for students, thanks also to a match from our Board of Trustees.
You can be a better ally.
Every day, students who are marginalized on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and socioeconomic status overcome the burden of oppression to thrive. Their fellow students can help relieve this burden by recognizing and their privileges to help.
CCAD wins at CSCA
CCAD students, faculty, staff, and alumni took home a number of awards at the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts’ Creative Best Awards on Nov. 19. Among them were Sidney Gale (Animation, 2020), whose senior film Duo was picked as Judge’s Choice by Milan, Italy-based creative strategist Peter John Comber, one of this year’s judges. Comber wrote that Duo “succeeds through symbolism, minimalism, and warmth. … The absence of dialogue and the simple human truth at the heart of this video make Duo a piece that can communicate effectively all around the world.” Gale also took home the Creative Best 2020 Student Video Award of Excellence for the work.
CCAD students took home several awards in the Student category of Creative Best; in addition, the CCAD Student Agency picked up multiple awards in the Professional category.
Read more about the awards and winners here
Fall Art Fair in the news
The 2020 Art Fair & Marketplace on Dec. 4–6 marked the first time CCAD has presented its longtime-favorite fall art fair online. The virtual presentation, featuring work for sale by CCAD students and alumni, picked up coverage from a variety of local outlets, including WCMH-NBC4, 614 magazine, and elsewhere.
Read more here
Hard-boiled behind-the-scenes action wins award
Congrats to several Animation students who recently participated in this year’s world-wide, completely virtual 24 Hours Animation Competition for Students. The teams of five students each were charged with creating a fully realized half-minute short within 24 hours based on this year’s theme: “How this pandemic has affected you.” Students on the team L̸̋̇Ẽ̸̎S̵͗̕O̶̊̉Ú̴̓E̴͛͒F̵͊̈́D̷͑̈́U̸͂̄R̶̂̅S̶̏̉ (French for “hard-boiled eggs”) won recognition for “Best Behind the Scenes Material,” which netted them a prize package valued at $4,910.
See their animations and learn more
What is the value of a liberal arts education?
Being a successful artist or designer requires more than just learning a craft. It also takes the ability to think and communicate clearly, to identify problems and find ways to solve them. Click the link below to see why our faculty believe a liberal arts education is vital to success, and read more at CCAD Voices.
Student Spotlight 
Name: Emily Sirota
Major: Advertising & Graphic Design
Class year: 2021
Hometown: East Palestine, OH
Where are you located for spring semester: My apartment in Columbus
Favorite spot on campus: Underneath the Art Sign
Favorite thing to do in Columbus: Watch the sunset on top of parking garages with my friends
Last show you binge-watched: Atypical
Most-played song on your playlist right now: Let the Light In, by Cody Carnes
Your time at CCAD in 3 emojis: 🥰
Your pandemic experience in 3 emojis:
How has your creative practice changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began? It has become far more restful, full of depth and balance, and has experienced the removal of all guilt or obligation to produce work for the sake of simply producing work.
Current artist/designer crush: Angela Sapp
Favorite thing about CCAD: The astounding ways that God has used this place to transform my life into everything I could've never dreamed of wanting.
Your social media handle: @emilysirota
Campus groups or activities: The Coalition for Christian Outreach @ccoccad (aka my family 🥰)