SARASOTA (WSNN) – The pandemic had art classes undergoing a radical transition at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Instructors and students had to adapt to virtual learning to end their spring semester.
Jeff Schwartz is the Associate VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
And he says while it was a major undertaking to accomplish remote learning, they had the resources to do so.
Ringling College provides every student with a laptop as a freshman with remote access capability.
And during this pandemic, they sent out any materials the students needed to work from home.
Schwartz says while the commitment to technology has allowed them to pivot, this isn’t long term.
“The students come to Ringling for the community, they don’t come to us for online learning,” Schwartz said. “So, there’s a certain culture that we’ve created that is why students come to us. And that’s a difficult change. That being said, no matter when the new reality hits and we go back to whatever the new normal is, there is no intention for us to be an online institution.”
Schwartz says only three of the hundreds of courses they offer had to be dropped. They include the film and sculpture classes. He says it’s difficult to replicate those specific art types, digitally since they require physical collaboration.
