Survey Says Are the Beaurocrats going to Axe Emily Carr Institute? by Lionel Doe e are facing extinction. | mean the publicly supported art school. It is time to prove our worth to the money givers but the process is so overwrought with politics and government language barriers that any voice of reason is lost in the paperwork. The Ministry of Education has taken steps to put pressure on institutes like ECIAD to prove their worth, and to do it in a way that looks good on paper, especially the budget books. The first step they took was to establish a special task photograph by Lionel Doe force to conduct a review of critical issues related to funding, increasing institutional costs, revenue generation, pro- ductivity, and student access. This task force is to be a key assistant to the Ministry of Education in determining the likely future funding requirements for the system for 98/99 and beyond. Caught on the dangerous side of this is ECIAD, our little art house on the island. Many of you have probably noticed the relatively recent outcropping of many multi media schools. Anyone who has perused the Georgia Straight in the last 3 years knows that Vancouver is not lacking in private schools specializing in "digital arts", animation, and design. These schools are having an indirect effect on the way many look at ECIAD. You see, ECIAD is pub- licly sponsored, and as such, it is being looked at very carefully by government and public alike with the questions lingering - "Just what is the Emily Carr Institute?" and " is it worthwhile to sup- port it?" These are good questions to ask - and just as important to find complete answers to. For the last 3 years, Ron Burnett, President of Emily Carr Institute, has been in constant contact with those in Victoria pulling the strings, and his efforts thus far have been successful in getting the government to notice us. He has been making up for lost time. Before Burnett stepped in, the rapport between Emily Carr Institute and the government was non-existent. It's like com- ing out of hiding. ECIAD is emerging from the weeds with hands on head, squinting against the bean counter’s flashlight. Meanwhile, a whole slew of multimedia schools have sprung up, offering shorter programs geared directly towards job placement. These schools, like CDIS (artschool.com!), Vancouver Film School, Vancouver Training Institute, and Trebas Institute are turning around industry worker bees and stimulating the econo- my. ECIAD on the other hand is... stimulating. The Ministry of Education's scrutinizing eye begins to hold on Emily Carr Institute a little longer at every pass. Questions pop up. Four years? How much does it cost the taxpayers to send Emily to school? That much eh? Is it worth it? Every year these questions grow louder and the faculty paranoia around the Institute grows ever more intense. The most recent cause for paranoia is contained in the publishing of the results of a survey aimed at all publicly funded post-secondary institution graduates in B.C. This particular sur- vey put ECIAD in the firing squad, the Ministry of Education looking down the barrel. The Key Student Outcomes Indicators for BC Colleges and Institutes aims to assess institution-specific summaries of learning outcomes. Burnett notes that this survey has some serious shortcomings.Of the two hundred Emily Carr grads that the survey was aimed at last year, only eighty could be reached. It doesn't take a sociologist to figure out some inherent problems with representation based on the numbers alone, but this is the tip of the iceberg. The survey is basically focused on the following learning outcomes: satisfaction with education, employ- ability, likelihood of being employed and gross income. The surveys questions are worded in such a way that no answer is apparently acceptable, save a yes or no, or a choice between 1 and 3. Beyond this, the whole survey is of such a black and white nature that no artist would do it a bit of justice, and guess what? No artist has. ECIAD scored the lowest of all institu- tions surveyed. What does this mean? It means, among other things, that fighting for future funding for ECIAD has become a far more serious issue than those silly new stairs and the fascist new gallery ever were. Emily Carr Institute’s faculty are up in arms about the survey as it doesn’t at all identify the importance of the ECIAD experience and instead asks what tangible facets its curriculum may yield. The fact that a handful of grads responded negatively to this survey is not surprising. It is the very nature of artists to question the questions so as not to give the "correct" or "marginally calculable" answers. When I first heard of the results I was kind of proud in a weird way. Better than being second from The whole survey is of such a black and white nature that no artist would do it a bit of justice, and guess what? No artist has. ECIAD scored the lowest of all institutions surveyed. the bottom. At least it proves some kind of point about the survey” right? Let's hope. Meantime, John Wertschek, Chair of the ECIAD’s Education Council, is looking at the survey very care- fully for it’s inherent flaws. Hopefully the survey will ask more pertinent, answerable, and succinct questions in the future. Imagine: you have graduated from Emily Carr and a year has gone by. You are more than likely not reaping the full rewards from your ECIAD training and therefore are dreaming up a way to pay rent next month while wishing you had some place to make art (which is what your four years of education at ECIAD was all about — learning to make art). The relative inac- tivity of the last year has rendered you useless to the Mcjob mar- ket and it’s raining outside (probably). Ring Ring goes the phone and it is some annoying solicitor who is interested in your partic- ipation in a survey geared toward improving BC's post secondary education system. Are your answers going to be filled with sun- shine and promise? Not if your not working and your little broth- er graduated from CDIS in less than a year and just got his first promotion at Disney. Not if you don't understand the process of establishing future funding for schools based on how you answer this narrowly conceived survey with only "yes" or "no". Surely a fine art education worth having can't be summed up with a num- ber between 1 and 3? What is of even more serious concern is the public's opinion of ECIAD as a viable source for funding. The perception of the Institute is, for the most part, that of a dead woman, but otherwise ECIAD is most recently being weighed against govern- ment powerhouse post secondary education solutions like Tech B.C. In monetary terms, we are a thorn in the side of the province, an expensive annoyance. Apparently the B.C. govern- ment can’t find ECIAD’s worth - a long history (ECIAD is cele- brating it's 75th year in 2000) and a steady stream of well known, continued on page 10 influx: Magazine March 1999 7 Survey Says Are the Beaurocrats going to Axe Emily Carr Institute? by Lionel Doe fe are facing extinction. | mean the publicly supported art school. iis time to prove our worth to the money givers but the process is so overwrought with polis and government language barriers that any voice Cf reason Is lost in the paperwork. The Ministry of Edson has taken steps to put pressure on iste tke ECIAD wo prove te worth. and wo doe ina way that looks good on paper, especially the budget | “The first step they took was to establish a special task force to conduct a review of erica issues related to funding, increasing institutional costs, revenue generation, pro- ductivity and student access. This task force is to be a key assistant to the Ministry of Education in determining the likely future funding requirements for the system for 98/99 and beyond. Caught on the dangerous side of this is ECIAD, our little art house on the island. “Many of you have probably noticed the relatively recent ‘outcropping of many mul media schools. Anyone who has erased the Georgia Straight in the last 3 years knows that Nancouver isnot lacking in private schools specializing in “digital ars, animation, and design. These schools are having an indirect effect onthe way many look at ECIAD. You see, ECIAD is pub- lily sponsored and as such itis being looked at very carefully by ‘government and public alike with the questions lingering - "st ‘what is the Emily Carr Institute” and "i it worthwhile to sup- port io" These are good questions fo atk and just as important to find complete answers to. For the lat 3 years, Ron Burnett, President of Emily ‘Care Intute ha Been in constant contact with those i Victoria polling the strings, and hs efforts thus far have been successflin {etting the government to notice us. He has been making up for lost time. Before Burnet stepped in, the rapport between Emily (Care Instirue and the government was non-existent It ike com- Jing out of hiding. ECLAD is emerging from the weeds with hands fon head, squinting. against the bean counters Mashlight ‘Meanwhile, a whole slew of multimedia schools have sprung up, ‘offering shorter programs geared directly towards job placement ‘These schools like CDIS (artschoolcom!), Vancouver Film ‘School, Vancouver Training Insitute, and Trebas nstirte are turing around industry worker bees and stimulating the econo- my. ECIAD on the other hand is. stimulating. The Ministry of Edycation’s scrutinizing eye bepins to hold on Emily Carr Taste a litle longer at every psss. Questions pop up. Four years? How much does it cost the taxpayers to send Emily to ‘School? That much eh? Is i worth it? Every year these questions ‘row louder and the faculty paranoia around the Institute grows The most recent cause for paranoia is contained in the publishing of the results of a survey aimed at all publicly funded Postsecondary institution graduates in B.C. This particular sur- ‘ey put ECIAD in the fring squad, the Ministry’ of Education Tooking down the barre. The Key Student Outcomes Indicators for BC Colleges and Institutes aims tases nstitution-specifc summaries of learning outcomes. Burnett notes that this Survey has some serious shortcomings OF the two hundred Emily Cart rads tha the survey was aimed at lst year, ony eighty could be ached. It doesn't take a sociologist to gure out some inherent problems with representation based on the numbers alone, But {his isthe tp ofthe iceberg The survey is basically focused on the following learning outcomes: satisfaction with education, employ- ability likelihood of being employed and gross income. “The surveys questions are worded in such way that no answer is apparently ceptible, save a yes of no, oF a choice benween 1 and 3. Beyond this the whole survey is of such a black land white nature that no artist would do it bit of justice, and {gues what? No artist has. ECIAD score the lowest fal insti tons surveyed. What docs this mean? Te means, among other things, that Sighting for frure funding for ECIAD has become a far more serious issue than thse silly new stirs and the fascist new galery ever were. Emily Care Instrute’s faculty are up i arms about the survey ast doesnt at ll identify the importance ‘ofthe ECIAD experience and instead asks what tangible faces its curriculum may yield The fact that a handful of grads esponded ‘negatively to this survey i not surprising. I isthe very mature of artists to question the questions so as not give the “corect” or "marginally calculable” answer. When I fst heard of the results 1 was kind of proud ina weird way. Better than being second from The whole survey is of such a black and white nature that no artist would do it a bit of justice, and guess what? No artist has. ECIAD scored the lowest of all institutions surveyed. ‘the bottom. Atleast it proves some kind of point about the survey” righ? Lets hope. Meantime, John Wertschek, Chair of the [ECIAD's Education Councils looking atthe survey ery care- fully frit’ inherent fas. Hopefully the survey will atk more pertinent, answerable, and succinct questions in the future Imagine: you have graduated from Emily Cart and a year has gone by. You are more than likely not reaping the full ‘ewards from your ECIAD training and therefore are dreaming Up a way to pay teat next month wile wishing you had some place to make art (which is what your four years of education at ECIAD was all about ~ learning to make ar). The relative inac- tiriyof the lst year has rendered you useles to the Mejob mat- ket and it's raining ouside (probaly) Ring Ring goes the phone tnd itis some annoying solicitor who is iterested in your partc- ‘pation in a survey geared toward improving BC's postsecondary ‘clucation system, Are your answers going tobe filled with sun- Shine and promise? Not if your not working and your litle broth- x graduated from CDIS in less than a year and just got his fst promation at Disney. No you dont understand th process of ‘stablishing future fanding for schools based on how you answer this narrowly conceived survey with ony "es" or "ao". Surely a fine art education worth having can't be summed up with a aum- ber benween I and 3? ‘What is of even more serious concer isthe publi’s opinion of ECIAD as viable source for funding. The perception ofthe Tnstiute is, forthe most par, that ofa dead woman, but ‘otherwise ECIAD is mort recently being weighed aginst govera~ ‘ment powerhouse post secondary education solutions ike Tech B.C. In monetary terms, we are a thor in the side of the province, an expensive annoyance. Apparently the B.C. govern- ‘ent can’t find ECIAD's worth ~a long history (ECIAD is cele- ‘rating it’ 75th yea in 2000) and a steady stream of well known, continued on page 10 influx’ Magazine March1999 7