CASA - Open Option Seeking Art

Index

Art Interest

Admission Requirements

For information regarding Department of Art's admission requirements: Controlled Majors List

Advising Process
While in UNLA with art interest,, students will be assigned to a Center for Advising and Student Achievement (CASA) advisor. After semester grades are posted, students who meet the admission requirements for art should to go to the Art Department, 100G Visual Arts, to complete the Change of Major form and to schedule an appointment with an Art advisor. All students interested in the art program should plan to transfer into the Art major within approximately 30 credits. (top)

Advising for First semester
- Explore why the student is interested in Art and particular areas of Art in which they may be interested
- Explain admission requirements
- Discuss scheduling of foundation courses in Art (ART 135, 136, 160, 170, 110, 111) and late access dates for UNLA majors

- ART 135 and ART 110 are crucial prerequisites and should be scheduled ASAP

- Students should consider ART 100 if they cannot add ART 110 in their first or second semester at CSU

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Advising for Second Semester
- Continue to explore student’s interest in Art
- Give students the appropriate Art check sheet and explain the admission requirements and the rationale for planning to transfer to Art within approximately 30 credits
- If appropriate, give the Academic and Career Horizon sheet(s), and concentration profile sheet(s)
- Remind students that they need to have earned 12 GRADED credits at CSU and be admitted to Art to take most art courses
- Discuss course scheduling in two or three semester increments since course sequencing and combinations are important; it is also difficult to manage more than 2 studio courses in one semester (top)

Advising for Third/Fourth Semester
- Check the student’s progress in terms of coursework and grades and re-emphasize the admission requirements.
- Student should be advised to choose an alternate major (top)

Students Under a 2.5 GPA
- Use “Target GPA” in ARIES to predict what grades student needs for GPA repair
- Plan course schedules that explore alternative majors
- Check the number of credits earned (top)

Students with Over 30 CSU Credits
- Urge the student to change his/her major or to work toward an alternate or double major
- Develop course schedules that explore alternative majors
- Discuss electives to work toward alternative majors, minors, areas of emphasis, interdisciplinary study programs, etc
- Give students appropriate copies of the Academic and Career Horizon theme sheets
- Refer students who have NOT met the Art admission requirements to the Career Center for more information about career and internship opportunities
- Students who have met the Art admission requirements should be encouraged to gain additional experience through involvement in student organizations (more specific contact information at the Art department), internships, informational interviews, etc. (top)

30 Credit Expectation to be Admitted to Art
- The credit expectation is meant to help students be realistic about a degree in Art, it is not meant to deter students from choosing art initially. Students should be encouraged to consider an alternate major if they are not going to be able to transfer to the Art Department within approximately 30 credits. Students should be aware that once they have completed the entire All-University Core Curriculum, the Art courses in which they can enroll will be very limited. Advisors should work with students who are approaching or exceeding the 30 credit expectation to choose an alternate major.

- Students who have completed 30 credits or more will have an advising hold on their registration. Advisors will work with these students to choose an alternate major if they do not anticipate transferring to the Art department within a reasonable time frame. (top)

Other Advising Tips
- Students interested in Art should be encouraged to plan to change their major to Art within 30 graded credits at Colorado State University
- A minor in Art is no longer available
- An alternative entrance strategy is possible by portfolio review
- Students interested in Art have access to the following foundation courses after Preview for fall registration and after freshman registration for spring semester: ART 110, 111, 135, 136, 160, and 170
- Art courses at the 200-level are only available to those who have completed ALL of the above foundations courses (top)

Key Questions
- The reason you chose Art was…?
- What area of art interests you? Why?
- What experiences have you had or would you like to have in art?
- What high school and college courses have you enjoyed the most?
- What would you like to do as a career?
- What career opportunities have you or would you like to explore?
- Is the art curriculum interesting to you? (top)

The Portfolio Review Process

Portfolios will be reviewed twice a year (November 1 – December 1 for Spring semester; June 1-July 1 for Fall semester) by a committee of three faculty from the Art Department. Students will be notified of the Art Department’s decision by mail. Portfolio materials must be retrieved within two weeks of notification or must provide the Art Department with appropriate packaging and postage for return mailing. Students MUST initiate this process with the Art Department prior to submitting the required paperwork and portfolio work. Students who have not met the admission requirements may choose to submit a portfolio to demonstrate their exceptional artistic ability. Portfolios must include the Portfolio Appeal Checklist and should include:

- A letter of support from a high school or college art instructor or an appropriate advisor who can support the claim of exceptional artistic ability

- A statement from the student addressing why an appeal should be granted (extenuating circumstances, hardship, etc.) and why the work in the portfolio was submitted

- 15 examples of creative work: 10 art works that demonstrate experience with multiple materials and/or processes and 5 art works that exhibit in-depth development of one idea or concept

- Original works are required. When this is not possible, (as with large works, temporary works, installations, etc.) slides or photographs may be submitted (top)

Notification Process
The Art Department will notify UNLA students who have met the admission requirements after semester grades are posted. Students should go to the Art Department to complete the Change of Major form and to schedule an appointment with an Art advisor. (top)

Academic Advising at CASA