By Alyssa Moses
Many students are unaware of the multiple visual art classes offered for non-art majors. These classes, meant to supplement a student''s education, are in danger of being dropped because of low enrollment.
This Fall semester, a Visual Arts Studio class, Painting 2, was in jeopardy because it was two people short of the required 12-student enrollment.
While not majoring in art, Joanna Orgill, an exercise science major, still wants to develop the art skills taught in her Painting 2 class.
'It is completely unfair to students to cancel a class after a class has already started,' she said. 'Students are depending on those credits, and then they have to look for new classes, when the class is cancelled.'
The Art Department said they sympathize with students whose art classes were in danger of being cancelled.
'I know what it feels like when you have your whole schedule made up, and then the class is wavering,' said Joe Ostraff, the associate chair of the Visual Arts Department. 'The problem is, that we''ve got to get the word out about these classes.'
VASTU classes - such as calligraphy, watercolor and bookbinding - require at least 15 students to register or the instructor will not receive full pay. The Art Department will compensate the instructor''s pay as long as the class has 12 students. If there are less than 12, then the teacher must take the pay cut or drop the class.
'I am sympathetic with the students,' Ostraff said. 'How would you know, if you are a student, that the department is just trying to juggle resources and respect the instructors?'
Todd Orchard, Painting 2instructor , , said that a lack of enrollment is not a reoccurring problem.
'We only had 10 students in the class when we announced that it may be cancelled,' Orchard said. 'This doesn''t happen very often. I am usually turning people away.'
This abnormality may be the result of the new program for VASTU classes, Ostraff said. This semester there are more sections of drawing classes, which have become a prerequisite for higher-level classes.
'We see drawing as a life-skill that everyone can use throughout their lives,' Ostraff said. 'Now, the VASTU classes reflect a shift toward the fundamentals of art, like drawing.'
Because the upper level VASTU classes are less accessible, and because they were added to the registration later than the other classes, the enrollment problem occurred, Ostraff said.
To establish VASTU classes for future semesters, the Art Department decided to carry the water color, print making and oil painting classes - even with low enrollment - and compensate instructors'' pay, Ostraff said.
While not on the list to be carried by the department, the Painting 2 class will continue this semester because a few more students added, Orchard said.