Blog . Which CIA value should bring us together this fall?
Blog
Which CIA value should bring us together this fall?
09/01/22 | Posted by Kathryn Heidemann | Posted in President
As a new academic year begins, I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to you all. I hope summer rewarded you with rest and adventure, and that you feel energized to dig into the work ahead. To those who are new to CIA, I offer a special greeting. We are privileged to share in each other’s company as we write the next chapter of this College’s history together.
The first page of that chapter was printed, so to speak, on Wednesday. I’m happy to announce that the “College of Art + Design” descriptor has been added to the exterior of our George Gund Building (facing west toward moCa) and the Joseph McCullough Center for the Visual Arts (facing east toward the Euclid 117 Residence Hall). We started to use “College of Art + Design” more prominently in communications last year to bolster CIA’s identity as an institution of higher learning. These new highly visible signs will reinforce that message to visitors and passers-by.
Looking Back
In case you missed it, we had a very busy and productive summer at CIA.
First, I want to thank you all wholeheartedly for your insights and support during my transition to President + CEO. My presidential listening tour continued, having hosted over 20 sessions to date—with more student sessions to come. It has been wonderful to learn more about your goals, your insights on CIA’s strengths and priorities moving forward, and what improvements we might make to enhance your experience.ckathry
Other summer highlights include welcoming Greg Watts, CIA’s new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, and Kari Weaver PhD, director of the newly launched Jane B. Nord Center for Teaching + Learning. Also:
- We launched our Nunes Scholars Pre-Orientation Program, an IDEA Council initiative that primarily welcomes BIPOC, LGBTQIA and first-generation students who might benefit from extra support and resources as first-year students;
- We experienced the largest Pre-College enrollment in the program’s history.
- And, we announced that CIA’s Interactive Media Lab will be part of the Cleveland Foundation’s Midtown Collaboration Center, which will potentially be one of the most catalytic community engagement initiatives in the College’s history.
Looking ahead
All of what happened this summer gives us much to look forward to, but of course, there’s plenty more to be excited about. Most notably, I’m thrilled to welcome our incoming class of 190 students, many of whom I was pleased to speak to during Convocation. I hope your first week at CIA has been everything you hoped it would be.
First and foremost, please join me this evening in Reinberger Gallery for a reception! It will serve as both a welcome-back-to-CIA celebration for students, faculty and staff and provide everyone a chance to see our FRONT exhibition Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows. The public reception lasts from 6 to 8pm, and among those giving remarks is CIA alum Dexter Davis. If you haven’t already seen his FRONT exhibition, The Less Dead, Thursday is the perfect time.
I also invite you to take part in our Lunch on Fridays artist lecture series, which will resume in-person this year. In addition, please be sure to take advantage of free admittance to the Cinematheque’s screening of To Catch the Light, a documentary about renowned CIA alum Julian Stanczak, on September 18.
Later this month, there will be two Inauguration Celebration events to formally mark my presidency: a panel discussion, “Creativity in Cities: Placemaking Powered by Art, Design and Innovation,” on September 22 and an investiture ceremony on September 23. More details will be announced soon, and whether in person or virtually, there will be a way for everyone in our community to participate.
CIA values
Last but not least, I’d like you to join me in collectively setting the course for our College this semester.
As we reconvene for another year together, I hope we can reinforce our mission and values in all that we do and always uphold our actions with civility and empathy. In the spirit of reconnection following two pandemic-affected years—and based on a great suggestion I heard during my listening tour—I ask that you vote on one of our core values as a “theme” to center us in our work and bring us together as a community.
Next month, I will share the outcome of the vote and offer some suggestions about how we might collectively fold this into our work, however big or small.
I hope your semester is off to a great start, and I look forward to seeing you soon!
Kathryn J. Heidemann
President + CEO
-
Comments
0
- Tweet
Recent posts
