Triboro News

We have all been relocated and settling in.  I hope you are not too worried about your research and academic support.  The Library and SLC are still up and running. We even have extra research tools thanks to generous database providers. 

Remember, you can access the library and SLC by emailing us. library@rmcad.edu and learning@rmcad.edu.  You can access the self-scheduling platform for the SLC from HERE.   

Have you seen our new eBook collection?  You can access from the Student Portal just like all the other databases.  This collection has over 100,000 titles on all kinds of subjects:

Also, Bloomsbury has granted us temporary access to their databases. Lots of good stuff, ebooks, fashion videos, etc. We have access until May 31st.

Username: rmcad2020

Password: covid19

Bloomsbury Applied Visual Arts

Bloomsbury Fashion Central (houses Berg Fashion Library, Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases, Fairchild Books Library, and Fashion Photography Archive)

Bloomsbury Fashion Video Archive

Finally, JSTOR has increased our access temporarily.  So we have access to much more than usual. Off campus, you need to login to JSTOR using the following credentials: 

Username: rmcad (all lower case)
Password: research

While we are not in an ideal situation, we plan to make the best of it.  Reach out to us if there is anything you need and we plan to be reaching out to you, too. We are all in this together. 

Day-to-day, I get asked a lot of questions from students. Where is the bathroom? Why do photography students have to take drawing? How do I access online databases? But one of the questions I get asked most is: why is there so much emphasis on writing at an arts college? Why do we have to write when we are artists, not writers? We create visual work, not essays!  

Art students often don’t believe that their futures will require extensive writing because they don’t necessarily know everything that they will be doing as artists. However, practicing artists of all kinds—from game artists to interior designers—have multiple roles, and most of them necessitate some form of written communication. 

So, as an artist, when are you going to write? As it turns out, there are many scenarios when you’ll be expected to write, including exhibition reviews, your personal artist statement, catalog essays or entries, and grant applications. For example, you’ll likely need more than one artist statement depending on the work(s) you’re showing. And you might even need to tie your work into a historical or political context; in these cases, you’ll be glad you gained those composition skills when writing essays for your Art History class. 

Grant proposals can also be essential for an artist’s success. When writing a grant proposal, you need to craft clear, reasoned statements about why you need money. If your writing is subpar and riddled with errors, you’ll appear unprofessional, and it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to convince an organization to grant you funds. 

Ultimately, the work you do as a student in your Composition and Art History classes all contribute to your abilities to put words together in a meaningful way. We are all storytellers and we want to make our stories honest and impactful. Knowing how to write well can win you grants, land you a job, and get your work in journals and galleries. 

This week, meet Caleb Carr, one of our library student workers!

What’s your major? 
Illustration
What’s your year? 
Senior (1994)
Where are you from?
Born here, raised in Sterling, CO for half and Casper, WY for half.
What's your favorite spot on campus? 
My nook that only I know about. But, seriously, the Library. And the Fab Lab.
What's your favorite art medium or tool?
Been into digital recently, but pens for Life Drawing and graphite for everything else.
Who is your favorite artist? 
Frank Frazetta.
What's your favorite food? 
Samiches.
What's your favorite mode of transportation? 
My Jeep. And sleep.
What's your favorite book? 
Dinotopia, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
What's your favorite TV series? 
Currently, Star Wars: the Clone Wars.
What's your favorite movie?
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
If you were a character in your favorite movie/book/TV show, who would you be? 
Darth Revan from the Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic.
Cats or dogs? 
Dogs because I am a dog.
Lightning or thunder? 
Lightning.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or deceased, who would it be?
My sister because she is close yet to far away. Or my mom. Or brother.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? 
Accelerated healing, or shape shifting into a wolf/dog.
Who is your hero(es)? 
Jesus (personal) and my mom.
What is the scariest fun thing you have ever done?
Cliff jumping.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
Find a place to live and work on creature design projects.
What's your one piece of advice for RMCAD students? 
Talk to your professors about taking a sick day. SELF CARE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PERFECT ATTENDANCE!

The Student Learning Center, otherwise known as the SLC, is one of RMCAD’s unique resources for students. Not every school has a tutoring center that offers the breadth of services and the number of weekly tutoring hours that we do! I might be biased (I work in the SLC as a Coordinator and Writing Specialist), but I think that the SLC is one of RMCAD’s hidden gems that you should definitely be taking advantage of. 

The SLC is a free tutoring center for both online and on-ground students. We are a team of three staff tutors and four to five peer tutors who can help you with writing, software programs, studio courses, presentation skills, time management, job applications, and more. We are open 5-10 hours a day, 6 days a week. Check out our LibGuides page for our current hours, or take a look at our online scheduling website. 

Cool SLC Resources You Might Not Know About 

Physical and Digital Tip Sheets
We have an extensive collection of tip sheets, covering everything from AutoCAD to Scholarly Articles. Need a quick refresher or more information on a specific topic? Stop by the SLC in Triboro 116 and peruse them in person or access them online from the SLC’s Google Drive (make sure you’re using your RMCAD email when accessing the drive).  

Online Appointments 
Don’t want to leave the comfort of your home? Whether you’re an online or an on-ground student, you can always schedule an online appointment. Online appointments take place via Google Hangouts, a free software program that allows us to share screens so that we can see what you’re working on. Don’t worry if you’ve never used Google Hangouts before; we can help you set it up.

Repeat Appointments 
You can schedule repeat appointments with a tutor! If you know you’re going to need extra help in a class, or if you just like the idea of having a set time each week to talk through your assignments with someone, then repeat appointments might be just the thing for you. Regular appointments can keep you accountable, and they also allow you to develop a relationship with a specific tutor. 

Help with Presentation Skills
Did you know we can help you work on that presentation you need to give in your Art History class? Getting feedback on your presentation or speech can provide you with the confidence and tools you need to speak in front of an audience. 

Time Management and Organization Help 
College is not easy. Luckily, many of our tutors can help you improve your time management, organization, and general academic skills to set you up for success in your classes. Scheduling a session for guidance on these skills might be especially beneficial if it’s your first year in college or if you haven’t been in school for awhile.

Mentorship 
Having someone to support you as you navigate college life can make a huge difference in terms of academic, personal, and artistic success. A mentor can also be valuable in helping online students feel more connected to the RMCAD community. When self-scheduling an appointment, select “Mentor” from the drop-down menu, or let us know you want to be paired with a mentor when calling or emailing the SLC. 

Snacks
Take a break and grab a snack! Most of the time, we have a bowl stocked with candy, chocolate, Gold Fish, etc. 

How to Get the Most Out of a Tutoring Session 

Bring in any assignments you want help on
Need some feedback on a paper? Struggling with perspective in a drawing? Tutoring sessions are a lot more productive if you bring in the assignment you’re working on!

Don’t schedule an appointment at the last minute
Scheduling an appointment the day on which your assignment is due is generally not a good idea. If there are major improvements that need to happen, you likely won’t have time to work on them. And, if your tutor knows that you don’t have a lot of time, they won’t always address some of those larger, global issues that might be present in your assignment (issues that could seriously affect your grade). 

Come with specific questions and a goal in mind 
While not required, bringing in questions and a goal can make a tutoring session more productive. For example, if you’re struggling with understanding an academic article, try to pinpoint areas in the article that are particularly confusing. If your goal is to identify its thesis, maybe highlight a few areas where you think it’s located. 

Interested in working one-on-one with a tutor? You can self-schedule an appointment here or contact our office directly at learning@rmcad.edu or 303-225-8605.