i. institutional support and commitment to continuous improvement

I. Institutional Support and Commitment to Continuous Improvement
II. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
I.2. RESOURCES
I.2.1. Human Resources And Human Resource Development
SAIC is a dynamic and diverse intersection of communities that maintains a productive and
enriching environment by observing best practices in regards to resources and offering a plethora of
development opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff at the School. The curriculum is delivered
to over three thousand students by approximately on hundred fifty full-time faculty and five hundred
part-time faculty. The institution also employs approximately three hundred staff who support the
School’s mission through their roles in its resources. facilities, programs, and departments. Below
policies regarding recruitment, intake, and development of students, faculty, and staff are discussed in
turn. Then, an overview of the many lectures and public programs, i.e. development opportunities that
are available to all SAIC stakeholders, is provided.
A) STUDENTS
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is home to an incredibly diverse community of students
from all fifty states and over forty countries. Students enter SAIC with a wide variety of artistic and
personal backgrounds and increase the diversity of their skills and portfolios through their curricular
and co-curricular experiences at SAIC. SAIC provides a variety of student services geared toward
making a student’s entire experience at the School—from Admissions through Alumni Affairs—one that
is positive, productive, and intensive.
1) Admissions
The Admissions process to the MArch program—in all four tracks—includes:
o Completing the online application
o A five- to seven-hundred word statement of purpose in which the applicants
describes his or her interests and experiences in design, personal and professional
motivations and goals, and reasons for pursuing graduate study at SAIC
o An interview, scheduled prior to the application deadline in January prior to the
academic year
o Two letters of reference
o Submission of an ePortfolio of a minimum of five different projects, documented
in up to twenty images, or up to ten minutes of time-based work, or a combination of
the two. Applicants with no previous experience in design can submit a critical writing
sample or a visual “essay,” a thousand-word critical writing sample, which may include
images, addressing some aspect of design that is of specific interest or concern.
o One official college transcript(s) from each college attended
o A non-refundable application fee of $80 for domestic applications and $100 for
international applicants
o The GRE is recommended but not required
o International students who do not speak English as a first language or have not
graduated from an accredited U.S. university must meet minimum TOEFL (paper/
computer/internet: 600/250/100) or IELTS (7.0) score
o Current résumé
a) Pre-requisites
Applicants to either of the two three-year programs must have conferred four-year
baccalaureate degree or its equivalent to be admitted. Work experience in architecture,
interior design, or a related field is recommended but not required. At least one course in
43 | Spring 2011
SECTION I Institutional Support and Commitment to Continuous Improvement