ALUMNI. RE-ENGAGED. - Columbus College of Art and Design

EXHIbITS STUDENT LIfE
bUSINESS PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM IS
WIN-WIN fOR
STUDENTS AND
bUSINESSES
from designing fashion swimwear to addressing
global conservation issues, CCad students
are tackling real-world design challenges
while competing for prize money and building
relationships with area businesses through the
Business partnership program.
“It’s a real plus if graduates can show a
prospective employer that they’ve worked
cooperatively with a real company or nonprofit
organization to design a marketable solution,”
says CCad senior development officer lucy
godman. “for businesses, the program gives
them access to creative talent with fresh ideas.”
the Business partnership program invites
businesses and nonprofits to bring a specific
business challenge to be solved as a class project
by upper level students. these clients commit
a minimum of $10,000 (less for nonprofits) to
sponsor the project; half the money is allocated
as prize money for the top three designs, while
the other half is given to departmental support.
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only projects that are deemed relevant to the
class curriculum are accepted; the final decision
rests with the department dean.
two-way communication during the course
of the project helps ensure that students
understand all aspects of the task, and that
their solutions are on the right track. Before
the design process begins, students are usually
divided into teams to conduct market research
and analysis. they work independently to
create design solutions, which receive a final
critique by the client. In most cases the three
designs selected for monetary awards become
the intellectual property of the client and may
be further developed and used at the client’s
discretion.
the list of past clients features prominent
businesses and nonprofit organizations
throughout the midwest, including american
greetings, Battelle memorial Institute, the
Columbus Post, elmer’s products, hasbro,
limited Brands, ohio reads, and Victoria’s
secret. “frequently, the people in the business
community who submit proposals are CCad
alumni, who are already familiar with the
caliber of our students and their instructors,”
says godman. “It’s one way they can remain
involved with the school and help develop a
new generation of design professionals.”
through the Business partnership program,
CCad students have redesigned the masthead
for a local newspaper; designed materials to
support the launch of a new fragrance; and, in
collaboration with Battelle research scientists,
developed design solutions to address qualityof-life
and conservation issues in emerging
countries.
“It’s quite common for
a student to begin an
internship junior year,
hold it during senior year,
and get a job offer on
graduation.”
TIM VALENTINE,
CCad assIstant dIreCtor
of Career serVICes
INTERNSHIPS PROVIDE
bRIDGE TO THE
REAL WORLD
would you like to spend a summer working in manhattan?
two fashion design majors, erin sheehan and william Bende, seized the
opportunity to experience a career on fifth avenue when the express design
studio made two internships available exclusively to CCad students. erin has
continued to work at the firm’s Columbus studio while attending classes and
hopes to get a full-time job there after graduation.
“It’s quite common for a student to begin an internship junior year, hold it during
senior year, and get a job offer on graduation,” says tim Valentine, who joined
CCad as assistant director of career services in august. “that speaks to the
quality of our students. as soon as employers get their hands on one of our
students, they don’t want to let go.”
with the number of internships on track to exceed last year’s total of 100,
“our internship program is really taking off,” says Valentine. “real-world work
experience is more critical than ever. so we’re expanding our outreach to
employers and providing more resources to help students to find a suitable
internship opportunity.” with five majors now requiring students to complete
an internship, Valentine says his office is focused on increasing both the number
and the quality of opportunities.
“we’re trying to add more structure so that educational goals are met and
matched by job responsibilities,” he says. “for the employer, that means
providing meaningful opportunities that offer the student relevant experience
by simulating an actual job. we also encourage employers to assign the student
a mentor who can offer instruction, advice, and guidance. for students, it
means setting clear learning goals before they begin the internship and sharing
their insights and experience with other students and with faculty.” during their
internships, students are encouraged to blog about their experience. once the
internship is completed, both student and employer must submit an evaluation
in order for the student to receive academic credit.
more information for students and prospective employers is available at
www.ccadcareers.com.
WINTER 2009 IMAGE MAGAZINE
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