Creative arts college rated world class

massey-university

Thu May 30 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Creative arts college rated world class

Thursday, 30 May 2013, 11:15 am
Press Release: Massey University

As its most recent crop of talented students graduate today, Massey's College of Creative Arts has become the first art and design school (NASAD) outside North America to be awarded a highly prestigious mark of quality. The US National Association of Schools of Art and Design has granted the College "substantial equivalency", the most comprehensive international benchmark of quality in art and design education in the world. The College now officially sits alongside such world-leading schools as Rhode Island School of Design, Cranbrook Academy of Art and CalArts.

The College's Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Claire Robinson says contrary to Prime Minister John Key's comments that Wellington is dying, this is "a sure sign that the creative heart of the city is not only alive; it's kicking ass!"

The College's School of Design is already ranked top in Australasia by Red Dot, the global design award organization.

"This is tremendous recognition for the College and a great boost for Wellington. We've been part of this city for 127 years, infusing it with creative spirit and economic benefits. Our fabulous students really do epitomise the best of Wellington and New Zealand. They are literally changing the world, playing leading roles in firms like Apple, Nike, Rebecca Taylor and Weta Workshop, to name a few," Professor Robinson says.

"In practical terms, our design graduates have just become much more appealing to design-informed employers in America and Asia, because of the NASAD mark of quality. And our fine artists are now more likely to come to the attention of leading US curators, galleries and museums."

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Achieving substantial equivalency status from NASAD is an exhaustive process. NASAD checked academic programs, including course content and educational experience offered to students, inspected College facilities, and interviewed academic and support staff. The process took almost two years, and required about 300 pages of documentation and a CD-Rom of supporting material.

Brief video featuring recent student work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fkyxL7uVlI&feature=youtu.be

ENDS

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