Emily Henderson on wed 12 mar 97
Can you imagine little or no clay for next term? That's the rumor. Here is
the problem. Our community college's art dept. buys clay from a vender in
Tacoma. It issues a purchase order and pays for such clay out of its art
account. When students "buy" clay, they go to the business office of the
College and pay their monies. These monies go into the College's general
fund. They are not credited back to the art dept. The Chair of the art
dept is not happy with this arrangement but does not seem interested in
trying to change it. Beginning students are limited to 200 lbs of clay per
term; intermediate students are limited to 250. This seems more than
reasonable to me, but, apparently, the art dept. has just about expended its
clay money for the year and there are serious questions about what will be
available for next term. The Chair of the department, who teaches primarily
new potters who do not use their allotment is not particularly motivated to
change this accounting policy. By contrast, the night teacher who works
with more advanced students who use or come close to using their allotment,
is 1. VERY interested in Getting enough clay for next term and meeting the
immediate need 2. Changing the policy to insure that the funds expended for
clay and paid back by the students are returned to the the art fund.
I know that some colleges have the bookstore buy the clay and the students
buy from them
I know there are other purchasing models. Given that we have a department
chair who isn't really motivated to bring pressure to bring about change, do
any of you college types have any circuitous suggestions to get arround
interdepartmental politics and business offices to help bring about change?
All the intermediate potters will be making coffee cups next term :-(
Emily, in Astoria...sun's out, but clouds are full and grey
JULIE ATWOOD on thu 13 mar 97
Bleah. I see the normal red tape is in effect. I'll tell you what I
would do if it were ME at MY school.
To ...heck... with THEIR system for buying clay. Why have the college
buy the clay, then you buy the clay from the college? You said they buy
it from a clay supplier in Tacoma (Tacoma Washington? As in Clay Art
Center?), correct? I would gather the class up, or speak with your
instructor about this option, and have the students buy the clay directly
from the supplier. If the students contribute money to the PRIVATE 'clay
fund', and the clay is bought in bulk, the price with most likely be
CHEAPER than what your college is charging you currently. I know that at
Shoreline Community College, the bookstore DOES buy the clay, in bulk,
then charges the students what SPS (our pottery supply place) would
normally charge per bag. Tidy profit, and the students haul their bags
or boxes uphill to the other side of the campus. ;)
I have always gotten my clay in bulk at the local pottery supply store.
Several times I have gone in with other students and friends and bought in
*BULK* (heheh), and saved even more money. I suggest you try that option
out. Forget the school's red tape procedures entirely. Don't depend on them
for your clay...
Julie in Seattle
Jaine & George on thu 13 mar 97
Emily, if your community college is, like most, subsidized with public
money, you might try calling your representative to the state or local
legislature that controls that funding. If that person's staff seems
unresponsive, try the relevant committee chair. Either way, there's a
staff member whose job it is to help you figure out how and to whom to
present your proposal. Good luck,
Jaine in Cresskill, NJ, where the crocuses have made an appearance
p.s., out of idle curiosity, which Tacoma and which Astoria?
Emily Henderson wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Can you imagine little or no clay for next term? That's the rumor. Here is
> the problem. Our community college's art dept. buys clay from a vender in
> Tacoma. It issues a purchase order and pays for such clay out of its art
> account. When students "buy" clay, they go to the business office of the
> College and pay their monies. These monies go into the College's general
> fund. They are not credited back to the art dept. The Chair of the art
> dept is not happy with this arrangement but does not seem interested in
> trying to change it. Beginning students are limited to 200 lbs of clay per
> term; intermediate students are limited to 250. This seems more than
> reasonable to me, but, apparently, the art dept. has just about expended its
> clay money for the year and there are serious questions about what will be
> available for next term. The Chair of the department, who teaches primarily
> new potters who do not use their allotment is not particularly motivated to
> change this accounting policy. By contrast, the night teacher who works
> with more advanced students who use or come close to using their allotment,
> is 1. VERY interested in Getting enough clay for next term and meeting the
> immediate need 2. Changing the policy to insure that the funds expended for
> clay and paid back by the students are returned to the the art fund.
>
> I know that some colleges have the bookstore buy the clay and the students
> buy from them
> I know there are other purchasing models. Given that we have a department
> chair who isn't really motivated to bring pressure to bring about change, do
> any of you college types have any circuitous suggestions to get arround
> interdepartmental politics and business offices to help bring about change?
> All the intermediate potters will be making coffee cups next term :-(
> Emily, in Astoria...sun's out, but clouds are full and grey
Marcia Selsor on thu 13 mar 97
I have a question to ask those teaching gen ed and art majors ceramics
classes. I have a $60 lab fee to cover all clay, glazrs and tools. This
is for a 15 week course. The new class of strictly Gen Ed
elective students has the same $60 lab fee as the old sophomore art
course which is now for majors.
We have a work study student mixing clay for this class.
Is this a reasonable fee? We are a NASAD accredited Art Program
within a College of Arts and Sciences in a State University. What are
other lab fees? Anyone care to say? .. . .
Marcia in Montana
--
Marcia Selsor
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/
mjbmls@imt.net
Fay & Ralph Loewenthal on thu 13 mar 97
-------------------
Emily I know the colleges here supply the students with clay, but not tools,
underglazes etc. They buy from whoever they wish. I have been approached to =
take
some of my stock there and help the students by they not having to find me. =
I
would suggest to the students that they create their own account with the
supplier and bypass the college. If the powers that be do not want to do
anything then the proleteriat need to do it themselves. I am sure that at =
least
1 student in each class could keep the =22books=22. That way the students =
would be
in control of their own monies and this problem would not arise. Good luck =
Ralph
Pat Harden&Brooks Ratledge on fri 14 mar 97
I was faced with the same problem a few years ago. After hitting on
Deans and Vice-Presidents for money, I finally told them we would not be
able to offer those classes without clay. I knew that administration
well enough to know they wouldn't let that happen. Our funding from the
state is based on student/faculty contact hours. They weren't going to
loose thousands of dollars over a few hundred dollars worth of clay.
Sure enough, the very next day they "found" the money. We do not have a
lab fee so my students would have had a problem with buying their own
clay. The school supplies all clay,glaze, and firing. I have pushed
for a lab fee with no luck. Good luck
Teresa Murphy(TMurphy889@aol.com) on fri 14 mar 97
Hi all!
Here at NSU we each pay a small fee(15.00) which the instructor collects,
calls the clay man and he delivers it. The university doesn't have anything
to do with the pottery class clay. There is also a handbuilding class in
which the university bookstore sells the premixed clay for twice the amount
you would pay if you ordered direct. The almighty dollar, what an influence
it has!
Teresa
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