Marcia Selsor on tue 30 aug 05
Hi BJ,
Welcome to the world of liability. About 8 years ago I heard that the
Chicago Art Institute (via former students of mine)
was checking out tools like hammers and closing shops at 5 pm due to
liability.
This is a huge worry among University administrations. Imagine a
studio where the connecting studio has a table saw...where a small
child can/did walk in and turn on the table saw while mom was
throwing pots.
YIKES!! potential disaster/read lawsuit.
I taught temporarily at U of hawaii-Manoa and they definitely have a
Waiver of limited liability. Every student must sign it before
working in the shop.I will pass that info back to MSU Billings where
liability suits are behind the times. Our shop use to be open from 8
am to 10 pm. Now we need to have an employee in there or it can't be
open. They just don't have the funds to pay someone to be there and
assume responsibility.Universities are having financial troubles as
are everyone else. It is a sign of the times.
Marcia in Montana
On Aug 30, 2005, at 4:41 PM, BJ Clark|Stinking Desert Ceramics wrote:
> Hello All,
> At the college I go to (name shall be ommited) the Art Department
> is having
> a battle with Facility Services with regards to studio access and
> I'm here
> to poll everyone what sort of Hours/Access to studios/classrooms/
> kilns etc.
> do students get at your school.
> Monday - Friday? All days?
> Open Building, Key-card/Some other limited Access?
> 8am - 5pm? Only Class Time? 6am to Midnight?
>
> Does anyone go to a school that requires some sort of waiver of
> limited
> liability while in a class room unattended?
>
> We have an almost brand new 2.4 million dollar building that is
> currently
> being locked down except 6am to 9pm M-F. This is totally new to us
> (first
> week of school), last year it was open basically 24/7 (with keycard
> access)
> and we had 1 issue with someone posting un-authorized artwork at
> the end of
> last spring(they seriously freaked out).
> Furthermore, they won't discuss why the building has been locked
> down only
> that it is and we're out of luck.
>
> Thanks for any information anyone can pass along,
>
> Thanks,
>
> --
> BJ Clark
> Stinking Desert Ceramics
> bjclark@stinkingdesert.com
> www.stinkingdesert.com
>
BJ Clark | Stinking Desert Ceramics on tue 30 aug 05
Hello All,
At the college I go to (name shall be ommited) the Art Department is having=
=20
a battle with Facility Services with regards to studio access and I'm here=
=20
to poll everyone what sort of Hours/Access to studios/classrooms/kilns etc.=
=20
do students get at your school.
Monday - Friday? All days?
Open Building, Key-card/Some other limited Access?
8am - 5pm? Only Class Time? 6am to Midnight?
Does anyone go to a school that requires some sort of waiver of limited=20
liability while in a class room unattended?
We have an almost brand new 2.4 million dollar building that is currently=
=20
being locked down except 6am to 9pm M-F. This is totally new to us (first=
=20
week of school), last year it was open basically 24/7 (with keycard access)=
=20
and we had 1 issue with someone posting un-authorized artwork at the end of=
=20
last spring(they seriously freaked out).
Furthermore, they won't discuss why the building has been locked down only=
=20
that it is and we're out of luck.=20
Thanks for any information anyone can pass along,
Thanks,
--=20
BJ Clark
Stinking Desert Ceramics
bjclark@stinkingdesert.com
www.stinkingdesert.com
smdilley@sdcoe.k12.ca.us on wed 31 aug 05
When i was an undergrad "they" some members of the faculty tried in mid
term to reduce the hours available something stoopid like 8am to 9am
mon-fri, no weekends either=2E I rounded up some of the painters and
printmakers and we vociferously protested with some not too pleasant
portrtaiture works of the faculty who were pushing for this type of studio=
takeover=2E Some review of their plans were enacted and when I attended
cal-state fullerton it prior to my being there had always been 24hrs a day=
=2E
It remained that way we just had to have a card filled out with the campus=
police but even then it remained 24 hrs access=2E Now i teach at 3 differ=
ent
community colleges in so cal and one whose name remains nameless allows
pretty much 24 hr access weekends included=2E I feel it is up to the
department to accertain what is appropriate=2E But then again when i was =
in
community college and not working as the lab tech i figured out access by
way of unlocked doors or sliders or by menas of asking different faculty,=20=
"Would you please open this door for me=3F" worked for me=3F Studio time=
is
muy importante para me=2E
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E
John Baymore on wed 31 aug 05
Ah yes, the "good ole' days"........
I remember the days of 24 hour access in art schools............. it was
before the amazing revelation of "Warning! Hot coffee is hot!" ruled the
United States.
Marcia has it exactly right...... the schools are WAY concerned about
liability and security. At one level... rather rightly so. But at
another...... it is a real shame that the "lawyers" are running the
schools and impacting the educational opportunities so much. Yet... many
studio operations involve equipment and materials that pose significant
risks of injury. And stufff like assault and rape and the like are always
a concern and are tough to predict and manage.
As the chairperson of the Health and Safety Committee for my
college....... I find myself in a position of understanding both sides of
the issue a bit.
The cost of providing the level of protection from liability that is
needed these days to prevent significant lawsuit awards gets high for a
school. And art schools / art departments are not the most "dollar-laden"
opperations in the world . Already, students are complaining about
tuition increases........... without adding in even MORE costs. And
faculty would typically like to get PAID more also . And so on. Tough
budget balancing act with all this competing stuff.
The BFA program that I teach in (New Hampshire Institute of Art
http://www.NHIA.edu)is moving into a brand new expanded facility in a
newly acquired building (building occupancy test this Thursday) ...... and
we are just now able to be exploring the "security and safety issues" that
the new location really presents for us. Some stuff will clearly be
vastly improved from a security aspect... and some is still a "question
mark" as to how it might affect us.
Even as simple a thing as a new door in a new location is a question
mark........ will that door be a route for problems... or will it be a
convenience?
In the past, we typically have had the clay studios open to students from
the early morning until 10PM at night. Sunday the open hours ended at
5PM. At certain times of the semester the hours have been expanded to
allow students more access. Like most places, many students and many
faculty are pressing for more open hours into the night....myself
included. But those open hours are not somehow "free".....and we
understand THAT part of this too. Will our studios soon go to 24/7......
unlikely. Will it expand.... probably.
If a student is working in the NHIA studios at a non-class time, there is
a sign-in and sign-out sheet located at the security guard's desk.
Signing in and out is part of the students's "agreement" with NHIA for
working there. That way...... Security knows when and WHERE someone is in
the building so that they can "keep track" a bit.
best,
.................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
JBaymore@compuserve.com
http://www.JohnBaymore.com
"Please use compuserve address for any direct communications."
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