Fit Bfa Fair - Textile/surface design

The first semester experience is basically an advance on what they've already done as associate students. Technically, they're moving to a different level of expertise and also I think they're finding the classes are more in depth, there's probably more emphasis on coordination. We're looking for, I think, a level of creativity the students can actually parlay into their design work. It can be a discovery of what aptitude they're strongest in--whether it's digital, whether it's in the weaving or knit area. They have to really be professionally competent in all of them. It's a difficult balance. I would probably describe them as professional- level. There is a lot of one-on-one time spent on each student from a faculty point of view. It's just run in a business-like manner. Time is limited; periods go very very quickly and so it's important to really utilize the time for each student. And I would say that they're serious and creative. They absolutely run the gamut from major well-known companies to smaller more specialized companies. They've been very successful, I think mutually, both the company and the student and I think the real growth area for us in terms of the the internship preparing the student in a unique way for entering the workplace. It was founded by people in industry and no matter how much we've grown and changed the emphasis is still on the pragmatic as well as the creative.