Department Improvements


Multimedia Studio Space/3D Lab
Proposal: The New Media curriculum currently focuses very heavily on doing everything on a computer, so that many students don't really experiment much with traditional materials like mould-making, filmstrips, handwritten typography, cel animation, claymation, stop-motion armatures, press printing, collage, studio lighting, audio records, arduino circuits, or photography emulsions. It would probably encourage students to try out alternative experimental methods if more facilities and tools were dedicated to the purpose of merging digital and practical effects. Combine this with a modern lab for 3D printing and prototyping, and the New Media department could generate a lot more collaborative mixed-media projects.

Update: UNCA acquired a studio last Spring in the River Arts district for collaborative projects between the Art, Engineering, Science, and New Media departments. It's off campus and we're not sure what kind of equipment will be set up for New Media students, but it's at least a step in the right direction




Cintiq Tablet
Proposal: The New Media Department would benefit from having a Cintiq tablet that advanced students could use for design or animation projects. Cintiq tablets offer finer control when drawing on a digital surface, and they are becoming an industry standard in many professional workplaces. The cost prohibits most students from purchasing one, but if the university invested in this technology it would allow graduates to become familiar with the type of cutting-edge tools used in the job field, and it would potentially encourage students to spend more time working in the labs instead of at home.




New Media Gallery
New Media students should soon be able to display their work on a new HD monitor that will replace the broken computer monitor. It's not quite the same as the actual gallery space that we were asking for, but it's better than nothing. Be sure to thank Sean Singer and the faculty for doing the paperwork to set this up.




More New Media Class Options
Proposal: The biggest issue with the current NM curriculum is that there are more required classes than classes focusing on the three main concentrations. It would be preferable if NM students got some more options for what courses we actually want to take. A class focusing specifically on Zbrush and 3D modeling, or Wordpress development, poster design, electronic music, cameraless techniques, or 2D animation would all be really cool. And ideally these classes wouldn't be treated like electives or only be held during the summer; the credits should be able to be substituted for prerequisites and courses that count towards your major.




More Local Internships, Job Connections, Research Development, and Alumni Support
Alumni have brought up that Asheville's location is fairly removed from any major production studios. As a result, there are far less opportunities for students to find internships that will provide the type of experience and develop skillsets that employers are looking for. The Virtual Lincoln Project has been the alternative option for people wanting to learn more animation skills, but eventually the project will be completed and there will need to be something to take its place.

New Media Arts Council members have attempted to expand online resources for all NM interest areas, but our proposals for equipment grants and a scholarship program were immediately shot down by campus administrators. Maybe the university would be receptive to discussing the possibility of creating more incentive research programs, study abroad trips, grants, and opportunities for NM students with the faculty members.




Extreme Makeover: NM Department Edition
Several students and alumni have brought up that students don't really have any reason to hang out around the labs or interact with other New Media majors outside of class, which makes it hard to make new friends. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that the lobby is pretty boring and uninspirational, there isn't any student work diplayed anywhere, and you can't even eat snacks in the labs.

Proposals for improving the department's space include framing student work for display in the labs, displaying featured projects in the lobby, getting a bunch of comfy beanbag chairs or couches, and possibly storing boardgames, a game console, mini-fridge, or a DVD library in the storage room behind the elevator just to spice things up a little. It would also be cool to bring in legos for people to play with, though the last time this happened an innocent lego minifigure was stolen and never returned.




Room 202
Room 202 is currently shared with Humanities and Biology departments. Apparently there aren't any other empty rooms on campus those classes could possibly be held in, so administrators decided to borrow the room literally sandwiched between the NM labs. UNCA may not be a large campus, but there is still little excuse for why an entire department should have to be confined to only two small rooms in a building that has four stories of multi-million dollar state-of-the-art science labs. Room 202 could be used to teach more specialized NM classes or potentially be converted into a small gallery space for displaying student work and installations, which would have far greater benefits to NM students than it currently does for Biology or Humanities students.




Equipment and Software Wishlist:
Proposal: These things would go a long ways towards benefitting students, though procuring the necessary grant money or space on campus isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

• 360 Degree Camera
• VR System
• Zbrush, Ableton Live, Anime Studio Pro, and Gamemaker software licenses
• Render Farm
• Laser Cutter
• Orthotic Vacuum Press
• LED Projectors
• 3D Milling Machine
• Motion Tracking/Performance Capture Tech
• Animation Cels
• Lightboards
• Stop-Motion Rigs
• Ball and Socket Armatures
• Motion Control Camera Rig and Dolly
• Camera Slider Rig
• Digital Sound Stage
• HD Touch Screens


Subscriptions to specialist web-courses or magazines
Proposal: UNCA's subscription to Lynda.com is useful, but it has limitations. UNCA's campus also does not offer a huge selection of books or other resources for animation, game design, modern technology, or experimental media. This makes it difficult to find resources outside of class, despite the fact that these areas have tons of online research and publications devoted to tutorials and creative inspiration. Digital Tutors, Schoolism, and 3DTotal, or magazines like DigitalFX, Photoshop Creative, and Computer Arts are all highly regarded by professionals, but they have the disadvantage of being cost-prohibitive for average college students.

Many other departments subscribe to periodical journals or magazines that are made available to students. The NM department probably can't afford to subscribe to all of the materials suggested above, but the Library could probably invest in some magazines and online educational resources. The library staff said they acquire new books based primarily on faculty requests. However, student requests are also taken into consideration.




Dry Erase Whiteboard
The whiteboard would be used for New Media announcements, doodles, and could be used as a forum for student interaction much like the one in Ramsey Library. A proposal was submitted to the faculty in Fall 2015, but other issues in the department budget renewal were higher priority.