Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/863793
6 2 0 1 7 E D U C AT I O N & R E C R U I T M E N T S P E C I A L training, and allowing students to succeed by trial and error. Ronni Rosenberg, dean, Faculty of Animation, Arts, and Design at Sheridan College, also believes that while skill is most vital, professionalism is equally important. "Respect for deadlines and the ability to follow instructions are essential for a working professional," Rosenberg says. "We stress these things in our assignments, and the students do a co-op between their third and fourth year where they have to func- tion in a professional setting." According to Jim McCampbell, Computer Animation department head at Ringling College of Art and Design, students must develop professional-level animation skills. However, they also need conceptual skills that allow them to develop and refine ideas, as well as strong storytelling skills, so their animation choices strengthen a project overall. "In addition, they need a collaborative ability, along with excellent presentation skills," says McCampbell. "Ringling College's Computer Animation major has developed a cross-threaded curriculum that not only teaches those things, it reinforces and strengthens students' comprehension by weaving them across course boundary lines. This requires a highly collaborative, full-time faulty that is dedicated to student success and is willing to spend a lot of extra time developing the connections between courses." EMPHASIS ON TEAMWORK Pete Bandstra, program director of 3D Arts at Full Sail Univer- sity, believes there are three main factors all students need in order to be successful: a strong work ethic, the ability to work with others, and a strong portfolio. "A strong work ethic can carry an individual a long way in life and becomes a valuable asset to any production house. Companies want to know the individual they are hiring is going to be up for any task at hand and able to finish regardless of the obstacles," he says. Full Sail University's campus (top of page) and a Full Sail student at work.