The survey results were released Jan. 17 at the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s 101st Annual Convention at the Javits Center in New York City. A press release about the students’ survey findings has now made its way onto more than 300 media outlets’ websites, throughout the U.S. and internationally. These include the websites of 162 local TV stations (in cities including Phoenix, San Diego, Honolulu, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Seattle), 30 trade publications, and 87 newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, Yahoo! Finance, Los Angeles Daily News, Newsday, Dallas Business Journal, and the Anchorage Daily News.

In announcing the release of Shopping Trends Among 18-25 Year-Olds, LIM College student Alexis Michaelides said, “We have read and observed what industry leaders had been saying about our use of technology for shopping and it did not match our own habits and preferences.”

“As part of our activities as an NRFSA we decided to survey our peers to analyze how 18-25 year-olds shop, where we shop, how much we spend, our preferences for shopping online and via mobile devices versus in stores, and the role social media plays in our shopping activities,” said Patrick Mays, another member of the LIM College NRFSA team.

“And sure enough retail observers have been significantly overestimating our use of online and digital technology for shopping. We like shopping in stores and are not as engaged in shopping on the Internet as many have touted.  I guess the demise of the brick and mortar format of retailing– at least for 18-25 year-olds– is grossly exaggerated,” Nicole Flasch-Mihalko, another member of the LIM College NRFSA team concluded.

LIM College was the first higher education institution to promote participation in NRFSA and first to register their student members. Under the direction of faculty advisor Professor Marla Greene of the Marketing & Management Department and Marketing & Management Department Chair Dr. Dudley Blossom, and with Robert Wallstrom, President of Saks OFF 5TH as a consultant, the LIM College group’s survey of 310 18-25 year-old primarily female consumers was conducted online this past fall.

“One of the goals of NRFSA is to encourage campus groups to engage in activities that build the skills and understanding of retail to succeed in careers in retail and related industries,” said NRF Foundation Executive Director Kathy Mance. “Their leadership and initiative in creating and undertaking a survey epitomizes what we hoped to foster when we formed NRFSA. The students will certainly enjoy the benefits of such extra-curricular efforts as they continue their education and move into the world of retailing.”

In September 2011, NRF launched the National Retail Federation Student Association to foster and recruit talented students into the retailing industry, enhance their educational experience at participating colleges and help them build an early network of peers who will become leaders in the industry.

A window display titled “Made in the USA,” designed by Visual Merchandising students from LIM College, was recently unveiled at The Fashion Center Space for Public Art and Design, which is part of the headquarters of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID), the not-for-profit corporation that promotes New York City’s apparel industry. The window will be on display through December 15, 2011.

The window features images of products and brands that are “Made in the USA” that one might spot during a quintessential all-American pastime: tailgating. The back of a Chevrolet truck with Goodyear tires holds classic tailgating treats including the iconic American hotdog, Coca-Cola, and snack brands such as Cracker Jack, Lay’s potato chips and Doritos. And a mannequin wears an ensemble made completely from labels of the Hershey brand — the top combines cuttings of the wrappers of Kit Kat bars and Reese’s Pieces and the skirt flounce is a double tier of Hershey chocolate bar wrappers.

The window design aims to showcase great American brands and encourage their purchase to help support the American economy and domestic job security by asking the question “Where Were You Made?”

The window was conceived, designed and installed by the students in LIM College’s Visual Presentation course, which is taught by Marjorie Lee Woo, Associate Chair of the Visual Merchandising Department. Participating students included: Carinne Cusanelli, Symone Audain, Danielle Locke, Aurora Lopez, Abby Yisrael and Samantha Scopo. Eric Feigenbaum, Chair of the Visual Merchandising Department, also assisted with the installation.

“The Fashion Center has provided an incredible opportunity for our Visual Merchandising students,” said LIM College President Elizabeth S. Marcuse. “We hope this window display brings a smile to the thousands of New Yorkers and visitors who see it as they walk through the Garment District, while also stimulating conversation about some of the important economic issues facing our nation.”

The exhibit, which opened October 1 and will be in place until the beginning of 2012, features nine paper dresses by LIM College students that were originally created for the 2011 National Stationery Show’s “Paper Runway” competition this spring, including the winning design, “Feather Fantasy,” by Alexis Michaelides and Margaret Carroll. Each of the paper dresses is paired with a vintage or exceptional custom motorcycle.

“We were very excited to add the paper fashions of the very talented Visual Merchandising students of LIM College to Chrome & Couture,” explained Sydney Voghel Ochs of the Mattatuck Museum. “When we saw the dresses at the National Stationery Show, we knew we wanted them as part of this exhibition, which is one of our edgiest. Their level of creative sophistication is a credit to LIM College and the quality of the visual merchandising program and the students in it.”

Marjorie Lee Woo, Associate Chair of LIM College’s Visual Merchandising Department, worked with the students and supervised the installation of their creations. A milliner, Woo also created paper headpieces to accompany the dresses in the show.

Works by LIM College students Jordan McGovern, Gina Mercatili, Lisa Michaelides, Sara Bautista, Connor DeGuehery and Edin Giron, as well as Professors Grailing King and Katerina Lanfranco, are also included in the display.

The latest in a series of one-on-one conversations with SVA department chairs.

In September 2012, the College will open the doors of its first-ever Master of Arts program, the MA in Critical Theory and the Arts Department. Chaired by Robert Hullot-Kentor, who is also a faculty member in the BFA Visual and Critical Studies Department, the rigorous three-semester program is an interdisciplinary curriculum of lectures and seminars that focuses on the contemporary situation of art. Hullot-Kentor recently sat down with the Briefs to discuss starting up the new program and what students can expect from an MA at SVA.

Tell me about the MA Critical Theory and the Arts Department.
I can’t fit the program into a nutshell, a single sentence or even a pretty long comment, because the program has a dynamic structure. There is a central group of courses concerned with art theory and aesthetics, social history and the history of art, and social theory. And these courses are built around two open seminars whose topics change each year: In 2012–2013, the Proseminar will be devoted to Convergence of the Arts in the 21st century, alongside the Serious Times Lecture Series. These aspects of the program combine to focus on what is going on in art today in a way that involves the entire history of art and society and the most important questions we have about our lives.

What kind of student are you expecting will apply?
I expect people who have a whole lot on their minds and who very much want to have a whole lot more on their minds. Artworks present problems, and today these problems demand considerable reflection. The students in the program are likely to come from many disciplines because philosophy, social history, political science and many other fields of inquiry now turn to the arts in wanting to solve their most central concerns.

What can enrolled students expect from their first year?
‘Beginning to locate what’s most at stake in the arts right now’ is one way of describing what students can expect from their year’s work in the program. And the possibility for this is provided by a highly experienced faculty drawn from several fields of inquiry, all of whom are prepared to provide a well thought-out, dynamic curriculum and see it through with the students as a group and as individuals. It is one intense year. At the end of that year you’d still recognize yourself in the mirror, but much else would have changed.

This is SVA’s only MA program. How does it fit into the College’s ecosystem?
What especially shapes this program, and what makes it different from most graduate programs in critical theory, is that the program’s interest, first and last, is art. This is not a theory program about theory. It’s about art, what we can learn about art and, most of all, what we have to learn from art. Artworks ask us to think about them; they are waiting to be understood. It is essential that we comprehend them, though doing so involves recognizing that comprehending art is different from comprehending statistics or objects of scientific inquiry. So it makes sense that a program in critical theory and the arts that is most of all involved in understanding art should be located at an art school, surrounded by students who are up all night making things in their studios. We want to be right down the hall from the print room, upstairs from animation and around the corner from video, photography and painting.

What are you most looking forward to about starting the program?
Teaching. It’s what I do. I’m pleased to have a situation in which I can teach what I most have to teach. I know the other faculty in the program feel the same way about it.

What has surprised you the most about the process of starting a new department?
How hard it is. It really is hard. I’ve been impossibly busy. There are an awful lot of details to solve. I’ve been thinking about organizing the academic side of this program for maybe 20 years, but I never had to worry about where or how to order a stapler for my desk and for the others working with me. But it’s not so difficult taking these things in stride at SVA. I’ve taught at a number of schools, but SVA is the first college where I feel at home. It’s good when one can know that one has something good to make and has allies to collaborate with in making it who share that recognition, and who are right away ready to pitch in. That is the atmosphere I’ve found at SVA.

“Efficient business operations translate into better experiences for students and administrators alike, and the Models of Efficiency program aims to encourage schools to prioritize service,” said Tim Goral, editor-in-chief of University Business. “LIM College stands out for developing a very effective solution to a challenging situation.”

LIM College was selected based on an application from the Office of Admissions about the establishment of Student Outreach Coordinator positions. These student workers help the Admissions team provide a high level of personalized service and information to early-stage prospective students while increasing the amount of time that Admissions Counselors are able to devote to current applicants.

In addition to LIM College, Models of Efficiency honorees include: Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; San Diego University’s College of Extended Studies; California Polytechnic State University; Jamestown Community College; the College at Brockport: Liberty University State University of New York; Montgomery County Community College; Macomb Community College; North Carolina State University Graduate School; and Capella University.

The program is sponsored by Higher One, a company focused on helping college business offices manage operations and provide enhanced service to students. Said Dean Hatton, CEO of Higher One, “The creativity, tenacity and determination demonstrated by Models of Efficiency winners inspires us as we continue to strive to streamline operations and improve services in higher education business offices elsewhere.”

University Business is a leading publication for senior managers at colleges and university throughout the United States, reaching 46,000 leaders who manage offices such as enrollment, technology, facilities and academic affairs.

The theme of this year’s event is Student Success. Presentations will be given by colleges from around the country and experts in the space. Topics will include:

• Enhancing Relationships Between Faculty and Students
• Mobile Learning to Improve Student Flexibility 
• Improving Course Quality 
• Engaging Alumni

LIM College faculty and administrators will conduct two panel presentations during the conference. Holly Davenport, Director of Distance Learning; Michael Londrigan, Chair of the Fashion Merchandising Department; Fashion Merchandising faculty member Nancy Miller, and Adam Rosen, Director of Academic Administration, will give a presentation on “Enhancing the Online Learning Experience Through Systemic Change.” And Susan Bauer, Coordinator of Graduate Studies Career Services; Jocelyn Coalter, Assistant Director of Student Affairs; Sharon Mella, Senior Career Development Counselor; Charles Pryor, Associate Dean of Student Affairs; Lauren Seraita-Bazhdari, Lead Academic Advisor, and Vanessa Torres, an MBA student who is President of the Graduate Student Council, will discuss “Improving the Student Experience Through the Use of Technology.”

Blackboard Inc.is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard’s solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

“Anthony is committed to building upon the success of DeVry College of New York, whose mission is to provide the best possible career-oriented educational experience to its students,” said Hal McCulloch, group vice president of operations for the Northeast region. “We are confident of his leadership and vision.”

In his new position, Stanziani’s responsibility is to ensure that faculty and staff effectively carry out the mission of the institution by delivering a quality educational experience for students. DeVry College of New York is a comprehensive college offering Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs. Its primary campus is currently located near the Citicorp Tower in Long Island City, Queens, with an extension center in Manhattan to best serve students who live or work in the Midtown area.

Stanziani resides in Lincolndale, N.Y., and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting and his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

As an SME, Estelle might be asked to serve as an item writer, a member of the examination committee or the job analysis committee and she will work with a variety of staff in the Research and Development Department. This Association is committed to helping students achieve their career goals through product development and certification opportunities. Therefore, Estelle’s tenure in this capacity will give our students the “inside scoop” of what the expectation is for medical assistants at the national level.

The Oneida County Historical Hall of Fame—begun in 1946—has named nine individuals to its 2010 inductee class.  Four inductees constitute this year’s Richard W. Couper “Living Legends” class—Masonic Medical Research Lab director Dr. Charles Antzelevitch, Matt’s Brewery CEO Nicholas Matt, historian Virginia Kelly, and USC President Philip Williams.  They join five others: Dr. Amariah Brigham, Nicholas Devereux, John Dove, John MacDonald, and Major General James McQuade, in the Historical Hall of Fame.

Philip Williams—Has served as President of the Utica School of Commerce since 1983, after filling other administrative positions since joining USC in 1968.  He is the fourth generation to serve in this role in the business college founded by his great grandfather, Thomas J. Risinger, in 1896.   He is a member of numerous local, regional, and New York State educational development entities, and has served chairmanships of the Board of Trustees for both the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation and for Oneida County BOCES.  Mr. Williams is highly active in promoting the local community, serving as a trustee for the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce, the City of Utica Empire Zone, the Greater Mohawk Valley Community & Elder Wellness Council, and the Neighborhood Center of Utica, among many.

Jeffrey D. Nesin, president emeritus of the Memphis College of Art (MCA), has been named provost of the School of Visual Arts (SVA), one of the nation’s largest colleges of art and design. Having led MCA through two decades of unprecedented growth, Nesin will return to the city where he grew up and the institution where he began his career in higher education, first as a member of the faculty and then as a member of the president’s cabinet.

“I am pleased to be able to work with Jeff again as we plan for the next decade of growth at SVA, strengthen the institutional structure, and continue to advance the faculty and curriculum,” said SVA President David Rhodes.

“At SVA I had the great privilege of working each day with faculty who were at the forefront of their fields,” said Nesin. “Nothing in education is as important as that, and it will be wonderful to be part of the SVA community again.”

Nesin, whose appointment begins July 1, succeeds Dr. Christopher J. Cyphers, who served as SVA’s provost before leaving to become president of the New York School of Interior Design in 2008.

Jeffrey D. Nesin grew up in New York City, where he attended the Manhattan School of Music and the Bronx High School of Science. After graduation from Hobart College, he studied at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he earned advanced degrees in English Literature and American Studies. He joined the faculty at SVA in 1974, teaching in the Department of Humanities and Sciences, and then served as advisor in the BFA Fine Arts Department. In 1982 he was appointed assistant to the president, a post he held simultaneously with that of director of special programs and chairman of the presidential staff. Among other duties, he worked closely with President Rhodes to develop institutional and governmental relations and establish the graduate programs.

Nesin left SVA in 1991 to become president of MCA, a position he held until December 2009. During his tenure the college saw the strongest growth in its history, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, largely driven by a refocused curriculum; a rise in regional and national visibility; the largest gifts in the college’s history, effectively quadrupling the endowment; and enlarging the campus footprint from one to twenty properties, including two purpose-built art student residences and a new Downtown Graduate School, through a master plan he oversaw.

A longtime supporter of creative cooperation among art colleges, Nesin helped found the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), served on the Executive Committee for over a decade, and has overseen its New York Studio Residency Program since its inception. A steady advocate for a national art education policy and the essential role the arts play in civic life, Nesin has testified before Congress three times in recent years. Involved with accreditation throughout his career, he continues to consult internationally, most recently in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and has served two terms on the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Commission on Accreditation and one term as its Chair and member of the NASAD Executive Committee.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the College has instituted numerous educational innovations, including the selection of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields as instructors. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Media Contact: For more information, please contact Michael Grant, director of communication, at 212.592.2011 or mgrant@sva.edu.

Photo courtesy of Combustion