Gateway Projects

Over the past two years, Practice has developed and sponsored design projects that allow BAC students to expand their skill set, develop portfolio evidence, and gain valuable experience that make them more marketable in their job search. These projects are intended to supplement the ways in which students have traditionally earned Practice credit-by working in design firms and related fields-and allow students to become involved in exciting learning experiences with their peers and members of the community.

Each semester, Practice advertises and offers a variety of projects for students to become involved with. There is typically a ramp-up of projects at the start of each semester, and students are encouraged to get involved at that time. Some projects may also be offered mid-semester. For a list of current projects or opportunities, please contact our department directly.

Community Service Learning 

Community Service Learning projects bring together groups of students, faculty members, and community organizations. Groups of BAC students, led by a Practice faculty member, work together and with the community client to complete a design project for a local nonprofit group over the course of the semester. These projects allow students to experience the workflow and process of working as a member of a team on a design project, including interacting with a client. The scope and focus of these projects varies, but has included: developing plans for an aquatics facility for severely handicapped children, providing an energy audit of a community center, developing and installing public art installations, and proposing ways to incorporate community gardens into local city landscapes. These opportunities are primarily part-time (approximately 10-20 hours a week) and are unpaid, although students who receive Federal Work Study awards through the Financial Aid office are eligible to receive payment for their involvement in projects. Please be in contact with our office to learn more about current projects and how to get involved.

Design Competitions

Design competitions are established in a "mock firm" manner that replicates, as closely as possible, the way firms approach working on actual projects within a professional setting. Students will experience the collaboration of working on a team, with each student assigned a role and charged with tracking their contributions to the project, and will work together to develop an entry for the design competition. Each semester, a number of competitions will be selected and offered to interested students with faculty members supervising each of the competition teams. Students who are interested in forming competition groups independently of the department may do so if they seek out and receive prior approval from the department. All design competitions must be supervised by a faculty member or staff member.

Independent Practice

BAC students are encouraged to explore ways to gain experience through independent or research projects. Many students secure freelance work through family, friends, or individuals who need some assistance with a building or design project. Students have also developed projects for themselves renovating or proposing changes to homes or apartments. The project does not have to be built or completed in order to students to receive credit.

In order to receive credit for Independent Practice projects, students should be in contact with our department prior to beginning the project. The student will need to file an Independent Practice Application (link to form) and submit the completed form to our office. At that time, we require that all students meet with a member of the Practice staff to discuss the project in more detail. All students are required to work under the supervision of a designer or qualified professional who will monitor their work and meet with them on a regular basis. If a student does not have a faculty member or professional who is able to supervise them, our department will work with the student to locate a Practice faculty member or professional to act as the supervisor for the duration of the project.
All Independent Practice participants must document the evidence of their learning and meet regularly with their supervisor. Credit is granted on the condition that the student has fulfilled the goals set out for the project, and that the student has demonstrated learning of some kind in the form of documented evidence and the approval of the supervisor.

Volunteer

Non-related Volunteer Work
In recognition of the importance of volunteering and contributing to local communities, students can earn a limited number of credits for volunteering at a nonprofit organization that maintains its status as a 501(C)(3) tax exempt organization. In order to qualify, students intending to petition for credit must review the relevant Practice Report (Practice Report Nonrelated Volunteer link) prior to beginning their volunteer work. In order to receive credit for this experience, students are required to include a reflective essay describing the value of their experience for their overall design education, as well as two graphic examples highlighting spatial awareness of the physical environment in which they are working. The completed Practice Report, including the essay and graphic examples, should be submitted to our office at the end of the reporting period with the other Practice registration forms (link to Reporting).

Design-Related Volunteer Work
Some students may seek out volunteer opportunities or unpaid internships in order to gain Practice-based experience. If students are volunteering with an organization whose mission or targeted projects are related to design, e.g. Habitat for Humanity, Architects for Humanity, or community development corporations involved with improving the quality of the physical environment, they may petition for credit on a standard Practice Report.

Travel

Photo by Brent Andy Miller.

Students may earn one Practice credit on a one-time basis for travel that might take them to different locations locally, nationally, or internationally. To petition for the credit, students must submit the appropriate Practice Report (Practice Report Travel link). As detailed in the report, students will be expected to maintain a combined sketchbook/journal to document their experience and serve as a basis for both the reflective essay and graphic evidence. All applications will be reviewed before the credit is approved and entered. Students may only petition for the travel credit once during their BAC education.