Petition to Redact New Extracurricular Production Policies

10 years ago Featured

The choices that the administration has made regarding their concerns with ECs are very shortsighted and unprofessional. The fact they have not chosen to disclose this information to students before this happened is incredibly worrisome, especially considering the recent tuition increase. I think full disclosure on distribution of funds is necessary and we should also propose involving students more in decisions that directly involve is, including equipment purchasing. Maybe a suggestion box. SBG is supposed to be our link between administration and the student body, but it doesn't seem like they have any of the answers either.

I think the student body shouldn't be limited on our creative process that being limited to two EC shoots as well as limited on gear we were promised upon enrollment

I feel like all the reasons I chose to come to CCH have been taken away with the new policies. Please give us the rights we pay to have back!

First of all, why am I hearing about this from other students instead of the school itself? As far as professionalism goes, I now see Columbia College Hollywood is lacking it. Keeping hush hush about “little” changes here and there is not only deceiving and poor ethic, but it is also incredibly unprofessional. We are dealing with an enormous sum of money here, so please excuse me if I don’t want to play along with your ingenuity. Second, why can't the school even provide updated equipment (outdated inexpensive DSLRs, RED classic, etc) let alone stand by its CONTRACT. Please explain to the students directly where every CENT of our funds are going towards. I’ve already been to university for 3 years, afterwards had my previous school Video Symphony shut down and bought out by CCH. I do not take these “little” changes lightly. Taking advantage of young adults, fresh out of HIGH SCHOOL, with dreams bigger than you can ever imagine is very rotten on CCH’s behalf. I do hope you will take the time to listen to the students’ negotiations because Columbia College Hollywood is going to have to fight to prove its purpose is in action.

How contradicting that a film school that strives on a business of 'getting yourself out there' and success upon 'who you know' would steal the creative opportunists' sources to do so...and raise tuition? What are we paying for? What are we looking forward to?

As a parent who pays a pretty penny for my kid to get a top rated education in the film industry, I would hope that he would have unfettered access to all things necessary to obtain that degree. Including access to equipment, especially since we are now paying $3K more this year for him to graduate. Come on now.....CCH can do better than this.

If CCH wishes to continue to produce incredible, competing student films, it must continue to nurture its well of talent and encourage ambition. This means: - CCH must ALLOW ITS STUDENTS TO TRY, FAIL AND LEARN on more than TWO EC'S A YEAR. Under the proposed policies even the most ambitious four year student has only eight shots at making something great. - CCH must CONTINUE TO ALLOW FULL EQUIPMENT ACCESS to those students who have gained certification. To master any piece of gear, students must spend personal, hands-on, real-world, time with it. Under the proposed policy, any PW shoots using cameras and equipment specifically allotted for them would BE USING THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME. This restricted equipment policy will destroy the current apprenticeship system that rewards ambitious underclassmen and builds CCH's unique inter-class community. - CCH must RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE PROMISE THAT IT GIVES ALL ITS INCOMING STUDENTS. 'This school is willing to work just as hard for you, as you are willing to work in it.’ It’s symbiotic, the administration wants great films coming out of CCH and the student filmmakers, well, they want to produce great films. I understand that certain students have exploited the current system. I understand that certain students own incompetence to secure PW paperwork has led to complaints to the administration. I understand that it's difficult to process the volume of EC shoots sometimes. The solution isn't to restrict the potential ambition of students willing to play by the rules. The solution is to enforce the current policies on an individual basis and to streamline the first come first serve system while gauranteeing PW slots to the PW students willing to meet the deadlines. I love you CCH, stay classy.

10 years ago Featured

These new policies are extremely harmful to those students that have taken loans out and gotten themselves into debt in exchange for being able to use these cameras and make their own projects. No matter what you say to ease the situation you have stolen what you've promised away from the students. Action without addressing us was not the solution, if there is an issue with EC, hold a meeting with the student body. We are adults.

As a former student of this school and a friend to current students at CCH; I am astounded the school has the audacity to make any of the changes or raise tuition in any way. It's absurd. Change it back or I promise you will more than likely lose many more students than you already do on a regular basis it seems.

10 years ago Featured

We shall'nt be limited in any circumstance if we respect your rules and regulations. You should respect our needs and expectations and right as a student body paying for a hands-on education. Taking away our cameras and equipment availability is detracting from the very purpose this school was built on: hands on. How can the students learn hands on if we can't even check out equipment until our graduating year in PW??

I am appalled with these rule changes. From what I've read CCH has changed everything it once stood for. Even though I don't go to the school anymore I really hope this changes.

10 years ago Featured

Doesn't really make sense that they would raise tuition only to take more away. IT should be the other way around. Plus having free available equipment was one of the selling points for CCH - it would be a shame if they took away something that made me choose this school in the first place.

10 years ago Featured

We are artists. We have inspiration. Limiting the way we can shoot/how many projects we're allowed to make goes against everything an artist needs and everything you should want for us. As film enthusiasts, you should want to feed our creative hunger and let us do the very thing we came here to do: live out loud and be creative. Please consider revoking these new policies, as we are artists, who have voices to be heard, and we WILL use them. Thank you.

Restricting use in this manner only hurts students who go out of their way to improve themselves and in no way helps the school. Especially with the spike in tuition. The freedom to film is the selling point of this school.

I'm not normally one to sign such a petition, especially since I left the school some time ago, but I feel I would have gotten more done had I had access to the equipment, based on what is outlined here. The fact that the policy behind equipment registration is so unfair, and so daunting to students, shows how ineffectual the staff is to the people that help them keep their jobs. Help your students, don't hinder them, or it will cost you. You already lost me.

10 years ago Featured

These rules are absurd and this school is trying to take advantage of us college students, isn't it enough that our tuition rose $3,000 each, shoot that extra $120,000+ should go towards new equipment and helping the students not hiring unnecessary people and taking away our rights as students. Shame on Columbia College Hollywood, once was so proud to be a student at this school.

"Columbia encourages you to find your voice and express yourself artistically except yeah no not gonna happen."

We came here for a reason, you know. It's sort of stupid to kill the whole reason itself.

We pay alot of money to go to this school. The sign up system is fair as it is. Sign up early and don't procrastinate.