College Educators’ Conference
Friday, May 23, 2025. In Person.
This full-day IN-PERSON gathering will be bringing together College and Graduate level Lighting Educators to share pedagogy, challenges, and successes. This event will take place during the National Design Portfolio Weekend in New York City.
Mark Stanley, Clifton Taylor
In partnership with the National Design Portfolio Review and New York University.
Download the PDF “one sheet” for this event.
The education of lighting designers and theatre makers in the United States is in transition. Programs are revising curricula to meet an ever-changing professional workplace. The influx of technology has altered the expectations of the multiple skills required to launch a career. Recruitment is becoming increasingly challenging, and scholarship dollars are stretched thin. These and other topics confronting post-high school education in lighting design will be discussed, and an opportunity will be provided to share learning outcomes, lesson plans, and classroom projects. College and Graduate school-level educators involved in teaching Lighting Design are invited to participate in this day-long event to discuss the evolution, challenges, various pedagogies, and evidence-based teaching techniques used to inspire and guide the learning outcomes for the next generation of designers. This event follows the NDPR review of student work on May 22, 2025. We will gain firsthand experience with the most recent graduates, their work, and their plans for their future careers.
Topics covered:
- What are commonly understood as the Learning outcomes and goals for a B.A., a B.F.A., and an M.F.A. in Lighting?
- What jobs are we preparing our students for?
- What are the best methods of teaching today’s generation of learners in design?
- What are the challenges (and solutions) that we are facing as a ‘faculty of practice’ today?
- How can Studio School of Design help the field and help you and students in your program succeed?
Friday, May 23, 2025
9:30 a.m. -10:15 a.m.: Meet and Greet
10:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Symposium 1: Can Lighting Design be Taught?
10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Session 1: Finding the Balance between Content and Experience
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Session 2: Critique and Dialog for Artists and Designers. The Liz Lerman Critical Response Process.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Catered Lunch with Guest Speaker
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Symposium 2: What are the Course Outcomes in our programs?
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Rethinking Course Development, Syllabi, and measurements of Student Success.
3:30 p.m – 3:45 p.m. Coffee Break.
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Problem-based learning: increasing efficacy in classroom learning with Clifton Taylor.
5:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception.
This seminar has been made possible by donations from generous supporters of the Studio School of Design. Please become a supporter today to help us continue to achieve our mission to make our profession stronger through knowledge, access and belonging.
