Hunter MFASO

Over the course of the semester there has been growing concern over the limitations created by the one a.m. curfew at the Hunter MFA building. Students met Wednesday November 4th, 2009 to address these concerns. It was collectively decided that a letter writing campaign to the administration should be our first plan of action in addressing this problem.
We would like to ask you to write a letter addressing how you are personally affected by the curfew and your perception of how the MFA program is affected as a whole. Although you may not feel directly affected by the curfew it is important to support your peers and remember the reputation of the program affects you currently and in the future.

The following is a list of points brought up in the meeting of the affects the curfew has had on the student body:

• The difficulty of maintaining a job and getting enough studio time
• Set up and take down times vary greatly and may be hindered by curfew
• The requirements of the mediums we use require flexible hours
• For most the studio is the only space in which we can work on our projects
• How is this directly affecting your practice?
• How unlimited 24-hour access would affect your practice

We have taken the time to write an example of what the letter could look like, however the more personal the letter the more effective it will be. It is important to impose a deadline on the administration’s response; Friday November 20th, 2009 is the deadline we have provided for them. Please address this clearly in your letter.

We are asking the letters are completed by 12am Sunday November 15th in order for this campaign to be most effective.

Thank you for your time and support.

The Form Letter:

Hunter MFA Program

450 West 41st Street

New York, New York 10018

November 15th, 2009

To the Hunter College Administration:

The following letter is in reference to the one a.m. curfew imposed upon the student body using the Hunter MFA building. I am expressing my support along with the rest of the student body in asking for year round, 24-hour access to the MFA building at 450 West 41st street. It is in the best interest of this institution to support the productivity that is possible through 24-hour access to this building.

Please Enter Your Personal Experiences Here:

Due to the structure of the MFA programs part time enrollment there must be an awareness of students’ obligations outside of the program i.e. work, family, living situations, etc. Such obligations require varying studio schedules, which may or may not adhere to the present curfew. Currently due to the imposed restrictions on our studio time student productivity is greatly hindered thus negatively affecting the entire MFA program. The nature of practicing art requires access to a studio space and a flexible time allowance for set up and clean up specific to the individual. We do not have the freedom to take our work home with us and therefore are greatly affected by the time limits of the MFA building. In respect to Hunter MFA’s growing reputation and the higher standards that follow, it is imperative that we have every opportunity to excel in our field of study.

In order to ensure our needs are met we ask that you notify us of your response to the request of 24-hour access to the 450 West 41st MFA building by Friday November 20th, 2009. Thank you for taking the time to address our concerns.

Sincerely,

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