By Emerging Leaders Ambassador and Guest Writer, Rachel Luebbert
Student leadership opportunities in the College of Fine Arts (CFA) are the veins that pump new ideas and collaboration among the different disciplines. The College offers countless leadership positions each year which provide students a way to build vital skills toward their professional careers.
Lien Fan Shen, Associate Professor in Film and Media Arts recommends that students take advantage of the countless opportunities outside of the classroom, “It takes more than simply course work to be an active student.” Shen recommends supplementing your class load with different experiences at the University from leadership roles to fellowships to research opportunities to even volunteer experiences.
The Emerging Leaders Interns who create programing to better your arts education, hosted the Business of Arts Symposium and Annual Networking Luncheon on March 4th with a seminar from the Personal Money Management Center on the importance of early budgeting. This was followed by a lecture from Aaron Garret of Non-Profit Legal Services of Utah who shared important recommendations for artists such as the necessity to involve a written contract in all freelance jobs. Also, a representative from Lassonde spoke about the role of artists are entrepreneurs. These informative seminars were followed by a networking luncheon where students had the opportunity to speak with various arts organizations in the community.
The Ambassadors are also interns within the College and help with freshman orientation, administrative tasks, and guest writing for the Finer Points blog. This is an exciting position to have your perspective shared through writing about the endless events and collaborations occurring in the CFA. The Ambassadors not only interview students, faculty, and guest artists on campus but also have the chance to establish their own creative voice through their blog posts.
Another leadership opportunity in the College is the Emerging Leaders Council (ELC)—an annually established cohort of first year and continuing second year students that are involved in collective leadership and collaboration. On March 8th, seven of the most involved members were invited to the ELC Dinner which provided students the opportunity to network with faculty, professors, and advisors within the College. Amelie Bennett (Ballet major), acknowledged that her involvement in the ELC has allowed her to become a part of a supportive artistic community in just her first months at the university.
The ELC is currently working to create a collaborative film that represents every academic unit in the CFA. Bennett for example is creating the choreography. While, William Liu (EAE Major), is producing the film. Liu explained, “Being involved in the ELC has helped me to understand my leadership skills.” For Liu, the ELC workshops help develop connections and leadership potential. Don’t miss your chance to engage outside of the classroom and involve yourself in the exciting CFA leadership positions.
