Interactive Multimedia (IMM) Sophomore Review
The Sophomore Review is a graduation requirement for all IMM majors. It has been designed to provide students with an opportunity to consider the position of their work within the broader context of IMM, advocate for their own design practice, articulate the unique contributions they have made to the academic community, and identify their preferred areas of specialization within the curriculum.
The IMM Sophomore Review should be taken during the Spring semester of the second full year of study or by chair determination at the time of transfer into the program. It will be scheduled over two days in April. Students must pass the Sophomore Review in order to progress through the major. The review provides an important midpoint opportunity for students to consult with faculty, who will assess their progress in the program. Each individual student’s review will last 15-minutes, including 10 minutes for a stand-alone presentation and 5 minutes to answer questions from the committee. Instructions for format and upload of presentation media and rubric will be sent out by the faculty committee in advance.
Students who require disability support should register their accommodations with the Office of Differing Abilities and provide the faculty committee with a copy of the accommodation letter.
How to prepare:
An email with signup instructions will be sent out; please follow the instructions and respond promptly.
In preparation for the review, students should choose one salient project produced during an IMM course that best represents their work, and prepare to demonstrate and discuss the project for ten minutes presentations should demonstrate media production skills, awareness of design processes, and structured self-assessment commensurate with the halfway point in their undergraduate studies. Presentations should articulate the core ideas from the disciplines that inspired the work.
Faculty will make assessments based on the following criteria:
- presentation organization, clarity, and detail
- thoughtful self-assessment and reflection
- evidence of skill in concept/design/implementation
- in-major grades (min. 2.0 GPA)
Please note that unsatisfactory performance in the review will result in academic probation. Students who do not pass the Sophomore Review will not be able to take IMM classes the following semester, and will need to retake the review at the next opportunity. They may be required to meet with a faculty committee to determine next steps. (Probation will be lifted following a successful result in the subsequent review.)
Graphic Design Sophomore Review:
Who?:
All TCNJ Visual Arts – Graphic Design majors are required to participate in a Sophomore Review midway through their tenure (i.e., sophomore Spring semester) in the Department of Design and Creative Technology.
Participation is required of all Sophomore-level students who began as freshmen at TCNJ and transfer students below junior status (i.e., 15.99 units or below) at the time of acceptance to the college.
Transfer students who entered the college as juniors are exempt from the Sophomore Review, as their admissions portfolio served as the qualifying review.
What?:
The Sophomore Review has two components: a Graphic Design Portfolio that must be posted on SlideRoom, and an in-person meeting with faculty.
The review is graded on the basis of pass/fail. Students are required to demonstrate a firm understanding of the primary objectives of their course of study and faculty will evaluate students’ strengths and discuss areas that may require further development.
The Graphic Design Portfolio must include: (a) Personal background information; (b) THREE works from each studio course completed at TCNJ; and (c) A written narrative statement.
The in-person meeting will consist of a 15-20 minute review with a faculty panel. Students should be prepared to engage in an active and meaningful dialogue with faculty about their personal artistic development and describe the ways in which learned course content relates to their design process.
Students should be prepared to discuss their written narrative statements, and to answer specific technical and theoretical questions that reflect the knowledge they have been expected to acquire by the end of sophomore year.
Why?:
The primary goal of the Sophomore Review is to provide students the opportunity to present and discuss their studio work and to receive constructive feedback from faculty. The reviews helps to ensure that students are on track in terms of technical and conceptual development and are progressing successfully in their course of study.