Georgian College is 10 years behind the curve.
UPDATE: I sent a version of this letter directly to Terry Hrynyk who runs the Photography Program at Georgian. Terry was a professor of mine in 2010, and I have loads of respect for his approach to teaching and his passion.
It turns out this program is due for review next year, so maybe this is perfect timing for a letter like this.
There’s an opportunity right now for Georgian College if the leadership team is willing to pivot the Photography program.
Forget about 2020 for a second.
Life and work have changed dramatically in the last 10 years.
Entire industries have been revolutionized and dominated by new ways of doing business.
We don’t drive to the local rental store to rent a VHS.
We sit in our underwear and decide from thousands of options without leaving the couch.
And that’s only one example. I don’t need to tell you how education has changed.
This was all before Covid 19 changed everything faster than it already was.
The change is only going to continue, leaving organizations who are unwilling to adapt in the dust.
Yes, I’m being dramatic.
The last Advisory Committee meeting for the Photography program was disheartening to me.
While it was great to reconnect with familiar faces and to see the new facility, it was disheartening to hear about the consistent decline in registrations over the past 10 years, and to see how largely unchanged the program has remained.
I’m writing this recommendation as someone who graduated Georgian’s DPAI (Digital Photography and Imaging) Program (now called Photography) in 2010. I’ve taught for a couple of semesters within the program, I continue to serve on the Advisory committee, and I own a profitable video and digital content agency. I also hold a certificate in Teaching and Training Adults and have hosted a number of independent workshops on video and creativity.
Was my education a waste of time and money?
Shortly after graduating 10 years ago, I read an article in Photo District News, discussing how commercial photographers in larger cities were getting asked to shoot video.
I told my wife, Lydia, about it and how I thought I should start shooting video.
10 years later, her and I are producing around 90% video for our clients, 5% other digital content, and 5% photography.
I’m NOT claiming my education was a waste of time.
The skills I developed in the program continue to serve me in producing video. The rules of composition and lighting are the same. Concepts of visual communication are largely the same. Basic business operations haven’t changed. These skills are more relevant than ever.
My connections at Georgian College also played a big role in launching my career.
Shortly after graduating, Peter Stranks, a professor of the program at the time, recommended me for a job that required photography and video documentation.
That job paid for my education several times over.
If I didn’t know Peter, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity.
If I wasn’t shooting video, I also wouldn’t have had that opportunity.
So what’s the deal with Georgian keeping the program so unchanged in all these years?
Future-proof skills.
My decision to move into video had very little to do with Georgian College, and it saddens me to see that 10 years after starting to shoot video it’s still such a small part of the program.
By the way, the class I taught for a couple of semesters was designed to teach photographers video skills. I co-designed it with another professor, Tony Pickard. It was a blast and showed me how much I love teaching this stuff.
The added course felt like a good step in the right direction, but as management shifted at Georgian, the course was no longer offered to me as a part time teaching opportunity.
Colleges seem to be in a constant juggle of managing part-time and full-time professors to try and land in the sweet spot of cost and return. It makes sense, but the impact isn’t always the greatest.
Upon hearing about the new post-grad program, I thought it sounded like a great move that reinforced what I had been recommending for years.
Unfortunately it didn’t stick and enrollment wasn’t high enough to keep it going.
From speaking with faculty, it sounds like the post-grad program was designed to be a kind of film-school. As cool as that sounds, a film school is not only a bit of a leap for the Georgian College brand, it’s also a leap for a typical photography student.
The change in programming needed to happen at the introductory level - not as a post-grad program.
Let me share one more experience before I get into describing what I believe the program should look like if it’s going to stay alive and relevant over the next 10 years.
We were recently approached by a client and asked how to get their message out to their audience. They felt video was the best option.
Sounds like a straightforward job - one we could shoot over a couple of days, edit, and get paid a great wage. Done it a hundred times. Easy peasy.
Did we say “yep, here’s what the videos will look like”?
Nope.
I recommended a podcast.
I’ve never produced a podcast in my life.
We all agreed a podcast would be the best way to get their specific message out to their specific audience, and so that’s where we landed.
We brainstormed with the client and helped develop the name and tagline. We created the episode outline. We researched equipment.
We’ll be ready to produce a quality podcast when it comes time to move into production.
We live in a world where this kind of adaptive attitude is increasingly necessary in order to make a living. It should be a key learning outcome for any technology based education program.
The Program can be great, but only if it changes
What we need in the world of digital content right now is more people who are capable of creative problem solving, people who are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and people who are willing to adapt their skills to serve the marketplace. We also need people who are comfortable and adept at collaboration.
The downtown Georgian College facility is a fantastic location to achieve this learning outcome.
The Georgian College brand is a great place to provide it.
But it will take a serious shift in thinking and a serious shift in how the program is rolled out.
Rather than focusing so heavily on photography, Georgian will have to shift to a wider application of technology and communication as a whole.
Georgian will need to lean much more heavily on the input of fresh thinkers and doers who are outside of the academic pool: Agency owners, content creators, influencers, producers, marketers - working professionals.
The bi-annual Advisory Committee meetings are a good start, but I’d like to see a rotating door at the downtown facility that’s constantly bringing fresh thinking in and out of the classroom - creating a rich collaborative environment that expands into the community.
Georgian will have to rethink its role.
I want to see the Photography program as the place for exploration and collaboration, where students develop their skills as content creators, grow to understand their individual abilities and how to bring them to the workforce, and gain knowledge and insight from top notch instructors and industry experts.
A wholehearted embrace of digital
The physical location should be used as a place for exploration and collaboration. Not a place to get one’s bearings in Adobe Premiere.
Now that Covid 19 has changed how everyone is doing things, the colleges have no choice but to implement a strong digital learning environment. The nice part is that so much learning can and should happen digitally, Covid 19 or not.
With the ability for students to hit the 2x speed on video tutorials, or to hit the pause button to digest information, video tutorials should be the standard for introductions to all software and hardware.
I recently completed a fantastic online course that gave me an overview of a field recorder I’d purchased. I worked at my own pace, and I have access to that course indefinitely. I also now have access to the instructor who sells it, and he’s helped me out with some small questions I’ve had along the way.
It’s way past time to apply this approach to learning at Georgian College.
If students have a hard time with it, we’re going to need to navigate that - because success in the digital working world depends on this approach.
The faculty and facility
With basic technical knowledge being taught via video, the time in class can be spent in smaller groups applying what students have learned in a collaborative environment where it’s safe to fail and where they have access to faculty and equipment.
Instead of walking 30 students through the Photoshop pen tool, faculty can spend their time in a mentorship role - guiding students in their specific applications of the technology.
Some of the existing program is foundational to understanding how to communicate effectively with visuals: Lighting, creative photography exercises, portfolio reviews, etc. These elements are full of value for students exploring visual media.
But not all of these courses will lead to professional success.
It’s time to start at ground zero with this program, and to make it something that will thrive in the coming years.
Just as importantly, it’s time to redesign the program in a way that will increase the chances of student success in the growing world of digital content creation.
Increasing post-grad success.
If this program is going to continue to serve it’s students in the coming years, here are a few course subjects I believe the new program should include:
Photography techniques.
Camera techniques for video.
Capturing quality audio.
Post-production for photo, video, and audio.
Story.
Directing interviews.
Storyboarding and selling ideas.
How to effectively brainstorm solutions on a team.
Developing a deeper creative mindset.
Creating content specific to the social platforms.
New media (and leave a good chunk of time for independent study with this one).
Psychology and discovering your creative gift.
Business and negotiation skills
Communication skills: (Writing, speaking in front of a camera, sketching, etc.)
I’m sure there are more, but there’s a list to get us started.
Embedded within the course content, a focus on developing soft skills should continue to be a focus. The right soft skills will translate into improved work and life experiences, regardless of career path - and that’s a key value factor as North America moves increasingly deeper into the gig economy.
From my experience, these are a few traits that would really help students land better opportunities:
Articulates concepts clearly, using a variety of methods including speaking, writing, photography, video, sketches, and audio.
Demonstrates an understanding of their unique set of skills, abilities, and weaknesses. Able to communicate these traits and abilities in language that demonstrates the value to a potential employer, client, or fellow team member.
Consciously applies practical creativity (creativity that serves others) to solve both in-class and real-world challenges.
Practices the skill of active listening
Exhibits an ability to collaborate in a way that increases productivity and value
Refined negotiation skills
Understands their own personality and where they bring the most value vs where someone else would be better for the job
Exhibits personal discipline and focus
Now What?
Not everyone is going to agree with everything I’ve written here. I’m not sure I agree with everything I’ve written here.
But I believe there’s a huge opportunity for this program and the downtown facility to grow into a flourishing place of collaboration and learning. A place that fulfills Georgian College’s mission statement: “To inspire innovation, transform lives and connect communities through the power of education.”
It’s not going to happen without wholeheartedly embracing the change that’s happened in the world.
Let’s be brave and put students first.
*Thumbnail photo by Niibin Kwe, 2010