Professional Development
The ARAD program supports student professional development in myriad ways described below, including the Microgrant Program for Student Professionalization, Distinguished Speakers Series, Microcourses, and visiting speakers to our core and elective classes. The ARAD program is also pleased to partner TC Next and the TC Office of Alumni Relations to create workshops and networking events for our students and alumni.
Microgrant Program for Student Professionalization
Through the Microgrant Program, ARAD proudly supports student professionalization activities on campus and beyond. This award champions special projects and conference attendance proposed by individual students in the ARAD program, as well as by Teachers College student groups with ARAD student membership. Applications are invited at the beginning of each semester through an open call process and vetted by an ARAD faculty and staff selection committee.
Past recipients have used their grants to support students attending Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC; presenting papers at professional conferences and leadership summits; and providing streaming video access to on-campus conferences. ARAD Microgrant recipients can be found here.
Distinguished Speakers Series
ARAD is home to the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS), an invitational program that features topical presentations by arts administrators working in the arts and culture sector. Recent speakers include Dael Orlandersmith, actress, poet and award-winning playwright; Michael Mason, Director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage; Danielle King, Director of Cultural Program at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; Carl Sylvestre, Director of Development at Theatre Forward; Brooke Davis Anderson, Executive Director at Prospect New Orleans/US Biennial; Elaine Delgado, Director of Individual Giving at The Tenement Museum; and Jill Sternheimer, Director of Public Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. DSS talks are free and open to the public. Please check the Events section of our Home page for upcoming events.
Microcourses
ARAD Microcourses are interactive, multiple-hour sessions that explore arts administration topics currently not offered in the curriculum. These are open to students and alumni (and on occasion to the wider arts administration community in NYC as well). Recent microcourse topics include "The Basics of Data Manipulation & Data Visualization" led by Clive Chang, Director of Strategy & Business Development for Disney Theatrical Group, "An Intro to Tessitura" with Brian Feldman, Director of Business Development at the Tessitura Network; "Digital Strategy in the Arts," led by Vince Ford, Head of Digital and Strategic Initiatives at the New York Philharmonic; "Organizational Psychology & Arts Organizations," with Dr. Alex De Voogt, Curator at the American Museum of Natural History; and "Putting Audience Research & Evaluation to Strategic Use in the Arts," led by Sarah Lee, President of Slover Linett Audience Research. Please check the Events section of our Home page for upcoming events.
Visiting Speakers
For more information about the visiting speakers who participated in the ARAD Distinguished Speakers Series, Microcourses, and ARAD classes, please see the bios below.