Race in College Recruiting Materials by Ronald Cortez by Maria Guerrero

RACE in College Recruiting Materials

written and designed by Ronald Cortez

Acknowledgements Thank you to the all the faculty at the Corcoran College of Art+Design for the past four years of mentorship.

Race in College Recruiting Materials written and designed by Ronald Cortez Racial diversity in institutions always sparks debate. Some question the role of affirmative action in the admission process. Does affirmative action bring opportunities or does it perpetuate a stigma on minorities. Some argue the effects of affirmative action create a structural diversity in colleges. Structural diversity is “generally defined as the numerical representation of a critical mass of minority students” (Killenbeck, 13). It is argued that students who have the opportunity to interact with peers of different backgrounds are more likely to have better personal and intellectual development. Many colleges want cultural diversity and the design of their recruiting materials helps reflect this. But, does the representation of diversity in their materials accurately reflect the enrolled student body’s demographic? What role does graphic design play accurately or falsely communicating racial diversity on college campuses? My study is focused on answering this question through a close examination of three college viewbooks.

Analysis

University of Virginia TYPE: 4-year, Public CAMPUS SETTING: small city STUDENT POPULATION: 24,391 (15,595 undergraduate) STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO: 16 to 1 AWARDS OFFERED: Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree - research/scholarship Doctor’s degree - professional practice

The governing entity of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts and maintains an Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Each school has to report to the government the racial and ethnic mix of their population (IPEDS). This investigation discovered variations between how schools used these statistics in their viewbooks. Figure 1.1 shows the front cover of one of the University of Virginia’s recruiting materials. This publication is a three paneled, letter-size publication. The cover is cut up into a 9 by 9 square grid. The photography used on the front cover and the content found on the inside page helps relate the University of Virginia’s goals of academic honor, a sense of history, and emphasis on learning. The imagery found on the inside page (figure. 1.2) appears to be of a dorm room’s door, where the content is “written” on a whiteboard. Usually whiteboards are used for brainstorming and defining to-do lists. Having UVA’s “set of values” on a dorm room door’s whiteboard suggests the college wants prospective students to abide by this content; similar to how students may follow items on a to-do list.

front cover dimensions: 8.5" x 11"

Figure 1.1

UVA welcomes women and men of every background After the paragraph set in blue, the first two paragraphs on the whiteboard state the school’s prominence on the national sports scene and its pride in Thomas Jefferson’s “American architecture” design. These principles are also illustrated in photos on the front cover. The photo of a sea of students wearing the school’s color orange showcases the role of sports on campus. The photos of the architecture and the Thomas Jefferson statue help represent its pride in its history. This pride in “American Architecture” paired with Figure 1.2 reveals UVA’s academic goal of teaching within the future while still preserving past academic principles.

Next page, left: figure 1.2 is the inside middle page of this publication. The top photo displayed is a wide shot of a music class in progress. The photographer was able to capture not only the whole class, but the surrounding architecture. The architecture includes a panel that exhibits Raphael’s “School of Athens.” With this painting, Raphael wanted to honor the greatest minds of his time by having them all in one room. At the same time, there is subtle symbolism that foreshadows the reluctance of Raphael to nurture the upcoming intellectuals of tomorrow. Displaying Raphael’s painting helps suggest that UVA, with its historical founding and architecture, honors the past. Yet beyond its historical glory the college’s main goal is to foster the minds of the future. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Next page, right: On figure 1.3 the paragraph set in blue states “UVA is public...and welcomes women and men of every background.” This statement tells us that UVA is mindful of recruiting a diverse student body. The top left photo on the cover helps reinforce this statement. The photo is of a close-up of an Asian student smiling. The background of the photo is out of focus and is unidentifiable. The viewer cannot place the student in any environment nor performing any specific activity. All that we can get from this photo is that the student is a minority. And being the only portrait found on the cover, there is a dominance over the rest of the photos. In this publication, I identified the race/ethnicity of seven students. From those seven: one was Asian American, two were African American, and four were white.

Figure 1.2

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Figure 1.3

In Figure 1.4 the publication mentions diversity under its “University at a Glance” section. In this section they divide their “Undergraduate Student Body” by demographic. The demographics they have listed are as follows: 60% White, 12% Asian American, 8% African American, 7% Race/ethnicity unknown, 6% International (nonresident alien), 5% Hispanic American, 2% multiple races, <1% Native American, and <1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Underneath this statistical breakdown, the statement “Based on definitions of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)” is found. Throughout this publication, it is interesting to compare how UVA makes subtle attempts at displaying diversity in its photos. However, they are very direct when they provide and label their students’ demographics. There is even a subtle art of wordplay when mentioning diversity within the content of the publication.

SUBTLE ATTEMPTS AT DISPLAYING DIVERSITY

Figure 1.4

As mentioned before figure 1.2 states “UVA is public...and welcomes women and men of every background.” This is a generalized statement, but in relation to the whiteboard content this statement helps dictate the photos on the cover. One may then make a connection of how the lone portrait of the Asian student helps acknowledge the college’s attempt at welcoming “women and men of every background.” In order to avoid any misunderstanding about how they report diversity on there campuses, UVA uses the standardised government reporting categories (IPEDS).

60%, WHITE

12%, ASIAN AMERICAN

STUDENT BODY BREAKDOWN UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

6%, INTERNATIONAL

8%, AFRICAN AMERICAN

5%, HISPANIC AMERICAN

7%, RACE UNKNOWN

2%, MULTIPLE RACES

But of the recruiting materials mentioned in this paper, UVA was the only one to reference the IPEDS. We may conclude highlighting diversity on campus is not a major goal of their recruiting materials. When referring to the demographics data, the photography of the students accurately showcased the school’s ethnicity. The only acknowledgement of diversity came when analyzing the school’s academic goals. This acknowledgement stayed true to their academic goals, but Amherst College’s academic goal of individuality may contradict its diversity agenda. 11

Analysis

Amherst College TYPE: 4-year, Private not-for-profit CAMPUS SETTING: Town STUDENT POPULATION: 1,794 (all undergraduate) STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO: 9 to 1 AWARDS OFFERED: Bachelor’s degree

14 the girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attire, activity, and setting help relfect the importance of

ACADEMICS not only by the school, but by the students already enrolled.

Figure 2.1

Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, Amherst College is a private liberal arts college with nearly 1,700 students. The dimensions for its August 2009 viewbook is 10 inches in width by 8 inches in height. It is a seventy page viewbook, not including the covers. Its adherence to a grid and the importance of academics found in the use of its photography makes the Amherst College’s August 2009 viewbook have an overall “safe” design aesthetic. The Amherst viewbook is “safe” in design because it follows traditional grid-based design. This safe design helps sell the notion to parents that Amherst College puts a high importance on a student’s involvement in college activities and their college education. Along with Amherst’s willingness to allow a student to define their individuality through the curriculum, the importance of racial or ethnic diversity is communicated through the language and imagery used in their viewbook.

AMHERST COLLEGE

The layout and photography found on the front cover and “sample course” spreads are a prime example of the safe design found throughout the Amherst viewbook. The front cover (figure 2.1) has three groups of visual language: One, the title of the viewbook “Learning more { Amherst.” Two, the left edge contains a field of green with type stating “Amherst College [in] Amherst, Massachusetts.” Finally, there are three photos dividing the right half of the composition and revealing a grid. Within these three photos, there are three people and two of these three, appear to be minorities. The subject matter of the right and left photos help symbolize Amherst’s educational values. The girl in the far right photo appears to be studying a text book in front of what looks to be a modern building. She is wearing business casual attire, which could be thought of as an odd thing for a college student to wear when on campus, let alone when studying. The girl’s attire, activity, and setting help reflect the importance of academics not only by the school, but by the students already enrolled. The decision to use these photos, help the parents of prospective students know that Amherst provides well-furnished buildings and that an academic culture already resides within the current student body. The male student in the left photo makes eye contact with the viewer and is the first level in the visual hierarchy. He is possibly of Asian descent. His line of sight leads the viewer down the composition to the title of the viewbook “Learning more { Amherst.” This left photo portrays a student having an involved discussion. We cannot be certain the discussion is with a fellow student or with a professor, for the man he is talking to has his face turned away from us. However, we can assume that this discussion is not casual by looking at three things: One, the elegance of the pattern on the chair is most likely found in an office rather than a classroom.

viewbook dimensions: 10" x 8"

Two, his business casual attire. Three, his expression of sincere concern. This is not a casual discussion; we are lead to believe the student is talking to a professor or a distinguished staff member. Amherst’s student to faculty ratio is 8 to 1. Amherst prides itself on providing its students with “one-on-one, personal exchanges.” These personal exchanges allow Amherst to build “face-to-face learning right into the campus culture - which makes for an uncommonly engaging and satisfying intellectual experience.” This photo helps illustrate the personal interactions between student and faculty offered by Amherst’s small community. Parents can be assured their child would receive personal attention at Amherst, which in turn, could make most students better scholars.

The main function of these course spreads is

to act as a guide for students through

Amherst’s open curriculum.

AMHERST COLLEGE

Within the LEARNING section of the viewbook, there are spreads that contain information on courses that are offered at Amherst (see figure 2.2 and 2.3). These spreads give the official title of the course, the name of the professor, how many students typically take the course, and where and when the course takes place. Along with this list of information, there is a small paragraph that describes the premise of the class and how the professor makes a class worthwhile. While most of the photography found throughout the viewbook is in full color, the black and white photography found in these spreads help reinforce an attitude of importance towards academics. The students found in these photos all have poses of “interest” within a learning environment. There are photos of students leaning forward in their seats, as if eager to be engaged with the faculty. Again this helps remind the viewer there is a personal interaction between faculty and the student body. The main function behind these course spreads is to help act as a guide for students when defining their education through Amherst’s open curriculum. The ability to choose your own courses and to define your educational path allows Amherst to bestow individuality to a student. Looking to figure 2.3, the pull out quote helps link the underlying importance of diversity with the overall concept of individuality at Amherst. The quote by junior, Sarah Bass reads: “I received a grant from Amherst that allowed me to travel anywhere in the world for the purpose of writing. I went down to Grenada this summer and spent two weeks recording the oral history of my mother’s family’s immigration from India in the 19th century.” Amherst allowed Sarah to study abroad in order to better understand her ethnicity. This understanding could prove to help not only Sarah, but the Amherst community in general. Amherst mentions the importance of diversity in the design of the second page (figure 2.4), the language found on page 19 (figure 2.5) and alludes to it on page 15 (figure 2.6).

The design of Figure 2.4 has four photos accompanied by the following paragraph: “There are nearly 1,700 ways to learn at Amherst, every one of them a person with a unique combination of background, intellect and talent. Amherst students are remarkable in both their wide-ranging experiences and in the passion they share for life in and out of the classroom. Whether they come from nearby towns or faraway countries, they will have a significant and lasting impact on the way you view the world.” This paragraph indirectly informs the reader that Amherst believes that having a diverse student body benefits the educational experience. “1,700 ways to learn at Amherst” refers to the number of students that go to Amherst. “Whether they come from nearby towns or faraway countries, they will have a significant and lasting impact on the way you view the world” may influence Amherst to support Sarah Bass’s endeavor to better understand her culture or at least, it may be enough reason to tell prospective students about it. The students in the photos also help convey “learning.” The right photo is of a white student whose posture suggests listening. He is seated, hands clasped together, and appears to be making eye contact with someone outside the composition. The top photo also shows the concept of learning. Two minority students are in a midst of a conversation, where one student seems to be demonstrating or teaching a concept to another student.

Figure 2.4

Figure 2.5

AMHERST COLLEGE

Under the Academic Culture sub-head, figure 2.5 details “If paths of learning left visible trails, you’d see lines wiggling and shooting and crisscrossing among students and professors, reaching out from Amherst all over the world.” The “safe” design of this viewbook suggest Amherst’s primary goals is to ensure academic excellence for its students. Under the Academic Culture, Amherst proceeds to list Amherst’s influence around the world as an important attribute. 19

Figure 2.6

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR DISTINCTIVE BACKGROUNDS Figure 2.6’s headline reads “From 46 states and 41 countries, the students here share their distinctive backgrounds, interests and experiences.” According to figure 2.4, students sharing their backgrounds create “a significant and lasting impact on the way you view the world.” However, there are no “distinctive backgrounds” being shared in the photos found on this spread. Out of the nine distinguishable students found in the foreground photos only one is a minority. There is a bit of a disparity of how diversity is showcased in this viewbook compared to what the statistic really is.

The imagery of Amherst’s viewbook is comprised of photography; with most photos containing close-up, portrait shots of students interacting with each other or within their immediate environment. The layout of the viewbook generally lacks a rhythm structure. The only two sections that follow a rhythm structure are the Learning and Location sections. Both these sections follow an AB rhythm structure. The “Living at Amherst” section found on page 32 outlines the demographic breakdown of Amherst’s student body. The list of these statistics is labeled as “facts.” The list outlines the total number of students that are enrolled at Amherst and then proceeds to break them down by “ethnicity/race/background.” This is the racial breakdown of Amherst college:

15%, DID NOT IDENTIFY

42%, WHITE

1O%, AFRICAN AMERICAN

STUDENT BODY BREAKDOWN

1O%, ASIAN AMERICAN

AMHERST COLLEGE 9%, LATINO

7%, INTERNATIONAL 6%, MULTI-RACIAL

10% are African American, Black. 10% are Asian American. 6% are bi or multi-racial. 42% are Caucasian, White. 7% are international (non US citizens) There is no further breakdown of the international column. 9% are Latina/o. Less than 1% are Native American, American Indian. 15% did not identify. The 42% of Caucasian, white students make up the majority of the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racial breakdown. There are a total of 99 students whose race could be identified in this viewbook. This is how the demographics were represented in the photography of the viewbook. There were 21 African American students, 10 Asian students, 55 white students, 7 international students, and 6 Hispanic students. The design has effectively portrayed the ethnic demographic in its photography.

Analysis

USC LAW TYPE: 4-year, Private not-for-profit CAMPUS SETTING: City, large STUDENT POPULATION: 36,896 (17,380 undergraduate) STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO: 9 to 1 AWARDS OFFERED: Bachelor’s degree Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Post-master’s certificate Doctor’s degree - research/scholarship Doctor’s degree - professional practice

To the right, figure 3.1. At the bottom, figure 3.2

USC Law’s 2012 viewbook tries to attract students by emphasizing its vast alumni network and how great the Los Angeles area can be. The viewbook also doesn’t hide the difficulty of USC Law’s curriculum. The difficulty of the curriculum is evident by how students are photographed in classroom environments. Figures 3.1 and 3.2 are prime examples of students shown listening attentively in the classroom. This attentive nature accompanied by students clutching coffee, may suggest students spend long nights on studying. However USC Law’s biggest statement is addressing the school’s pioneering role in diversifying the law profession. USC Law was one of the first Law schools to allow enrollment of women and minorities. This allowed a diverse group of students early in the school’s career. However, often the imagery and content throughout the viewbook is disconnected.

viewbook dimensions: 8.5" x 11"

26 Figure 3.3 is the third spread in the USC Law viewbook. The photo on the left is of a group of five gentleman. They all appear to be of Asian descent. The desaturation, noise, and smudges of the photo act as visual cues to its old age. Its accompanying right photo appears to be a gathering of modern day USC Law students. Both photos are of a group of students and the stairs in the background meet on the same plane to give the illusion that they are related images. The continuance of the stairs help unify the two groups even though they are two different scenes, separated by time. The top right caption reads: “100 year heritage [headline]. Today’s USC Law reflects a distinguished past built on the principles of equity and excellence. Courage to break new ground drove the past and fuels the future.”

the school was built on a diverse past and that The overall concept behind this spread is to show the school was built on a diverse past and that diversity still lives in the current student body. Figure 3.4 is another moment in the viewbook that alerts to the relationship of the content versus imagery on a spread. This section “Commitment to Public Service” tells how students may volunteer in the Los Angeles community. It continues to explain how volunteering may help a student’s growth and outlines specific opportunities available to USC Law students. Although the photo to the right is of a volunteer event, the photograph does not accurately represent the content of this section. Rather, the photo seems to help promote diversity. There are two students in the photo standing in front of a fence; one student is African American, the other white. On the fence, there is a sign that has “Polling Place” in many languages. Both are wearing the

same T-shirt that promotes the “Election Protection” event. We assume that the two are advocates for the cause. However, the content never mentions who these students are or what “Election Protection” is. The viewer is left wondering about the story behind this photo and why it was chosen to accompany the volunteer section. The small description to the bottom left seemed like the appropriate space to explain what was happening in the photo, however it only mentions other volunteer opportunities and not “Election Protection.” It would have been logical to advertise the volunteer section by describing and illustrating a volunteer

diversity still lives in the current student body USC LAW

program with students who are involved. This photo illustrates diversity not because the two students are of different races, but because their advocacy for freedom of speech is in front of a sign of many languages. The depiction of the many languages appeals to different audiences. The lack of explanation of this photo and its appeal to satisfy a look of diversity was to maintain a look of diversity in the viewbook’s rhythm structure.

Figure 3.3 and 3.4 on next page

Figure 3.3;â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Figure 3.4 is to the right

USC LAW

Figure 3.5 is a more in-depth look and examination of USC Law’s legacy. One of the sub-sections is “Diversity Pioneers” which states: “From its internal beginnings, the fledgling institution made diversity its earliest hallmark and embraced this innovation every step of the way. USC Law’s early yearbooks showcase the school’s deep commitment to diversifying the profession. The faces of students reflect the communities that USC alumni have gone on to lead.” Not only does USC Law highlight the issues of diversity, but it also claims that their graduates went on to be leaders in their communities. This paragraph tells us that their “yearbooks showcase the school’s deep commitment to diversifying the profession” while figure 3.6 shows us proof. The eclectic mash-up of previous yearbook photos gives proof to USC Law’s diverse legacy. However, unlike figure 3.3 there is no description for this spread of yearbook photos. The only explanation of the meaning behind this spread and how it may relate to the College’s long term goals is in the above highlighted paragraph. This spread would benefit from having some language found on the page that describes why these photos are being shown together. What is the theme between these photos? Like the photo chosen for figure 3.4, I feel this spread of diverse yearbook photos is meant to maintain a look of diversity throughout the viewbook.

Figure 3.6

the school has a deep commitment to diversifying the profession

USC LAW

USC Law makes its diverse legacy known, but how does it represent the facts of its current student body. In the three paged section “Who We Are,” there is a spread of an introductory letter by the Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law, Robert K. Rasmussan and the other two spreads are important statistics. Figure 3.8 and 3.9 are the two subsequent spreads that make up the “Who We Are” section. There are ten important facts represented in the numbers across these two spreads. In the six on figure 3.8 the bottom right corner tells us that 40% of the student body are “self-identified students of color enrolling in Fall 2011.” Having this statistic in the top ten of “Who We Are” shows the importance USC Law places on advertising its diversity count. Adding “self-identified” lets us know that USC Law does not pressure its student body to disclose any unwanted information. Adding “enrolling in Fall 2011” lets any prospective students know the current status of diversity at the school and the potential number that will be present during their tenure at USC Law. The “40% students of color” gets mentioned again on page 32. Figure 3.10 shows this spread.

Figure 3.5

Figure 3.7

Figure 3.8

Figure 3.9

USC LAW

Figure 3.9

Alongside the 40% of students of color, there is a pie graph found at the bottom of the page that breaks down the student body’s demographics. The breakdown is as follows: 5.5% African American, 14% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 1.5% Foreign, 4% 2 or more races, 9% Did not respond, and 50% white. The data has an asterisk that explains that the “data reflects the demographic information as of 8/19/2011.”

ADDING THE TIME PERIOD ACTS AS “INSURANCE” As before, the design of the viewbook is keen to identify the time period when this information could be called “valid.” The adding of the time period acts as “insurance” to dismiss any possible future complaints that could be made when diversity numbers have changed and could become an issue. A similar insurance was found when UVA referenced the IPEDS definitions of race and ethnicity. But, as UVA stayed rigid when using the IPEDS definitions, USC Law differed. One major difference between the IPEDS definitions and these used in the USC Law demographics graphics was “American.” The IPEDS put “American” after every race or ethnicity. USC Law only put American after “African American.” But, if you are leaving out American in describing these ethnicities what makes them any different enough to be counted out of the Foreign or International pile? I believe the official IPEDS definition added “American” to these ethnicities to help unite us even amongst our cultural differences.

16%, HISPANIC

50%, WHITE 14%, ASIAN

STUDENT BODY BREAKDOWN USC LAW 5.5%, AFRICAN AMERICAN 9%, DID NOT RESPOND 4%, 2 OR MORE RACES 1.5%, FOREIGN

The beginning of my interest in this topic evolved from my own skepticism of how designers may represent diversity in college recruiting materials. Skepticism that there would be an inaccurate representation of demographics in the photography of these materials. However, after examination of many viewbooks and the analysis of a chosen few, I found that designers tend to use factual data to accurately represent a school’s demographics. By using statistical data as the basis of their design choices, a designer helps protect the school’s credibility. But to determine the “diversity” found in the photography of these materials, I counted the ethnicity of students. I did not include faculty in my data because only a demographic breakdown of students was available to compare my findings. When counting the students I tried to only count the students who were the subject matter of the photo. However, the numbers that I have counted are skewed by my perception. There is no way to accurately determine someone’s ethnicity by looking at their photo, but we may get an idea of this notion.

figure 4.1: Top, application cover; Bottom, original photo

The job of the designer behind these recruiting materials is to avoid any imagery or content that may lead to negative assumptions. A misguided attempt at showing diversity is the University of Wisconsin-Madison (figure 4.1), Undergraduate application scandal. To help â&#x20AC;&#x153;representâ&#x20AC;? the school as culturally diverse, a black studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face was photoshopped into a crowd of white students.

UW OFFICIALS PHOTOSHOPPED A BLACK STUDENT INTO A RECRUITMENT BROCHURE

CONCLUSION

“It was just a few years ago UW [Madison] officials photoshopped a black student into a recruitment brochure because a real one apparently wasn’t available!” (Eugene) This is the worse cast scenario of what not to do when trying to showcase diversity. A designer’s ultimate goal is to relieve all skepticism when illustrating diversity. The casting for a multicultural composition should appeaer genuine and not a “design-by-the-numbers-effect,” as if students were cast by quota. Of the viewbooks examined in this paper, I bet all of them were challenged in depicting “actual” diversity or depict scenes that looked natural. This challenges our canonic generality. Canonic generality is “an inclusion-exclusion device for the audience, depending, on whether the viewer believes him or herself to be represented by the image” (Montes-Armenteros, 16). And it is this internal struggle of inclusion versus and exclusion that drives how and why diversity is depicted in recruiting materials.

WORK CITED Chemi, Montes-Armenteros. “Stock Photography as Contemporary Iconography of Race, Class, and Identity.” 16-18. Web. IPEDS: "The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System About IPEDS." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education. Kane, Eugene. "Affirmative Action Faces New Challenge - JSOnline." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Breaking News, Sports, Business, Watchdog Journalism, Multimedia in Wisconsin. Journal Sentinel, 14 Sept. 2011. Web. Killenbeck, Ann M. “The Devil Is in the Lack of Details.” Indian Law Journal 85.1261 (2010): 1261-276. Web.

Interview with Bernice Thiebolt Creative Director at North Charles Street Design Organization

What are the five most important concerns that a school can communicate to you before you begin designing their viewbook? 1. What are the enrollment objectives? (e.g., more students, more high ability students, more males, more students in specific academic disciplines, more out-of-state students, more disadvantaged students, more full-payers...) 2. What is the institution’s best claim to attract students in each category it wants more of? 3. How is the institution misunderstood or underrated? 4. W ith which other institutions does it principally compete for the desired students? 5. What equity exists in the institution’s other communications? (e.g., is there an established visual identity with standards?)

How do you use photography to address these concerns? We use photography to express as true a picture as possible of a campus’s students, and its learning and living environments—-giving special attention to the interests of targeted categories of students.

INTERVIEW

If the school provides you with existing photography, what are your major concerns when editing that photography? Hard to answer that question as stated. Client-supplied photography seldom fills the whole bill. Often it is weighted heavily in favor of documenting special events or campus landscapes, and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t convey a sense of how studying there might be. Our general practice is to review what is available from the client, assess whether any on-campus photographer might be able to fill gaps, and plan a strategically organized shoot to cover the remaining areas we need. If you are allowed to create new photography, how may you address these concerns through photo shoots See above.

INTERVIEW

I noticed Amherst College is one of your clients and I was curious if you were responsible for their viewbook? If so, would you be willing to answer a few questions? If not, which viewbooks are you familiar with? Amherst has been our client for two fund raising campaigns, but not for admission communications. We have a conflict of interest (a 20+ year relationship with Williams Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admission office) that prevents our working for Amherst admissions. We have served more than 200 institutions over the past 39 years, and have probably done admission communications for two-thirds of them. To see a few other viewbooks we have helped produce, go to: www.ncsdo.com/site/case_studies/g13/ www.ncsdo.com/site/portfolio/enrollment.php

Colophon designed by: Ronald Cortez typefaces used: Trade Gothic, Minion Pro paper used: Crane Letra 32LB

The background image is of Ronald Cortezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior thesis exhibition piece from NEXT at the Corcoran: Class of 2012

Race in College Recruiting Materials As a high school senior you are exposed to countless college recruiting materials. These recruiting materials may range from weekly postcards that detail special events to elaborate viewbooks. Each educational institution has uniquely designed their recruiting materials to be an extension of their brand/identity to help promote their academic abilities and the diversity of its student body. However, how much influence does â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing yourselfâ&#x20AC;? or relating to the imagery in viewbooks influences a decision to apply or ultimately attend a college or university.