PRATT LAUNCHES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Alumni tour the studio and workshop facilities at 3RD WARD during the launch of the Pratt Alumni Association.Pratt has officially launched its Alumni Association, allowing all degree-holding Pratt graduates to receive discounts and benefits at select Pratt facilities and New York City cultural institutions.
Among the key benefits Alumni Association members receive is a 15 percent discount on a membership to 3RD WARD, an art and design studio for creative professionals in East Williamsburg; 3RD WARD membership includes admission to courses, the use of photo studios, a professional wood and metal shop, a digital media lab, a jewelry studio, shared and private workspaces, and more.
The Alumni Association launch took place last month at 3RD WARD, where about 75 alumni networked over cocktails and light refreshments while enjoying music by DJ Derrick Adams (B.F.A. Art and Design Education ’96). They were also taken on guided tours of 3RD WARD’s 20,000-square-foot facility.
The Alumni Association offers other benefits to Pratt graduates, including a discount on courses given by Pratt’s Center for Continuing and Professional Studies, discounted membership at Pratt’s athletic center, and free entry to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Pratt’s Office of Alumni Relations staffed a table where graduates could log into and explore alumni.pratt.edu, get information about the new and improved alumni benefits and services, and enter a raffle for an iPad.
For more about the Pratt Institute Alumni Association, visit alumni.pratt.edu.
Photos: Kevin Wick
Gateway Editors
Reader Comments (10)
Very disappointing that alumni are no longer allowed to use the computer facilities etc. at Pratt and are being offered only a 15% discount on the use of facilities that aren't as good. It used to be different, and you should treat your alumni better, shame on you :(
yeah, seriously, we paid HOW much for four years and can't even TOUCH the printmaking studio?
I completely agree. The athletic center is the last place I'd want access to. The labs and studios are for more important to any Pratt graduate.
Its a real shame that the facilities available at pratt are only accessible if you are currently enrolled. We will be paying off student loans for years to come and we wont even have a place to go an work. Really disappointed.
15% is tator-tots compared to what SVA and Parsons do to allow their graduates to use their facilities. By the way... I should be able to enter the Pratt library without paying some silly fees... I payed my dues when I paid my tuition!
Glad to see everyone is agreeing. I am extremely disappointed in Pratt. They advertised help for their students in finding jobs and internships while in school, and especially in connections after graduation. I have seen none of this help, let alone the fact that perhaps it would help us get started if we could continue to use the labs. As a former photography major, how can I possibly afford to make prints without lab access? Labs in the city are too expensive for a recent graduate. Not to mention how much money went into this school and we still had to pay lab fees to use our labs! We should be able to use the labs for that price during school, and after.
Don't kid us. Do something about this.
Wow... what is sad about all of this is the fact that I am not surprised it is happening. I've had many disappointments the last couple of years which begs the question WHERE DOES OUR MONEY GO?
I graduated 20 years ago, things haven't changed over there at Pratt, have they?! They've always had such an attitude problem.. I'll never give them a dime, just because of their horrible attitude. When I was graduating and asked for career advice, they told me to look at the card file for jobs (like the minimum wage McDonalds type jobs). They were only interested in placing graphic designers, photo students really didn't matter. I later applied for graduate school and got yelled at by the Director of Financial Aid because I needed information. I received a snarky letter from Alumni Relations when I pointed out that they never sent me anything except mail related to giving them donations. At my 10 year reunion, one guy from my class showed up and I was pressured by Mr. Schutte for money, yet there weren't enough seats so I ate my stinky meal on the back steps of the Pratt House. I went to an open house recently (which I RSVP'd to) and was turned away by a security guard because my name wasn't on "the list." It just goes on and on, doesn't it.....I guess nothing about this school surprises me anymore. I should have gone to NYU.
My Pratt educational and social experiences evoke fond memories. I had some great teachers and good friends. But sadly there are no warm feelings towards Pratt administration which, to me, fell short in treating students with respect and regard. It seems, 35 years later that things might still be the same. I can understand the anger and frustration about the cost of tuition. Back in the day, the early 70s, a year's tuition cost less than 50% of a minimum wage job (tuition was $2200/yr in the early 70s). You could leave for a year, work, and return to finish up your degree. Now a year's tuition is at least 2x the income from a minimum wage job. Pratt is not unique among private schools, so I wonder if this "trend" is just society standing by and watching the frog in the pot...the frogs don't leap out, they just wait and eventually die as the heat slowly gets hotter. Why is it assumed and accepted that tuition is raised every year...usually by more than the actual costs incurred? The anger of current students and the resentment of recent alumni on this thread will hopefully prompt some serious reconsideration of school policies.
On behalf of Alumni Relations, your feedback is important to us. Pratt Institute is proud to have students, faculty, staff, and alumni that create groundbreaking work that is positively influencing our world. The Pratt Institute Alumni Association is a new way for Pratt graduates to stay connected with Pratt and each other, and was created to meet the needs expressed by Pratt alumni. The association and the free annual membership card are an important step in responding to alumni feedback.
Tuition alone does not cover the full cost of a Pratt education, and not a single Pratt student graduates without somehow being assisted by private giving. In fact, all alumni benefited from donors before them. While Pratt cannot provide the same access to campus facilities for alumni as students, we aim to offer alumni discounts to classes, museums, and creative workspaces in New York City and beyond. We are currently working to expand our services and to offer additional discounts, so stay tuned!