There are no conventional classes to distract students from artistic initiatives. Five credits are awarded each session for work successfully completed in the Conference. In the weekly Caucus, faculty and students within a discrete discipline meet to discuss topics of interest. At the beginning of the summer each discipline considers the form and content of the Caucus, offering an opportunity for students as well as faculty to determine a desired activity or interchange within a structured format. The Caucus is also an occasion for each discipline to host visiting artists, read and discuss relevant articles, view faculty work, and share information with others practicing in the field.
All artists confront similar issues.
In the weekly Seminar, students explore intersections of aesthetic, intellectual, and societal issues in sessions led by second-year students. Seminar groups are assigned at the start of each summer session, and are made up of about fifteen to twenty members, including a cross-section of students, resident faculty, and distinguished visiting artists. Topics are drawn from a series of assigned readings and student interests and needs. Issues raised in the weekly Seminar often have productive consequences for students' individual work. Four credits are awarded each session for adequate participation in the Seminar.