| Full Sail University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1979 |
| Type | Private, for-profit university |
| President | Garry Jones |
| Admin. staff | 1,400 |
| Students | 12,400+[1] |
| Location | Winter Park, FL, U.S. |
| Campus | Suburban (191 acres) |
| Former names |
Full Sail Real World Education |
| Mascot | DC-3 airplane |
| Website | fullsail.edu |
Full Sail University is a for profit trade school located in Winter Park, Florida, and founded in 1979 in Dayton, Ohio, as Full Sail Recording Workshop.[2] Full Sail relocated to Florida in 1980,[3] adding video production and film production courses and, with the move in 1989 to its current campus,[4] expanded its curriculum to include other entertainment and media-related areas of study. Full Sail began offering online degrees in 2007.[5]
Full Sail awards associate's, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees in audio, film, design, computer animation, business, and other fields, and is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).[6] The school offers 33 degree programs and has a current student population of more than 12,400.[1]
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In 1978, Full Sail was founded by Jon Phelps. The following year, the school relocated to Orlando, Florida and new courses were added to the core recording arts program. A film program was added in 1988, which marked the school's initial expansion beyond audio-only programs. In 1989, Full Sail moved to its current location in Winter Park, Florida; the following year, the school was accredited to award specialized associate's degrees.[4]
Full Sail began to receive notice within the audio industry for its programs, and for three years in a row, 1989–1991, the school won Mix magazine's TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) award for Best Recording School/Program.[7]
Between 1995 and 1999, Full Sail added specialized associate's degrees or associate's degrees in Computer Animation, Digital Media, Game Design and Development, and Show Production and Touring. All of these degrees have since been expanded into full bachelor's degree programs.
In 2005, the school launched its first bachelor's degree program, in Entertainment Business. In 2007, the school introduced its first master's program, also in Entertainment Business,[8] launched a Graphic Design Associate of Science Degree, and announced its first online degree program — an online version of the Entertainment Business Master's Degree.[9] Full Sail's online offerings have expanded since that time to include fields not represented among their campus degrees, including Internet Marketing and Sports Management, as well as online versions of their campus degrees, such as Web Design & Development and Computer Animation.
On March 24, 2008, Full Sail changed its name to Full Sail University after attaining university status from the Florida Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education.[10] At the press conference announcing the change, they unveiled a 1,700-foot (520 m) long backlot, which includes 18 city facades.[11]
On April 20, 2009, Full Sail marked its 30th anniversary with the opening of the Full Sail University Hall of Fame.[12] The event included testimonials from Neil Portnow (president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), filmmaker Kevin Smith, recording artist Anthony Hamilton, and others. Six graduates were inducted into the Hall of Fame including[13] Sebastian Krys (producer/engineer, four-time Grammy Award winner, seven-time Latin Grammy Award winner), Gary Rizzo (sound re-recording mixer and Oscar award winner for Best Achievement in Sound), and Phil Tan (mix engineer and three-time Grammy Award winner).
In June 2010, the second set of inductees was selected and added to the Hall of Fame including[14] Leslie Brathwaite (mix engineer and Grammy award winner), Marc Fishman (sound re-recording mixer, Emmy winner), and Martin "Tike" Santos (live sound engineer, Paul McCartney).
Full Sail University’s 191 acre (71 ha) campus is located in Winter Park, Florida, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) northeast of downtown Orlando. The college campus contains the central administrative offices, university library, and academic buildings, including a production backlot, more than 110 studios and production environments, film backlot, auditorium, and Full Sail Studios. The university moved to Winter Park in 1989. Renovation and expansion into surrounding buildings began in 1995, growing into three additional buildings by 2004. In 2009, the university expanded into a fifth building, a 49,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) space near campus to accommodate educators for the online degree program.[15]
A 2.2 acre (0.89 ha) facility named Full Sail Studios opened in 2010, consisting of a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) multi-purpose venue and a two-story 10,600-square-foot (980 m2) recording studio and game production studio named Blackmoor after the late Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and instructor from 1999 to 2009. This addition also completed the film backlot, totaling 2078 linear ft (633 m) and 19 outdoor scenic environments.[16][17]
In November 2010 the Sports Lab Powered by ESPN was added to the campus, a facility for research and development of new studio and remote technologies. The lab works in association with the ESPN Innovation Lab located at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World and is the first and only sports technology lab to be constructed at a Florida college or university.[18]
In January 2011, approximately 200 Full Sail Online administration and support team employees moved into the Gateway Center in Downtown Orlando.[19][20] Also in 2011, the university announced plans to construct an 86,000-square-foot (8,000 m2) educational building to house 475 faculty and staff, additional film and television soundstages and classrooms, and is scheduled for completion in Spring 2012.[21]
Full Sail awards Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees. Associate degrees are offered on its campus but are not available online. It also offers two online graduate certificates in Education Media Design and Technology and Internet Marketing.[22]
Full Sail education is "accelerated"—the school's degree programs can be completed in less than half the time of a typical college degree—as the associate's programs are 12 months long, the bachelor's programs are 21 to 32 months long, and the master's programs range from 12 to 13 months long.
Full Sail's degree programs start monthly. Throughout the course of a program, the average Full Sail student will have two courses at one time, with one course convening on three days a week and the other course convening on two or three depending on the class. This course load can fluctuate, however, according to the student's program and month.
Courses are generally four weeks long, but some are longer, and new courses start every four weeks. This schedule allows Full Sail a fluid, if intense, operating method. If a student fails a course for poor grades (as opposed to poor attendance), they can take the course over again the following month at no additional cost, as long as the schedule for the degree is maintained. If a student fails a class for poor attendance, however, they must pay for the course cost again.
Curriculum in each of the programs at Full Sail University is steered by Advisory Board panels, which are made up of industry professionals working in relevant fields. Companies that Advisory Board members work for include Adobe Systems,[23] Sony Music Studios,[24] Rockstar Games,[25] Industrial Light and Magic,[25] and Apple.[26]
In 2007, Full Sail University offered its first online degree program, a master's degree in Entertainment Business.[9] Currently, the school offers a total of 22 online degree programs: seven master's degrees, thirteen bachelor's degrees, and two graduate certificate programs.[27] Nine of the online degree programs are directly based on campus-based degree programs, and the other thirteen are exclusive to Full Sail University Online.
Online students at Full Sail utilize much of the same software and creative tools students use in campus-based programs.[28] Additionally, Full Sail custom-built a learning management system for use with their online courses; the LMS is Macintosh-based, and utilizes content created by an in-house curriculum development team in conjunction with campus-based instructors.[5][29] The curriculum used for Full Sail University Online is generated utilizing the same educators and advisory boards as campus-based programs.[30]
Student life at Full Sail differs from that of a typical university due largely to the absence of a regular semester system. Most degree programs start a new class monthly, with classmates who start at the same time frequently staying together throughout the program.
There are more than 25 different student groups oriented toward student interests, including student chapters of Grammy U,[31] AIGA[32] , IGDA, MEISA,[33] Toastmasters,[34] and others. Students in the relevant degree program generally manage the groups, with an instructor providing support.
Other clubs include the Entertainment Networking Society, Veterans Group, International Film Society, Gay–Straight Alliance, among many others.[35] The clubs meet to socialize, participate in public service events, and in the case of the Black Student Union, perform and direct live theatre.[36]
Full Sail University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) which is a national accreditor of vocational schools and career schools in the U.S. The Commission's accreditation standards require measurement of student outcomes, graduate employment assistance, and a baseline rate of job placement. Additional accreditation standards require instructors to have experience in their respective industries, as well as necessary academic credentials, and that accredited schools maintain an advisory committee composed of industry professionals who help determine curriculum goals and content.[37]
Most four-year colleges do not recognize credits from Full Sail. As Full Sail does not have accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, credits may not be transferable to many other schools.[38]