TUFTS PARENTS AND FAMILIES (TPF) NEWSLETTER | December 19, 2023

Dear Parents and Families,

In this last newsletter of the fall semester, meet Associate Dean for Student Life at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) Alyssa Baker, who shares insight about her role and the SMFA experience and why she enjoys working with art students. Regularly featured "Career Corner" highlights internships, and in the "Student Spotlight" video, our student contributor Kylie McNulty gives an inside look at the TFL comedy group. McNulty, who is a member of TFL, talks to students about how laughter helps them through finals.

I hope your students had a great semester, and happy holidays to you!

Best wishes,

Carole McFall
Family Engagement, AS&E 
carole.mcfall@tufts.edu
Direct: 617-627-2797

Alyssa Baker jumped at the opportunity to work at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts. The new Associate Dean for Student Life at SMFA started at Tufts in May and has a deep appreciation for working with art students. “They’re empathetic, and they want to express themselves and understand how other people express themselves. Being around our students and faculty, I’m reminded of and inspired by the positive impact of art,” said Baker who holds a BA in Art History and an MFA in Museum Education from Boston University. 

First-year students in the SMFA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program live in brownstone apartments on Beacon Street in Brookline, just outside Boston and the SMFA’s 230 Fenway campus, while Combined Degree students who pursue a BFA and either a BA or BS in the five-year program live in residence halls on the Medford/Somerville campus. Baker emphasizes that because SMFA students have to be mindful of planning their commutes between campuses they tend to develop strong organizational skills and become independent early on in their college experience. 

Baker and three Student Life colleagues have offices based on the Boston campus. “The SMFA student experience is unique so we want them to know we are right here for them. We’ve created a cozy, relaxed atmosphere in our offices with a food pantry and bean bag chairs to encourage students to come see us.” 

Baker’s team meets weekly with members of SMFA’s active Student Government Association, hosts “meet and greet” events with colleagues from the Medford/Somerville campus, and welcomes campus partners from Counseling and Mental Health Service (CMHS) on Mondays and Thursdays each week for on-site counseling services for SMFA students.

As the semester wraps ups, SMFA students have been getting ready for review boards, which Baker says students generally look forward to for one-on-one direct feedback on their work from faculty. “It’s a really valuable experience for students to have these in-depth conversations with working artists [faculty] at the end of the fall and spring semesters,” she said. She also recognizes that preparations for review boards can be stressful, so Student Life hosts a kick-off lunch and provides “finals fuel,” providing snacks and water bottles during the week, as well as some tools that students may need, such as pins to hang their work. 

Baker says an ongoing focus of her work is ensuring that SMFA students know they have access to resources that are available to all Tufts students, emphasizing that “we are one community.” Likewise, she highlights that most SMFA classes are available to all students, and she welcomes all students and families to visit the SMFA. "We just wrapped up one of our signature events—our annual SMFA art sale, but we offer rotating exhibitions and exciting openings in our galleries year-round for all students, parents, and families to visit the SMFA."

Fun Fact: Similar to Jumbo’s presence on the Medford/Somerville campus, it’s hard to miss Bessie on the Fenway campus. Bessie is a life-sized sculpture of a rhinoceros that greets visitors near the entrance. (Check out a photo of Bessie in the photo selects below.)

Good to Know: All Tufts students get free entrance to the Museum of Fine Arts (located across the street from the SMFA) with their student ID.

For this month’s feature, I’m bringing you behind the scenes of the winter show with TFL, a non-audition comedy group for gender minorities at Tufts. I have always been impressed with the effort Jumbos put into bringing levity and lightheartedness even in stressful times, and I’m so happy that students were able to attend an awesome comedy show and get out of the library! 

Focusing on Internships ...

Helping your student think about summer internships or other ways to gain experience? Visit the following links to learn about internship resources, find out where Tufts students intern, connect to career advisors, and secure funding for unpaid internships. 

Supporting Your Student’s Career Goals - Webinar Recording: Did you miss our December 5 webinar? No problem! On the Tufts Family Engagement site you’ll find a recording, PPT presentation with links, presentation Q&A, and a resource handout. We reference internship resources several times throughout the webinar!

Internship Spotlight: United Nations Department of Global Communications: International student and recent Tufts grad talks about interning with the UN. For more featured internships (paid and unpaid), visit the Career Center website and enter “internship spotlight” into the search bar at the top of the page. If your student is graduating in the new year, read about our resources for alumni. 

Virtual Winter Break Appointments: The Career Center offers Zoom appointments for students over break, and we’re glad to discuss the many ways that they can gain experience—from internships and research to volunteering, short-term projects, and more.

Career Center Summer Internship Grants: Each summer, the Career Center funds 40-50 undergrad students doing unpaid internships for a minimum of 300 hours. Selected students receive $4,500, and they must secure their internships prior to the grant application deadline (March 17, 2024).

Do you have a high school student at home who wants to preview the college experience, prepare for college, or discover their future major or career path? This summer we’re excited to be welcoming high school students back to campus with our Pre-College Programs! We offer a wide variety of engaging programs ranging from one to six weeks taught by Tufts' renowned faculty. Students can explore their passions, gain new skills, and find a field that best fits them. 

Class of 2024 Senior Memory Books are on sale now. Books are completed following commencement and mailed in July to the home address provided during the ordering process. Seniors who had their portrait taken on campus as part of the Senior Portrait Days will be in the portrait section of the book. There is one more portrait session being offered for your graduating student in late January. More information about the Senior Memory Book is available online. 

Tufts Now
Step Behind the Scenes with Blackout—The all-men's step team brings together a diverse group of guys who move as one. 

Plan Ahead for Break Periods
Information about your student's breaks during the academic year is available online.

Dates to Remember
Dec. 22, 12 p.m. – Residence halls close for winter recess 
Jan. 14, 12 p.m. – Residence halls open for spring semester
Jan. 15 – Martin Luther King Day (University Holiday)
Jan. 17 – Classes begin

Communications Archive
Emails and other communications to parents, families, and students are archived online. 

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Parents and Families