Art, Media, and Design Student Clubs

Academic Year 2026-2027 Officers

• President: Amara Abaquin-Brown
• Treasurer: Evelyn Bryant
• Faculty Advisor: Heidi Brar, hbrar@csusm.edu

WE HOPE YOU WILL CHECK OUT THE CLUB AND GET INVOLVED. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE *NEW* AMD CLUB!

Follow the AMD Club on IG: @amdclub_csusm

Email: amdclubcsusm@outlook.com

The AMD Club is a student-led organization that brings AMD students together for creative activities, community, and opportunities to connect outside of class.

• Meeting Day: The club will meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month
• Meeting Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM (during U-Hour) 
• Meeting Location: ARTS 342

The AMD Club is currently looking for a Vice President and Secretary. *Ideally would be Juniors or earlier, so that they have the opportunity to grow into the roles of President or Treasurer, if they wanted to. 

If interested in joining the AMD Club, please complete the Student Interest Form.

 

• Meeting Day: Usually the last Thursday of the month - Email Ghazal Foroutan, gforoutan@csusm.edu to confirm meeting day.
• Meeting Time: 12:00 PM (U-Hour)
• Meeting Location: ARTS 239 - Email Ghazal Foroutan, gforoutan@csusm.edu to confirm meeting location.

How does the club connect to the AMD Department? GDC directly supports the AMD Department by:

1. Giving design students extracurricular opportunities to grow professionally
2. Creating a bridge between AMD students and professional designers/alumni
3. Helping represent the AMD program across campus and focus more on graphic design
4. Offering workshops and experiences that reinforce what students learn in AMD courses

What make this club unique?

• Students get hands-on experience running a mini design studio (events, projects, branding, collaboration).
• Provides real portfolio pieces, leadership training, and team project experience.
• Connects students to industry professionals, alumni, and off-campus design events.
• Encourages cross-department and community engagement, making it broader than typical campus clubs. 

How is leadership selected? Officers are chosen every academic year, and new candidates may nominate themselves every Fall. 

Activities/Opportunities - Client Work for CSUSM (Campus Partnerships)

GDC officers promote the club's design studio capabilities across campus, inviting departments to submit projects. Students gain real-world experience through:

• Branding projects
• Posters and promotional materials
• Social Media graphics
• Event materials 
• Informational brochures

Most campus design work is free or low-cost to encourage collaboration. Off-campus projects may also be accepted with advisor approval, giving students additional professional opportunities. 

Portfolio Reviews

Faculty members or industry designers visit GDC meetings to provide portfolio critique sessions, especially for seniors preparing for internships and jobs and Portfolio workshops. Students receive personalized feedback and guidance on:

• Typography
• Layout
• Case studies
• Professional presentation
• Resume design

• Purpose: The purpose of the Graphic Design Club CSUSM is to educate, expose, and provide resources to students interested in anything and everything relevant in the world of Graphic Design. 
• Mission: The mission of the Graphic Design Club CSUSM is to cultivate meaingful connections between CSUSM stuents and the professional design community. The club seeks to increase awareness of the Graphic Design program across university departments and to strengthen its presence within the broader San Diego art and design community.

*The Graphic Design Club CSUSM is open to anyone who is interested in design and wants to make a contribution or learn more. (Preference is Art, Media, and Design majors)

Academic Year 2026-2027 Officers

• President: Olivia Watson
• Vice President: Britney Perades
• Faculty Advisor: Ghazal Foroutan, gforoutan@csusm.edu