Academy Resource Center (ARC)
Get in touch with us toll-free, or select a department below to find more information.
1-800-544-ARTS (2787)
79 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
Academy Resource Center (ARC) Directors
Hours
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Location
79 New Montgomery St., 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Kate Griffeath
Executive Vice President, Educational Support Services
Kate Griffeath has worked as an educator, teacher trainer, administrator, and professional consultant for over three decades and brings passion and innovation to her leadership role at the Academy of Art University. As an Executive Vice President, she has built and developed seven distinct educational support departments serving both students and faculty and has worked closely with all academic and administrative departments. She has overseen numerous educational partnerships with outside companies and has been a key member of the Accreditation, Management, Student Grievance, Student Representative, and Strategic Planning Committees. Additionally, she was the founder and has been chair of the university’s Student Success Committee for over a decade. Finally, she has published articles, both nationally and internationally, and has presented and taught at a wide range of universities, conferences, companies, and organizations.
Lynda España
ADA & Title IX Coordinator, Accessibility Resources
Lynda was born in California and grew up on the East Coast on a small island in Maine. After calling San Francisco her home for nearly 20 years, she was lured back to the Pine Tree State. Lynda received her B.A. in Marketing from Marietta College in Ohio, where she was also a Hall of Fame student-athlete. She has a diverse vocational background including coaching collegiate basketball teams, a short stint as a paramedic, and several years as a sign language interpreter. She is currently the ADA & Title IX Coordinator for the University, and an Online Support Instructor within the School of Fashion. She is inspired by the creativity and passion of the students and faculty here at the Academy. Lynda enjoys stand-up comedy, true crime podcasts, camping, sailing, rockabilly music, and collecting vintage clothes and mid-century memorabilia.
Phone: 1-415-618-3813
Email: LEspana@academyart.edu
Chantelle Ferguson
Director, Online Language Support
Chantelle Ferguson has been teaching for nearly 20 years. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in English, she moved to South America where she taught English at a private university and developed one of the first online academic writing courses offered in the region. She has since designed and taught numerous on campus and online courses at universities in the United States. In addition she has worked as a Spanish instructor, newspaper journalist, and yoga instructor. She has been at Academy Art University since 2003 and director of Online Language Support since 2005.
Email: cferguson@academyart.edu
James J. O’Hara
Director, Art Support and EAP Liaison
James O'Hara began his teaching career in 1984 while still an undergraduate at Brown University, where he earned his B.A. in Urban Studies (Honors) and English: Creative Writing. Two years later, he joined the Peace Corps and later worked as a teacher trainer and supervisor for Save the Children in Indonesia and Thailand. After returning to the U.S. to teach in the Minnesota public schools, he moved to the Bay Area, where he received his M.A. from U.C. Berkeley in 1992. He became an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University in 1989, designing the Professional English curriculum at both Golden Gate and SFSU. He has worked as a faculty member and educational support director at the Academy of Art University since 1995.
Phone: 1-415-618-3875
Email: johara@academyart.edu
English for Art Purposes (EAP) Directors
Bob McDonald
Director, English for Art Purposes
Bob studied American Literature at Boston U. and U.C. Santa Cruz as an undergraduate. He then attended The California Culinary Academy, but after a brief stint working as a chef, he decided to return to his passion of literature and language. He went on to receive an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from San Francisco State. Bob has travelled extensively through Asia, Europe and Latin America, with the most recent trips being to Cuba. He also settled in Buenos Aires, Argentina for two years to teach English. He began working at the Academy in 1994 as an ESL teacher and became EAP Director in 2000.
Hilaire Fong
Associate Director, English for Art Purposes
Hilaire received a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and an M.A. in English from SFSU. She has lived in Bordeaux, France and Tokyo, Japan, and has taught English in various settings, including a university, a community college, an intensive English program, and a design studio. Hilaire loves baking, hiking, spending time with her dog, and linguistic anomalies.
Educational Background: San Francisco State University (MA-English, TESOL); University of California, Los Angeles (BA-Psychology)
Art Support & EAP Liaisons
Contact Information
Phone: 1-415-618-3875
Email: tutoring@academyart.edu
Location
The Art Support & EAP Liaisons program is part of the English for Art Purposes (EAP) department. It is located at 79 New Montgomery St. (79 NM), 3rd Floor.
The Language Support Lab is located at 79 NM, Room 311. (Labs are scheduled throughout the university; not all labs take place at 79 NM.)
Accessibility Resources
Location
79 New Montgomery, 3rd Floor, Room 356
Online Educational Support
Contact Information
Phone: 1-415-618-8524
ARC Onsite Academic Support (ARC Coaching)
Location
79 New Montgomery St. (79 NM), 3rd Floor
EAP Work Group
Location
79 New Montgomery, Room 316.
Hours
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Writing Lab
Location
79 New Montgomery, 3rd Floor
Hours
Monday–Saturday
