WIA Student Collectives
WIA student collectives are student-run clubs at various higher education institutions. These collectives give students an opportunity to build and foster an animation community that aligns with WIA’s mission of empowering and advocating for people of underrepresented gender identities in the art, technology, production, and business of animation, gaming, and VFX.
WIA Global supports these recognized communities in a variety of ways not limited to:
- WIA brand recognition and affiliation
- Industry connections and resources
- Leadership support
- Peer-to-peer student collective connections
- Event support
NOTE: WIA Student Collectives must be approved by WIA Global and approval must be renewed on an annual basis.
For questions and support, please email [email protected].
Important Dates
September 1, 2025
Applications open
September 10, 2025
General Information Session for students interested in starting or renewing WIA Student Collective.
October 13, 2025
Applications close.
October 18, 2025
Application Status Emails go out.
November 2025
– Student Collective Leaders Meet-and-Greet
February 2026
Mid-year report due
May 2026
End-of-year report due and end-of-year celebration
May – September 2026
StuColl Summer – Approved Schools Only
Dates are subject to change; events may be added or removed as needed.
COLLECTIVE Goals
Why Form A Student Collective?
As animation continues to reach audiences of diverse age, gender, ethnicity, abilities and culture, so does the need to ensure that animation content represents the world as it should be — a world where people of diverse genders are meaningfully represented, both behind the scenes and on the screen, to move culture forward. You can help make this vision a reality by stepping up as a leader to grow and empower like-minded members at your school. Leading a WIA community can be a rewarding experience in a variety of ways, including:
- Giving back to the community you love
- Empower women (cis and trans) and nonbinary students who want to get into the industry
- Building your leadership skills
- Growing your professional network
COLLECTIVE REQUIREMENTS
- Commitment to one full Student Collective year of leadership by Collective leaders (6-6.5 months).
- NOTE: Each Student Collective should have at least two co-leads. Responsibilities can be split up, but Collectives with only one identified leader are less likely to be approved.
- Student Collective Co-Leads are expected and agree to finish the Student Collective year in its entirety from October to May.
- Host a minimum of at least 3 events per year (virtual or in-person – 2 Connects, 1 Talent Development).
- Maintain consistent member outreach via social media (Discord, Bluesky, or Instagram) or an email newsletter.
- Attend all mandatory StuColl meetings and trainings.
- Submit a mid-year report and end-of-year report.
2025 WIA Student Collectives
Academy of Art University | wia_artu
Animation Mentor | wia_animationmentor
Arizona State University | wia.asu
Atlantic University
California College of The Arts
California State University Fullerton | wia.csuf
California State University Northridge | wia.csun
Chapman University | wia_chapman
College for Creative Studies
Columbia College Chicago – RISE | wia.columbiacollegechicago
Daemen University
DePaul University | wia.depaul
East Carolina University
East Tennessee State University
Emily Carr University of Art and Design | wia.ecuad
Fashion Institute of Technology
Ithaca College | ic_wia
Kennesaw State University | wia.ksu
Laguna College of Art and Design | wia.lcad
Lipscomb University | wia.lipscombuni
Loyola Marymount University | wia.lmu
Moore College of Art and Design | mooreaniclub
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Mexico State University | wia.nmsu
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
Northern Kentucky University
Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD)
Otis College of Art and Design
Pratt Institute | wia.pratt
Purdue University | wia.purdue
Ringling College of Art and Design | wia.rcad
San Jose State University | wia_sjsu
Savannah College of Art and Design | wia_scad
Savannah College of Art and Design (ATL campus)
School of Visual Arts | wia_sva
Seneca Polytechnic | wia.seneca
Sheridan college
State University of New York at Fredonia | wia.sunyfredonia
Syracuse University | syracuse_wia
Tarrant County College
Texas A&M | wia_tamu
The New School | wia.tnscollective
Tufts University | wia_tufts
U-tad | University Center for Technology and Digital Art
University of Central Florida | wia.ucf
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | carolina.aniano
University of Southern California | wia.usc
University of Texas at Dallas | wia_utdallas
William Paterson University