How can we best support fine art students whom, for a variety of reasons, have difficulty negotiating their studies?

Having taught within a school of fine art for almost seventeen years I have been afforded the opportunity to witness changes as they are occurring. These changes include; shifting approaches towards engagement, changing student behaviours, and the development of new educational opportunities informed by advancements in digital technologies. When combined, this range is tangible - it is evident in our studios every day, and takes the form of new polymathic practices. As educator’s it is clear that staff, both academic and technical, do our level best to keep abreast of student’s ever increasing skill set. It’s the development of this particular reciprocal relationship that makes art school education so interesting. Importantly, we all occupy an educational space where exchange takes place, where working relationships between staff and students develop, and where new knowledge occurs. However, what happens to the education of students when those with difficulties are unable to attend? In particular, students with debilitating conditions, such as extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. In such cases, what happens to their educational reciprocity? And where does it occur? Answers to this age-old question must surely reside within the digital domain, where educational boundaries have diminished, and the opportunity to learn exists regardless of one’s locale.