There's been a lot of work done in this area at the University of Sheffield. Their undergrad school now encourages student-led crits (or should I say design reviews) and other forms of feedback that don't lead to over-tired students breaking down in tears half way through. Which, let's face it, isn't the best state in which to learn.
This was introduced by the last head, Jeremy Till and implemented by Parnell and Sara, who wrote an interesting book about how to improve learning from such crits. Sheffield is still acknowledged as one of the top 3 architecture schools in the UK.
Unfortunately, however, it seems the post grad course is still more traditional.

In the US, Kathryn Anthony is the leading light and wrote Design Juries on Trial, a really interesting insight.

My view follows that of these academics (interesting they're all female!).
The traditional crit is outdated and its only real use is for tutors to strut their stuff in front of bored students. Students learn more when they feel they can interact, feed back and constructively criticise, rather than sit at the back and catch up on some Zzzz's. The traditional crit is antagonistic and confrontational and architects think this is how they have to be in the real world when it comes to dealing with lesser educated (i.e. stupid) public and contractors. Studies have shown the process engenders arrogance, which is such a modernist, 20th century architectural attribute.

Ive had my share of harsh confrontations in my college days and was also suspended for a week once.

With due respect to all the arch teaching fraternity ..there are indeed always some bad eggs amongst the jurors who would tear up your design just for spite or because they couldnt get enough nocturnal satisfaction from their spouses.

I had a real life howard roark in my college, much senior .
A professor during his final crit passed a stupid irrelevant comment which was also personal.
This Guy catches him by the collar and tells him : care to step outside , i'll explain to you why i did that".


hence,Its slightly tangential but i have a related question..

what limit would you go to ( or did you go to when you were an arch/design student ) to defend your work ....however erroneous it may be, against spiteful or unjust juries.

Yeah, we've all got our stories (there is a thread on that specifically). I know some of the jack-ass students that were at our school in the first year or two that honestly needed to be weeded out. I don't advocate some of the stunts our profs pulled, but the absolute worst crits I've ever received were all lukewarm love fests typically perpetrated a few hippie professors that challenged no one (and i typically like hippies).

I would have liked to see more professor led peer dialogue while at school. Most of us were so far gone due to our sleep schedules we couldn't speak coherently anyway, but if we wanted to, it would take interrupting the professor or professional to make a point.

And the most meaningful comment I'd ever received was in the midst of the worst critique of my life. A professor I'd known for a long time and greatly respected pulled an almost parental, 'not mad, just disappointed' type line. It wrecked me.

At UC, Tom Bible stated last quarter that concerning crits, the school made a decision a few years back that everyone could be constructive with out being mean. Since then they have been strict advocates of not personally attacking or negatively criticizing anyone. It's a wonderful strategy if you ask me. However sitting in on some undergrad crits, I was amazed at the restraint the profs had on certain individuals. One girl I was just impressed with the fact that they didn't just get up and walk away (she literally had NOTHING for her final).

Nevermore, how did you get suspended? Do tell!

I'm curious about that, too...

Gin and beatle,
there was this one prick, I had done my landscape portfolio in shades of pencil( black)..and the 1st sentence she tells me
"where did you shove your colour pencils"?

two days/nights awake ,bored and irritated and half asleep..i told her :-" In your tight ass, bitch,just give me my marks".

well the matter went to the principal etc etc and fortunately the whole college ( including the princi ,hated that slut)..so i got off kinda lightly with a token punishment.


In another spectrum
I hope profs would encourage as energetically as they attempt to put down, ..more cheerful and enlivened architects & designers would be born.

(Like my all time favourite prof..my guru....a 92 yr old individual who was an icon in his time
..An honorary professor,he used to teach pro bono-just for the love of it.

wrinkled hands, shaking with alzheimers..he once sketched an almost perfect detailed victorian-style english garden chair in front of us in two flicks of his hand.

not two strokes..two flicks.

we were standing with our jaws dropped to the floor. I asked him,Sir how can u sketch like that ?

he replied.."Ahh son..I don't sketch..I just hold the pencil as she wants me to and she dances in my hand !"

I am confused. Was that high school or college?