Course Syllabus

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ARTC 4090

Section: 1003
Semester: Fall 2016
Lab: 1101 Fine Arts Center
Time: Mon. & Wed. 6:00 - 8:20PM

Instructor: Kim Turner Young
Email: ktyoung@bgsu.edu
Office: 108 FAC
Office Hours: Mondays, 11:00am-2:00pm (please email in advance to arrange an appointment)

Course Description

Advanced exploration of artistic direction and career planning for a senior planning to graduate in the current academic year with a BFA in Digital Arts. Development of artistic portfolio, professional presentation packages, and post graduation plans. Five studio hours. Prerequisites: BFA Digital Arts major. Concurrent registration in ARTC 4180. Extra fee.

Course Methods

This course is one of the most important you will take in your college career, since it is designed to help you transition from academia to life after college. In the case of digital art, this could mean many things, but we will focus on three paths: graduate school, industry, or studio artist practice. In each case this course will, above all, help you to:

  • Focus on your art and its development as a whole,
  • Understand yourself as an artist,
  • Teach you to present yourself, your ideas, and your art.

What you get out of this class depends primarily upon your preparation and participation. Most classes will include some of the following:

  • Active discussions and exercises related to readings,
  • Student presentations and critiques,
  • Instruction and practice on preparing yourself for the next step after school,
  • Guest speakers and visiting artist presentations.

Above all, this course will help refine your career focus and prepare a formal packet to help you achieve your goals.

NOTE: Making artwork for the BFA exit show is NOT the focus of this course; that content is covered in ARTC 4180.

Course Expectations

Expectations for Classroom Behavior

  • When you present to the class or write an assignment, it should be as close as possible to how you would communicate to a potential employer. Much of the preparation needed for a post-academic career in art requires an ability to speak and write coherently, and your work will be judged at the level required in a career environment.
  • Actively participate in discussions. This includes asking questions, answering others’ questions, and adding relevant information.
  • Attend class (see Attendance, below). Information presented in class lectures, discussions, demos and artist talks is the responsibility of each student. Classes are highly individual and cannot be substituted with alternative assignments or “extra credit.” It is your responsibility to monitor your attendance record, and clear up any discrepancies as soon as possible.
  • Be supportive of classmates. Show respect for your fellow students’ efforts, by giving your full attention during discussions and presentations.
  • Be honest, and respect others’ honesty. We will be talking about real-world issues that may get personal. Nothing of a personal nature discussed in class should be shared with others outside of class. You are not required to disclose personal information that makes you uncomfortable.
  • All assignments are mandatory and must be completed on the required dates and in the proper format. There are a LOT of assignments in this class, and all of them are important. Each assignment aids in development of your final packet and presentation, so if you do well on all the smaller assignments, your final project (worth 40% of your grade) should be fantastic!
  • When there is an ARTalk during our regular class time, you will be expected to attend the ARTalk and document the experience. There may be class discussion afterwards.

Expectations for Learning

  • See Course Objectives and Assessment, below.

Expectations for Technology and Supplies

  • Digital storage: USB flash drive or External Drive (formatted for both Mac and PC). You will be expected to have a drive of at least 8GB in size.
  • You may bring in your own laptop for presentations, but our classroom has a presentation black box you can use.
  • You will need to use Powerpoint or other presentation software in this course. If you will be making a demo reel, you will need the appropriate software to create it.
  • You will need to submit work to an exhibition or film festival, which usually requires a fee of about $30.
  • You will need to purchase business cards and professional stationery, as well as a professional domain name. This may cost $20 or more.
  • You may choose to purchase web portfolio hosting, design services, or other printed marketing materials. Costs vary widely for these items, as will be discussed in class.
  • Internet connection: You must have a reliable internet connection, and a computer capable of running Canvas and the software listed above. Online resources will be used for this class, so a physical textbook is not necessary.

Course Objectives and Assessment

The student will: Evidence that objective was met:
Explore post-graduation options, including industry, freelance, and graduate school.
  • Class discussions, presentations and activities.
  • Assignments: Reading Responses, Who the Heck Am I?, Three Paths Research, Submit Applications (exhibition, film festival, job, residency, grad school).
Speak professionally about their work, and critique others’ speeches.
  • Class discussions, presentations and activities.
  • Assignments: Reading Responses, Elevator Pitch, Artist Talk.
  • Attend and critique multiple artist talks and professional presentations.
Communicate professionally to potential employers, in writing.
  • Class discussions, presentations and activities.
  • Assignments: Reading Responses, Artist Statement, Artist Bio, Resume, Cover Letter, Graduate School Essay, (Final Packet).
Create a professional web portfolio, demo reel and self-marketing materials.
  • Class discussions, presentations and activities.
  • Assignments: Reading Responses, Web Portfolio, Demo Reel/Print Portfolio, Business Cards, Misc. Marketing Materials, (Final Packet).
Examine some of the legal aspects of working as a digital artist, including copyright and contracts.
  • Class discussions, presentations and activities.
  • Assignments: Reading Responses.

Rubrics and point values for assignments are posted for each assignment in Canvas. In general, work is graded as follows:

  • A (100-90%)
Excellent - Above and beyond ALL requirements
  • B (89-80%)
Very Good - Above and beyond SOME requirements
  • C (79-70)
Average - MET ALL the requirements
  • D (69-60%)
DID NOT MEET ALL the requirements
  • F (59-0%)
DID NOT MEET ANY requirements, plagiarized work, or not turned in

Schedule and Assignments

  • The complete course schedule appears at the bottom of the Syllabus page in Canvas.
  • Assignments are weighted according to the table on the right of the Syllabus page in Canvas.
  • A detailed schedule of each class will be published weekly in Canvas, available on the course Home page.

Late Work

Meeting deadlines is a leading requirement of any potential employer. For this reason, late assignments will not be graded. Exceptions to this may be made at the professor’s discretion, with timely proof of a significant extenuating circumstance. Note that lost data or technology malfunction is not an acceptable excuse for late work (see Expectations for Technology, above).

Attendance

The following policy refers to regular class attendance only, not events (attendance is not taken at events, but you are expected to document them and turn them in as an "event" assignment).

This course assumes an interactive approach in its structure and in its presentation, which requires engaged participation from all members of the class. This class is a cumulative experience and necessitates your presence in class time as well as at art events. Therefore, regular attendance is expected and considered mandatory. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility meet with a classmate or make an appointment with me to get the information. It is also your responsibility to monitor your attendance record, and clear up any discrepancies as soon as possible.

  • You may miss up to two classes with no penalty to your grade (as long as you turn in all assignments on time).
  • Missing more than 10% of regularly scheduled course meeting times (2 classes) results in the reduction of the final grade by one letter grade, and continues for each additional absence up to the 6th absence. (Formula: absence #3 = -1 letter grade, #4 = -2 letter grades, #5 = -3 letter grades).
  • Missing more than 20% of regularly scheduled course meetings (5 classes) results in automatic failure for the course. (Formula: #6 = F).
  • There are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences. There is only presence or absence.
  • Arriving for class late, sleeping during class, or leaving class before dismissal without permission constitutes a tardy. The accumulation of three tardies is equal to an absence. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. If you come in late, it is your responsibility to make sure I mark your arrival.
  • Do not leave class early. Students must clear it with me first or will be marked tardy or absent for that day (depending on how much time is missed).
  • In the event of a mental or physical health emergency or other similar crisis that may cause a student to miss more than two classes, please set up an appointment with me to discuss options, as soon as possible.

 

Policies

Digital Arts Department Rules

  • No food or drink in the classroom.
  • No cell phones, or beepers on during class. ALWAYS remember to turn off (or silence) your cellphone before class.
  • No sleeping during class.
  • No student is permitted to disconnect, reconnect, or reconfigure any workstation without the permission of a digital arts professor.

Student Projects

Projects created in any Digital Arts course may be used by the ART department for the purpose of promoting the student, the department and/or the university in general. These materials may also be used by the ART department for instructional purposes in future courses. Please inform the instructor if you do not want your projects used.

Academic Honesty

The instructor and students in this course will adhere to the University’s general Codes of Conduct defined in the BGSU Student Handbook. The Code of Academic Conduct (Academic Honesty Policy) requires that students do not engage in academic dishonesty. For details, refer to the BGSU Codes of Conduct site at https://www.bgsu.edu/student-handbook/code-of-conduct.html.

The instructor and students will adhere to the general Code of Academic Conduct as outlined of the BGSU Student Handbook. Specifically, students will not cheat, fabricate, plagiarize or facilitate academic dishonesty. Students who passively engage in cheating (i.e. allowing others to cheat off of them) may receive the same consequences as the person copying. In group work, if your partner or teammates do all the work on an assignment, you should not be listed as a contributor and should receive no credit for that work. If you allow an assignment to be submitted listing you as a contributor, but you did not contribute, this is equivalent to plagiarism.

Disability Services

I want nothing to interfere with your ability to perform well in this course. If you have a significant problem that might weaken your performance, please talk to me and/or someone from Disability Services for Students (DSS) Office. The goal of the DSS is to help provide equal access and reasonable accommodations to BGSU students with disabilities. You can contact them by phone at 372-8495, fax 372-8496, TTY 372-0582, or on the web at http://www.bgsu.edu/disability-services.html.

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University to make every reasonable effort to allow students to observe their religious holidays without academic penalty. In such cases, it is the obligation of the student to provide the instructor with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which he or she will be absent. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve the student of responsibility for completing required work missed. Following the necessary notification, the student should consult with the instructor to determine what appropriate alternative opportunity will be provided, allowing the student to fully complete his or her academic responsibilities. (As stated in The Academic Charter, B-II.G-4.b at: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/file919.pdf.

STUDENT VETERAN-FRIENDLY CAMPUS

BGSU educators recognize student veterans’ rights when entering and exiting the university system. If you are a student veteran, please communicate with your instructor so reasonable accommodations can be made for absence when drilling or being called to active duty. See (http://www.bgsu.edu/veteran/) for more information.

Resources

Technology Support Center (TSC)

TSC provides a central point of contact for faculty, staff and students for questions, problem reports, service requests and inquiries for University computer systems and communications technologies at BGSU. Email: tsc@bgsu.edu Phone: (419) 372-0999.

Student Technology Assistance Center (STAC)

Students looking for CANVAS support or more in-depth assistance with computer technology for a class project should contact STAC. Students can get help in person at 122 Jerome Library (1st floor), by phone (419-372-9277) or visiting their web page at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/stac.html.

University Libraries

The University Libraries supports the teaching, learning and research mission of BGSU by advancing scholarship and creativity through collections and user-centered services that connect faculty and students to high quality information resources. For more information, to reserve a study space or to make an appointment: http://www.bgsu.edu/library.html ; http://www.bgsu.edu/library/ask-us.html ; 419-372-6943; libhelp@bgsu.edu.

BGSU Career Center

The BGSU Career Center is a fantastic resource available to BGSU students and graduates, with job listings, job search help and more. Make an appointment for a personalized review of your job search materials and strategy, sign up for interviewing practice, and more.

http://www.bgsu.edu/career-center/students.html

Course Summary:

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