Delgado Art Appreciation Syllabus.pdf - MichaelAldana.com

08/17/2010
Instructor: Michael Aldana MFA
michaelaldana@michaelaldana.com or at maldan@dcc.edu (I check my account over the
school account much more frequently)
985-778-1627 cell (don’t call after 9pm)
Class Blog: http://maldana-art-appreciation.blogspot.com/
Art Appreciation FNAR 120 – 580, 3 credit hours
Class Time: Tuesday and Thursday 5:30 – 6:45pm
I will attempt to be in the classroom at least 30min. prior to class if you wish to meet to discuss
anything. Please email me or call me ahead of time to let me know.
Required Book: Gilbert’s Living With Art (Ninth Edition) by Mark Geltein
If you have a disability of any kind and will need any reasonable accommodations or assistance
in the classroom or with this course, please see the instructor on the first day of attendance.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to arrive on time and prepared. Late arrival or unpreparedness may result
in a tardy mark which will account for ½ an absence. You are allowed 3 excused absences.
Every absence after 3 will count as a letter grade deduction from your final grade. It is vital that
you be here to take notes and view the images on the lectures as not all of the images are in your
book. While the material will be online for you to download, I’ve noticed a big difference in the
grades of those who attend class and those who frequently miss. If you miss a class, please see
that you obtain a copy of the class notes from a classmate and view the information on the class
blog.
You are supposed to contact me through your Delgado email. Please make sure that only Delgado email is used to
contact the instructor and that your Delgado email is not full. For any problems, call 1 866 271 1458 (This hotline
is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.)
Other expectations
My expectations for attendance and grading are clearly laid out and there will be no exceptions
because if I bend the rules for one, I must bend them for all. It will not be fair for the others in
the class. Unless there is an accident, hospitalization, or death (all of which I will require some
sort of official proof), there are no other excuses for missing class, quizzes, tests or assignments.
I do not drop the lowest grade of anything. I believe that the grades you earn should be recorded.
If you miss a quiz or test, or do not turn in your paper on the final day, you receive a zero for that
quiz, test or assignment no exceptions. It’s better to turn in something no matter how little it is,
than nothing. All quizzes and exams will be given 10 min after the start of class. I expect each
student to maintain a decorum that is respectful to each of your classmates (this includes

personal hygiene please). Silence all cell phones, this means no texting. If you feel it so
important that you need to text, please leave the class to do so. No phones on desks during
quizzes or exams.
Ask plenty of questions. If it will help you better understand the subject, please, by all means
ask any question no matter how simple or complex. Nobody can speak for you. If you are still
too shy to speak up in class, write it down and email me. I have no problems giving you all as
much feedback as you need… as is necessary. I check email frequently.
Grading
Students will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Participation (including blog assignments) - 15%
Quizzes and Paper- 35%
Midterm Exam - 25%
Final Exam - 25%
Grading Scale: A= 100-90%, B= 89-80%, C= 79-70%, D= 69-60%, F=59-0%
There will be no makeup exams or quizzes.
If you do not understand why you have received a particular grade, you should absolutely seek
clarification. If you have any questions with a grade on any assignment, exam or quiz, please
contact me, within a week of receiving your grade, via email. You must address your question in
writing through email first. If after I reply to you, via email, you still have questions; please
contact me to set up a meeting. I will not address grades during class.
Extra Credit
I will add extra credit assignments throughout the semester through the class blog. The extra
credit will vary in its weight depending on the assignment. Some examples would be short
papers discussing a gallery opening or show at a local gallery, art projects, or through service
learning. An example of this service learning would volunteer work at the St Tammany Art
Association (located on Columbia st. Covington, LA). You would be required to aid the St
Tammany art Association and set up art shows or help conduct children’s art camps in exchange
for points added to your midterm or final exams. If interested in this service learning extra credit
opportunity contact Cindy Pulling at cindy@sttammanyartassociation.org . Extra credit is designed
to help give a student a few extra points that may help elevate their grade to something more desirable. It
is not intended to rescue you from the depths of “F” hell. There will not be enough extra credit to bring
you back to passing if your grade is pretty far in “F” territory. Studying will do that.

Learning Outcomes
I am here to help you accomplish your goals. We can do this! All you need to do is be dedicated
for the duration of the course and there should be nothing holding you back from achieving an A.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
Recognize the elements and principles of art
Interpret artworks
Recognize mediums and media
Develop a working vocabulary of art terms
Understand the function of art through time
Recognize famous works of art
Content Outline
I. Introduction to Art
A. Living With Art
B. What is Art
C. Themes in Art
Quiz
II. The Vocabulary of Art
A. The Visual Elements
B. The Principles of Design
Quiz
III. Two Dimensional Media
A. Drawing
B. Painting
Tuesday Sept 28 th MIDTERM Exam- Before midterm you must turn in a rough draft for a 3-
4 page paper about an art movement or an artist.
C. Printmaking
D. Photography
E. Graphic Design and Illustration
October 12 no class for Fall Holiday.
Quiz
IV. Three Dimensional Media
A. Sculpture and Installation
B. Pottery and Crafts
C. Architecture
November 3 rd is the final day to drop class and receive a “W”
V. Arts in Time
3-4 page paper about an artist or an art movement. Due at the beginning of the last class day
(NO LATER).
FINAL Exam to be announced

In addition to covering what is listed above, the class will be required to read an article posted
on the class blog each week and respond in kind. I would like this to be interactive and more
free form. Feel free to read your classmates comments and discuss their posts as well. A new
blog post will be made each Saturday by 7pm and you will need to respond by the following
Thursday’s class.
I will post the entire power point lecture used in class as a PDF located on the class blog after
each week along with your weekly blog post. Here you may download the PDF as an aid. All
material listed in color is to be considered test material. All material assigned from the book is
test material. This means you have all the material needed to provide you with the answers to
the test. Read it, speak it, and write it. I do not provide a study guide, however All your
material will be outlined from the lectures.
Papers need to be 3-4 pages regarding an artist or an art movement. All material must be your
own. I do not want to know where the artist was born, who is parents were, what his dogs name
was. I want you to tell me something important about an artist or movement, not the ancillary
details. Give me the important stuff. Since books have been written about movements and
artists, I’m sure you’ll have no problem coming up with 3 to 4 pages of information. Provide
sources. Wikipedia is not a valid source (as well as most online sources). Turn in a rough draft
prior to the Midterm Exam and your final draft is due at the beginning of class on the last day. I
will only accept papers and drafts through email. Do not turn in a paper version. As well I
would like you to submit the paper or draft in a .doc or .docx format.
One tip I can give you is that learning and memorization is accomplished through repetition
(NOT CRAMMING). When you are learning material, read it out loud and then write it out (use
a recorder if you want when you read). We learn visually, audibly and kinesthetically… that is
with our eyes, with our ears and with our body in writing. When you read it out loud, you see it,
and say it, using two of the senses. When you take the notes you use your kinesthetic and visual
skills. Optimal learning occurs when you repeat something 7 times. Doing this process just
once, that is, reading out loud and taking notes gives you 3 repetitions. At least 3 repetitions, of
something, is a good place to start in memorization and learning.
Cheating and/or Plagiarism
A friend once told me in referring to college students: “Ahh college, the one place where people
actively strive not to get their monies worth.” College isn’t free. Get the most of it while you
are here. You, the state, or a scholarship is paying money for you to learn. The only way to do
this is by doing the work yourself. If any student is caught cheating or turning in the work of
another, this will result in an automatic 0 grade for that assignment and possible dismissal from
the class role.

The syllabus is subject to change at my discretion, however if amended, you will be notified in class as well as
on the class blog.
This was from an interesting study on learning outcomes in college. It was in regards to how students view their
role in their education. In this study they asked students basically who was the primary person responsible for the
grades given to them in their class, themselves or their professors.
"Given the emphasis some educators place on encouraging students to take ownership of their education, it was
surprising to find that, overall, this group of students [In the Study] did not see themselves as being instrumental in
shaping their own education experience." (p. 146) What the findings confirm is that students (at least those in this
cohort) do not understand that they are at least partially responsible for what happens to them in courses. It seems to
reconfirm the extremely passive orientation many students take toward knowledge acquisition.”
Curran, J. M. and Rosen, D. E. (2006). Student attitudes toward college courses: An examination of influences and
intentions. Journal of Marketing Education, 28 (2), 135-148.
These students in this study (for the most part) did not see themselves as the shapers of their destinies, but rather
graded at the whims of their professors. Let me assure you, I will provide you with more information to be
accessible to you for you to attain the best grade you can. I merely deliver the information to you and then test your
ability to retain the information given. How much you retain and how much you gain from this class is primarily up
to you. I am at your disposal via email, phone, class, and even if you wish to set up an out of class meeting. I want
you to succeed, however, you need to ask me for help if you need it. Please understand you are the primary shapers
of your lives.
The point being, take advantage of all the materials available to you while you are in college. From the computers,
the professors, other students, to texts, use everything! You get out of college what you put into college. You are
paying for all types of services through colleges and universities, take advantage of all of them and you can only
improve your chances of having success in school.
You may download an extra copy of this syllabus online at the first entry on our class blog
http://maldana-art-appreciation.blogspot.com/
You are paying me to help you. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions or
need any extra assistance. I want you to succeed!
Americans with Disabilities Act
It is the general policy of Delgado Community College to assure equal opportunities for all qualified person. Reasonable accommodations for
qualified person with disabilities will be made provided the students have self identified with the Office of Disability Services and have provided
required documentation. Individual instructors will modify the methods, requirements, and procedures of courses and examinations appropriately
to accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities, provided the academic integrity of the course or examination is not violated, and
the health and welfare of all students are safeguarded.
Disability Services Director: Gretchen Peoples (504) 671 5161 gpeopl@dcc.edu CP 10, Rm120
Disclaimer
Students who elect to pay tuition and fees on a payment plan are responsible for paying all remaining charges on the dates specified. Failure to
pay will result in the student being withdrawn from all classes and not receiving a final grade. Mere attendance and participation does not warrant
a grade without payment in a timely manner.