Making Meaning:
Understanding and Practicing Contemporary Media Art
Policies
In keeping with the Mission of the Department of Cinema and Photography and the University Honors Program, this is a demanding course emphasizing critical thinking, technical skills, social responsibility, and integration of theory and practice. The course involves a great deal of assigned reading and independent research. We meet less than four hours per week; plan to spend at least an equivalent amount of time working outside of class. Preparation for and participation in discussions and critiques is essential. This course requires steady work and creative thinking. Last-minute cramming will be evident in the quality of the work you produce, and shoddy work is disrespectful to your classmates, me, and above all, yourself.
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. I make no distinction between excused and unexcused absences, as you are young adults who must learn to balance multiple commitments for yourself. However, I do consider more than two absences excessive, and excessive absences or tardiness will negatively impact your semester grade, excepting extreme and documented circumstances. Late work will only be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and may result in a reduction of your project grade.
College of Mass Communication and Media Arts Emergency Plan
College of Mass Communication and Media Arts Incomplete Policy/Agreement
Expectations
Students will be responsible for four major projects over the course of the semester: three creative projects and one 5-8 page critical paper discussing one piece of contemporary media art (1970-present). Students are expected to prepare for discussions and contribute to an online wiki by posting reading summaries as assigned and at least two comments/discussion questions per week. You will also be asked to write a graded end-of-semester reflection in class on what you took as the most important themes in developing your work. Finally, discussion and participation in critique is essential and is a major part of your semester grade. I will have individual meetings at midterm to discuss your progress to date and solicit your feedback on how the course is going.
You will be asked to develop new work in this class that will stretch your conceptual and technical skills, and you will be asked hard questions that you may not know the answers to. Please come with an open mind and the willingness to challenge yourself and be challenged by others. Because this is a very small class, everyone is responsible for keeping the energy level up and the class climate positive. While I will make every effort to monitor individual progress in the class, I am not a mind reader: it is your responsibility to bring concerns about your performance, my performance, and the class in general to me early enough so I can do something about them.