Instructor: Mary Catherine Wilbur

Email: wilburmc@lamarpa.edu

Phone: (409)984-6547

Office Hours: Monday 9:50-11:50, Wednesday 9:50-12:50, Friday 9:50-10:50 TR 12:15pm-2:15pm (by appointment only)

Additional Contact Information:

A general introduction to the visual arts designed to create an appreciation of the vocabulary, media, techniques, and purposes of the creative process. Students will critically interpret and evaluate works of art within formal, cultural, and historical contexts

Living with Art by Mark Getlein, 13th Edition

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

May be print, e-book, or summoned via ritual. The first few chapters may be read by clicking ‘Seahawks Book Bundle’ on your Blackboard.

Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

Additional readings will be available in class and via Blackboard.

None

By the end of this semester, students will be able to:

Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art.

Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design.

Differentiate between the processes and materials used in the production of various works of art.

Critically interpret and evaluate works of art.

Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of arts on culture.

-

Tentative Schedule 

Quizzes and Discussions open by 2pm on Mondays and close at 11:59pm on Saturdays. Assignments are due at 11:59pm on the due date unless otherwise noted. Assigned readings and assignment schedules are subject to change. 

This schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced on Blackboard.

See topics outline

N/A

Quizzes:

 Weekly quizzes will cover textbook readings, discussion material, and other weekly readings. It will be multiple choice and short answers. Quizzes open Monday by 2pm and close 11:59pm Saturday. Quizzes are open book/open note. 

Discussions:

Most weeks will have some form of discussion. Topics range from personal opinion, formal and contextual analysis of art objects, object identification, and responses to topic-related prompts. Discussions open Monday by 2pm and close 11:59pm Saturday. Outside research is encouraged for discussions. 

Art Appreciation Research Paper:

In this course you will be guided through writing a research paper on a chosen topic in art. You will propose a topic, submit a rough draft, and submit a final draft at the end of the semester. 

Uploading Assignments:

All assignments must be uploaded in the required format. If submitting Google Doc or Outlook links, the version history must be turned on. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have submitted your assignment as directed in the instructions. If I cannot open your assignment, I will not grade it.  

Unless otherwise requested by the assignment, I will not accept Google Drive/Outlook links to docs. Any assignment submitting a link without request will get an automatic zero with no opportunity to make-up. 

Additionally, if you have difficulty uploading your assignment due to Blackboard or other technical issues, you should email me a copy of the assignment immediately – not the next day. It will be considered late if I do not have an email copy of the assignment by the due date. You should then contact Blackboard technical support to address the problem and work to get the assignment uploaded into Blackboard. 

When you submit an assignment, Blackboard sends you a confirmation email with an individual submission number. Please make sure that you receive, and save, this confirmation. If there are issues regarding the submission of your assignment, I may ask to see the submission confirmation. 

Important Information About Taking Online Exams: 

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have an adequate amount of time, the proper atmosphere, and a secure connection to the internet to take the exams. I strongly suggest using a laptop or desktop computer—not your phone—and using a wired internet connection to avoid wi-fi fluctuations that may occur.  

Finally, you should also give yourself enough time to take these— don’t wait until the last minute—so that if your internet is “down” you can find another place to take them. Blackboard is a stable platform, so the ONLY way I will consider “re-setting” an exam is if you submit a screenshot or picture of the error message showing that the site itself was at fault. 

 Just “forgetting” that you had an exam due will not suffice for a reason to re-set it, so do not ask. You have plenty of time to take the exams and the dates are set from the beginning of the course, so plan ahead. (see the schedule) I will not reset an exam after the due date/time has passed under any circumstances.

Late & Missing Work 

I do not do quiz make-ups. Instead, the student’s lowest quiz grade will be duplicated for up to (1) one missed quiz. All other missed quizzes will receive automatic zeros. 

For every day a quiz, assignment, or discussion is late, 10pts will be subtracted from the grade. Up to 4 days late, then the assignment will receive a zero. For example:

E.g., a paper that would have received a 100 will receive a 90 after one day late, and so on.

For every day that any part of the Art Appreciation Paper (Proposal, Draft, Final Paper) is late, 10pts will be subtracted from the paper. Up to 2 days late, then the assignment will receive a zero.

The Final Quizzes cannot be taken late. Once it is closed, it cannot be made up. 

Email

You are required to put the class and section number in the subject line of the email. I will respond promptly in 24-48 hrs. I am available during business hours, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. I do not respond to emails in the evening or the weekend.

Please use your lamarpa email to communicate with me as emails from Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, etc. may end up in a clutter folder and I will not see it, and therefore, not respond. Most questions can be answered by reading the class syllabus, assignment sheet, or other directions available to you in Blackboard. Students should always be aware of the tone and structure of their correspondence. 

Civility in the Classroom (or…Online Space)

Student incivility, rudeness, or attacks of a personal nature will not be tolerated, whether directed at the instructor or another student. Any student engaging in disruptive or disrespectful activities on campus or in online classes will be required to cease such behavior. Disruptive behavior will be reported on the first offense. If the behavior continues after the first warning, the student will no longer continue as a student of the course.

Academic Integrity - Plagiarism and AI

Academic integrity is fundamental to meaningful learning and personal growth. Students are expected to submit their own original work and to complete assignments using only the resources permitted. Doing so ensures that you are fully engaging with the material and gaining the knowledge and skills this course is designed to develop.

The use of article-rewriting tools, ChatGPT, or other AI-generated content is not permitted for course assignments or assessments (quizzes / exams) and will result in a grade of zero for the assignment.

Quizzes are open book/open note. You may not look up answers to questions via an online search. The use of an AI overlay or agent, or any program that takes your quizzes for you is prohibited. 

If there are concerns regarding the authenticity of an assignment, students may be asked to complete a written or verbal assessment to demonstrate their understanding.

When academic dishonesty or AI use is suspected, the instructor reserves the right to review and reassess previously submitted work for consistency and integrity. Cases of plagiarism or other violations-particularly those that are flagrant or repeated - may result in failure of the course, in accordance with institutional policies. Determinations regarding the severity and repetition of violations rest with the instructor.

Syllabus Change Policy

I reserve the right to adjust this syllabus, assignments, and due dates as needed. Any changes will be announced in class and sent as an announcement through the Blackboard system. You should check your email daily for any announcements about the course

Attendance:

You must log in to the class regularly. If you fail to log in and submit assignments, I will conclude that you are no longer participating.

Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.

Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.

This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.

LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.

For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.