ONLINE

Art Appreciation (Arts 1301)

Dr. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Art History

Department of Art, College of Fine Arts and Communication, Lamar University

Virtual Office Hours via Skype (username: julia.c.fischer):

June 6-June 25, Monday-Thursday, 11-12
June 29-July 15 by appointment
Email: julia.fischer@lamar.edu
Office Phone: 409-880-7784 (the best way to contact me is via email)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FischerArtHistory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FischerArtHist
Course Description and Student Learning Outcomes
There are no prerequisites for ARTS 1301. This course satisfies the creative arts requirement of
the core curriculum.
Arts 1303 is a general introduction to art and aesthetics and their role in human life and culture.
The course Includes discussion and analysis of architecture, sculpture, painting, ceramics,
drawing, printmaking, photography, design, and other art forms from various historical periods
and world cultures.
Specifically, in this course, students will:
Develop an appreciation and understanding of art
Define art, artist, and art history
Define and identify the specialized vocabulary used in art history
Identify, define, and classify key works of art, their artists, styles, materials, and working
methods as well as their link to historical and religious events
Demonstrate and employ your visual literacy and critical thinking skills
Discuss the relevance of art history today through an examination of current issues in
the art world
Required Readings on the Course Website (www.fischerarthistory.com)
All of the readings can be found on the Fischer Art History website (password: summer2015).
The specific weekly readings are listed in the appropriate modules in Blackboard.
Useful Websites for Study
SmartHistory: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/
Glossaries: http://smarthistory.org/glossary.html or http://www.artlex.com/
Art History Resources on the Web: http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.html
Google Art Project: http://www.googleartproject.com/
Helbrun Timeline of Art History: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/

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Blackboard
Because this is an online course, you will be on Blackboard everyday. You can be access
Blackboard through your https://my.wip.lamar.edu/ account. You are responsible for checking
your Lamar email account AND Blackboard on a regular basis!
Online Learning Commitment and Expectations
You will not be successful in this course if you are not disciplined enough to regulate the time
you spend on the course. Online learning requires the learner to take more responsibility in the
learning process. Students must be motivated and responsible for keeping up with
understanding what is expected and stay on task with due dates for readings, assignments, and
other activities. You need to log into the course on a daily basis to check for messages and
other important information. Do NOT wait until the last minute to do work that requires you to
submit by a due date. It is your responsibility to use a working computer and browser and get all
of your work submitted on time.
Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that you get all of the assignments, exams,
quizzes, and discussions completed on time. Do NOT wait until the last minute. The excuse of
Blackboard wasnt working, I couldnt upload it, or the internet went down are not valid or
credible excuses once the deadline has passed. I repeat: do all of your course requirements
well before the due date and inform the instructor immediately if you have any issues.
Technical Support
General Technical support information is located in the TECHNICAL SUPPORT tab in
Blackboard.
Netiquette
Please refer to the Netiquette statement on Blackboard. Because online communication
generally lacks visual cues common to face-to-face interactions, you are expected to follow
these standards. (Netiquette is a combination of Network Etiquette.) Please abide by the
following netiquette rules when communicating with your instructor and peers in this class.

Be sensitive and reflective to what others are saying.

Don't use all caps. It is the equivalent of screaming.

Don't flame - These are outbursts of extreme emotion or opinion.

Think before you hit the post (enter/reply) button. You can't take it back!

Don't use offensive language.

Use clear subject lines.

Don't use abbreviations or acronyms unless the entire class knows them.

Be forgiving. Anyone can make a mistake.

Keep the dialogue collegial and professional.

How the Course is Conducted
Each week, you are responsible for completing all the readings, videos, quiz, discussion, and
assignment. Typically, each module begins with a short introduction to the topic we will be
examining. Then, you will proceed to the textbook and the other required readings. With this
foundation established, you will then be required to take a short quiz (ten questions).
The next portion of the module consists of your participation in discussions and your
assignment. For the discussion, you will receive instructions to think about a pertinent topic and

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you will interact and participate with your peers in your exploration of this issue. Finally, at the
end of each module you are required to complete an assignment.
Response Times
Students can expect responses as follows:

Email: within 12-15 hours

Discussion posts: within 48 hours

Assignment grades: within 72 hours of submission date.

Exceptions: Response times on weekends and holidays may vary

Course Requirements
The final grade for this course will be based on SEVEN weighted evaluations:
1.)!
Exam 1: 15%
2.)!
Exam 2: 15%
3.)!
Exam 3: 15%
4.)!
Museum Exhibition Review: 15%
5.)!
Assignments: 15%
6.)!
Quizzes: 15%
7.)!
Discussions: 10%
The grading scale I employ is a traditional 100% system: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C =
70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = 59% and below. I will not respond to emails asking me what your
current grade is so you must keep track of it yourself.
Three exams will be given in this course (see Class Schedule for the dates).
There will be no make-up exams unless an extremely unusual circumstance prevents you from
taking the testand even then only if you have contacted me before the test and can provide
appropriate documentation. Students who miss an exam without being excused will
receive a zero.
15% of your grade will be based on your Museum Exhibition Review. This 2-3 page paper will
be a in-depth description, analysis, and review of your visit to an art museum and/or art
exhibition.
15% of your grade will be the weekly assignments. All assignments MUST be turned in via the
Dropbox on Blackboard as a PDF or Word document. No hard copies of your papers or
emailed papers will be accepted.
Assignments will be graded as Satisfactory (or 85),
Exceptional (or 100), and Less than satisfactory (or 70). Assignments will be graded according
to content, style, grammar, punctuation, and how well the requirements of that particular
assignment were met.
LATE WORK POLICY: Students are expected to submit all work at the specified times. For
every day that an assignment is late, 10% of the assignment grade will be subtracted. For
example, a paper that would have received a 100 would receive a 90, and so on.
Weekly Quizzes account for 15% of your grade. You must complete each quiz before the due
date. No late quizzes will be accepted.

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Discussions are 10%. Each weeks discussion is worth 20 points for a total of 320 points
throughout the semester. Your discussions will be graded on the extent to which you answer the
questions of that week. Effort and engagement in the materials count for a lot. Your contribution to
the discussion accounts for 10 points. You are also required to respond to at least one post by
another student, which is worth an additional 10 points. Your participation in discussions will be
graded as Satisfactory (or 85), Exceptional (or 100), and Less than satisfactory (or 70).
Both quizzes and discussions must be completed before the next weeks topic begins.
Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that you get all of the assignments, exams,
quizzes, and discussions completed on time. Do NOT wait until the last minute. The excuse of
Blackboard wasnt working, I couldnt upload it, or the internet went down are not valid or
credible excuses once the deadline has passed. I repeat: do all of your course requirements
well before the due date and inform the instructor immediately if you have any issues.
IMPORTANT DATES: Mark these in your planner immediately!
Exam 1: Monday 6/22 by 11:59 PM
Exam 2: Monday 7/6 by 11:59 PM
Exam 3: Wednesday 7/15 by 11:59 PM
Museum Exhibition Review: Monday 7/6 by 11:59 PM
Last day to drop or withdraw from the course WITHOUT academic penalty: 6/22
Last day to drop or withdraw from the course WITH academic penalty: 7/2
Academic Honesty
All students are expected to familiarize themselves with all university policies pertaining to
academic performance and conduct. As stated in the Lamar Student Handbook, all students
should maintain complete honesty and integrity in their academic experiences. In this course,
disciplinary action will be brought against any student found guilty of academic dishonesty
including, but not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work to be
submitted, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. Cheating, plagiarism,
collusion, and the abuse of resource materials are defined on page 82 of the Student
Handbook. In addition, by University policy, a student cannot avoid any penalty for cheating set
forth by the instructor in a course syllabus by dropping the course. Procedures for disciplinary
action due to academic dishonesty shall be the same as in other violations of the Student Code
of Conduct (see Student Handbook) except that all academic dishonesty cases shall first be
considered and reviewed by the faculty member. The process of appeal is located in the
Student Handbook available online.
The course instructor will complete a thorough and impartial investigation of any instance of
academic dishonesty. A student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be notified in writing by
the instructor of the violation, the penalty, and the students right to appeal the determination of
dishonesty and/or the sanction imposed. Penalties for academic dishonesty in this course will
result in either a lowered letter grade or failure of the course as determined by the instructor.
Any occurrences of cheating and/or plagiarism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
possible.

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Disability Resource Center (DRC)
Lamar University is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all
students. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is located in the Communications building room
105. Office staff collaborate with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange
reasonable accommodations. If you have, or think you may have, a disability (e.g., mental
health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical), please contact the DRC at
409-880-8347 or drc@lamar.edu to arrange a confidential appointment with the Director of the
DRC to explore possible options regarding equitable access and reasonable accommodations.
If you are registered with DRC and have a current letter requesting reasonable
accommodations, we encourage you to contact your instructor early in the semester to review
how the accommodations will be applied in the course.
Campus Emergency Procedures
Students are encouraged to review emergency procedures for events such as severe weather,
violence, active shooter, fire or chemical release at:
http://www.lamar.edu/_files/documents/about-lu/administration/risk-management/
SAFPLNAug06.pdf
Campus Closure (Academic Continuity Plan)
In the event of campus closure and evacuation due to a hurricane or other disaster, this course
will continue in an online format until campus reopens. After four days of closure (for evacuation
and relocation), please login to the courses page on Blackboard for class instructions. Lamar
will communicate through Blackboard, your official Lamar email address, and the university
webpage (www.Lamar.edu). These efforts will allow you to complete the course and semester
on time.
IMPORTANT: An impending graduation date or scholarship which requires the maintenance of
a particular GPA, or the GPA requirement for admission to an academic program of study will
not earn you a passing grade in this course. While it does seem to be the trend nowadays,
there will be no negotiation of changing a final grade you will meet with no success. I
do not give grades your grade will be evaluated solely on the scores you earn on your
exams and assignments. While I am happy to meet with you to help you find ways to improve
your scores, do not wait until the end of term to contact me as this will almost certainly be
too late. If you believe I have made a mistake in my calculations, please contact me, and I will
be happy to review your grade.
This syllabus is an agreement between the professor and student to respectively provide and
complete a worthy learning experience. By remaining a registered student in this course, the
student has identified their understanding of the obligations set forth in this syllabus for
satisfactory completion of the course.

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CLASS SCHEDULE
Due Date
(By 11:59PM)

Friday 6/12

Module, Week, and Topic

Getting Stared Module

Required Readings:
Fischer Art History Website
(password: summer2015)
See Modules

Module 1 Week 1: The Basics: What is Art? What is an

Artist? What is Art History? What is the Visual Analysis?
Friday 6/19

Module 1 Week 2: A History of Museums and Exhibitions

See Modules

Module 1 Week 3: Destruction and Restoration of Art/Art

Theft
Module 2 Week 4: Fakes and Forgeries/Who Owns Art?
Module 2 Week 5: The Fate of Art in World War II
Monday 6/22

EXAM 1: Weeks 1-5

Friday 6/26

Module 2 Week 6: Sacred Architecture

See Modules

Module 3 Week 7: Sacred Imagery

Module 3 Week 8: Politics
Friday 7/3

Module 3 Week 9: War

See Modules

Module 4 Week 10: Death

Module 4 Week 11: Commemoration
Monday 7/6

Museum Exhibition Review Due

Monday 7/6

EXAM 2: Weeks 6-10

Friday 7/10

Module 4 Week 12: Everyday and Imagination

See Modules

Module 5 Week 13: The Nude

Module 5 Week 14: Nature
Wednesday
7/15

Module 5 Week 15: Urban planning and the Home

Wednesday
7/15

EXAM 3: Weeks 11-16

See Modules

Module 5 Week 16: Challenging Tradition

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