FMXH 211 – Art and Technology
Spring Term 2019
Tuesday/Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:50 PM
Cass Building 134
Associate Professor Gregg Perkins
gperkins@ut.edu
Campus Ext. 3427
Course Description:
Art and Technology is a lecture course conceived to provide a context for the development of art and its interrelations with technology. Students explore the definition of multimedia and its evolution toward what is currently known as hypermedia. Special emphasis will be placed on the creation and transformation of technology used in the twentieth century, such as radio, television, computers, the Internet, and networked environments. Developments will be related to historical art movements.
The main objective of this class is to expand the students’ creativity through experimental and non-traditional projects. Another important objective is to expand the artistic and technological references the students will be using in their future professional and artistic careers.
Process and Strategy:
The class will be divided into two main areas. The first half will be devoted to understanding the evolution of technologies currently used in the Art World. In the second half we will explore the particularities of eclectic artistic creations: artists, examples, movements, contextualizing the processes in a historical frame. There will be a different assignment for each class, where the students will apply the concepts presented during the previous session, and a group critique in order to solve any misunderstandings and conflicts. Every single individual project will be accompanied by a one page statement contextualizing it and providing its theoretical framework .
Readings / Assignments / Requirements:
Create your own blogs for the class using blogger.com. In these blogs you will be posting records, pictures and comments of your assignments. Your blogs will be the equivalent of your journal for the class. They will need to be updated before the following class and they will be graded.
I will be checking all of your posts for plagiarism using turnitin.com in order to track your evolution during the sessions, and also as a way to know that you are reading and exploring all the files I will be presenting.
You can post anything you want on your blogs, be aware that these blogs will be public and accessible to everyone in the class and the world. You are expected to visit and comment on the blog entries of your classmate. These blogs, and your participation in class are essential for this course and the blog grade will include your class participation.
Make sure you check your UT web-mail account regularly. We will use Blackboard permanently to post the grades, assignments and to communicate with the entire class.
Short readings will be distributed throughout the semester. Most of the information will be provided by the professor or will be found freely online. Critiques will frequently be initiated from various topics covered in the readings. In order to participate effectively you will need to have read the required texts and be able to articulate your responses to them within the context of class discussion and critique. We will watch PLENTY of excerpts from movies and documentaries during and outside class that will also be considered as part of the material for the course.
Grading:
There will be several projects throughout the course, including papers, assignments, take home exams, and others. Each one of them will be a part of the final 100% of the grade in equal weights. If necessary I will do some pop quizzes, depending on the students’ participation and motivation, and depending on how certain sessions work, I might add an extra work not listed in the syllabus. The grades posted on Blackboard may not reflect the final grade on SpartanWeb.
Grading Scale:
95 – 100 A Outstanding
89 – 94 A/B Excellent
84 – 88 B Very Good
77 – 83 B/C Good
72 – 76 C Average
66 – 71 C/D Below Average
60 – 65 D Passing
00 – 59 F Failure
NF No-Show, Failure – Failure for > 3 Absences
Attendance Policy:
The FMX Department follows the UT Attendance Policy that excuses absence for a variety of reasons stated below in the policy. All unexcused absences credit adversely against the course grade, by one half-letter grade for classes that meet twice per week, and one full letter grade for classes that meet once per week. Lateness, leaving early, and late returns from breaks, may also count as absence. Please be prompt to class and plan to attend all sessions.
Reporting Sexual Violence/ Title IX Matters:
Sexual violence includes nonconsensual sexual contact and nonconsensual sexual intercourse (which is any type of sexual contact without your explicit consent, including rape), dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and stalking. You may reach out for confidential help (see contact info below) or report an incident for investigation.
If you choose to write or speak about an incident of sexual violence and disclose that this violence occurred while you were a UT student, the instructor is obligated to report the incident to the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for Students. The purpose of this report is to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students. The Deputy Coordinator or his or her designee will contact you to let you know about the resources, accommodations, and support services at UT and possibilities for holding the perpetrator accountable. If you do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to your instructor, you can speak confidentially with the individuals listed below. They can connect you with support services and discuss options for holding the perpetrator accountable.
There is an exception to this required reporting for preventative education programs and public awareness events or forums. While the instructor is not required to report disclosures during these instances, unless you make or initiate a complaint, during these programs or events, the instructor or another University official will ensure that the students are aware of the available resources at UT, such as counseling, health, and mental health services, and it will provide information about Title IX, how to file a Title IX complaint, how to make a confidential report, and the procedure for reporting sexual violence.
For more information, see The University of Tampa’s Title IX resources at http://www.ut.edu/uploadedFiles/Academics/Provost/Title%20IX.pdf and
https://www.ut.edu/studentconduct/titleix/.
To make a confidential report of sexual violence, please contact:
– The Victim’s Advocacy Hotline: (813) 257-3900
– Dickey Health & Wellness Center (wellness@ut.edu) 813.257.1877
– Health and Counseling Center (healthcenter@ut.edu) 813.253.6250
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement:
If there is a student who requires accommodations because of any disability, please go to the Academic Success Center in North Walker Hall for information regarding registering as a student with a disability. You may also call (813) 257-5757 or email disability.services@ut.edu. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me, in private, if you need more information.
Academic Integrity Statement:
Cheating, plagiarism, copying and any other behavior that is contrary to University standards of behavior will not be tolerated. Students caught violating any aspect of the University of Tampa’s Academic Integrity Policy will be penalized in all cases. Penalty ranges from “0” on an assignment to “F” for the course without regard to a student’s accumulated points. Students may also face expulsion. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the policies of the university regarding academic integrity and to avoid violating such policies. Policy information is found at: http://ut.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/catalog/Academic-Policies-and-Procedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy
Class Disruption Statement:
Every student has the right to a comfortable learning environment where the open and honest exchange of ideas may freely occur. Each student is expected to do his or her part to ensure that the classroom (and anywhere else the class may meet) remains conducive to learning. This includes respectful and courteous treatment of all in the classroom. According to the terms of the University of Tampa Disruption Policy, the professor will take immediate action when inappropriate behavior occurs.
Campus Closure Statement:
In case of any adverse condition or situation which could interrupt the schedule of classes, each student is asked to access www.ut.edu for information about the status of the campus and class meetings. In addition, please refer to ut.blackboard.edu for announcements and other important information. You are responsible for accessing this information.
Possible last-minute changes:
Although unlikely, it is possible that last-minute changes might be made to the dates for all assignments or class meetings, excepting only the final exam. In this unlikely event, I’ll make all possible efforts to inform students with sufficient lead-time.
I reserve the right to modify this syllabus for any reason at any time.