Syllabus / Info / Course Contract

Professor Kelly Dennis

ARTH 3560 – History of Photography WWI-present                                                    
TTh 2-3:15 in AB 107
Office Hours: Tu 3:15-4:30; Th 12:15-1:00 
And by appointment


Course Description


Course Description
This upper-division art history course examines the photograph as image, as representation, and as discourse in the twentieth- and twenty-first-centuries. Rather than presenting a chronological survey, this course is organized around a number of developmental and conceptual themes traced across a body of images and genres—advertising, documentary, portraiture, vernacular/family photographs, landscape, postmodernism—in order to determine the ways that we not only conceive of photography but also how we ourselves are conceived by photography.

Students in this class will learn about:
·       The photograph as image, representation, and discourse;
·       Photographic developments and concepts across a body of images and genres;
·       The ways that photography generates and participates in visual literacy;
·       The role photography has played in representing race, class, gender, and national identity.

Outcomes
By the end of the course students will demonstrate an understanding of various kinds of photographic images and genres and the modes of thinking that they influence.


Required Books


·       Photography: A Critical Introduction, Liz Wells, 4th edition, 2009
·       Illuminations: Women Writing on Photography From the 1850s to the Present, Liz Heron + Val Williams, ed, Duke University Press, 1996 [H+W]
·       The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan (2006) [UConn Reads book]
·       Additional readings will be available on reserve in Babbidge Library, on Electronic Course Reserve (ECR—available on HuskyCT) or posted on the course HuskyCT website.

NB: There is a glossary of key terms in Wells [pp 345-52] and bibliographies in both texts may assist you in paper research.


Course Requirements


1.              Class preparation and participation (10%). You are required to attend all class meetings. Informed and active participation in class discussion is essential, and will count toward your final course grade. You should be thoroughly familiar with the assigned readings for each class meeting. Your participation is essential to the success of this class. You should plan to ask and answer questions and make comments each day. Failure to attend class means you are not fulfilling your obligation to participate in discussion and thus, contribute to the overall learning experience of all. Missing three classes without written documentation of a genuine emergency will result in the lowering of your final course grade by one full mark (that is, for example, from a B to a C). Missing four or more classes without documentation result in an “F” for the course. Conversely, active and productive participation in discussion will help raise your grade. Students at UConn are expected to dedicate 2-3 hours to class-related work for every 1 hour that they spend with their professors in class. This translates to a minimum investment of 7.5 hours per week in course-related reading, writing, research, and related work outside of class, for a total of at least 10 hours investment in each course.

2.              Course Blogger Discussion Posts + Replies (20%). There are a number of REQUIRED Blogger discussion posts and replies to specific readings or topics due as noted on the syllabus.
Additionally, 5 posts are required over the course of the semester on assigned readings of students’ choosing as well as 8 replies to other students’ posts. A 150-200 minimum word limit and observance of acceptable etiquette, language, and academic protocol is expected to foster intellectual and scholarly discussion of ideas in the course.  Of the 5 students’ choice posts, 3 must be made by spring break. Blogging will close

3.              Midterm Exam (20%) + Final Exam (20%). The midterm + final exams will consist of slide essay analyses, short answer, and essay questions that test your comprehension of the readings, specific knowledge of works of art, as well as lecture and discussion materials. Many review images are available on the course HUSKYCT website.

4.              Research Paper and Presentation (30%). One 8-10 page research paper on a topic to be distributed in class. Papers MUST be submitted in hard copy on the due date as well as submitted electronically to SAFE ASSIGN on HUSKYCT.  A 5-minute oral presentation on one of your paper topics is required during the last two weeks of class.

WRITING GUIDELINES: All formal written work [response papers, formal analysis and final paper] must be typed in Times or Times Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 inch margins, double-spaced. Please number all pages. Illustration, bibliography, endnotes are required for the final paper and must conform to Chicago Manual of Style guidelines, which are available on the course website. Papers must be submitted in hard copy and submitted electronically via Safe Assign on the course HuskyCT website. Papers will NOT be accepted via email. LATE work will not be accepted for any assignment.

Course Grade Matrix
A = 94-100% A- = 90-93% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+=77-79% C=73-76% C-=70-72% D+=68-69% D=60-67% F=<60%

Assessment of participation and written work (e.g., assignments, presentations, etc.) is based on the following philosophy: An “A” is awarded for exceptional, outstanding, and inspiring work. An “A” grade reflects not only a mastery of core concepts, but also the ability to apply these concepts to other problems. Importantly, an “A” is neither automatic nor easy to achieve. A “B” grade is awarded for good work that demonstrates a reasonably solid foundation of core material. A “B” is also not automatic, although it is easier to achieve than an “A” grade. A “C” grade is average and is applied to work that generally reflects a basic mastery of course material, but lacks inspiration and fails to fully engage with key concepts. A “D” grade is often the result of an incomplete assignment and/or work that fails to demonstrate a full comprehension of key ideas. An “F” is recorded when an assignment is not submitted and/or for work that fails to demonstrate a mastery of the most basic course ideas. See the Rubric for Art History papers on the course Blogger website under Final Paper.


Writing Intensive section students:


University regulations require that 50% of your final grade derive from written work. Accordingly, Participation (10%), Midterm Exam (15%), Final Exam (20%), [Blogger Discussion Posts/Replies (20%) + Drafts/Revisions/Final Paper (35%) = 50%].



Course Policies



·       In order the pass the course, all assignments must be completed and submitted by their due dates.
·       All students are expected to appropriately cite their sources, using the guidelines established in the Chicago Manual of Style. Any instance of plagiarism will be taken seriously and dealth with according to the UConn Student Code. A certificate with a unique ID code that you have completed online plagiarism training and testing is required and the link for this assignment is located on the course Blogger site under Final Paper.
·       Always be on time and prepared for class.
·       Unplugged Classroom: This is an upper-division art history course developing critical viewing, reading, and thinking skills through discussion of images, texts, and historical events. Because attending to lecture, looking at the projected images and films, and taking notes on both already involves significant multitasking, this is an unplugged classroom environment: Cell phone, laptop, and iPad use are not permitted in class. Per the UConn Student Code cell phones must be turned off completely, not left in “standby” or silent mode. The instructor is responsible for having a cell phone on standby in case of official UConn Emergency Alert text messages and will communicate any emergency procedures and instructions to students.
·       Students are responsible for all information in this syllabus.


Academic Success at UConn


These are the two cardinal rules for successful students:
·       Show up! Go to class. Study everything the professor suggests. Remember that “reading” is not the same as “studying.” The professor will not cover all the material in class; you need to learn on your own!
·       Count your study hours! Schedule your study time. Every hour in class requires 2-3 hours study time outside of class. A student carrying a full load (15 credits) should spend 45 hours per week on classes, or 7-9 hours a week per class.

Designate specific time to study specific classes. Post the schedule where you will see it every day. Count your hours at the end of the week – did you put in 45 hours? You can study less and pass the class, but if you want to really learn the material (hence earning an A), you need multiple exposures to the material (e.g. don’t just read the chapter, study it – outline, underline, self-quiz, flashcards, etc.)

Studying is most effective in small blocks of time; avoid “marathon” study sessions on weekends or before an exam. You want to learn and know the material forever; cramming is an ineffective strategy.


Student Accommodation & Services


If you have a physical or learning disability, either hidden or visible, which may require classroom, test-taking, or other reasonable modifications, please see me as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, please be sure to register with the Center for Students with Disabilities at http://www.csd.uconn.edu/.




From the Dean of Students: Final Exams


“Attention Students: Final exam week for Spring 2015 takes place from Monday, May 4th, through Saturday, May 9th. Students are required to be available for their exam during that time. Students must visit the Dean of Students Office if they cannot make their exam. The DOS will give the student his or her instructions thereafter.

“Please note: vacations, previously purchased tickets or reservations, weddings, and other large or small scale social events, are not viable excuses for missing a final exam. Please contact the Dean of Students office with any questions. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.”


Student Support Services (SSS)


Student Support Services offers services to support your academic work such as study skills workshops, time management, mentoring, and tutoring. SSS is located in the Rowe CUE Building, 231 and they can also be found online at cap/uconn.edu/sss and contacted at x64030 or cap@uconn.edu.


Student Counseling and Health Services


Throughout any given semester, health-related issues arise. Students should know and use the resources available at the Counseling & Mental Health Services as well as at Student Health Services to stay healthy in mind and body.


Sexual Violence and Title IX


As a faculty member, I am deeply invested in the wellbeing of each student I teach. I am here to assist you with your work in this course. If you come to me with other non-course- related concerns, I will do my best to help.

It is important for you to know that all faculty members are mandated reporters of any incidents of sexual misconduct. That means that I cannot keep information about sexual misconduct confidential if you share that information with me. The University website http://sexualviolence.uconn.edu provides information regarding Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking Awareness, as well as confidential reporting, counseling, and medical access. The Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth Conklin, can also help you access other resources on campus and in the local community. You can reach Elizabeth at x6-2943 or Elizabeth.Conklin@UConn.edu, and her office is on the first floor of Wood Hall.

The student sexual misconduct policy is in the Student Code, which can be found at http://community.uconn.edu under Appendix B. There you will find the policies, definitions, procedures and resources related to sexual misconduct and Title IX.






No comments: