1. Exam on Artists and Artworks
There will be one short final of slide identification to evaluate your familiarity with the major artists and their works. I will give you a list of works/artists that you will need to be familiar with.

2. Artists/Art Work Briefs
You will research/write five (5) of "art work briefs" during the semester. You must post one of these every other week and put them onto Blackboard. The choice of artist/artwork is yours, however, it should not be an artwork that we have discussed in the class lecture.  Your resources are books on reserve, readings, independent research, or web information.
Include the following in your choices (you may overlap criteria if you like):

1. How does the work pertain to the theme of the week? Or what new areas does this work/artist illustrate?
2. at least one work by a woman
3. a work in a non-traditional medium
4. a work by an artist in each of the regions we're discussing: South Asia, Tibet, Nepal, Asia America
5. You may not repeat the same artist. Variety is the goal here!

Your briefs should contain the relevant data about the image (title, medium, dimensions, date, artist, country/region, and a digital image of the work). Then you should write a critical analysis of the work (of about two pages in length).
It should answer these questions in essay form:

1. What are the issues the artist is dealing with?
2. How does the work approach those issues?
3. What's the historical context for the work and how does that impact the artist's choices?
4. What's the audience for the work?
5. What's the thesis of the work of art?

Include a list of sources (in bibliographic form) you used with the brief (you should include more than one, as you'll need an alternative point of view to bolster your discussion).
3.  Weekly Writing/Discussion Leaders
Each week, we will have 2 discussion leaders who will facilitate the thematic discussion. In addition, you have the following writing assignments include:

1. Reaction Comments/Discussion on Discussion Board: All students are required to contribute to weekly discussions online. Discussion leader should post at least TWO questions pertaining to the readings BEFORE class. Please bring this to class to distribute to students. All students will need to respond to this in a meaningful way (1-2 paragraphs), or write in a new thread. The response may be posted before or after class discussion.

4. Class Project:  Web Resource or On-line Exhibition:  
As a group, you will need to discuss the direction of the final project, either on an exhibition of contemporary Indian art, or as a major web-resource of contemporary Indian art.  Themes, issues, selection of artists and artworks are your own. This PBL activity is to simulate a real-life situation, where you will have the opportunity to brain-storm, discuss, and collaborate on your collective project. You will discuss the final project as a group on Week 5: September 26, 2007. We will discuss this in detail the following week.
Activity Rubrics:

1. As a group, you will decide on the format (web-resource or catalogue). If you are planning to do a web resource, I can post them on Blackboard or collectively, you can decide to post it on my faculty webpage under courses.
2. Each student will work on his/her individual projects, once the group has identified the overall theme for the course.

 Results of the discussion should be posted on the web. You will need to start thinking about potential paper topics fairly early in the semester, and to see how this area of interest may fit the overall conceptual framework of the class project. You may use the “art brief” to discuss the overall theme of the show.

5. Individual Research Paper/Project for web:

1. This will be based on the group project, either on an exhibition of contemporary Indian art, or as a major web-resource of contemporary Indian art. Drawing on your experiences writing the art work briefs, construct an exhibition of five works of art. Write a catalog to accompany your exhibition of about 7 pages in length. Some of the issues you may wish to discussion: why the selection of these works? What issues do they illuminate about Contemporary South Asia and the Himalayan art? What challenges are there for presenting the works? To complete your catalog, you need to include a short section on artist bios and a bibliography of works consulted during your research for the exhibition.

The following dates are critical for feedback on your research. While the meetings with me are not a requirement, I highly recommend that you use this opportunity to get feedback from me. 

Week 6 & 7 Make appointments to see me regarding your paper topic/bibliography

Weeks 8 and 9: Make appointments to see me regarding progress on paper

Weeks 10 and 11: Make appointment for rough draft, if needed.

6. Final Presentation: (1) Group Presentation ; (2) Individual Presentation

The final outcome of the project will be discussed in class, highlighting the individual research focus of the group and each student.
(1) Group Presentation should be short; cohesive, and provide the introductory material for the Individual Presentation to follow.  20 minutes max.
(2) Individual Presentation: A 15-minute formal presentation will be based on your final research topic. You will be graded on the clarity of presentation, arguments, and delivery.  Highlight in your oral presentation the outcomes of your individual research. If you decide to write a catalogue, it should be about 7 pages in length. You may turn in your exhibition in several formats: as a website, in physical catalog form, or as a digital file of that catalog. The way you present the works will factor into the evaluation of your project. You will need to use Powerpoints.  For your final presentation, I would like the students to be familiar with a) scanning images; b) using the basics of Photoshop for correcting images (I will be happy to conduct a workshop session, if we need); and c) use/delivery of images in Pointpoint

Although not required, it may be interesting to consider the following options for your presentation:

1. Treat the class as the board of directors for the museum, and you are the curator proposing the exhibition. Pitch us the show. Present your arguments for why the museum should put our limited resources this overall theme.
2. Treat the class as an educated group of docents who may know nothing about Asian art. Your exhibition is up, but now you need to train us to tell others what the exhibition is about and how the works contribute to the overall vision.

Requirements and Grades
Final grades will be based on weekly written discussion on our course site Discussion Board, student presentations (small collaborative groups), and a final project (paperless).

Classroom Discussion /Blackboard Participation: 20%

Art Work/Artist Briefs (5): 25%

Exam: 25%

Final Project, Group Assignments and Presentation: 30%

 Expectations
Attendance:
A significance portion of the grade is based on class discussion/participation, hence attendance is absolutely CRITICAL. Since we only meet once a week, you are allowed one (1) unexcused absence during the entire semester. You will be required to present a dated note from a certified medical doctor, or a note of excuse from the Dean of the School of the Arts for an acceptable excuse for an absence.  Missing class beyond the one unexcused absence will result in the lower of the final course grade by one full letter grade for each excessive absence.  

Participation
One of the cornerstones of learning is showing up ready to discuss, prepared to engage with the material, and willing to share your energy with the others who have come to share as well. Thus, participation is highly valued in this course. Please read assignments beforehand, look at texts on reserve and in the library both for research and for background, and push yourself to move to the next level in your understanding of art, your writing, your reading, and your critical thinking.

Looking
On the syllabus I will add particular "looking" assignments as the semester progresses. We do not have a textbook, so we have to take more time to see good reproductions of the works we discuss in class. Looking means paging through a text, examining the pictures, spending time with a few of them to see what they're doing, generating questions for the next class period, and culling information and images (in photocopy form) to bring to class and discuss. You may also post questions, images, or fun things you've found to the discussion boards on blackboard. Watch the syllabus for looking assignments and pursue your own program of looking by finding art on-line, browsing through the stacks, and looking at the books on reserve from time to time.

VCU Honor Code:
All students are subject to the policies and regulations of the VCU Honor System. It is the student's responsibility to familiarize themselves with the honor system as presented in the Schedule ofClasses, the VCU Resource Guide, and the Undergraduate Bulletin, or on the VCU web site at:
http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/rg7honor.html

Disability Accommodations:
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require Virginia Commonwealth University to provide academic adjustments or accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students seeking academic adjustments or accommodations must self-identify with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities on the appropriate campus. After meeting with the Coordinator, students are encouraged to meet with instructors to discuss their needs and, if applicable, any laboratory safety concerns related to their disabilities.
Academic Campus Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities: 828-1139.

Students requesting accommodation based on a disability MUST provide documentation from the Campus Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. This documentation is generally in the form of a letter from that office detailing specific requests. Students not cleared by that office are not eligible for adjustments.

Safety and Emergency Issues: What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies

1. Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts (http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify). Keep your information up-to-date.
2. Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.
3. Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated authorities.
4. Know where to go for additional emergency information (http://www.vcu.edu/alert).
5. Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.