Teaching Colleague: Christopher Slaby
Writing Colleague: Amanda Bartlett

Lectures: MW 1:55-2:50pm, 212 Houghton House
Office Hours: W 3:00-4:00pm, F 2:00-3:00pm, or by appointment, 208 Houghton House

Course description:
This class, which will be co-taught with Professor Michael Tinkler, will focus on the ideas that artists attempt to express visually in both Asia and Europe. My section will focus on Asian art, and Professor Tinkler’s section will focus on European art. Each section will meet separately once a week for discussion (Chinese, Japanese, and Indian art in my section, ancient and medieval European art in Professor Tinkler’s), but both sections will meet together once a week to learn about a common issue in both artistic traditions and how it is approached differently (or similarly) in Asia and Europe. Topics will include how artists represent the real world or an idealized world, how social class impacts artistic practice, how men and women participate in artistic production, and how the “other” is represented in both artistic traditions. We will consider the connections between art, religion, philosophy, politics, literature, and society.

Course objectives:
We will explore through study of formal techniques and the varied philosophical concepts that inform artistic production how visual means can be used to express difference, and we will make comparisons to literature. Students will gain experience in analyzing art in the context of diverse world cultures and will write short papers, journal entries and create a thematic exhibition.

Institutional goals:
In this course we will address five of the eight curricular goals for the institution: 1. Develop skills for effective communication: listening, reading, writing, speaking; 2. Develop skills for critical thinking and argumentation; 5. Gain experience of a fine or performing art; 6. Develop an intellectually grounded foundation for understanding differences and inequalities of gender, race and class; and 7. Acquire critical knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures.

About the Learning Community:
Learning Communities provide a structured, intentional and coherent living-learning experience that supports students through increased faculty-student engagement, increased peer support and a stronger emphasis on bridging experiences. Learning Community students tend to achieve at high rates, make friends quickly and transition into college life smoothly.

Learning Communities at HWS create an intentional learning environment that focuses on shared and active learning, bridging academic and co-curricular experiences and developing strong bonds with faculty and fellow students. Two different types of Learning Communities are being offered to the Classes of 2010: Connecting Knowledge and Connecting Experiences.

Because you are enrolled in a Connecting Knowledge Community you are taking this First Year Seminar and ASN 101, Foundations of Asian Civilization, an accompanying paired course.  Both courses are closely tied together through complementary lectures, readings and assignments in order to provide students with a more integrated approach to learning in the first year. Students live together in the same residence hall so that interesting conversations don’t stop when students leave the classroom, and co-curricular programming can be tied to academic themes students are addressing in classes. A sophomore or junior peer mentor serves as a teaching colleague in the FSEM course and works with Learning Community members on academic support and college transition skills.  Another student will work as a writing colleague. Although many of these peer mentors live on the floor with the students in the Connecting Knowledge Learning, Chris Slaby will be living in the Asian Studies Theme House—another place for you to meet students with whom you may share academic interests.

Required texts:
*AP, AP: David G. Wilkins, Bernie Schultz, and Katheryn M. Linduff, Art Past, Art Present with CD-ROM, 5th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2005).
*SGWA: Sylvan Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 8th ed. (New York: Longman, 2004).
*CBCP: Burton Watson, ed. and trans., The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry: From Early Times to the Thirteenth Century (New York: Columbia University Press, 1984).
*Diana Hacker, ed., A Pocket Style Manual, 4th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004).

Handouts:
*THX: Texts on Han Xizai, translated by Lara Blanchard.
*FPPL: Hans H. Frankel, The Flowering Plum and the Palace Lady: Interpretations of Chinese Poetry. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.
*CT: Zhuangzi 莊子, Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1964).

Weekly schedule

Orientation. Aug. 25. The HWS curriculum and other stuff we think you should know.

Week 1. Aug. 28-30. Formal approaches to art.
Readings: AP, AP 1-21; SGWA chap. 2.
(NOTE: all page numbers in bold are shared with section 01, so expect them to come up in class on the days we meet together)
Aug. 28. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).
Aug. 30. Discussing Asian & European art (meet together).

[First conference with Writing Colleague Amanda Bartlett occurs in Week 1, and you meet with her weekly thereafter. Send your written assignments to her in advance.]

Week 2. Sept. 4-6.  Conceptual/perceptual.
Readings: AP, AP 94-95, 120-23, 184-87, 250-51.
Sept. 4. Discussing Asian art (meet separately).
Sept. 6. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).
*Artist’s biography due.*

Week 3. Sept. 11-13. Conceptual/perceptual.
Readings: AP, AP 54-55, 100-101, 370-73; CBCP 307-308.
Sept. 11. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
Sept. 13. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

Week 4. Sept. 18-20. Sacred/profane.
Readings: AP, AP 62-63, 138-43,150-51, 168-73, 200-201; CBCP 41-43, 49-52, 142-43, 259-67.
Sept. 18. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
*Proposals for exhibition themes due.*
Sept. 20. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

Week 5. Sept. 25-27. Research and writing.
Readings: SGWA chaps. 3, 4, 9.
Sept. 25. Library research session. Meet at the Reference Desk of the Library at 1:25pm.
Sept. 27. How to write a catalogue entry (meet together).

[Sept. 27-30, “Engaging Differences: A Diversity Symposium”]

Week 6. Oct. 2-4. Research and writing, cont., Sacred/profane.
Readings: AP, AP 308-309; CBCP 249-52, 361; THX (handout).
Oct. 2. Library internet session. Meet at the Reference Desk of the Library at 1:25pm.
Oct. 4. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).

[Oct. 9, FALL RECESS]

Week 7. Oct. 11.  Sacred/profane.
Readings: AP, AP 308-309; CBCP 249-52, 361; THX  (handout).
Oct. 11.  Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

Week 8. Oct. 16-18. Icon/narrative.
Readings: AP, AP 232-35, 264-67.
Oct. 16. Discussing Asian art (meet separately).
Oct. 18. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).
*Object list for exhibition due.*

Week 9. Oct. 23-25. Icon/narrative.
Readings: AP, AP 102-105, 182-83, 190-91, 202-205; CBCP 116-21, 142-43.
Oct. 23. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
Oct. 25. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

[TBA, Film screenings: Hero (2004, dir. Zhang Yimou) and Courage under Fire (1996, dir. Edward Zwick)]

Week 10. Oct. 30-Nov. 1. High/low.
Readings: AP, AP 328-29, 350-51, 590-91; CBCP 245-46.
Oct. 30. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
Nov. 1. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

Week 11. Nov. 6-8. High/low.
Readings: AP, AP 143, 342-43, 420-23; CBCP 338-39
Nov. 6.  Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
Nov. 8.  Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).

[Nov. 11-12 , Possible "field experience" with Learning Communities]

Week 12. Nov. 13-15. Play.
Readings: AP, AP 164-67, 386-87, 560-61;CBCP 139-40, 317-18; FPPL 22-23 (handout); CT 80-82, 109-110, 113, 133-34, 140 (handout).
Nov. 13. Discussing Asian art and literature (meet separately).
*Draft of catalogue entries due to Writing Colleague.*
Nov. 15. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together)

Week 13. Nov. 20.  Writing.
TReadings: SGWA chap. 10.

[Nov. 22, THANKSGIVING RECESS]

Week 14. Nov. 27-29. East + West.
Readings: AP, AP 400-11, 448-49, 456-61, 494-95, 552-87.
Nov. 27. Comparing and contrasting Asian & European art (meet together).
Nov. 29. Discussing Asian & European art (meet together).

[Nov. 28-29, FSEM Conference]

Week 15. Dec. 4-6.  Presentations.
Readings: SGWA chap. 5.
Dec. 4. Meet together for presentations.
*Exhibitions posted online by this date.*
Dec. 6. Meet together for presentations.

Finals Week.  Dec. 14.  Exhibition review due.

Course Requirements

1.         Class Participation (15%).  This includes regular and punctual attendance (see attendance policy) and participating in discussions in class or on the Blackboard discussion board. I grade participation on a daily basis, as follows: A for speaking up in class or on the discussion board (even to ask a question or to answer one of my questions incorrectly), B for showing up to class but not speaking, C for not paying attention or coming in late, 0 for not coming to class at all.

2.         Artist’s biography (5%), due Wednesday, Sept. 6.  A short writing assignment on an Asian artist.

3.         Proposal for exhibition theme (5%), due Monday, Sept. 18.  If you could mount an exhibition on a particular theme in Asian or Asian & European art, what would you choose? Everyone turns in an individual proposal; the most do-able ones will be chosen as the basis for group projects. More details to follow.

4.         Exhibition (40%), due Monday, Dec. 4.  This will be an online group project pursuing one of the proposals for exhibition themes. Grading will be based on four distinct components, worth 10% each: 1.) attention to theme; 2.) choice of images; 3.) explanatory text; 4.) teamwork (including contributing equally to project and posting on time). More details to follow.

5.         Presentations of exhibitions (10%), Dec. 4-6, TBA.  Short presentations in which you introduce your group project to the rest of your classmates and Professor Tinkler’s section. More details to follow.

6.         Exhibition review (5%), due Thursday, Dec. 14, 11:30am. A short review of another group’s online exhibition. More details to follow.

7.         Weekly journal (20%).  Once a week, beginning in Week 3, you will be writing journal entries about art and/or literature. More details to follow.

Office Hours
I am happy to meet with you outside of class during my office hours (see top of syllabus) or at another time that is convenient for you, in 208 Houghton House.  The best way to reach me to set up an appointment is by e-mail.

Attendance Policy
I consider attendance at lectures to be mandatory. Asian art history is a challenging subject; don't make it impossible by skipping class! That said, if you have a reasonable excuse for missing a class, I expect you to notify me as soon as possible--preferably in advance--and to turn in a one-page essay on the topics covered on the day of your absence, within a week. Not doing so will directly impact your participation grade. If you are absent four times or more, you should be prepared for me to notify the Deans about your performance. I will be taking attendance regularly.

Attendance and Religious Holidays:
“The Colleges accept the responsibility of making available to each student who is absent from class because of religious obligations and practices an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement missed.”
To take advantage of this opportunity you must inform me in advance of any religious holidays when you will be out of class.  I do my best to avoid religious holidays with regard to due dates, but there are times when that is impossible.  Please talk to me if you have any difficulties!

Format for Written Work
One of the things you will learn in an art history class is the importance of presentation. This applies to your written work as well:

1. Type all work in a 12-point font.
2. Double-space.
3. Leave one-inch margins on all sides.
4. Number your pages.
5. Staple your work.
6. Put your name on every page, and the due date on the first page.
7. Please check that your spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct--these are crucial to effective communication of your ideas. I will lower your grade if you have excessive errors. A Pocket Style Manual has helpful chapters titled "Clarity," "Grammar," "Punctuation," and "Mechanics." Read them.
8. If you cite another source, you may use either parenthetical references or footnotes. (See A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism below.) Make sure that you follow one of the documentation styles explained in A Pocket Style Manual (MLA, APA or Chicago-Style).
9. Include pictures with captions if appropriate (and please attach them to a clean sheet of paper-do not give me loose postcards, illustrations torn from magazines, or copies of the books you found the pictures in. Black-and-white photocopies are okay).

A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism
I will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. Not only does it destroy the trust that I have in you to do your best, it is unfair to the other students, and obviously you will not learn anything if you resort to cheating. If I find that you have cheated on a test or on a written assignment, you will receive a zero for the assignment and I will contact the Deans and/or the Committee on Standards about your case.

Now, just in case you are not clear about what plagiarism is: plagiarism is the use of someone else's words or ideas without giving that person credit. In application, this means that in your writing assignments, you need to cite your sources. When quoting directly from a text--say, five words or more in succession--you need to put those words in quotation marks and include a parenthetical reference or footnote citing the source. When rewriting a passage from a text in your own words, you don't need the quotation marks but you do still need the parenthetical reference or footnote. If you don't understand exactly what constitutes plagiarism, or how to use parenthetical references or footnotes, please ask me. I would prefer to explain what it is and how to avoid it before it happens rather than after.

Grading
PLEASE NOTE:  I mark down one-third of a grade (for example, from A to A-) for each calendar day that an assignment is late. I also mark down one-third of a grade for every ten mechanical errors (except on the first assignment to be turned in); notice what kinds of mistakes you tend to make on that first assignment, and try not to repeat them. In addition, you must meet your Writing Colleague, Amanda Bartlett, for conferences on all your written assignments, or I will mark down your final version by one letter grade.

Assignments are due during the class period on the due date. You may bring your assignments to class or send them to me via e-mail before class (not during, and not after!). Again, I mark down for lateness. If you think you will need an extension, you should talk to me as early as possible. If you have trouble printing out your paper, you should use the e-mail option instead.

My grading scale is as follows:

A Note about the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges encourage you to seek the academic collaboration available to you to demonstrate your best work. Students who would like to enhance their study skills or writing skills or have any academic inquiries can contact the CTL. If you are a student with an identified disability and you would like to receive accommodations, please provide me with the notification form from the CTL at the start of the semester, so that I can best accommodate your needs (students with disabilities have to register at the Center). CTL staff encourages every student to stop by Harris Hall to learn what is available to you at this academic resource. Please contact the CTL at x3351 to make an appointment or stop by the second floor of Harris Hall (on South Main, next to Merritt Hall) to meet with Center Staff.

Websites
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage, http://people.hws.edu/blanchard/FSEM047/; and one at Blackboard. This syllabus, paper assignments, review sheets, and links to online resources for Asian art can be found at both. The Blackboard site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, a discussion board, an online gradebook and an image library.