Syllabus

Senior Portfolio
Instructor: Paul Thulin
Phone: 804 828-2162
Email: pbthulin@vcu.edu

In this course you will learn:

To effectively create, critique, exhibit and self promote a conceptually based photography and/or mixed media portfolio.

This will be achieved in seven steps:

i. In-depth independent research: What is the conceptual basis of your photographic project? Which historians, critics, or cultural theorists support and expand upon the ideas explored in your work? What is the art historical/professional practice basis of your work within the medium of photography? What contemporary image-makers or artists (post 1990) share a similar methodological approach and subject matter to your work.

ii. Intense weekly artistic production and the establishment of a developed methodological approach to image making: You will be required to produce at a minimum at least one new image (created from 5 rolls or 150 shots) or artistic investigation every week of the semester and one finalized image every 2 weeks (ready for critical review). The goal is to keep exploring subject matter until you find a definable artistic approach to a particular subject. Production is not to be taken lightly and is required. You will be required to maintain this output intensity throughout the entire semester and keep record of it. You will be judged on an individual basis and your workload will be discussed and planned with your instructor.

iii. Participating in oral and written critique/explication of your own artwork and the work of your classmates. Each student will participate in focused student directed individual meetings and group critiques.

iv. Participating in SOA lectures, exhibitions, and events. Students will be required to regularly attend and respond to on-campus art events selected by the instructor. Expect to attend at a minimum at least 2 events per month during the course of the semester (6 total required).


v. Designing professional presentation materials and documentation of your work with the intention of entering professional practice or finding public exhibition. This includes entering at least 2 -3 local or national photography / art exhibitions, creating a series postcard, and digital portfolio.

vi. Organizing and participating in a professional panel review of at least 5 art professionals in the local community

vii. Organizing and participating in a juried public exhibition for the Senior Portfolio Class as well as creating an exhibition catalogue and promotion materials (e.g. poster)






Requirements

1.
Attendance is critical and will play a considerable role in determining your grade in this course. The student is expected to be in class and/or attend all scheduled meetings / events. Class critiques and individual meetings with the instructor are essential components of this class and will be required. Tardiness will not be accepted. If you are late, you will fail for the day and your meeting will have to be rescheduled at the instructor’s earliest convenience.


2.
TURN YOUR WORK IN ON TIME! Work will be graded down one letter grade for each late day. Assignments will only be accepted if completed in full.

3.
A three ring binder, flash drive or CD (if you are working digitally) that holds your notes, project work, (unedited digital captures), and contact sheets specifically related to your senior portfolio project. All contact sheets are due in a plastic sleeves and the photographer’s name, date, week of creation must appear on the side of the plastic sleeve (all folders on a CD should include the same information as a traditional contact sheet— equate a folder of captured images on a specific date to a contact sheet).

4.
An idea/concept blog (Use Blogger) must be kept and maintained by each student: This will be used to log and express your creative thoughts, note-taking in class, responses to readings, evaluations of films/slide presentations, critique of art events etc. as well as to aid in the conceptual and visual development of your project
(e.g. Posting interesting images).

This is mandatory. Entries must be made into the student blog every Sunday and Thursday by 9 am. These entries will often become content for your individual meetings with the instructor and will become a research archive for your class presentation later in the semester. There will also be a class blog (this blog) that should be checked at least 2-3 times per week.


5.
The creation of a conceptually based portfolio of images / artwork as proposed by the student. The scope and content of the portfolio will be discussed and assessed as the course progresses. Finished prints will have to be formally (mounted / framed in some fashion) presented by the end of the semester.


6. A Final Digital Portfolio including all of the following on 1 CDR or DVD (with case):

(2) different size sets of your final Senior Portfolio images as digital files (tiff or jpeg) w/ a text image list that includes title of image, name of series, your name, actual print dimensions, year

Set 1.) 4x5 @ 300 DPI in RGB

Set 2.) approximately 11x14 @ 72 DPI.

7. (Fall)

A 10-15 minute organized powerpoint, quicktime, or adobe acrobat class presentation of your work that includes your images with titles, a 300 word artist statement, reference/research information such as images of works from influential artists/photographers, and/or quotes of influential experts such as critics, historians, or psychologists. This presentation will support and explain your current research and the conceptual progression/ growth of your series. Please use the appropriate file sizes and formats and make sure it works on a Mac computer. An average presentation should have at a minimum 25 slides/ pages of imagery and information that is supporting the concept behind your senior portfolio series.

(Spring)

Organization and Participation in Professional Panel Review and Group Exhibition is required. A student will be assigned to work in one of the following organizing groups of which he or she will hold responsibilities to be reviewed by fellow classmates and instructor:

Marketing/Promotion/Funding Panel:

-Designs and Distributes Poster for Exhibition

-Distributes Poscard Packets for Exhibition

-Writes and Distributes Press Release for Exhibition

-Organizes and plans 3 Bakesales ( Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, April Fools day) -- (also help staff bakesales)

- Creating a detailed checklist of panel due dates for all tasks and making sure the entire class is aware

Administration/Planning Panel

- Scheduling all events

- Creating and administering an Exhibition/Panel Blog

- Maintaining constant communication with all panels and both senior portfolio classes

- Posting deadlines and collecting all student information, media, and etc. for other panels, as well as setting final exhibition date, juror day, and panel review date (these dates should be set after in class discussion and agreement with the other panels)

- Creating and Managing a Senior Portfolio Display Case Exhibition (2 week rotating) Schedule

- Organizing, tallying, posting decisions for any class votes on particular issues

- Organizing in class panel discussions and presentation

- Manages (keeps receipts, etc.) and distributes all class funds to panels (money from bakesales)

Exhibition/Juror Panel

-Finding multiple possibilities for venues for the Senior Exhibition

-Finding multiple candidates as a juror for the Senior Exhibition

-Finding multiple candidates for panel

-Creating a presentation of potential exhibition venues and panel review candidates with
descriptions of each space and candidates bios

- Writes and distributes email invitation to potential venues, panel candidates and possible jurors

- Creating a detailed checklist of panel due dates for all tasks and making sure the entire class is aware

- Creating detailed list of availability of all jurors, panel candidates, venues to pass onto the administration panel


Event Coordinators/ Refreshments Panel

- Setup, disassemble, staff all bakesales (includes providing all essentials such as cups, tables, etc.)

- Setup, disassemble, and staff Panel Review Day (includes providing all essentials such as cups, refreshments, tables, etc.)

-Setup, disassemble, staff Juror Review Day (includes providing all essentials such as cups, refreshments, tables, etc.)

-Setup, disassemble, staff Exhibition (includes providing help preparing the venue, lighting, tools, repairing walls, helping students carry work to and from cars, closing and opening venue, all cleanup)

- Cater all events

- Provide ( cheap but elegant) Lunch for Panel Review Committee

Book/Postcard Panel

- Find printer for postcard (jakprints/vista print) and book (lulu)

- Set deadlines to collect media for book and ordering of postcards

- Design Book

- Provide students information as to how to prepare files for book and postcard

- Collection and Packaging of Postcards

- Ordering of sample copy of book to proof for corrections



8.(Fall)
1 application for graduate school completely filled out and ready to submit


9. Full participation in Individual Meetings,Critiques, and Critique Blog

Students will participate in several individual instructor based meetings, two semester group critiques, as well as participate in the senior portfolio critique blog.

10.
Proof of entrance into required photo contests and/or exhibition opportunities. Expect to pay for at least $70 in entrance fees for the semester. Instructor must approve exhibitions and will require entrance into specific events. (Fall: VMFA Required/ Spring: American Photo and Andersen Fine Art exhibition Required)


11. The creation of an easily transportable professional quality portfolio of images that can be presented and handled by gallerists, curators, or potential clients. This portfolio will be presented to the Professional Panel Members and will be reviewed and evaluated by the instructor two weeks before the review

12. Exhibit work in Department Display Cases (Presentation will be graded. Works that fall or look shoddy will be marked down.)



Grades

Your grades will be assessed based on a 100-point scale, which you will accumulate through each assignment, examination, critique, etc. Overall grades will reflect your attendance and class participation, your effective response to instructor and class feedback, your individual initiative and the creativity behind your assignments (merely fulfilling superficial requirements will render a “C” at best). grades will be posted on Blackboard.



The university grade standard is as follows:

A - designates exemplary performance with all work submitted and on
time

B - designates good performance with all work submitted and on time

C - designates satisfactory performance with all work submitted and on time

D - designates poor work or missing/late work

F - designates unacceptable performance either in quality or
completeness or both.


A grade of "A" should be reserved for those who go far beyond the
project requirements and your expectations, and for those whose work
distinguishes itself from that of others in quality.




University Classroom Behavior Policy

The instructional program at VCU is based upon the premise that students enrolled in a class are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other students. Accordingly, in classrooms laboratories, studios and other learning areas, students are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and cooperative manner so that the faculty member can proceed with customary instruction. Faculty members (including graduate teaching assistants) may set reasonable standards for classroom behavior in order to meet these objectives. If a student believes that the behavior of another student is disruptive, the instructor should be informed. If a faculty member believes that a student’s behavior is disrupting the class and interfering with normal instruction, the faculty member may direct the student to leave the class for the remainder of the class period. In such circumstances, the faculty member is the sole judge that the student’s behavior is sufficiently disruptive to warrant a temporary dismissal from the classroom. Disruptive behavior on the part of the student may result in the filing of formal charges under the University’s Rules and Procedures document.


University Academic Integrity Policy

_ Understanding the types of conduct which are deemed unacceptable and, therefore, are prohibited by this policy.

_ Refraining from committing any act of cheating, plagiarizing, facilitating academic dishonesty, abusing academic materials, stealing, lying or soliciting others to engage in any of the above.

_ Refraining from acts of intimidation, threats of physical harm, or threats of retribution in an attempt to prevent the testimony of another member of the University Community at any time after charges have been made.

_ Reporting every instance in which the student has a suspicion or knowledge that academic conduct which violates this policy or its spirit has taken place to the faculty member responsible for instruction, or to a member of the Graduate and Professional Student Honor Council, or to an Honor System Faculty Coordinator for the Undergraduate Student Honor Council.


Americans with Disabilities Act Statement

"Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require Virginia Commonwealth University to provide an 'academic adjustment' and/or a 'reasonable accommodation' to any individual who advises us of a physical or mental disability. If you have a physical or mental limitation that requires and academic adjustment or an accommodation, please arrange a meeting with us (the Assistant Dean of Students) at your earliest convenience. Additionally, if your coursework requires you to work in a lab environment, you should advise the (course director) instructor or department chairperson of any concerns you may have regarding safety issues related to your limitation(s)."

A student with a disability is encouraged to contact the Assistant Dean of Students as soon as possible to ensure appropriate and timely response to requests for accommodations. Formal identification and determination of accommodations must be made with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, located on the Monroe Park campus. All students wishing to receive accommodations are required to provide to the course director an official memo indicating the requested academic adjustments or accommodations. Any accommodation related to examinations must be presented to the course director at least four days prior to the examination. Request for accommodations not related to examinations must presented to the course director within two weeks of the initiation of the course.


What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU

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.