Summer I 2026
Fine Arts Appreciation
Fine Arts Appreciation (HUMA 1315 2A3) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is an exploration of the purposes and processes in the visual and performing arts (such as music, painting, architecture, drama, and dance) and the ways in which they express the values of cultures and human experience COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: • Describe the relationship of the arts to everyday life. • Employ formal elements and principles to critically analyze various works of the visual and performing arts. • Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic principles that guide the creation of, and response to, the arts. • Articulate the creative process of artistic works as expressions of human experience and cultural values. • Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information • Demonstrate Communication Skills - effective development, interpretation and expressions of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication. • Demonstrate Teamwork - ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal. • Demonstrate Social Responsibility - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: William (Bill) Sizemore Email: whsizemore@lit.edu Office Phone: NA Office Location: TC 242 Office Hours: Summer Hours- Available via Zoom, per email request REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS None ATTENDANCE POLICY For all online courses be sure to sign in to Blackboard on a regular basis, three times a week at minimum, to check for any assignment openings and to be sure your coursework is being completed and submitted. Additionally, be sure to check your gradebook regularly for missing or inaccurate grades. Bring any grade questions to me immediately upon noticing them. Upon being notified, I will check and resolve any issues as needed. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified date as listed in the College Calendar on the Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) All units open on Mar 23 Unit One-Orientation, Course introduction and Quiz- Common Assignment Introduction See BB unit for assignment specifics Jun 07 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Two- Understanding Aesthetics- Personal Creative Preferences See BB unit for assignment specifics Jun 07 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Three- What are the Humanities, critiquing art, painting overview See BB unit for assignment specifics Jun 14 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Four- Sculpture and Architecture NA Jun 14 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Five- Personal Art Presentation See BB unit for assignment specifics Jun 21 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Six- Literature and Television See BB unit for assignment specifics Jun 28 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Seven- The basics of Film See BB unit for assignment specifics Jul 05 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Eight- Film Project See BB unit for assignment specifics Jul 12 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Nine- Art Project See BB unit for assignment specifics Jul 19 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Ten- Generative AI Text See BB unit for assignment specifics Jul 26 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Eleven- Generative AI Images See BB unit for assignment specifics Jul 26 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Twelve- Stage/Film/Literature Adaptation See BB unit for assignment specifics Aug 02 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Thirteen- Music See BB unit for assignment specifics Aug 09 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Fourteen- Final Project- Graphic Design See BB unit for assignment specifics Aug 09 All units open on Mar 23 Unit Fifteen- Common Assignment Due See BB unit for assignment specifics Aug 14 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: •Daily Grades - 15% •Midterm Project - 15% •Exams - 50% •Final Project (Core Assessment) – 20% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu) STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION Course Dates: Jun 01 – Aug 14 Format: Fully Online asynchronous (all coursework submitted in Blackboard) Textbook: No required textbook. Some streaming/viewing materials may need to be located by students. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in many fields. Students are expected to use these tools ethically and responsibly. • Use of AI is at the instructor’s discretion. • All submitted work must be your own unless otherwise specified. • In this course, AI may be used only if credited. If you use AI (e.g., ChatGPT) to draft or brainstorm, you must: 1. Revise the draft into your own words. 2. Include a note in your submission stating which AI platform was used. • For art projects, AI-generated or computer-assisted art is not allowed unless the assignment specifically requests it. Instructor Contact • Email is the best way to reach me. I will respond within 24-48 business hours. • Always include your course and section number in the subject line. • Do not email assignments. All work must be submitted through Blackboard. • If you resubmit a corrected assignment, you MUST email me the specific name(s) of assignment(s) resubmitted. Technology & Document Creation • This is a fully online course; you must have reliable computer and internet access. • You are expected to know basic software (e.g., Microsoft Word) and web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.). • Microsoft Office Suite is free to LIT students through MyLIT email. • Do not use Google Docs or other platforms that provide links. Actual document must be submitted. • Use only Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) for writing assignments. • All document submissions must follow MLA Style, using the provided MLA template. o Must be double-spaced. o Non-MLA submissions = Automatic -10% off grade • Acceptable image formats: .jpg, .png, .gif, .tif, .pdf. o Do not submit .heic files. Incorrect formats may result in a zero. Discussion Boards • Each assignment requires one original post plus at least two peer replies. • Posts without peer replies = 50% grade. Replies added later may regain points (if still open). • Peer replies must be thoughtful (more than “I agree”). Add insight or ask a question. • Reply length: at least 10 words to receive credit. • If you post early, return before the deadline to add peer replies. Grading Breakdown: • Original Post (meeting word count): 50% • Each Peer Reply (10+ words): 10% each • Example: Original post + 2 peer replies = 70/100 Journals • Informal reflections on prompts or projects. • Minimum 100 words (typed directly into the submission box). Do not attach journal entries or submit links. • A basic 100-word entry = passing grade of 70. Higher word counts with more depth = higher scores. Journal Grading Scale: • <100 words = 0 • 100–115 = 70 • 116–130 = 75 • 131–149 = 80 • 150–165 = 85 • 166–182 = 90 • 183–199 = 95 • 200+ = 100 Assignments & Submissions • All assignments must be uploaded to the correct Blackboard link. • Do not email assignments under any circumstances. • Assignments are open for the length of the entire semester. • Submit early to allow time for technical issues. • Regarding Dual Credit- assignments are submitted and due dates are determined based on the LIT academic calendar, not your school calendar. So, be aware that you might still have submissions due for this course even though you are in an “Off” period for your campus. • If you are going to be away or unavailable from the course for any reason (work, vacation, etc. You are still responsible for submitting assignments by the due dates. You can always submit early! Please do not email me and ask if it’s okay if you miss to goon vacation. You are still responsible for your on-time submissions. Late Work & Resubmissions • Penalty: Automatic 10 points off for any assignment not submitted by the assignment due date. 10 points off for each additional week past due. Late work deductions will be stringently enforced. • Resubmission After Grading: Resubmission of already graded assignments is by permission only. If you want to resubmit an assignment for rescoring, simply email me and ask. I will only allow resubmissions of assignments that have been initially submitted on time. Once I've allowed a resubmission. you must email me and tell me you have resubmitted the assignment by its specific name, so I'll know to look for it. Otherwise, it may not receive a grade. Any assignment resubmitted without my permission via email exchange with the student directly will receive a score of zero. • Once an assignment has received a grade, I will consider allowing one resubmission only for a regrade. • Incorrectly submitted assignments or assignments with errors but submitted on time are subject to a 10% point deduction if they have to be resubmitted. • Timeline: Late work or resubmissions will not be graded right away. They will be graded within two weeks after the next unit closes. • Technical issues (internet down, device crash, etc.) are not valid excuses. Only documented Blackboard outages are considered. Submit early to avoid these issues. Art Projects • Unless otherwise specified, all art must be created by hand with traditional media (pencil, paint, etc.). • Each project must include (unless otherwise stated in the instructions): o At least three progress pictures (DO NOT include pictures of your materials). o A journal entry if part of the assignment. o Possible discussion board critiques or artist statement. • Work must be new, created for the assignment. • Do not submit lined paper drawings (automatic zero). • Projects are graded on effort, understanding of art elements & principles, and ability to explain your work—not on artistic mastery. • Flat, minimal-effort drawings will receive a grade of 50%. Written Work & MLA Policy • All writing assignments (except journals/discussions) must follow MLA style. Please use the provided template. Do not try to reinvent the wheel here. • Minimum of 3 paragraphs unless otherwise specified (this does not include journals and discussion posts). One-paragraph submissions = automatic 50%. • Writing must use academic voice. No second person (“you, your”) unless specified. • Do not use outside sources unless explicitly required. • Tutor.com (linked in Blackboard) is available for free writing help. Quizzes, Tests, and Readings • Complete readings, quizzes, and tests by each unit’s closing date. • Once a unit closes, late work will be accepted according to the late work policy. • No individual extra credit. If any extra credit is offered, it will be announced to the entire class. Academic Integrity • Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. • All papers are checked with SafeAssign. Revise if needed before final submission. • Plagiarized work = 0 on the assignment and possibly failure for the course. Final Project • The final project is required to pass the course. • It is a research-based project with multiple components. Follow all assignment instructions carefully. Content Advisory / Mature Content Notice • This is a college-level Humanities/Arts course. As such, it includes required engagement with historical and contemporary works that address complex, and at times controversial, aspects of human culture and expression. Course materials will include content that some students may find objectionable, including but not limited to nudity, sexuality, violence, political ideology, religious critique, and other mature themes. • All materials are assigned for legitimate academic purposes related to critical analysis, historical understanding, and artistic literacy. The presence of such content is an expected and integral part of the course, not optional, and not subject to modification based on individual preferences, personal beliefs, or comfort levels. • Students—particularly those enrolled for dual credit—should understand that college courses are not designed to conform to high school standards, parental expectations, or individual definitions of appropriateness. By remaining enrolled in this course, students acknowledge and accept that exposure to challenging material is a normal requirement of college-level study. • Students may discuss concerns with the instructor; however, alternative assignments, content substitutions, or exemptions will not be provided solely on the basis of discomfort or personal objection. Students who feel they cannot engage with mature or controversial material in an academic context should reconsider enrollment prior to the course add/drop deadline. • Professional conduct, respectful discourse, and academic maturity are required at all times. Incomplete Policy In addition to LIT’s policy, you must meet these conditions to qualify for an incomplete: 1. Final drop date has passed. 2. You have been participating as required. 3. Work completed to date is at a passing level. 4. A doctor/mental health note verifies inability to complete the course. 5. You agree to finish within the first month of the following semester. Final Notes • Be respectful in all critiques and discussions. Controversy is acceptable; hate speech and derogatory content are not. • All course materials, policies, and dates are subject to revision as needed.