Students will learn the basic principles of arts administration (including general arts management, organizational leadership, financial management, marketing, development, and strategic planning) and apply those theories into practice through the creation of an imaginary project arts organization. This course will also give students an overview of the importance of arts advocacy, and the role students will play as future creators of cultural policy. (3 Credits)

Textbook

Management and the Arts (6th Edition) by William Byrnes, Focal Press, 2022.

Technology Requirements

• A computer with reliable Internet access
• A web browser (The browser requirements page identifies which browsers are supported and other technical information for operating Canvas.)
• Acrobat Reader
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, or other similar programs

AA6010 has 4 Learning Outcomes that build upon the Learning Outcomes of the Arts Administration Program, the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration, and the College of Performing & Visual Arts, as well as the Mission and Vision of Southern Utah University. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have gained the ability to:

1. Understand the purpose and operation of the different areas of administration within an arts nonprofit
2. Apply arts administration principles learned in class in both practical and creative ways
3. Identify and critically examine issues vital to managing arts organizations
4. Recognize how current socioeconomic and political climates can impact arts organizations

Grading

Grading for this course is broken down into four areas: Readings, Arts Briefings, Exams, and the Final Project.

1. Readings (20%): Each week, students will complete assigned readings and participate in a related discussion forum. In those forums, students will choose one prompt from the instructor to create their initial post (1 point), then respond to at least two classmates' posts (1 point each). Contributions should promote Critical Thinking, or the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. Meaningful participation is essential: Students should engage deeply, advance discussions, and share relevant experiences, while focusing on original insights (rather than simply reiterating course material or agreeing/disagreeing with others) and aiming for organic, collaborative, and insightful discussions that explore diverse perspectives and encourage new ideas.
2. Arts Briefing (20%): Students will lead a class discussion during the semester on one arts-related news topic in assigned teams. Those not leading the discussion should read the source material and contribute to the conversation for points toward the weekly Arts Briefing grade. Together, teams will: (1) Choose a recent news article, blog entry, video, etc. (published within the last two years), (2) Share the source material and guiding questions with the class by the Friday before the assigned week as the first comment in the AB Discussion Forum (one member posts on behalf of the entire team), and (3) Facilitate and monitor the discussion throughout the week, responding frequently to keep the conversation active.
3. Exams (20%): There will be two essay exams during the semester. Each exam will include four essay questions, and students must select two to answer. Each essay response should be at least 600 words long. There are no specific formatting requirements; however, citations should be listed as the bottom of each essay. The exams will cover material from the readings and class discussions up to the exam date.
4. Final Project (40%): Over the course of the semester, students will create an imaginary nonprofit arts organization from the ground up. Drafts of individual parts of the project will be due throughout the semester as they relate to current class discussion. At the end of the semester, the student will turn in two Final Project assignment components: a Portfolio and a Presentation. The Portfolio component is one complete document containing all of the revised draft assignments from the semester, as well as a Title Page, a Table of Contents, an Introduction, and a Conclusion. The Presentation component is a 10-minute minimum (20-minute maximum) presentation (with slides) introducing the organization and outlining the process the student went through during the semester in creating the Final Project Organization.

Each module in this course will normally consist of three types of assessments weekly: (1) a discussion on the assigned Readings, (2) a discussion on the assigned Arts Briefing, and (3) written assignments(s) as related to the Final Project. The two Exams will occur at the middle and end of the session (along with the other three assessments in those modules).

Course Assessment Table

Grading Scale

Class is conducted weekly in Canvas discussion forums focused on assigned Readings. These are available to view at any time, but do not post in the discussion forum until the first day of the corresponding week (which usually falls on a Monday, unless otherwise noted). Doing so will result in a loss of points. All discussions will close at 11:59 pm on the fourth day of the week (usually the Thursday, unless otherwise noted). Students should use the 'break' Fridays through Sundays to do any written assignments (due Sundays at 11:59 pm), and to do the readings for the coming week. Please be aware that all times listed in this course are Mountain Standard.

All assignments and readings are expected to be completed by the due date/time listed on Canvas (again, please note that all times are Mountain Standard). Students earn credit by completing the assignments in the same time frame given every other student in the class.

• Discussions: Since they are based on conversing with your fellow students, all graded class discussions close immediately after the due date/time listed, with no late posts accepted.
• Assignments: For written assignments turned in to the instructor, ten percent (10%) will be deducted for each 24-hour period past the deadline. This means that no assignment will be eligible for points if it is more than ten (10) days beyond the due date.

In the event of circumstances preventing a student from completing a discussion or assignment on time, the student should let the instructor know and request a deadline extension. Such extensions are up to the discretion of the instructor.

As this course is an asynchronous online course, there are no specific meeting dates, times, or locations, and no traditional attendance policy. Students are simply expected to come to Canvas each week prepared and to actively contribute, getting grades for such. Beyond those points, participation in this class adds value to the entire group. Active and regular contribution furthers learning and enhances the experience of all within the course.

• Mission: Serve the mission (Course Description) and goals (Course Outcomes) of the group.
• Concern: Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself.
• Dignity & Respect: Treat everyone as you would be treated.
• Support: Support leadership and growth in everyone.
• Kindness: Be kind and open-hearted.
• Organization: Do your share and stay organized.
• Help: Help others but don’t routinely do their work.
• Integrity: Model integrity by being honest and accountable.
• Concise: Say yes and deliver, or say no clearly if you cannot or will not do something.
• Constructive Resolution: Resolve conflict in a productive manner.

• AI may NOT be used in online discussion forums. These forums are conversations between you, your classmates, and the instructor. As such, we expect you to come to these discussion forums as your authentic self.
• AI may be used in other written assignments. Remember, AI cannot do all your writing for you. It can, however, be a tool for you to use if you can harness and proficiently utilize this technology ethically and responsibly. For example, using AI tohelp organize your thoughts, create outlines, or to help proofread your papers is perfectly acceptable application.
  • GRADING: The same minimum standards will be in place for each written assignment, no matter if you are using AI in your writing process or not. Assignments that fail to meet the minimum rubric requirements specified will be graded as such. Please note that many assignments in this program will ask for your personal analysis, opinion, experience, and may also ask you to incorporate in-class discussion elements. AI cannot do any of those things effectively. As a result, choosing to use AI may ultimately not be the most efficient use of your time, so you should always carefully consider whether or not you want to use it.
  • ACCURACY: AI is prone to writing factually incorrect statements, inventing fake quotes from real sources, and inventing entirely fake sources. It is your responsibility to double-check that any AI-assisted work you submit is free from these errors, verifying information before submitting it. Work containing factual errors or fictitious quotes/sources will be graded accordingly.
  • CITATIONS: If you use AI in your writing, it must be cited. As there is no penalty for using AI appropriately, so there is no benefit to lying about or trying to conceal your use of AI in this class. Concealing or lying about your use of AI is akin to plagiarism and will result in your assignment receiving a zero.