Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Professional Development and Projects (Face-to-Face)

AA 6850-01

Course: AA 6850-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: TA
CRN: 30005

Course Description

This course provides Arts Administration graduate students opportunities for professional development through special workshops, trainings, and master classes with professionals in the field, while also granting time and space to work on their Apologia, or cumulative graduate portfolio. Students also gain event management experience through participation in the planning and execution of the annual projects and events both on campus and with campus partners. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Pass/Fail] Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 5 Registration Restriction(s): Arts Administration students only

Required Texts

Required texts will be provided by the instructor as modules in Canvas. 




AA MISSION STATEMENT

The Arts Administration Program develops graduates who advocate for the arts while balancing administrative systems with the creative process in an effort to ensure the artistic integrity and economic sustainability of arts and culture organizations. 

Learning Outcomes


AA6850-01 [Professional Development & Projects] has 3 Learning Outcomes that build upon those of the Arts Administration Program, the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration, the College of Performing and Visual Arts, and the Mission & Essential Learning Outcomes of Southern Utah University.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have gained:

  1. A practical understanding of project management, crisis management, event planning, and leadership as a member of the professional staff of the Semester Event as part of the Project portion of the course;
  2. Further knowledge through guest speakers and workshops as part of the Professional Development portion of the course;
  3. An understanding of the arc of their education by continued work on the Apologia, the cumulative portfolio of the student's time in AA Program 

Course Requirements


As this is a Pass/Fail course, students earning an A, B, or C will receive a Pass, and students earning a D or F will receive a Fail [see grading scale below].

Students are expected to come to class prepared and to actively contribute to discussions. This should be an organic, collaborative, and insightful process. Remember, contribution is not necessarily about having the right answers. It is simply allowing for critical thinking, trying out new ideas and positions, and helping others consider all sides of an issue. Divergent beliefs and world views may be shared; respect for those differences is to be maintained at all times. Students are expected to use appropriate terms and language within all discussions and work.

Class work is broken down into 2 areas: the Semester Event, and the Apologia.

Semester Event [50%]: These special events simply would not happen without the Arts Administration graduate students. Students are considered staff of professional organizations (such as the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Southern Utah Museum of Art), and are expected to act as such: managing assigned areas, completing tasks on time, and working as a team. Students are graded on contribution, collegiality, and on written assignments as related to the Semester Event.

Apologia [50%]: Students will be given time each semester to continue to fill in their Apologia, focusing on the immediately previous semester. There will be two Apologia checks during the course of the semester. 

A third portion of this course, the Guest Lectures, is not graded, but offered to the students as professional development and will help fill gaps in the AA curriculum. Guests will vary each semester, and students can suggest topics of interest to them. To do so, please see the instructor.

Course Outline

Week 1
8.28. Thursday
Overview: Syllabus and Introductions
Shakespeare Competition Introduction

Week 2
9.4. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Prep/Plan

Week 3
9.11. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Prep/Plan

Week 4
9.18. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Prep/Plan

Week 5
9.25. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Prep/Plan

Week 6
10.2. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Prep/Plan
10.3 - 10.4 Shakespeare Competition

Week 7
10.9. Thursday
Shakespeare Competition Debrief

Week 8
10.16. Thursday
Apologia Check-In 

Week 9
10.23. Thursday
TBD: Campus Resource Presentation

Week 10
10.30. Thursday
TBD

Week 11
11.6. Thursday
TBD

Week 12
11.13. Thursday
TBD

Week 13
11.20. Thursday
No Class, Thanksgiving Break

Week 14
11.27. Thursday
TBD

Week 15
12.4.  Thursday
TBD



Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Should a student need to submit late work for this course, it will be allowed and arranged with the instructor directly.

Attendance Policy

Students are required to attend every class, on time. Should a student need to miss a class, they are to email the instuctor no less than 12 hours prior to the class period in order to be excused.

AA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are not to be used in the Canvas discussion forums of Arts Administration courses, but may be used on written assignments under consultation with the instructor on a case-by-case basis. Students are responsible for the final product submitted, and should make sure all work is accurate and all sources are reliable. Please refer to the SUU's Guiding Principles for Generative Artificial Intelligence
Links to an external site. for more information. 

AA BELONGING STATEMENT

A sense of belonging is essential to success in an educational environment. SUU and the Arts Administration Program are committed to fostering a community of lifelong learners. We encourage our Arts Administration community to make observations and inquiries through a thoughtful and critical lens. The perspectives, ideas, values, and experiences of all students are a strength and benefit to this program and university. 

In this program, it is our intent to present content that is respectful of all students. Please, let us know if you have any suggestions to improve this effort. Additionally:

  • If your name and/or pronouns are different from what is listed on the class roll, please let us know in whatever mode you feel comfortable (email, Canvas message, face-to-face, etc) so we can address you in the proper way.
  • If you feel your performance in class is being impacted by your experiences (personal or professional) outside of class, please don’t hesitate to come and talk with us. We want to be a resource for you.
  • We (like everyone) are still learning about different perspectives, experiences, identities, and cultures. If something is said in class (by the instructor or anyone else) that makes you feel uncomfortable, please talk to us about it so we all can learn to do better.

AA GRADE POLICY

In compliance with the SUU Graduate Policy on grades, students enrolled in an Arts Administration Graduate Program (MFA or MA) are required to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 (B) cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Additionally, AA graduate students will not receive credit for a course where they achieved less than a 2.0 (C). Please see the current Arts Administration Program Graduate Student Manual and SUU Policy 6.62 for further information. Students in Arts Administration courses, but not part of one of the two AA degree tracks (MA or MFA), should be aware of any grade policies within their own home programs.

Grade Range
A | 100 % to 94.0%
A- | < 93.0 % to 90.0%
B+ | < 89.0 % to 87.0%
B | < 86.0 % to 84.0%
B- | < 83.0 % to 80.0%
C+ | < 79.0 % to 77.0%
C | < 76.0 % to 74.0%
F | < 73.0 % to 0.0%

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.