Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Capstone (Face-to-Face)

THEA 4751-01

Course: THEA 4751-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: TA
CRN: 30676

Course Description

Theatre and Dance artists will develop original scholarship that critically evaluates and analyzes their creative practice through a written and oral defense presentation to faculty within their discipline. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Junior or Senior standing required

Required Texts

Turabian, Kate L, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. FitzGerald. Student's Guide to Writing College Papers. 2019.

Learning Outcomes

1)     Critical Thinking: Students will analyze and synthesize research materials (including their own creative practice) and put their creative practice into conversation with the performing arts as a field of study.

2)     Creative Thinking: Students will utilize an artistic/creative project to direct and guide their research questions to produce original scholarship.

3)     Communication: Students will present their final product in the form of an essay and as a presentation, both of which will be workshopped and honed throughout the semester. 

Course Requirements

 | 5% | Participation and Social Contract
| 10% | Short Assignments
| 5% | Abstract (Thesis) and initial bibliography (~300 words)
| 10% | Proposal and working bibliography (2-3 pgs) 
| 10%  | Précis (10 total precis) 
| 10% | Writing Fellow Peer-Review 
 | 10%  | First Draft of paper (12-15 pgs) 
| 20% | Final Paper 
| 20% | Final Oral Presentation 

Course Outline

Week 1  - A discussion of the criteria of the research project, followed by exploration of
potential topics.
Week 2  - After settling on a topic, we discuss Precis writing and begin the work of
gathering sources and analyzing those sources
Week 3  - Continues the work of week 2 with the addition of working on solidifying student
projects in the form of an abstract.
Week 4  - Continues the work of week 3, completing the first set of Precis.
Week 5  - Individual work and time to work directly with instructor as students continue to
solidify their research.
Week 6  - Introduction of the Proposal Assignment and discussion of methodology.
Week 7  - Storyboard short assignment is introduced and presented as we work to outline
the research projects argument.
Week 8  - Proposal (introduction to the paper) is completed, accountability assignment is
discussed.
Week 9  - Discuss the construction of an Argument, techniques for drafting, and continue
to workshop writing and research.
Week 10  - Discuss MLA format and incorporating sources, revision practices, and the
structure of the presentation.
Week 11 - Student’s present their research to the class for discussion and critique.
Week 12  - Student’s present their research to the class for discussion and critique.
Week 13  - Student’s present their research to the class for discussion and critique.
Week 14  - Student’s present their research to the class for discussion and critique. Final drafts are due for distribution to a Faculty Panel.
Week 15 - Final Presentations to a Faculty Panel

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

Assignment due dates will be listed on canvas. All assignments should be typed unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Late work may be penalized 10% per day (not class period) that they are late. In general, I do not penalize late work so long as I receive it before I am grading the assignment for the class. This of course, is a nebulous thing, and I do it to acknowledge that if I haven’t started grading the essays by the time you turn it in, that it is arbitrary to penalize the work. With all of this said, I do provide, at minimum, one extension on any assignment per semester to each student. Simply send me an email before the assignment is due to ask.  I am very generous with extensions (i.e. I will often give you more than one), however, please be aware that when I grant an extension I cannot guarantee when I will be able to provide feedback on the assignment. This is largely because I grade a great many things in all my courses and cannot stop grading materials turned in on time in other classes to grade an assignment that has been granted an extension.  

 A final two caveats on extensions and late work in Capstone: 1) You may not progress to the next assignment until you have turned in the previous assignment and 2) the due date of the First Draft is the due date for being included in the final panels (I can offer an extension on this due date, but it must be asked for before the original due date and I unfortunately have to be more rigid on it). 

Attendance Policy

You get 4 free absences that you can use at your discretion. Additionally, absences (or if you'd simply not like to use your freebies) can be excused for any number of reasons including isolating due to Covid Exposure or a Covid Positive Test. For excused absences I will provide an assignment or additional work at my discretion. DO NOT come to class sick. There is no reason to do so. I will absolutely work with you to make up missed material. 

•    Each absence after 4 will result in a 33.333 point deduction in your attendance and participation grade. If you negate your total attendance and participation grade your grade will continue to decline by 1/3 of a letter grade as per the TDAA Student Handbook. 

•    3 tardies = 1 absence (leaving class early for any reason counts as a tardy).

No student missing 25% of classes can receive a passing grade.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

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.