Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Arts Advocacy (Face-to-Face)

AA 3030-01

Course: AA 3030-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Theatre, Dance, & Arts Admin
CRN: 30001

Course Description

Students will develop an understanding of arts advocacy and cultural policy at an introductory level, developing strategies to engage with civic, business, state, and federal agencies on behalf of the arts. Students will become empowered advocates for the arts through readings, case studies, discussions, professional practice, and critical analysis of advocacy at the state and federal level. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts


"Politics is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change", by Eitan Hersh. 2020. 


ISBN-10 : 198211679X
ISBN-13 : 978-1982116798
Publisher : Scribner (June 30, 2020)


Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Power-Beyond-Political-Hobbyism/dp/198211679X

Learning Outcomes

Arts Advocacy has five Learning Outcomes that build upon those of the Arts Administration Program, the College of Performing and Visual Arts, as well as the Mission & Essential Learning Outcomes of Southern Utah University. Upon successful completion of this course, students will gain:

  • An understanding of the history and current state of Cultural Policy in the United States
  • Base knowledge of civic principles and how advocacy and individual engagement fits in the government systems of the United States
  • The ability to develop creative strategies to engage with civic, business, state, and federal agencies on behalf of the arts.
  • The skills to act as empowered advocates for the arts through readings, case studies, discussions, professional practice, and critical analysis of domestic policy.
  • The ability to apply theory directly into practice through the creation of relevant reports and advocacy initiatives.

Course Requirements


Contribution: 25%


Students are expected to come to class prepared and to actively contribute to discussions. This should be an organic, collaborative, and insightful process. Remember, participation is not necessarily about having the right answers, or speaking throughout the class. It is about engagement, some verbal participation, and 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. Students are expected to use appropriate terms and language within all discussions and work.


Assignments: 25% 

  • Students will assess their own political alignments through a series of quizzes and assessments.
  • Students will write a 2-3 page essay summarizing a NEA Research Library topic as approved by the instructor.
  • Students will research and write a sample profile of a legislators that includes information their background, committees and platforms, and professional network.

Final Report: 30%


Advocacy in action: Students will create and work to implement a sample advocacy "case for support" plan for current issue in local or state advocacy. Can be related to education, government, or social issue. The advocacy plan will incorporate elements and learning from assignments throughout the semester. Students will be graded on clarity of thought, writing, and advocacy strategy, not on the successful outcome of the plan.

Course Outline

The course will cover the following modules:

  1. Overview of Course
  2. Politics (and why we don't like them) and Power
  3. The Constitution, political thought, and history of arts policy
  4. Discussion: Politics is for Power
  5. Art and Activism
  6. Advocacy Overview and Research
  7. Statement of Need and Fact Sheets
  8. Supporters and Opponents
  9. Branding and Storytelling
  10. Putting it all together

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


All assignments and readings are expected to be completed by the due date/time listed on Canvas. For assignments turned into the instructor, ten percent  [10%] may be deducted for each 24-hour period past the deadline. In the event of an emergency, students are required to obtain approval for a deadline extension before the due date of the assignment.


Makeup Work and/or extra credit opportunities will be available during the semester, but not in great quantities. Don't count on being able to swing your grade around with 11th hour makeup work.

Attendance Policy


Contribution: 25%


Students are expected to come to class prepared and to actively contribute to discussions. This should be an organic, collaborative, and insightful process. Remember, participation is not necessarily about having the right answers, or speaking throughout the class. It is about engagement, some verbal participation, and 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. Students are expected to use appropriate terms and language within all discussions and work.

Arts Administration Program Policy on AI Use

AA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY:  AA Artificial Intelligence Policy: Use of AI (artificial intelligence) programs is allowed in Arts Administration courses within the parameters outlined below:

  • This course uses Copyleaks, an electronic service that verifies the originality of student work. Enrollment in this course may require you to submit some or all of your assignments to it this semester, and documents submitted to Copyleaks are retained, anonymously, in their databases. Continued enrollment in this course constitutes an understanding of and agreement with this policy. Refer to SUU Policy 6.33 for information about Academic Misconduct."

  • AI may be used in written assignments submitted directly to the instructor. 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 to help organize your thoughts, create outlines, or to help proofread your papers is a 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. 

  • AI may NOT be used in activities that require direct personal participation or presentation. AI may be used to brainstorm or proofread, provided the final participation or presentation itself is created and delivered by the student.
      
    • 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.
 
  • PRESENTATIONS: Presentations are intended to reflect the student’s own voice, presence, and engagement with the material. Students may not use AI to generate or deliver presentations on their behalf. This includes, but is not limited to, AI-generated voices or AI-produced video content. 

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.