Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Introduction to Visual Arts (Face-to-Face)

ART 1010-01

Course: ART 1010-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Filmmaking, Art, & Design
CRN: 32217

Course Description

An art orientation. A study of the principles and ideas underlying visual art expressions and a survey of major periods, styles, and artists. Illustrated lectures. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Fine Arts

Required Texts

Margaret Lazzari and Dona Schlesier's Exploring Art  –– any of this book’s five editions (the first dates from 2002) is acceptable. The book is not required, but it is recommended as an excellent reinforcement of topics covered in class.  

There will be other relevant reading/viewing materials providing by the instructor via Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

ART 1010 ELO (Essential Learning Outcome) No. 1 (SUU Essential Learning Outcome 2.4 – Communication)
Command of Content – a demonstrated understanding and use of disciplinespecific content;

ART 1010 ELO (Essential Learning Outcome) No. 2 (SUU Essential Learning Outcome 3.1 – Creative Thinking)
Acquisition of Competency – a demonstrated ability to evaluate and reflect on creative processes and products;

ART 1010 ELO (Essential Learning Outcome) No. 3 (SUU Essential Learning Outcome 4.0 – Critical Thinking)
Competency in Comparative Evaluation – a demonstrated skill at conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication, as a guide to belief and action; and

ART 1010 ELO (Essential Learning Outcome) No. 4 (SUU Essential Learning Outcome 11.0 – Variable)
Knowledge of Human Cultures – a demonstrated knowledge of human cultures and of the physical and natural world through study inthe fine arts, humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and the life and physical sciences.

Course Requirements

The General Education curriculum for art history and visual-cultural studies at SUU maintains objectives that teach students to engage with the discipline by using established research methods which help not only to develop a mastery of the required writing and presentation components of a given course, but also to build students’ command of their analytical, investigative and communicative skills. 

By the end of this course, students are to aquire an understanding of and familiarity with:

  • applying analytical methods to works of art; 
  • using learned approaches to develop their own arguments; 
  • identifying works of art in terms of their historical context; 
  • using critical terminology; 
  • identifying major figures in the history of art and of art history; 
  • developing historically and intellectually informed personal views on art;
  • identifying major figures in the history of art and of art history;
  • reading, summarizing, and evaluating key theoretical arguments in art; and 
  • collecting and analyzing information relevant to the field.

Course Outline


COURSE OUTLINE:


Modules and Module Quizzes


This course will have 5 Modules. Most of the 5 Modules will culminate in a short Module Quiz (consisting mainly of True-False questions) covering the material in that Module. Each Module Quiz will be completed IN-CLASS.  It is the student’s responsibility to attend class in order to keep up with the pace of the course.

In addition to the Module Quizzes, there will be one Midterm Test, and one Final Test. The schedule of specific topics covered in each Module of the course can be found on Canvas.

The first two Module Quizzes in the course will cover some of the elements, media and principles commonly applied in the fields of art and design. They will not include material about any specific work of art or any individual period or artist. For these first two Module Quizzes, therefore, all artists and works of art that may be identified in class will be shown solely as illustrations of the elements, media and principles of art and design – not as lessons in the history of art. 

The remaining Module Quizzes, however – as well as the Midterm Test and the Final Test – will emphasize image identification (title, artist, time period, media, and historical significance) through objective-format (mostly True-or-False) questions covering issues of stylistic, cultural and historical significance. Questions will often be written so as to assess not only the student's factual knowledge, but also their critical thinking and analytical skills. 

With only a few exceptions (for which due notice will be given), this course does not emphasize specific dates in history. That does not mean, however, that the sequence of events in art history is not important, or that the approximate date and its relation to contemporaneous events in history will not be a subject in Module Quizzes and Tests. This course is about the history of art; both words are of equal importance. 

Under no circumstances may any student “re-take” a Module Quiz or a Test. 

Although the format for the Module Quizzes and Tests is objective, not all of the questions are equally conducive to objective thought processes. ART 1010 is not a science course; rather, it investigates the history of ideas as they relate to visual culture; those ideas often invite alternative viewpoints. Therefore, students are welcome to write out brief explanations for their Module Quiz and Test answers. This may or may not result in a higher score, but it can’t hurt, and often the process of explaining one’s reasons for an answer can clarify the issue for the student, serving as a guide to the correct answer. No student will ever be penalized for simply marking the Module Quiz answers without adding explanatory comments (True, False, True, etc.); on the other hand, if no explanatory comments are added to the answers, obviously the professor will have no choice but to count every “incorrect” answer as such. 

Each of the 5 Module Quizzes will have a maximum value of 10 points, out of the total of 50 possible number of points in the course.

The Midterm Test and the Final Test 


There are two Tests in this course: the Midterm Test and the Final Test. Each of these two Tests will cover only the five Modules that immediately precede it: the Midterm Test will cover Modules 01 through 02, and the Final Test will cover Modules 03 through 05.

Likewise, the Final Test will have a maximum possible point value of 100. 50 of these points will come from the comprehensive part of the Test (covering Modules 03 through 05), and the remaining 50 of the 100 total possible points will comprise the point value of the Module 05 Quiz (covering material from Module 05 only), which will be incorporated into the Final Test. 

All Module Quizzes and each of the two Tests – the Midterm Test and the Final Test – will consist of “objective”-format questions (again, mostly True-False, perhaps relieved by a group of Multiple-Choice or Matching questions).

Remember that no student will ever be penalized for simply recording their Module Quiz responses, without adding explanatory comments (True, False, True, etc.). On the other hand, if no explanatory comments are added to the answers, obviously the professor will have no choice but to count every “incorrect” answer as such.

A total of 200 possible points is achievable in the course. So, 200 points constitutes a “perfect A.” Therefore, each Module Quiz (worth 10 points maximum for a combined 50 points maximum) will constitute 25% of the overall course letter-grade. And, both the Midterm Test and the Final Test will have a weight of 75% percent of the overall course letter-grade. 


The Grading Scale

  • from [186] (93%) up to [200] (100%) = A 
  • from [180] (90%) up to [185.8] (92.9%) = A-MINUS 
  • from [174] (87%) up to [179.8] (89.9%) = B-PLUS 
  • from [166] (83%) up to [173.8] (86.9%) = B 
  • from [160] (80%) up to [165.8] (82.9%) = B-MINUS 
  • from [154] (77%) up to [159.8] (79.9%) = C-PLUS 
  • from [146] (73%) up to [153.8] (76.9%) = C 
  • from [140] (70%) up to [145.8] (72.9%) = C-MINUS 
  • from [134] (67%) up to [139.8] (69.9%) = D-PLUS 
  • from [126] (63%) up to [133.8] (66.9%) = D 
  • from [120] (60%) up to [125.8] (62.9%) = D-MINUS 
  • from [0] (0%) up to [119.8] (59.9%) = F

In reality, however, at the end of the course your professor will generally try to help those students who end up just below the cut-off point that is keeping them from reaching the next half-step-higher grade. 


Extra Credit

There will also be two Extra-Credit opportunities in the course. Each will have a maximum value of 15 points, or 7.5% of the course letter-grade (to be calculated only after the course has ended). The details of these Extra-Credit opportunities will be communicated regularly by the professor.


Policies on Late Assignments and/or Makeup Work


Under no circumstances may any student “re-take” a Module Quiz or a Test unless the student informed the instructor before the absence and made arrangements to complete work. 


Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly.


Attendance Policy


Attendance is mandatory.


A student who misses more than 25% of scheduled class time (including unexcused absences and tardiness) will receive a final grade no higher than a “C–”, and may fail the course, regardless of performance on assignments.


Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly.


Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course.

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

Under no circumstances may any student “re-take” a Module Quiz or a Test unless the student informed the instructor before the absence and made arrangements to complete work.

Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory.

A student who misses more than 25% of scheduled class time (including unexcused absences and tardiness) will receive a final grade no higher than a “C–”, and may fail the course, regardless of performance on assignments.

Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly.

Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course.

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.