Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Intermediate Ceramics: Wheel-Throwing Emphasis (Face-to-Face)

ART 3610-01

Course: ART 3610-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Filmmaking, Art, & Design
CRN: 30925

Course Description

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is a continuation of Beginning Ceramics 1610. As an Intermediate level course, it will be more demanding of time and energy than Beginning Ceramics/Art 1610. Emphasis is on advancing skills in throwing and hand-building covering all aspects of the ceramic process.  As well, emphasis is placed on the development of one’s own artistic methodology and conceptual pursuits using the ceramic medium as a form of visual communication.

Course 3610 focuses on improving skills throwing on a potter’s wheel.

Required Texts

Functional Pottery, by Robin Hopper 

The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting, by Andrew Martin

Mold Making for Ceramics, By David Frith.

Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will build their skills in effective Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking. 

Course Requirements

REQUIRED TOOL AND MATERIALS:

Textbooks:

Functional Pottery, by Robin Hopper 

The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting, by Andrew Martin

Mold Making for Ceramics, By David Frith.

Sketchbook and a drawing implement. Always bring these to class.

Clay. Clay is available in the ceramic studio, but you must acquire a receipt from the cashier’s office in the student center. The price is listed on the board in the studio. You may expect to use at minimum two bags of clay. Your course fees cover the cost of glaze, slips, firing and studio tools and upkeep.

Basic ceramic tool kit found at the SUU Bookstore or online.

Items not available in the basic kit that you will need include:

A serrated rib (mandatory for 3620)

One or two watercolor or Chinese calligraphy paint brushes

A small plastic container with a lid, such as a recycled yogurt or ice cream container.

A large container for throwing (such as a one-gallon bucket).

A small towel.

An apron (if you do not want to get clay on your clothes)

Recommended supplementary tools: Surform tool, small carving tools. Online sources to order tools are: Mudtools, Tacoma Clay Art Center, Georgie’s Ceramic Supply. There are many.

HOMEWORK: You are expected to keep pace with demos and lectures during class and use class time to your best advantage. Most of the class time is designated for individual work on projects. However, there will be demonstrations, lectures, and critiques that will also take up class time. Demos and lectures may not be repeated, but I do try and record them for you to watch on your own time if you miss a one. You should anticipate spending time outside of class to complete assignments. Students typically spend 1 to 3 hours a week outside of class. 

Course Outline

List of Projects for 3610:
 
Project 1: Bowls
Project 1 is to get you back into the swing of things. You are to throw 6 bowls using 1.5 to 2 pounds of clay. This means you are to hand in your 6 best for the final grade. If you only throw only 6 you will receive no better than a C. Each bowl must have a trimmed foot and a designated function - You must know what specific purpose your bowl will be used for. You will be required to use underglaze painting carving OR sgraffito with black terra sigillata on 2 of your bowls, but you may use it on all of them if desired. Your bowls will be assessed on how well you established the inside curve, the treatment of the rim and the trimming of the foot.  
 
Project 2: Mugs:

Project 2 is to throw 6 mugs using one pound of clay or more if desired. Each mug must have a handle. This means you are to hand in your 6 best for the final grade. If you only throw only 6 you will receive no better than a C. You may choose to have a trimmed foot or it may have a flat bottom. Like the bowls, you must have an intended use for your mugs. You may make 2 variations and within those two variations you must attempt to replicate the mugs exactly. 

Your work will be assessed by the evenness of the throwing, the trimming, the lip resolution, and the negative space of the handle.

Project 3: Flowerpots

Project 3 is to throw 6 flowerpots for a specific plant. Each flowerpot must have a catch basin. Each Pot must be thrown with 3 pounds of clay. Each basin will be thrown with one pound of clay or possibly more - it depends on your design. Things to consider with your flowerpots: How have you resolved the rim? how does the basin relate to the pot? How will your pot design accommodate the intended plant to be put in it? Your flowerpots may be submitted to the guild sale this semester for our flowerpot sale!

Your pieces will be assessed on how even the throwing is, how well your piece fits in the basin, the trimming on the bottoms.

 

Project 4: Pitchers

For Project 4 you are to throw 3 pitchers. Each pitcher must have a pulled handle and a pinched or pulled spout. You must use a minimum of 3 pounds of clay for each thrown piece. Each piece will be assessed on how even the throwing is, the negative space and pulling of the handle and the function and shape of the spout. 

Project 5: Containers

Project 5 is to throw 6 containers using a minimum of two pounds of clay for the body of the container. Each container must have a thrown lid. You may choose to attach handles or other decorative pieces. You may choose to add underglaze or sgraffito with terra sigillata, but it is not mandatory. 

You must make two variations of container and throw 2 different types of lids. 

Your pieces will be assessed on how even the throwing is, how well the lid fits and the design. 

Project 6: Teapots

Project 6 is to throw 5 teapots. Each teapot must have a thrown spout, a handle, and a thrown lid. First choose the design of the teapot you would like to make. You may choose to turn one of your container designs into a teapot form. You must try to replicate the same form for all three teapots. 

Your pieces will be assessed by how even the throwing is, how well it is trimmed, how well the lid fits and the overall design and function of the form.

 

Grading Breakdown of Each project toward your final Grade:

Project 1 – Bowls – 10%

Project 2 – Mugs – 10%

Project 3 – Flowerpots – 20%

Project 4 – Pitchers – 10%

Project 5 – Containers – 20%

Project 6 – Teapots – 20%

Project 7 – Quiz  - 10%

Total – 100%

 

Calendar
 
Week 1: 
Sept. 2 – Introduction to class. Get Started on Project 1. 
 
Week 2:
September 7 – No Class, Labor Day Holiday.
September 9 – Continue working on Project 1.
 
Week 3:
September 14 – Continue working on Project 1.
September 16 – Start Project 2. Project 1 due.
 
Week 4:
September 21 – Continue Project 2.
September 23 – Continue Project 2.
 
Week 5:
September 28 – Start Project 3. Project 2 due.
September 30 – Continue Project 3.
 
Week 6:
October 5 – Continue Project 3.
October 7 – Continue Project 3. Glaze Demonstration. 
 
Week 7:
October 12 – Start Project 4. Glaze all bisque pieces.
October 14 - Continue Project 4.
 
Week 8:
October 19 – No Class, Fall Break.
October 21 – Continue Project 4. 
 
Week 9:
October 26 – Start Project 5.
October 28 – Continue Project 5. All Glazed work is due!!
 
Week 10:
November 2 – Continue Project 5.
November 4 – Continue Project 5.
 
Week 11:
November 9 – Start Project 6. Project 5 due.
November 11 – Continue Project 6
 
Week 12:
November 16 – Continue Project 6
November 18 – Continue Project 6
 
Last wet clay day November 20th!!!
 
ALL WORK MUST BE ON THE GREENWARE SHELVES BY MIDNIGHT!!
 
Week 13:
November 23 – Thanksgiving Break – No Class, campus open.
November 25 – Thanksgiving Break – No Class, campus closed.
 
Week 14:
November 30 – Glaze all work!
December 2 – Glaze all work!
 
Week 15:
December 7 – Glaze all work!
 
Last Day to glaze is December 8th!!!
 
December 9 – Quiz and clean-up day – attendance is mandatory. 
 
Week 16:
December 14th to the 17th, Finals Week
 
3610 Tuesday December 15th from 3:00 pm to 4:50 pm

Attendance at the final exam time is mandatory. Schedule any departures after this date!!!

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

Late Assignment Policy and/or Make-up Work: 
Due dates for all projects are listed in the calendar provided with the syllabus. It is recommended students adhere to all due dates. The dues dates provided are for pieces in their leather hard state ready to be dried and bisque fired. If a student misses a due date for a project, there is still time to complete the project with minimal affect on their grade. In fact, students may make up assignments or re-make assignments at any time during the semester with minimal or no effect on their grade up to the ‘Last Wet Clay Day’ where no student will be able to use wet clay in any form after that date. For this semester the deadline is November 20th. This is a hard and fast deadline, because the instructor is responsible for firing all of student work for this class and all other classes during the semester. The instructor needs the time after the ‘Last Wet Clay Day’ to ensure all the student projects are fired and complete. If a student misses this deadline without completing all the required projects, the only option is to give the student an incomplete for the course. The student will have to provide proof of a legitimate reason for not completing the course work on time, such as a medical emergency, death in the family or other situational cause.

Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Because this is a Face-to-Face studio course it mandates you be in the studio to accomplish your projects for the class. Attendance is crucial to do well in this course. There is an Filmmaking, Art and Design attendance policy - if you miss more than one quarter (25%) of the class sessions you cannot receive better than a C. For this class that would amount to 7 absences. If you have an emergency, please contact me via email and we can make accommodations. You must be present in the studio for more than half of the class for it to count as being present. However, if your grade can be affected by too many absences, then it should be rewarded if you have zero absences. Thus, I will raise your grade by 5% if you make it all the way through the semester without missing one class session.

Course Fees

$19.00 per credit hour.

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.