FMX 210: COURSE OUTLINE AND SYLLABUS
Instructor: Ty Stude
Email: tstude@ut.edu
Phone: 813-862-1619
Class Website: tystude.viewbook.com/fmx210
COURSE DESCRIPTION
FMX 210 is a studio style course. It is an introduction to the usage of electronic and digital tools for artistic creations from an aesthetic and artistic point of view. The main purpose of this class is to expand the students’ creativity in the Digital Arts domain. In this class we will study the history, evolution and theory of current technologies in order to understand their potential as creative tools, contextualizing the software and hardware that will be used by the students throughout the semester and their artistic career. This class is a pre-requisite for multiple other classes in the Art department, as well as other departments. This is an Digital class and you are expected to participate as open-minded ARTISTS, even if you are not ART majors. Your authentic self-expression is what is going to make the class a full artistic experience for everyone.
PROCESS AND STRATEGY
The class will be divided into two main areas. The first half will be devoted to understanding the basics of pixel altering software such as Photoshop, vector-based software such as Illustrator, and their applications in the printed world, using Adobe InDesign. In the second half we will explore time based media, creating frame-by-frame animations and basic Quicktime movies, with a general presentation of sound techniques, as well as some basic programming notions. Knowing that this is also an introduction to the specificities of the digital creation in an artistic environment, we will study examples (websites, movies…) created by traditional and contemporary creators, reading also short essays and texts about digital artistic processes. There will be a different assignment for each class, where the students will apply the concepts presented during the previous session, and a group critique in order to solve any misunderstandings and conflicts. The assignments are there to ensure the students will learn how to use the hardware & software and start exploring their own abilities to express and create artistic content using digital tools.
READINGS / ASSIGNMENTS / REQUIREMENTS
Your best resource for this class – and a lot of other classes is ATOMIC LEARNING: you will find very detailed tutorials on every single application we will use for this class. Please log on using your UT username and email password. If this does not work, please contact Joy Harris jeharris@ut.edu, letting her know you are having problems logging into the system. Create your own blogs for the class. In these blogs you will be posting your assignments and comments. Your blogs will be the equivalent of your journal and the participation for the class. They will need to be updated 1 day before the class and they will be graded.
I will be checking these blogs using turnitin.com in order to track your evolution during the sessions, and also as a way to know that you are reading and exploring all the files I will be presenting. You can post any comments on your blogs, be aware these blogs will be public and accessible to everyone in the class.
Make sure you check your UT webmail account every day. Assignments and comments will be sent to your UT accounts. Most of the information will be provided by the professor or will be found freely online. Critiques will frequently be initiated from various topics.
In order to participate effectively you will need to have read the required texts and be able to articulate your responses to them within the context of class discussion and critique. We will watch plenty of excerpts from movies / documentaries / Interactive Media during the class that will also be considered as part of the material for the class. Use your own portable hard-drives / iPods / USB Drives to store your projects. The computer labs are refrigerated… BRING a sweater or a jacket.
GRADING
Grading Rubric
Participation: 30pts
On Time: 20pts
Content: 20pts
Followed Directions: 30pts
Grading Scale
A Outstanding 95 – 100
A/B Excellent 89 – 94
B Very Good 84 – 88
B/C Good 77 – 83
C Average 72 – 76
C/D Below Average 66 – 71
D Passing 60 – 65
F Failure 59 or below
NF Failure (for students who stopped
participating before the last withdrawal date.
There will be several projects throughout the course. Each one of them will be a part of the final 100% of the grade in equal weights. If necessary I will do a pop quiz, depending on the students’ participation and motivation, and depending on how certain sessions work, I might add an extra work not listed in the syllabus. The weekly grades emailed from weekly projects may not reflect the final grade on SpartanWeb.
POSSIBLE LAST-MINUTE CHANGES
Although unlikely, it is possible that last-minute changes might be made to the dates for all assignments or class meetings, excepting only the final exam. In this unlikely event, I’ll make all possible efforts to inform students with sufficient lead-time. I reserve the right to modify this syllabus for any reason at any time.
PARTICIPATION
A class is a multi-way form of communication. I am very open to a lot of proposals, and NO DISCRIMINATION will be tolerated or accepted. Consider the class as a brainstorming session. No animals, persons or yourselves will be harmed during the production of your assignments. Nothing can justify harming physically or psychologically a living creature – including yourselves. You are responsible for the respect of other students, and I count on your integrity for this. No email, chatting, messaging, texting, Facebook, web-browsing OF ANY KIND will be allowed during our sessions. You are paying way too much money to do these personal matters in class, therefore NO LAPTOPS are allowed in the class. Take notes in paper! All the cell phones should be TURNED OFF during the duration of the class. NO EATING or DRINKING in the classroom will be tolerated, unless it is required by a medical prescription. Any type of intoxication – drugs, alcohol or even a hangover – will be reported to the authorities.
UT ATTENDANCE POLICY
The FMX Department follows the UT Attendance Policy that excuses absence for a variety of reasons stated below in the policy. All unexcused absences credit adversely against the course grade, by one half-letter grade for classes that meet twice per week, and one full letter grade for classes that meet once per week. Lateness, leaving early, and late returns from breaks, may also count as absence. Please be prompt to class and plan to attend all sessions.
This is a performance-based class and interaction with peers and the professor cannot be duplicated outside of class. Regular class participation and continuous faculty evaluation are crucial elements of the learning process. One cannot participate or receive feedback on one’s work if one is absent. Attendance is mandatory. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to acquire any material that you have missed, not the professors’. Unexcused absences in excess of three will result in a FINAL GRADE reduction.
UT ATTENDANCE POLICY EXCUSED ABSENCES
Scheduled absences involve time conflicts that are known in advance, for which students have notified their instructors. Acceptable reasons for scheduled absences include:
1. Court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty and subpoenas)
2. Medical illness
3. Required participation in University-sponsored events (e.g., performances, athletic events, academic research presentations)
4. Observation of religious holydays
5. Requirements of military service.
Employment schedules, athletic training and practice schedules, and personal appointments are not valid reasons for scheduled absences.
Unscheduled absences involve unforeseen emergencies such as illness, injury, hospitalization, deaths in the immediate family, consequences of severe weather, and other crises. Students should contact instructors as soon as possible in these cases.
Instructors may require documentation or verification to excuse unscheduled absences.
The following is the UNEXCUSED absence—point/grade reduction system:
UT PROCEDURES FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES AND MAKE-UP WORK
Students must notify their instructors of scheduled absences in advance (for approved reasons as noted above). In the event of an emergency unscheduled absence (as described above), students must contact their instructors as soon as possible and provide documentation if required.
If an absence qualifies as an excused absence as defined above, the instructor will accommodate the excused absences in a manner that does not penalize the student for the absence. Instructors will provide a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work; however, arranging to make up missed work is the responsibility of the student.
If an excused absence coincides with other graded work (e.g., homework collection, in-class activities, quizzes, presentations, activities, etc.), the student shall be given a reasonable opportunity to make up such work or shall not have that work averaged into the student’s grade, at the discretion of the instructor provided it is not identical to the course’s stated accommodation for an unexcused absence. An instructor may determine that missing a certain amount of participation-dependent activities (whether excused or not) precludes successful accomplishment of learning outcomes. In cases like this, the instructor may advise students to withdraw from such courses.
Making up work for unexcused absences may be allowed or declined entirely at the discretion of the instructor.
Documentation includes hospital admittance invoices, published obituaries, airline tickets, etc. (not notes from home). It is advised that if emergencies come up that this is properly documented through the dean of students’ office so that the dean may notify all faculty involved. Documentation must be given within one week of the illness or emergency. Please contact the professor in advance of any absence or lateness by email.
All FMX Syllabi should state the address of the building at the top section of the syllabus, for GPS Navigation of Emergency vehicles, in the event that one needs to be called. The Address of the Cass Building is: For full list of Campus Street Addresses see Document in the appendix of this guide.
UT FMX SAFETY HOW TO HANDLE EMERGENCY EVENTS
In case of any adverse condition or situation, which could interrupt the schedule of classes, each student is asked to access www.ut.edu for information about the status of the campus and class meetings. In addition, please refer to your UT email for announcements and other important information. You are responsible for accessing this information.
Make sure you are signed up for text alerts through the SMART system.
The first order of safety is to know where you are at all times: street addresses, and
classroom numbers are important. Please keep the PDF List Campus addresses in an available place on your smartphone so you can bring this up in the event of an emergency.
In the event of an accident or incident occurs within your classroom, please contact the following in the order listed:
1. Call 911
It is left to the instructor’s best judgment as to when emergency response is needed. When in doubt,
CALL 911. You will never be penalized for making the call even if it turns out it was not a necessity.
The Communication Cass Building is located in the Cass Building at 611 UT University Drive, Tampa, Florida 33606. Know your classroom numbers. The Communication Cass Building room numbers are notated with (CCB)
2. Call Campus Safety
813-257-7777
Be prepared with your building name and room number, located above the emergency phone in each classroom. Campus safety can coordinate any additional response needed.
3. Call UT Health and Wellness Center
813-253-6250
111 North Brevard Ave. (behind Austin Hall)
Should any party involved in an accident need medical attention for non-life threatening injuries, the Health and Wellness Center can provide medical treatment.
4. Call Michael Ingold (Studio Safety Technician) Office: 257-3339
Mobile: 616-881-9969 Text messages to the mobile number will be answered fastest. As Safety Tech., Michael can also help assess when 911 should be called, and coordinate response.
5. Warren Cockerham (Media Production Coordinator) Office: 257-7811
6. Dr. Steve Kucera (Chemical Safety Coordinator) Mobile: 813-842-3528
Dr. Kucera should be contacted in any instance that involves chemicals such as solvents, paints, cleaning agents, etc.
In addition to contacting the above, the instructor and person(s) involved in any accident must also fill out an Accident / Incident Investigation Report. These forms are available from Kathy Lockwood in the Cass Annex (258-7495), and Michael Ingold. Again, it is left to the instructor’s best judgment as to when a report needs to be filed.
Any incident requiring more than a band-aid should be documented. Report forms should be filled out at the time of the incident, and delivered to the mailbox of Michael Ingold.
First Aid Kits are located in the Equipment Cage and Black Box Studio. Please use them as needed. If you notice that supplies are low in a first aid kit please contact Warren Cockerham, to let him know.
In the event of an intruder comes in to the classroom:
If an incident should occur, faculty and staff should remember that the University subscribes to the city of Houston’s “Run, Hide, Fight” training: Run to a safe place. If that is not possible, find a place to hide. If there is no other option, fight the attacker aggressively with whatever weapons are available (a pencil or hot coffee, for example).
PRODUCTION SAFETY AND CLASS ATTIRE
Follow Production Safety from Handout Provided on Blackboard. This includes wearing closed rubber sole shoes during production shoots. Complete safety training and sign off on forms prior to booking in UT.Siso.co for facilities access to Black Box.
COPYRIGHT
RESPONSIBILITY, SAFETY AND LEGAL ASPECTS:
When shooting your film you must observe UT policies, and follow the law, to keep everyone safe. This includes following individual rights to their image and obtaining releases, location permitting, animal treatment laws, weapons policies and laws, and more. Please avoid plots that involve weapons in class projects senior thesis films. Generally, these plots are cliché anyway, and graduate schools, such as USC have advised students not to submit this type of work for consideration. They have stated that the work with shot ‘em ups, etc., is cliché and they are looking for more meaningful, and socially responsible work. In addition, the University Campus has strict regulations regarding concealed weapons, real or prop, and violating these regulations, may lead to expulsion from the university. Let’s also remember that Bruce Lee’s son died during a movie shoot that involved the use of a blank gun. In prior classes, Campus Safety drew their weapons on students during a film shoot, when prop- guns were in use. Therefore, it is a strict policy for this course that any use of weapons including prop weapons, or things that resemble weapons in projects Experimental Films and films is prohibited from this course. If any student is are planning to use weapons in their film, off campus, they must reveal this to the professor in advance of any shoot, by document, or potentially jeopardize successful completion of the course. Since, here are other regulations and laws that are involved in this type of shoot, and therefore, the filming with weapons on or off campus, is not in-line with course objectives.
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-01/news/mn-17681_1_actor-brandon-lee
ARTICLE 12 - WEAPONS AND FIREWORKS | BACK TO TOP
When No student or guest, while on any property owned or controlled by The University of Tampa, shall possess, store or carry a weapon or firearm on their person or in any motor
vehicle. Exemptions:
• Chemical agents are permitted, but may be used only as a defensive weapon.
• Certified law enforcement officers may wear a service firearm in accordance with their department policy and federal, state and locallaws.
• UT Campus Safety officers.
• Reserve Officer Training Corps or University recognized ROTC drill team members, to the extent they are legally permitted to possess firearms or weapons, may do so when training or performing official duties.
Reporting Violations:
• Potential or suspected weapons policy violations should be reported immediately to Campus Safety officials. Nonemergency reports may be submitted via the silent witness program at www.ut.edu/silentwitness orsilentwitness@ut.edu.
• Individuals violating the weapons policy or making a false report of any kind, with the intent to deceive, mislead or otherwise misinform, may result in University disciplinary action and/or criminalprosecution.
Definitions/Clarifications: Firearms: Any pistol, rifle, antique firearm, starter pistol, BB gun, paintball gun, simulated firearm toy gun, or any item that is designed in
appearance to resemble a firearm. Concealed Carry Weapons Permit (CCW) holders are not exempt.
Weapons: Knives used to invoke fear or intimidation, brass knuckles, swords, slingshots or any item than may cause bodily injury or harm. Electrical Weapons: Any non-lethal device that is designed to deliver an electrical current whether by impact and/or by the firing of a dart or projectile that, upon contact, will deliver a specified electrical current to its
target. Ammunition: Any item designed to be fired from a firearm or device for the purpose of propelling a projectile. Chemical Weapons: Any device that has the ability to disperse a chemical agent, either through aerosol or foam spray, is permitted as long as it complies with Florida Law (790.001 (b) FSS) in its size, chemical solution and delivery mechanism. Fireworks or Other Explosives: Any material that will render an explosion. Firearms and Weapons Possession: The University considers persons in possession of firearms or weapons if such items are in a residence hall room, vehicle or common space them to access to your computer where they may access the file on their own without your consent! It is your responsibility to protect the integriy of your work. All parties involved will be reported to the Dean of Students.
Do NOT provide students in the other section, in case there are multiple sections of a class, with information regarding class discussion or “answers” to class preparation assignments. This hinders their ability to learn the material and is considered a violation of the academic integrity policy. This violation would be considered a “Class preparation assignment” violation and would receive the sanction detailed below.
You must properly document all sources used both in bibliographic format and through proper citation within the text itself. Failure to provide proper citations within the text of any assignment that you submit is plagiarism and will be reported. This DOES NOT JUST APPLY to research papers. It also means that you need to identify where data was obtained when it is presented.
The University has a subscription to turnitin.com plagiarism prevention software. This software compares documents to web resources as well as papers that have been submitted to Turnitin from any institution. I will evaluate each document for plagiarism before I grade it using the information from turnitin.com, along with my own examination of each document. You may not retake a course under forgiveness if you have an academic integrity violation in the course.
16. FMX SAFETY DOCUMENTS AND COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The In addition to safety listed above in Section 10 on Syllabi Disclosures, in Film and Media Arts, production faculty will teach students industry related protocols. Example is found at:
https://www.producersguild.org/page/Safety
FMX is in the process of continuing to develop its documents surrounding safety. We have the policies for use of the facilities, and also wish to work out more details for teaching students safety within our fields. Instructional staff on the CAL Safety committee will be working on this further.
COPYRIGHT
All the text/images/audio/video/CODE clips you will use in any of your projects will have to be credited correctly. EVERY single text/image/video/audio/CODE you use should be yours and/or copyright free.
REPORTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE/TITLE IX MATTERS
Sexual violence includes nonconsensual sexual contact and nonconsensual sexual intercourse (which is any type of sexual contact without your explicit consent, including rape), dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and stalking. You may reach out for confidential help (see contact info below) or report an incident for investigation.
If you choose to write or speak about an incident of sexual violence and disclose that this violence occurred while you were a UT student, the instructor is obligated to report the incident to the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for Students. The purpose of this report is to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students. The Deputy Coordinator or his or her designee will contact you to let you know about the resources, accommodations, and support services at UT and possibilities for holding the perpetrator accountable. If you do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to your instructor, you can speak confidentially with the individuals listed below. They can connect you with support services and discuss options for holding the perpetrator accountable.
There is an exception to this required reporting for preventative education programs and public awareness events or forums. While the instructor is not required to report disclosures during these instances, unless you make or initiate a complaint, during these programs or events, the instructor or another University official will ensure that the students are aware of the available resources at UT, such as counseling, health, and mental health services, and it will provide information about Title IX, how to file a Title IX complaint, how to make a confidential report, and the procedure for reporting sexual violence.
For more information, see The University of Tampa’s Title IX webpage and the Student Services Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Procedures webpage.
To make a confidential report of sexual violence, please contact:
- The Victim’s Advocacy Hotline: (813) 257-3900
- Dickey Health & Wellness Center (wellness@ut.edu) 813.257.1877
- Health and Counseling Center (healthcenter@ut.edu) 813.253.6250
ADA STATEMENT
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If there is a student who requires accommodations because of any disability, please go to the Academic Success Center in North Walker Hall for information regarding registering as a student with a disability. You may also call (813) 257-5757 or email disability.services@ut.edu. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me, in private, if you need more information.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Cheating, plagiarism, copying and any other behavior that is contrary to University standards of behavior will not be tolerated.
Students caught violating any aspect of the University of Tampa’s Academic Integrity Policy will be penalized in all cases. Penalty ranges from “0” on an assignment to “F” for the course without regard to a student’s accumulated points. Students may also face expulsion. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the policies of the university regarding academic integrity and to avoid violating such policies. Policy information is found at:
http://ut.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/catalog/Academic-Policies-and-Procedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy
CLASS DISRUPTION STATEMENT
DISRUPTION POLICY:
Every student has the right to a comfortable learning environment where the open and honest exchange of ideas may freely occur. Each student is expected to do his or her part to ensure that the classroom (and anywhere else the class may meet) remains conducive to learning. This includes respectful and courteous treatment of all in the classroom. According to the terms of the University of Tampa Disruption Policy, the professor will take immediate action when inappropriate behavior occurs.
CAMPUS CLOSURE STATEMENT
COURSE INTERRUPTION DUE TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS:
In case of any adverse condition or situation which could interrupt the schedule of classes, each student is asked to access www.ut.edu for information about the status of the campus and class meetings. In addition, please refer to ut.blackboard.edu for announcements and other important information. You are responsible for accessing this information.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
Note: The professor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as necessary.
Instructor: Ty Stude
Email: tstude@ut.edu
Phone: 813-862-1619
Class Website: tystude.viewbook.com/fmx210
COURSE DESCRIPTION
FMX 210 is a studio style course. It is an introduction to the usage of electronic and digital tools for artistic creations from an aesthetic and artistic point of view. The main purpose of this class is to expand the students’ creativity in the Digital Arts domain. In this class we will study the history, evolution and theory of current technologies in order to understand their potential as creative tools, contextualizing the software and hardware that will be used by the students throughout the semester and their artistic career. This class is a pre-requisite for multiple other classes in the Art department, as well as other departments. This is an Digital class and you are expected to participate as open-minded ARTISTS, even if you are not ART majors. Your authentic self-expression is what is going to make the class a full artistic experience for everyone.
PROCESS AND STRATEGY
The class will be divided into two main areas. The first half will be devoted to understanding the basics of pixel altering software such as Photoshop, vector-based software such as Illustrator, and their applications in the printed world, using Adobe InDesign. In the second half we will explore time based media, creating frame-by-frame animations and basic Quicktime movies, with a general presentation of sound techniques, as well as some basic programming notions. Knowing that this is also an introduction to the specificities of the digital creation in an artistic environment, we will study examples (websites, movies…) created by traditional and contemporary creators, reading also short essays and texts about digital artistic processes. There will be a different assignment for each class, where the students will apply the concepts presented during the previous session, and a group critique in order to solve any misunderstandings and conflicts. The assignments are there to ensure the students will learn how to use the hardware & software and start exploring their own abilities to express and create artistic content using digital tools.
READINGS / ASSIGNMENTS / REQUIREMENTS
Your best resource for this class – and a lot of other classes is ATOMIC LEARNING: you will find very detailed tutorials on every single application we will use for this class. Please log on using your UT username and email password. If this does not work, please contact Joy Harris jeharris@ut.edu, letting her know you are having problems logging into the system. Create your own blogs for the class. In these blogs you will be posting your assignments and comments. Your blogs will be the equivalent of your journal and the participation for the class. They will need to be updated 1 day before the class and they will be graded.
I will be checking these blogs using turnitin.com in order to track your evolution during the sessions, and also as a way to know that you are reading and exploring all the files I will be presenting. You can post any comments on your blogs, be aware these blogs will be public and accessible to everyone in the class.
Make sure you check your UT webmail account every day. Assignments and comments will be sent to your UT accounts. Most of the information will be provided by the professor or will be found freely online. Critiques will frequently be initiated from various topics.
In order to participate effectively you will need to have read the required texts and be able to articulate your responses to them within the context of class discussion and critique. We will watch plenty of excerpts from movies / documentaries / Interactive Media during the class that will also be considered as part of the material for the class. Use your own portable hard-drives / iPods / USB Drives to store your projects. The computer labs are refrigerated… BRING a sweater or a jacket.
GRADING
Grading Rubric
Participation: 30pts
On Time: 20pts
Content: 20pts
Followed Directions: 30pts
Grading Scale
A Outstanding 95 – 100
A/B Excellent 89 – 94
B Very Good 84 – 88
B/C Good 77 – 83
C Average 72 – 76
C/D Below Average 66 – 71
D Passing 60 – 65
F Failure 59 or below
NF Failure (for students who stopped
participating before the last withdrawal date.
There will be several projects throughout the course. Each one of them will be a part of the final 100% of the grade in equal weights. If necessary I will do a pop quiz, depending on the students’ participation and motivation, and depending on how certain sessions work, I might add an extra work not listed in the syllabus. The weekly grades emailed from weekly projects may not reflect the final grade on SpartanWeb.
POSSIBLE LAST-MINUTE CHANGES
Although unlikely, it is possible that last-minute changes might be made to the dates for all assignments or class meetings, excepting only the final exam. In this unlikely event, I’ll make all possible efforts to inform students with sufficient lead-time. I reserve the right to modify this syllabus for any reason at any time.
PARTICIPATION
A class is a multi-way form of communication. I am very open to a lot of proposals, and NO DISCRIMINATION will be tolerated or accepted. Consider the class as a brainstorming session. No animals, persons or yourselves will be harmed during the production of your assignments. Nothing can justify harming physically or psychologically a living creature – including yourselves. You are responsible for the respect of other students, and I count on your integrity for this. No email, chatting, messaging, texting, Facebook, web-browsing OF ANY KIND will be allowed during our sessions. You are paying way too much money to do these personal matters in class, therefore NO LAPTOPS are allowed in the class. Take notes in paper! All the cell phones should be TURNED OFF during the duration of the class. NO EATING or DRINKING in the classroom will be tolerated, unless it is required by a medical prescription. Any type of intoxication – drugs, alcohol or even a hangover – will be reported to the authorities.
UT ATTENDANCE POLICY
The FMX Department follows the UT Attendance Policy that excuses absence for a variety of reasons stated below in the policy. All unexcused absences credit adversely against the course grade, by one half-letter grade for classes that meet twice per week, and one full letter grade for classes that meet once per week. Lateness, leaving early, and late returns from breaks, may also count as absence. Please be prompt to class and plan to attend all sessions.
This is a performance-based class and interaction with peers and the professor cannot be duplicated outside of class. Regular class participation and continuous faculty evaluation are crucial elements of the learning process. One cannot participate or receive feedback on one’s work if one is absent. Attendance is mandatory. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to acquire any material that you have missed, not the professors’. Unexcused absences in excess of three will result in a FINAL GRADE reduction.
UT ATTENDANCE POLICY EXCUSED ABSENCES
Scheduled absences involve time conflicts that are known in advance, for which students have notified their instructors. Acceptable reasons for scheduled absences include:
1. Court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty and subpoenas)
2. Medical illness
3. Required participation in University-sponsored events (e.g., performances, athletic events, academic research presentations)
4. Observation of religious holydays
5. Requirements of military service.
Employment schedules, athletic training and practice schedules, and personal appointments are not valid reasons for scheduled absences.
Unscheduled absences involve unforeseen emergencies such as illness, injury, hospitalization, deaths in the immediate family, consequences of severe weather, and other crises. Students should contact instructors as soon as possible in these cases.
Instructors may require documentation or verification to excuse unscheduled absences.
The following is the UNEXCUSED absence—point/grade reduction system:
UT PROCEDURES FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES AND MAKE-UP WORK
Students must notify their instructors of scheduled absences in advance (for approved reasons as noted above). In the event of an emergency unscheduled absence (as described above), students must contact their instructors as soon as possible and provide documentation if required.
If an absence qualifies as an excused absence as defined above, the instructor will accommodate the excused absences in a manner that does not penalize the student for the absence. Instructors will provide a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work; however, arranging to make up missed work is the responsibility of the student.
If an excused absence coincides with other graded work (e.g., homework collection, in-class activities, quizzes, presentations, activities, etc.), the student shall be given a reasonable opportunity to make up such work or shall not have that work averaged into the student’s grade, at the discretion of the instructor provided it is not identical to the course’s stated accommodation for an unexcused absence. An instructor may determine that missing a certain amount of participation-dependent activities (whether excused or not) precludes successful accomplishment of learning outcomes. In cases like this, the instructor may advise students to withdraw from such courses.
Making up work for unexcused absences may be allowed or declined entirely at the discretion of the instructor.
Documentation includes hospital admittance invoices, published obituaries, airline tickets, etc. (not notes from home). It is advised that if emergencies come up that this is properly documented through the dean of students’ office so that the dean may notify all faculty involved. Documentation must be given within one week of the illness or emergency. Please contact the professor in advance of any absence or lateness by email.
All FMX Syllabi should state the address of the building at the top section of the syllabus, for GPS Navigation of Emergency vehicles, in the event that one needs to be called. The Address of the Cass Building is: For full list of Campus Street Addresses see Document in the appendix of this guide.
UT FMX SAFETY HOW TO HANDLE EMERGENCY EVENTS
In case of any adverse condition or situation, which could interrupt the schedule of classes, each student is asked to access www.ut.edu for information about the status of the campus and class meetings. In addition, please refer to your UT email for announcements and other important information. You are responsible for accessing this information.
Make sure you are signed up for text alerts through the SMART system.
The first order of safety is to know where you are at all times: street addresses, and
classroom numbers are important. Please keep the PDF List Campus addresses in an available place on your smartphone so you can bring this up in the event of an emergency.
In the event of an accident or incident occurs within your classroom, please contact the following in the order listed:
1. Call 911
It is left to the instructor’s best judgment as to when emergency response is needed. When in doubt,
CALL 911. You will never be penalized for making the call even if it turns out it was not a necessity.
The Communication Cass Building is located in the Cass Building at 611 UT University Drive, Tampa, Florida 33606. Know your classroom numbers. The Communication Cass Building room numbers are notated with (CCB)
2. Call Campus Safety
813-257-7777
Be prepared with your building name and room number, located above the emergency phone in each classroom. Campus safety can coordinate any additional response needed.
3. Call UT Health and Wellness Center
813-253-6250
111 North Brevard Ave. (behind Austin Hall)
Should any party involved in an accident need medical attention for non-life threatening injuries, the Health and Wellness Center can provide medical treatment.
4. Call Michael Ingold (Studio Safety Technician) Office: 257-3339
Mobile: 616-881-9969 Text messages to the mobile number will be answered fastest. As Safety Tech., Michael can also help assess when 911 should be called, and coordinate response.
5. Warren Cockerham (Media Production Coordinator) Office: 257-7811
6. Dr. Steve Kucera (Chemical Safety Coordinator) Mobile: 813-842-3528
Dr. Kucera should be contacted in any instance that involves chemicals such as solvents, paints, cleaning agents, etc.
In addition to contacting the above, the instructor and person(s) involved in any accident must also fill out an Accident / Incident Investigation Report. These forms are available from Kathy Lockwood in the Cass Annex (258-7495), and Michael Ingold. Again, it is left to the instructor’s best judgment as to when a report needs to be filed.
Any incident requiring more than a band-aid should be documented. Report forms should be filled out at the time of the incident, and delivered to the mailbox of Michael Ingold.
First Aid Kits are located in the Equipment Cage and Black Box Studio. Please use them as needed. If you notice that supplies are low in a first aid kit please contact Warren Cockerham, to let him know.
In the event of an intruder comes in to the classroom:
If an incident should occur, faculty and staff should remember that the University subscribes to the city of Houston’s “Run, Hide, Fight” training: Run to a safe place. If that is not possible, find a place to hide. If there is no other option, fight the attacker aggressively with whatever weapons are available (a pencil or hot coffee, for example).
PRODUCTION SAFETY AND CLASS ATTIRE
Follow Production Safety from Handout Provided on Blackboard. This includes wearing closed rubber sole shoes during production shoots. Complete safety training and sign off on forms prior to booking in UT.Siso.co for facilities access to Black Box.
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RESPONSIBILITY, SAFETY AND LEGAL ASPECTS:
When shooting your film you must observe UT policies, and follow the law, to keep everyone safe. This includes following individual rights to their image and obtaining releases, location permitting, animal treatment laws, weapons policies and laws, and more. Please avoid plots that involve weapons in class projects senior thesis films. Generally, these plots are cliché anyway, and graduate schools, such as USC have advised students not to submit this type of work for consideration. They have stated that the work with shot ‘em ups, etc., is cliché and they are looking for more meaningful, and socially responsible work. In addition, the University Campus has strict regulations regarding concealed weapons, real or prop, and violating these regulations, may lead to expulsion from the university. Let’s also remember that Bruce Lee’s son died during a movie shoot that involved the use of a blank gun. In prior classes, Campus Safety drew their weapons on students during a film shoot, when prop- guns were in use. Therefore, it is a strict policy for this course that any use of weapons including prop weapons, or things that resemble weapons in projects Experimental Films and films is prohibited from this course. If any student is are planning to use weapons in their film, off campus, they must reveal this to the professor in advance of any shoot, by document, or potentially jeopardize successful completion of the course. Since, here are other regulations and laws that are involved in this type of shoot, and therefore, the filming with weapons on or off campus, is not in-line with course objectives.
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-01/news/mn-17681_1_actor-brandon-lee
ARTICLE 12 - WEAPONS AND FIREWORKS | BACK TO TOP
When No student or guest, while on any property owned or controlled by The University of Tampa, shall possess, store or carry a weapon or firearm on their person or in any motor
vehicle. Exemptions:
• Chemical agents are permitted, but may be used only as a defensive weapon.
• Certified law enforcement officers may wear a service firearm in accordance with their department policy and federal, state and locallaws.
• UT Campus Safety officers.
• Reserve Officer Training Corps or University recognized ROTC drill team members, to the extent they are legally permitted to possess firearms or weapons, may do so when training or performing official duties.
Reporting Violations:
• Potential or suspected weapons policy violations should be reported immediately to Campus Safety officials. Nonemergency reports may be submitted via the silent witness program at www.ut.edu/silentwitness orsilentwitness@ut.edu.
• Individuals violating the weapons policy or making a false report of any kind, with the intent to deceive, mislead or otherwise misinform, may result in University disciplinary action and/or criminalprosecution.
Definitions/Clarifications: Firearms: Any pistol, rifle, antique firearm, starter pistol, BB gun, paintball gun, simulated firearm toy gun, or any item that is designed in
appearance to resemble a firearm. Concealed Carry Weapons Permit (CCW) holders are not exempt.
Weapons: Knives used to invoke fear or intimidation, brass knuckles, swords, slingshots or any item than may cause bodily injury or harm. Electrical Weapons: Any non-lethal device that is designed to deliver an electrical current whether by impact and/or by the firing of a dart or projectile that, upon contact, will deliver a specified electrical current to its
target. Ammunition: Any item designed to be fired from a firearm or device for the purpose of propelling a projectile. Chemical Weapons: Any device that has the ability to disperse a chemical agent, either through aerosol or foam spray, is permitted as long as it complies with Florida Law (790.001 (b) FSS) in its size, chemical solution and delivery mechanism. Fireworks or Other Explosives: Any material that will render an explosion. Firearms and Weapons Possession: The University considers persons in possession of firearms or weapons if such items are in a residence hall room, vehicle or common space them to access to your computer where they may access the file on their own without your consent! It is your responsibility to protect the integriy of your work. All parties involved will be reported to the Dean of Students.
Do NOT provide students in the other section, in case there are multiple sections of a class, with information regarding class discussion or “answers” to class preparation assignments. This hinders their ability to learn the material and is considered a violation of the academic integrity policy. This violation would be considered a “Class preparation assignment” violation and would receive the sanction detailed below.
You must properly document all sources used both in bibliographic format and through proper citation within the text itself. Failure to provide proper citations within the text of any assignment that you submit is plagiarism and will be reported. This DOES NOT JUST APPLY to research papers. It also means that you need to identify where data was obtained when it is presented.
The University has a subscription to turnitin.com plagiarism prevention software. This software compares documents to web resources as well as papers that have been submitted to Turnitin from any institution. I will evaluate each document for plagiarism before I grade it using the information from turnitin.com, along with my own examination of each document. You may not retake a course under forgiveness if you have an academic integrity violation in the course.
16. FMX SAFETY DOCUMENTS AND COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The In addition to safety listed above in Section 10 on Syllabi Disclosures, in Film and Media Arts, production faculty will teach students industry related protocols. Example is found at:
https://www.producersguild.org/page/Safety
FMX is in the process of continuing to develop its documents surrounding safety. We have the policies for use of the facilities, and also wish to work out more details for teaching students safety within our fields. Instructional staff on the CAL Safety committee will be working on this further.
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All the text/images/audio/video/CODE clips you will use in any of your projects will have to be credited correctly. EVERY single text/image/video/audio/CODE you use should be yours and/or copyright free.
REPORTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE/TITLE IX MATTERS
Sexual violence includes nonconsensual sexual contact and nonconsensual sexual intercourse (which is any type of sexual contact without your explicit consent, including rape), dating violence, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and stalking. You may reach out for confidential help (see contact info below) or report an incident for investigation.
If you choose to write or speak about an incident of sexual violence and disclose that this violence occurred while you were a UT student, the instructor is obligated to report the incident to the Title IX Deputy Coordinator for Students. The purpose of this report is to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students. The Deputy Coordinator or his or her designee will contact you to let you know about the resources, accommodations, and support services at UT and possibilities for holding the perpetrator accountable. If you do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to your instructor, you can speak confidentially with the individuals listed below. They can connect you with support services and discuss options for holding the perpetrator accountable.
There is an exception to this required reporting for preventative education programs and public awareness events or forums. While the instructor is not required to report disclosures during these instances, unless you make or initiate a complaint, during these programs or events, the instructor or another University official will ensure that the students are aware of the available resources at UT, such as counseling, health, and mental health services, and it will provide information about Title IX, how to file a Title IX complaint, how to make a confidential report, and the procedure for reporting sexual violence.
For more information, see The University of Tampa’s Title IX webpage and the Student Services Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Procedures webpage.
To make a confidential report of sexual violence, please contact:
- The Victim’s Advocacy Hotline: (813) 257-3900
- Dickey Health & Wellness Center (wellness@ut.edu) 813.257.1877
- Health and Counseling Center (healthcenter@ut.edu) 813.253.6250
ADA STATEMENT
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If there is a student who requires accommodations because of any disability, please go to the Academic Success Center in North Walker Hall for information regarding registering as a student with a disability. You may also call (813) 257-5757 or email disability.services@ut.edu. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me, in private, if you need more information.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Cheating, plagiarism, copying and any other behavior that is contrary to University standards of behavior will not be tolerated.
Students caught violating any aspect of the University of Tampa’s Academic Integrity Policy will be penalized in all cases. Penalty ranges from “0” on an assignment to “F” for the course without regard to a student’s accumulated points. Students may also face expulsion. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the policies of the university regarding academic integrity and to avoid violating such policies. Policy information is found at:
http://ut.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/catalog/Academic-Policies-and-Procedures/Academic-Integrity-Policy
CLASS DISRUPTION STATEMENT
DISRUPTION POLICY:
Every student has the right to a comfortable learning environment where the open and honest exchange of ideas may freely occur. Each student is expected to do his or her part to ensure that the classroom (and anywhere else the class may meet) remains conducive to learning. This includes respectful and courteous treatment of all in the classroom. According to the terms of the University of Tampa Disruption Policy, the professor will take immediate action when inappropriate behavior occurs.
CAMPUS CLOSURE STATEMENT
COURSE INTERRUPTION DUE TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS:
In case of any adverse condition or situation which could interrupt the schedule of classes, each student is asked to access www.ut.edu for information about the status of the campus and class meetings. In addition, please refer to ut.blackboard.edu for announcements and other important information. You are responsible for accessing this information.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
Note: The professor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as necessary.