ONLINE

Art History I (Arts 1303)

Dr. Fischer, Assistant Professor of Art History

Department of Art, College of Fine Arts and Communication, Lamar University
Virtual Office Hours via Skype (username: julia.c.fischer):
June 6-June 25, Monday-Thursday, 11-12
June 29-July 15 by appointment
Email: julia.fischer@lamar.edu
Office Phone: 409-880-7784 (the best way to contact me is via email)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FischerArtHistory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FischerArtHist
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
There are no prerequisites for ARTS 1303. This course satisfies the creative arts requirement of
the core curriculum.
This course surveys the arts of the western and non-western world from the prehistoric eras
through the 14th century. We will consider both the formal development of art and its cultural/
historical context. The format of the course is lecture with discussion.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will
Define and employ the specialized vocabulary used in art history
Identify, define, and classify key works of art, their artists, styles, materials, and
working methods as well as their link to historical and religious events
Recognize the visual characteristics of period and individual styles through a study of
major monuments from the prehistoric era to 1400.
Interpret works of art in order to better understand the social, cultural, and economic
realities of particular historical eras.
Interpret, analyze, and assess works of art based upon formal concerns,
iconography, and historical context.
Identify and interpret unknown works of art.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
Marilyn Stockstad, Art History Volume 1, 5th edition
ISBN: 0205873480
This textbook is available for purchase at the university bookstore, at amazon.com, and at used
bookstores like Second and Charles (here in Beaumont) and Half Price Books (multiple
locations in Houston). You can also rent the Stockstad textbook for the semester through
amazon.com. You can also purchase an ebook from amazon.com
USEFUL WEBSITES FOR STUDY
For a glossary: http://smarthistory.org/glossary.html or http://www.artlex.com/
Art History Resources on the Web: http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.html
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Smarthistory: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/
Helbrun Timeline of Art History: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/
BLACKBOARD
Because this is an online course, you will be on Blackboard everyday. You can be access
Blackboard through your https://my.wip.lamar.edu/ account. You are responsible for checking
your Lamar email account AND Blackboard on a regular basis!
ONLINE LEARNING COMMITMENT AND EXPECTATIONS
You will not be successful in this course if you are not disciplined enough to regulate the time
you spend on the course. Online learning requires the learner to take more responsibility in the
learning process. Students must be motivated and responsible for keeping up with
understanding what is expected and stay on task with due dates for readings, assignments, and
other activities. You need to log into the course on a daily basis to check for messages and
other important information. Do NOT wait until the last minute to do work that requires you to
submit by a due date. It is your responsibility to use a working computer and browser and get all
of your work submitted on time.
Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that you get all of the assignments, exams,
quizzes, and discussions completed on time. Do NOT wait until the last minute. The excuse of
Blackboard wasnt working, I couldnt upload it, or the internet went down are not valid or
credible excuses once the deadline has passed. I repeat: do all of your course requirements
well before the due date and inform the instructor immediately if you have any issues.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
General Technical support information is located in Blackboard under the TECHNICAL
SUPPORT tab.
NETIQUETTE
Please refer to the Netiquette Statement on Blackboard. Because online communication
generally lacks visual cues common to face-to-face interactions, you are expected to follow
these standards. (Netiquette is a combination of Network Etiquette.) Please abide by the
following netiquette rules when communicating with your instructor and peers in this class.
Be sensitive and reflective to what others are saying.
Don't use all caps. It is the equivalent of screaming.
Don't flame - These are outbursts of extreme emotion or opinion.
Think before you hit the post (enter/reply) button. You can't take it back!
Don't use offensive language.
Use clear subject lines.
Don't use abbreviations or acronyms unless the entire class knows them.
Be forgiving. Anyone can make a mistake.
Keep the dialogue collegial and professional.
HOW THE COURSE IS CONDUCTED
Each week, you are responsible for completing all the readings, videos, quiz, discussion, and
assignment. Typically, each module begins with a short introduction to the topic we will be
examining. Then, you will proceed to the textbook and the other required readings. With this
foundation established, you will then be required to take a short quiz (ten questions).

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The next portion of the module consists of your participation in discussions and your
assignment. For the discussion, you will receive instructions to think about a pertinent topic and
you will interact and participate with your peers in your exploration of this issue. Finally, at the
end of each module you are required to complete an assignment.
RESPONSE TIMES
Students can expect responses as follows:
Email: within 12-15 hours
Discussion posts: within 48 hours
Assignment grades: within 72 hours of submission date.
Exceptions: Response times on weekends and holidays may vary
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Your grade will be based on six weighted evaluations:
1.)!
Midterm Exam: 20%
2.)!
Final Exam: 20%
3.)!
Museum Exhibition Review: 15%
4.)!
Assignments: 20%
5.)!
Quizzes: 15%
6.)!
Discussions: 10%
The grading scale I employ is a traditional 100% system: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C =
70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = 59% and below. No public posting of grades will ever be made so
please keep a written tally of your exams and papers. I will not respond to emails asking me
what your current grade is.
There will be TWO EXAMS during the course of the semester, a MIDTERM and a FINAL. Your
exam will consist of essays.
There will be no make-up exams unless an extremely unusual circumstance prevents you from
taking the testand even then only if you have contacted me before the test and can provide
appropriate documentation. If you are granted and excused an absence for the exam (due to
serious illness, for example, or a family emergency), the make-up exam will be a different format
than the regular exams. It is your responsibility to request and make an appointment for a
make-up exam if you are granted an excused absence. Students who miss an exam without
being excused will receive a zero.
15% of your grade will be based on your Museum Exhibition Review, a short two-page paper
critiquing your museum visit and experience. This assignment will be discussed further in class
and instructions will be posted on Blackboard.
20 % of your grade will be the weekly assignments. All assignments MUST be turned in via
the Dropbox on Blackboard as a PDF or Word document. No hard copies of your papers or
emailed papers will be accepted. Assignments will be graded as Satisfactory (or 85),
Exceptional (or 100), and Less than satisfactory (or 70). Assignments will be graded according
to content, style, grammar, punctuation, and how well the requirements of that particular
assignment were met.

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LATE WORK POLICY: Students are expected to submit all work at the specified times. For
every day that an assignment is late, 10% of the assignment grade will be subtracted. For
example, a paper that would have received a 100 would receive a 90, and so on.
Weekly Quizzes account for 15% of your grade. You must complete each quiz before the due
date. No late quizzes will be accepted.
Discussions are worth 10%. Each weeks discussion is worth 20 points for a total of 320 points
throughout the semester. Your discussions will be graded on the extent to which you answer the
questions of that week. Effort and engagement in the materials count for a lot. Your contribution to
the discussion accounts for 10 points. You are also required to respond to at least one post by
another student, which is worth an additional 10 points. Your participation in discussions will be
graded as Satisfactory (or 85), Exceptional (or 100), and Less than satisfactory (or 70).
Both quizzes and discussions must be completed before the next weeks topic begins.
Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that you get all of the assignments, exams,
quizzes, and discussions completed on time. Do NOT wait until the last minute. The excuse of
Blackboard wasnt working, I couldnt upload it, or the internet went down are not valid or
credible excuses once the deadline has passed. I repeat: do all of your course requirements
well before the due date and inform the instructor immediately if you have any issues.
IMPORTANT DATES: Mark these in your planner immediately!
Midterm Exam: Friday 6/26
Final Exam: Wednesday 7/15
Museum Exhibition Review: Friday 7/3
Last day to drop or withdraw from the course WITHOUT academic penalty: 6/22
Last day to drop or withdraw from the course WITH academic penalty: 7/2

ACADEMIC HONESTY
All students are expected to familiarize themselves with all university policies pertaining to
academic performance and conduct. As stated in the Lamar Student Handbook, all students
should maintain complete honesty and integrity in their academic experiences. In this course,
disciplinary action will be brought against any student found guilty of academic dishonesty
including, but not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work to be
submitted, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. Cheating, plagiarism,
collusion, and the abuse of resource materials are defined on page 82 of the Student
Handbook. In addition, by University policy, a student cannot avoid any penalty for cheating set
forth by the instructor in a course syllabus by dropping the course. Procedures for disciplinary
action due to academic dishonesty shall be the same as in other violations of the Student Code
of Conduct (see Student Handbook) except that all academic dishonesty cases shall first be
considered and reviewed by the faculty member. The process of appeal is located in the
Student Handbook available online.
The course instructor will complete a thorough and impartial investigation of any instance of
academic dishonesty. A student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be notified in writing by
the instructor of the violation, the penalty, and the students right to appeal the determination of
dishonesty and/or the sanction imposed. Penalties for academic dishonesty in this course will
result in either a lowered letter grade or failure of the course as determined by the instructor.
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Any occurrences of cheating and/or plagiarism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
possible.
DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER (DRC)
Lamar University is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all
students. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is located in the Communications building room
105. Office staff collaborate with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange
reasonable accommodations. If you have, or think you may have, a disability (e.g., mental
health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical), please contact the DRC at
409-880-8347 or drc@lamar.edu to arrange a confidential appointment with the Director of the
DRC to explore possible options regarding equitable access and reasonable accommodations.
If you are registered with DRC and have a current letter requesting reasonable
accommodations, we encourage you to contact your instructor early in the semester to review
how the accommodations will be applied in the course.
CAMPUS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Students are encouraged to review emergency procedures for events such as severe weather,
violence, active shooter, fire or chemical release at:
http://www.lamar.edu/_files/documents/about-lu/administration/risk-management/
SAFPLNAug06.pdf
CAMPUS CLOSURE (ACADEMIC CONTINUITY PLAN)
In the event of campus closure and evacuation due to a hurricane or other disaster, this course
will continue in an online format until campus reopens. After four days of closure (for evacuation
and relocation), please login to the courses page on Blackboard for class instructions. Lamar
will communicate through Blackboard, your official Lamar email address, and the university
webpage (www.Lamar.edu). These efforts will allow you to complete the course and semester
on time.
IMPORTANT: An impending graduation date or scholarship which requires the maintenance of
a particular GPA, or the GPA requirement for admission to an academic program of study will
not earn you a passing grade in this course. While it does seem to be the trend nowadays,
there will be no negotiation of changing a final grade you will meet with no success. I
do not give grades your grade will be evaluated solely on the scores you earn on your
exams and assignments. While I am happy to meet with you to help you find ways to improve
your scores, do not wait until the end of term to contact me as this will almost certainly be
too late. If you believe I have made a mistake in my calculations, please contact me, and I will
be happy to review your grade.
This syllabus is an agreement between the professor and student to respectively provide and
complete a worthy learning experience. By remaining a registered student in this course, the
student has identified their understanding of the obligations set forth in this syllabus for
satisfactory completion of the course.

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CLASS SCHEDULE
Due Date
(By 11:59PM)

Friday 6/12

Module, Week, and Topic

Getting Stared Module

Required Readings:
Stockstad and Online
Sources
See Modules

Module 1 Week 1: Prehistoric Art

Friday 6/19

Module 1 Week 2: Art of the Ancient Near East

See Modules

Module 1 Week 3: Art of Ancient Egypt

Module 2 Week 4: Art of the Aegean
Module 2 Week 5: Art of Ancient Greece
Friday 6/26

Module 2 Week 6: Etruscan and Roman Art

See Modules

Module 3 Week 7: Jewish and Early Christian Art

Module 3 Week 8: Byzantine Art
Friday 6/26

MIDTERM EXAM: Weeks 1-8

Friday 7/3

Module 3 Week 9: Islamic Art

See Modules

Module 4 Week 10: Early Medieval Art in Europe

Module 4 Week 11: Romanesque Art
Friday 7/3

Museum Exhibition Review Due

Friday 7/10

Module 4 Week 12: Gothic Art of the Twelfth and Thirteenth

Centuries

See Modules

Module 5 Week 13: Fourteenth Century Art in Europe

Module 5 Week 14: Art of the Americas before 1300
Wednesday
7/15

Module 5 Week 15: Art of South and Southeast Asia before

1200

See Modules

Module 5 Week 16: East Asian Art before 1333

Wednesday
7/15

FINAL EXAM: Weeks 9-16

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