Tennessee Technological University - Appalachian Center for Craft

Vince Pitelka, 2007, wpitelka@tntech.edu - Office Hrs. - Tues., Thurs. 1:30-2:30
Phone: Office - 931/372-3051 Ext. 111 or 615/597-6801 Ext. 111, Home - 615/597-5376

Art 3530-3531 - Independent Study in Clay - Syllabus

Students with Disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Accommodation Request (AR) should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of the course. The ODS is located in the Roaden University Center, Room 112; phone 372-6119.

Required Text
Pitelka, Vince.  Clay: A Studio Handbook, American Ceramics Society, 2001

Course Objectives
1) To allow the student to pursue individualized study in an area or direction unavailable through other current course offerings.

2) To further the student’s working knowledge of ceramic forming, decorating, and firing methods and equipment, and/or further the student’s working knowledge of claybodies and glazes, and/or  allow concentrated development of an individualized direction in ceramics.  

Course Description
Art 3530, Independent Study in Clay, is designed to give the opportunity for independent supervised study in an area or direction mutually agreed upon by the student and faculty.  Whenever possible, it is preferable to pursue studies and develop work through the regular course offerings.  The independent study course is intended only for situations where a particular project or study direction does not fit into current course offerings, or where there is an unavoidable course conflict. 

Possible areas of concentration are wide open.  Projects might include development of personal direction or portfolio, studio research into claybodies or glazes, studio research into specific ceramic construction or decorating techniques, exploration of particular firing processes, research into professional studio practices, or studio exploration in a particular stylistic or narrative direction in historical or contemporary ceramics.

Since independent study is by definition primarily self-directed on a day-to-day basis, all students registering for Independent Study in Clay must be at least at the intermediate level.    

Project Proposal
During the first week of the semester you must meet with me to discuss possible project directions, and during the second week you will submit a type-written project proposal, delivered in person so that we can discuss any final changes.  The proposal must including a descriptive paragraph or two discussing the work you intend to do, followed by a schedule dividing the semester into four quarters, specifying the type and approximate amount of work you plan to complete each quarter.  It is important that you push yourself and do plenty of work, but at the same time be realistic in specifying the work you intend to do, because we will evaluate your accomplishment each quarter in comparison to what you projected in your proposal. 

The project proposal provides a starting point and a framework for the studio work you will complete during the semester, but it must remain somewhat flexible in order to best serve our objectives.  The most productive learning comes from quantity production and risk-taking, and those often lead to changes in concept and direction.  If that happens, discuss it with me right away and we will amend the expectations for that quarter.  Otherwise, you must complete the work identified in your project proposal, just as if it was an assigned class project.  Again, be specific in identifying the type and amount of work you expect to accomplish each quarter.  If your schedule is not specific enough, I’ll be happy to insert appropriate assignments.  It will be to your advantage if I don’t have to do that. 

Contacting You Via Email
I will occasionally send you messages via the TTU email distribution list for this class.  This has become a preferred means of getting class information to students, and it is your responsibility to check your email daily.  If you use another email address, you need to access your account settings online and change your preferred address.  You are responsible for any information sent to you via the TTU email distribution list for this class.

Expectations and Grading
Independent Study in Clay requires a minimum of four hours of studio work per week per credit.  A three-credit independent study requires a minimum of twelve hours per week in the studio.  Since you are working independently and there are no lectures, slide shows, or demos, this represents a very significant volume of work.

In order for me to observe your progress and provide assistance and direction, we will meet approximately once every two weeks throughout the semester.  At the start of the semester we will identify a mutually agreeable meeting time when you will commit to being in the studio working.  I will seek you out in the studio every two weeks during the arranged time slot, and I expect to find you there working unless you have arranged in advance to meet at a different time.  Meetings may occur either in your studio area, in the open classroom areas, or in my office, depending on the content of the meeting.  At any meeting you should be prepared to show and discuss current progress in your independent study project.

The bi-weekly meetings will include four reviews evenly spaced through the semester, as specified above under "Project Proposal."   During fall semester, those reviews will occur in the third or fourth week of September, at midterms, in the second week of November, and at finals.  During spring semester they will occur in the first week of February, at midterms, in the first week of April, and at finals. 

In order to have sufficient work completed by the first quarter review and the third quarter review, you need to hit the ground running at the start of the semester and after midterms.  The semester is only fifteen weeks long, and your final grade depends on your ability to sustain consistent momentum throughout the fifteen weeks with no slumps or slow-downs.  Up to 80% of your grade depends on the progress you make on your proposed project, appropriate to the number of credits you signed up for.  At least 20% of your grade depends on your proactive involvement in an efficient and productive studio dynamic (including glaze and kiln-room practice and studio cleanup) and the diligence and regularity with which you meet with me throughout the semester. 

The above percentages are flexible, at my discretion.  An exceptional presentation in the final review will always have a significant positive impact on your grade, but if we do not meet regularly through the semester and have four equally-spaced reviews as outlined above, it will adversely affect your grade regardless of the quantity and quality of your work.