Online 180-105：Art History, Introduction to Asian Art
Professor:
TA:
Fall 2013
Ying Wang
Jordan Michael Severson
Sept. 3rd to Dec. 12th 2013
Department of Art History
Main Office: R.151 Mitchell Hall
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Tel: 414-229-3043
414-229-4330
Office Hour: W. 2:00-3:00 pm at MIT 151B and by appointment
Email: Ying Wang: yingwang@uwm.edu
Jordan Michael Severson: severs45@uwm.edu
This course is counted as one of the gateway courses for the Asian Studies Certificate.
Assessment
As part of UWM’s ongoing assessment project, the Art History faculty has developed a set of
objectives for all courses taught in our department. Our Art History courses are intended to:
1. Foster an appreciation of art in its myriad forms and, in so doing, increase sensitivity to
cultural diversity and to the ways in which the past has shaped the present.
2. Teach skills in visual analysis and critical thinking that are useful for a lifetime.
3. Require students to hone their written communication skills.
Introduction
An introductory course in the history of art can have a tremendous impact on students who take
one. Even if you have never had another art history course, this will serve as an introduction and
guide to a world of visual and intellectual richness that is accessible to you when you give it an
earnest effort. Art history is a discipline that demands equal parts of art, science, creativity and
organization.
Art History 180-105 is a general introduction to the arts of Asia. For the most part, we will be
focusing on the countries of India, China, and Japan. Works of art are important in their own
contexts and we want to learn what they reveal about their parent cultures. We must also keep in
mind that this art is comparable to that of other cultures as well, either because its creation was in
response to similar needs, as with the art of early cultures, or with a religion such as Buddhism;
or because of actual interaction between groups. Seen in this way, the art may seem more
readily understandable, more sympathetic, and more human even if you know nothing about the
Asian world when you begin. There are thousands of works of art available for study that is a
part of our world heritage. What are they? How are they related to each other? What did they
mean to their makers? What do they mean to us today? These are the questions with which we
may begin our study. Entering the world of art is a very special experience. For some of you it
will change your lives. All of you owe it to yourselves to enjoy it and to get the most out of it.
Course Policies
Class lectures and reading: All lectures on D2L will focus on essential concepts and main
works of art which are taken as a key to understanding the period in which it was made. Each
"key work" will be discussed in detail and you will be expected to know all pertinent data (name,
artist, date, medium, patron, and place of origin) for each. Other works shown in the power point
lectures will be used for comparison and reference, but you will only be expected to know the
date and culture of origin of those. You must read the relevant chapters of your textbook and the
selected readings which are there to supplement the lectures. Further readings are available at
the reserve desk in the university library which should be utilized when writing essays, short
papers, and/or in preparation for the exams. The quiz and exam questions are NOT
permanently available online. They are only accessible for a specific amount of time which is
clearly outlined in the schedule. Therefore, it is the students’ responsibility to read and complete
each section (reading, lecture, quiz, exam, discussion, etc.) on time.
We do not give quiz or exam every week, but we need to work very hard, and keep up with the
course work every week.
Readings: The required texts are John D. La Plante's Asian Art, (3rd edition, Dubuque, 1992),
and the Arts of China by Michael Sullivan (fifth edition, University of California Press, 2008)
which is on sale at the University Book Store of the Union. In addition, other readings are or
will be displayed at the Reserve Desk in the Library. Henry M. Sayre, Writing About Art,
(Englewood Cliffs, 1999), and Christina Maranci’s Survival Guide for Art History Students
(2005) are guidebooks that can help you to develop a vocabulary and a language for discussing
and writing about objects from an art historical point of view. Graduate students are expected to
read additional assigned readings beyond reserve.
Grading: The term grade is based on discussion, quiz, exam, project (if any), and writing
assignment.
Undergraduate students: the first exam takes 25%, There is no midterm exam but we will design
an independent study project: Museum Project, that takes 25%; and no final exam but term paper
takes 25%. The Discussion Board and Writing Assignments will take 25%.
You must receive total 60% of all assignments and exams in order to pass the course, although
improvement shown in the term will be considered for the final score.
A half letter grade will be deducted for each Writing Assignment missed. Students who do not
post required Writing Assignments or fail to take a Quiz may earn an F for their final score.
Grading will be based on accuracy, clarity, content, professionalism, and adherence to the spirit
of the assignments. Your final letter grade will be based on a combination of numerical scores,
attendance, and class participation. A C-grade indicates average work. University policy
requires that 80% of the class work must be completed before an incomplete can be considered.
We will keep a confidential record and numerical scores (you can check your own grade on
D2L), but you are responsible for keeping all graded materials until the final grade has been
posted on your transcript.
No make-up exams. Late assignments will not be accepted except for special conditions such as
illness, see below. No work, social, or academic conflicts will be considered as an excuse. The
date of the final exam, established by university policy, cannot be altered for any student.
Unexcused absences (fail to join discussions, or post assignments) will result in a grade of zero
for that week.
Late Submission Policy
Modules open on Monday morning at 6AM and remain accessible until the end of term.
However, homework/quiz/exam submission boxes (either in Discussion or Drop Box, or Quiz)
will be closed by the end of the module week. You must submit the works before the Module
week ends by the next Monday at 6AM. Only the final exam (term paper) is different (see the
guideline).
It is always recommended to submit assignments a few hours earlier than the deadline, in case of
technical problems with the website or D2L not running correctly, and so on, so give yourself
some extra time.
We do not accept late papers, homework, or exams in general. However, if you do have a valid
reason and let us know in a timely fashion, which is right away, you should be able to submit the
work. In case of illness, a doctor’s note is expected. Social and work schedule conflicts cannot be
count.
Credit Deduction
One or two hours late: a very small amount of points will be taken. More than two hours but in
24 hours: 5% deduction. 24-48 Hours: 15% deduction. You do need to send an email to your TA
on late submission.
More than 48 hours: not acceptable unless the student is in the hospital and contacted the
professor and TA on time. This means by email and leaving a voicemail at the art history
department’s phone number at 414-229-4330.
Discussion Board
Your participation on the discussion board is divided into two parts: 1. Each week, you will be
asked to compose an original, well-written essay (double spaced 12 fond, approx. two pages)
either in response to the discussion thread or a pertinent issue of your choice related to lecture(s)
of that week. 2. Then, you are required to write one brief reply (approx 300-500 words) to
someone else’s posted comment in which you offer further support or constructive criticism,
always in a respectful and civil manner.
To avoid misguiding students, I will NOT participate in the general Discussion Forum. I and our
TA may open a special box for a particular topic and discuss with students together once a while.
Learning that there could be more than one correct answer and even the textbooks or instructors’
opinion can be argued and questioned, is one of the most important parts of our class. We will
learn how to critically read publications, and how to critically analyze materials (data and
information), and question existing knowledge, and write clearly, logically, which is critical
study.
Communication and Correspondence
On-line courses are designed to allow students to work independently and to complete readings
and assignments around their particular schedules. For the most part, contact between instructors
and students in on-line courses is kept to a minimum. This is partially remedied by the presence
of the Discussion Forums, which allow students to engage in a dialogue about Art History and
hopefully build something similar to a ‘community’. In addition to the scheduled Discussion
Forums on specific topics which are part of your evaluation in the course, we have also created a
‘catch-all’ General Discussion Forum on D2L. This General Discussion Forum will be listed at
the top of the Forum topics and will remain available throughout the term. When the box is too
large, we will close it and open a new one, but one of such box will be there. Please use this
General Forum for all of your questions regarding the class, assignments, D2L help, or other
general inquiries. The General Discussion Forum will be monitored daily except for weekends,
and responses to questions will be posted in a timely manner. To the extent possible, PLEASE
AVOID EMAILING THE INSTRUCTOR OR TAs directly. More often than not, answers to
individual questions about the class will benefit everyone. With a large number of students,
correspondence over email becomes inefficient and burdensome. If you feel the need to contact
me directly about any course-related concerns, please email to me at yingwang@uwm.edu.
Please stop by in my office hour or make an appointment if you wish me to explain anything face
to face. You are always welcome in my office if you feel individual conversation helps.
In order to do well in this class, you must plan to visit the D2L site often, checking for
Announcements or posts in the General Discussion Forum. It is a good habit to check in once a
day when possible. Also, there may be times when we will send an email to students about
upcoming assignments, or making a new quiz, etc. We will be emailing students via the D2L
email server; if you do not normally use or check your @uwm email account, IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to check the account or have those emails forwarded to your preferred
email server (gmail, yahoo, etc). This is important.
Finally: Be Prepared to Read All Documents, Guides, and Instructions SLOWLY and
CAREFULLY. I cannot stress enough the importance of spending time to read course
documents. Many things we take for granted in a face-to-face course must be conveyed via
written docs; since we are forced to communicate ideas and assignments via such document files,
it is simply essential that you take the time to read all documents posted on D2L (including this
syllabus!) and take the time to process and understand the information provided.
The expected minimum number of hours of energy expended by students in this class is as follows:
classroom lecture and discussion:
36.25 hours
reading:
39.75 hours
paper research and writing:
40 hours
study for exams:
28 hours
Total:
144 hours
Links
You are encourage to visit the Peer Mentoring Center: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/edison/pmc/
And the Writing Center at Curtin Hall 382 and Library East Wing.
Make appointments on the web: www.writingcenter.uwm.edu
Plagiarism
Please make sure that you understand what is Plagiarism. Do not copy from texts directly, even if
you give citations. Use your own words to present your opinion—your thoughts. Do not use
others’ theory or opinion without giving citation. Citation and bibliography must be in Chicago
Manual of Styles.
http://www4.uwm.edu/chs/students/current_students/upload/plagiarism.pdf
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm