NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Art Appreciation
Course prefix, number, and section number: Arts 1301.340/ARTS 1301.341
Semester/Year of course: Fall 2025
Semester start and end dates: 08/25/2025-12/12/2025
Modality: Asynchronous online
Class meeting location, days, and times: Canvas LMS
Semester credit hours: 3
Course Description: A course open to all students directed toward understanding the elements
and principles as applied to visual expression in material culture including branding,
painting, sculpture, architecture, printmaking, ceramics, digital media, metal work and weaving. 48 Lecture Hours.
Course prerequisites: None
Course Disclaimer: College-level courses may include controversial, offensive, sensitive, and adult material. Students are expected to have the readiness for college-level rigor and content. This course enables students to understand, participate in and contribute to contemporary cultural conversations.
Required course materials: Textbook- Getlein & Wallace, Living with Art, 13th Ed.
Cell phone or digital camera
Name of instructor: Cheryl McGrath
Office location: Canvas LMS
Telephone number:
Email address: Preferably through Canvas Email or cmcgrath@nctc.edu
Office hours for students: Remote through LMS
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments: 7 weekly/semi-weekly assignments with discussions -77%
2 short analysis papers – 23%
Final grade scale: Percentage of points out of total possible points:
90-100 –A; 80-89 -B; 70-79-C; 60-69 –D; Below 60 -F
Late work policy: Late work is only accepted in extreme circumstances with instructor permission ahead of the due date.
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: See NCTC Student Handbook for additional information.
Plagiarism and Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Sources
General Policy:
- Original Work Requirement:
Any writing, media, or other submissions not explicitly identified as AI-generated will be assumed to be original work by the student.
- Plagiarism Definition:
Submitting AI-generated work without proper identification and documentation will be considered plagiarism, specifically as “submitting the work of another person or entity as your own without citing the source.”
Guidelines for Using AI Sources
If you use any Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (such as Grammarly, ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) to generate or assist with your work, you must:
- Full Documentation:
- Clearly indicate all AI-generated content.
- Use quotations or a different colored type to distinguish AI-generated material.
- Provide the name of the AI source and the date retrieved.
- Include all questions, prompts, or instructions you gave to the AI.
- Attach your original rough draft prior to receiving AI suggestions.
- Critical Thinking Requirement:
- Your submitted work must clearly demonstrate your own critical thinking and evaluation of the AI-generated content.
- You must articulate and document what you asked the AI to do and how you used its output.
- Original Contribution:
- If your submission contains little or no original content, it will be considered a violation.
- Students who violate this policy will receive a “0” for the assignment until it is modified to comply with these guidelines.
Revision and Resubmission Policy
- Revision Opportunity:
If you are found in violation, you have 48 hours from the assignment due date to revise and resubmit your work in accordance with this AI policy.
- Final Submission:
No revised resubmissions will be accepted after 48 hours past the due date.
- Persistent Violations:
If the revised submission still lacks adequate original student contribution, no credit will be given and the violation will be reported according to the NCTC plagiarism policy.
Additional Resources
- For more information, review the Art Appreciation Orientation link in the course modules.
- Refer to the current NCTC Student Handbook for additional Academic Integrity policies.
Note: Failure to follow these guidelines may result in academic penalties, including a zero on the assignment and a report of academic dishonesty. If you have questions about what constitutes appropriate use of AI, please ask your instructor before submitting your work.
Attendance Policy: Missing more than two online weekly assignments may cause course failure. It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgment by the faculty member. See Canvas for any acceptable late work policies. Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.
Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is: 11.09/2025
Student Learning Outcomes: This course enables students to understand, participate in and contribute to contemporary cultural conversations. Studying material culture reflects the beliefs, ideologies and values of the culture in which the objects are made
1. Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art and material culture.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design.
3. Differentiate between the processes and materials used in the production of various works
of art and material culture.
4. Critically interpret and evaluate works of art and material culture.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of art and material culture and the relationship of material culture to interdisciplinary, multi-cultural expressions, historical chronological connections and contexts.
Core Objectives: Creative Arts Core
Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, Personal and Social Responsibility
COLLEGE POLICIES
ADA STATEMENT
NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.
AI STATEMENT
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
STUDENT SERVICES
NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair: Dr. Aaron Wood, Interim Division Chair, VPA
Office location: 2010 Performing Arts Center, Gainesville
Telephone number: (940) 668-3385
E-mail address: awood@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Mary D. Martinson, Dean of Instruction & Learning Support
Office location: Library 1403, Gainesville Campus
Telephone number: 940-668-4209 ext. 4377
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu