Welcome to CCA 3330 — Arts Symposium

(There are no formal class meetings.)

(This course is Canvas based, completely on-line.)

Instructor, Dr. Mark Emile

Different sections of this course - please read carefully!

There are several sections of this course. One section is for local students (section L01). Eleven other sections are for students outside of the valley, state, country or galaxy. Local students (section L01) and all other sections will be treated the same in this course, EXCEPT FOR 3 MODULES. This has caused a little confusion in the past. Please carefully read the home page, syllabus and all assignments with this in mind. The modules that have slightly different instructions between Local and Distance students are:

1) Module 5, concerning museum visits,

2) Module 7, concerning music concert attendance,

3) Module 8, concerning theatre performance attendance.

Local students must attend these events in Cache Valley in person. The prime objective of this course is to provide the personal experience that only a live performance or personal visit to a museum can provide. Therefore, if someone from the Logan Section (L01) uses a link that is provided only for distance people, they will receive a zero for that assignment.

To accommodate distance people with these three areas, distance people will be given links to observe a virtual (kind of) online USU museum tour, 1 concert to watch via YouTube, and 1 theatre performance to watch, also via Youtube. Our objective with this approach is to have some quality control of the arts being observed. We have been asked if a distance person can attend one of their local events. We normally do not allow this in order for us to know the quality of the production involved; performers, musicians, etc.

Look for the differences between Local and Distance students as you read the course materials. We will try to make the differences obvious. To help you observe and separate these differences, we have made all instructions specific to Local Students (section L01) in light blue and all instructions specific to Distance Students (all other sections) in flaming green.

And now........

Getting Started - everyone

Please begin by doing the following:

Read the Syllabus (See Syllabus in the left menu on this page!) after you finish this Home Page. I suggest that you print the entire syllabus.
Print the Calendar, which is located both at the bottom of the syllabus (list view). There also is a Calendar link (one of the main headings at the top of this page, graphic view). Both calendars hold the same information, different presentation. As it may be tricky to keep track of deadlines, both presentations are offered to accommodate the different ways people plan their schedules.
Click on the Modules tab in the left menu on this page (after you have read the syllabus). Then click on Orientation tab, found under Module 1. Read all the information in this section.
After reading all the material in the Orientation tab, Complete the Orientation Quiz (this is the only quiz that you may take as many times as is necessary to pass). Once you have achieved the minimum score on the Orientation Quiz (18/20), the rest of the Modules will be unlocked for you to view. The rest of the course will be closed to you until you pass this quiz. To explain: The Orientation module is designed to help you succeed in this course. It is critical to understand this module before proceeding.
(local students only) Print the List of Approved Events! (found within Modules Tab - Module 1) One of the exciting aspects of this course is the opportunity to observe performances and art shows. One of the trickiest aspects of this course will be to remember to make arrangements for these events. Local students only - You will need to buy tickets for two events (for modules 5,7,8) within the first week of classes before these events are sold out. (I hope the red catches your eye.) Distance students do not need to do this. They will be provided with links to virtual museum tours and performances. So they do NOT need to by tickets.

There are 9 Modules in this course. Many modules are self-contained. Reading material and videos are linked within some modules. Three modules, however, (5,7,8) require local students to make special arrangements to attend events either on campus or in downtown Logan.

Within the first week of classes (local students only)…

…you need to prepare for modules 5,7,8 (local students). This is critical. If you wait, tickets for concerts may sell out. Please do not procrastinate with this. Do the following as soon as possible. (Distance students will be provided with links to virtual museum tours and performances. Distance students do not need to do the following.)

From the "List of Approved Events", select one theatre event to attend. Most events offer student discounts. Use the link under the event (on the "List of Approved Events") to purchase your ticket.
From the "List of Approved Events", select one music event to attend. Use the link under the event on the list to purchase your ticket.

NOTE: The Modules tab will serve as your primary guide throughout the semester. Within the Modules tab are all links to quizzes, assignments and readings. Quizzes and assignments are also shown on the left menu, which should be visible at all times. Some material associated with a Module is only found within the Module.

Asking for Help

If you are new to Canvas or have questions throughout the course, please begin by referencing these online resources:

Canvas Student Tutorials — These brief tutorials are helpful for students new to Canvas.

Canvas Student Guide—This is the official student guide to using Canvas. Check here when you have questions about how to navigate and use Canvas effectively.

USU Canvas Tips—This USU blog also provides helpful tips for using Canvas.

If you have a question and are unable to find the answer in the Orientation or the online guides linked above, email the UTF (undergraduate teaching fellow) who is assigned to you. The UTF list is on the syllabus, along with their assigned group of students, organized alphabetically by last name. Your UTF's email address is also there.

Contacting Us

Because there are so many students in this course, individual assistance is essential, but difficult. To assist with this we have several UTF's. One UTF will be assigned to you. (See the syllabus for UTF assignments.) They are your main contact, your front-line of communication. Contact your UTF with all questions. They are trained to handle most situations. If they are unable to help you, they will forward your question to me. We hope that with this structure, you will be able to have all of your questions answered as soon as possible.

To assist us with helping you, we request that you observe the following as you contact your UTF:

Your UTF's email is listed (with their student assignment) at the beginning of the syllabus. Use this email to contact them. Please do not use the Canvas system for messages! Email is much faster and more reliable.
A Response to your inquiries may take within 48 hours, not including weekends or holidays.
Please Do not use the Canvas email/message system. Our UTFs will not be using that system. Email your UTF directly using the email listed at the top of the syllabus. Also, messages added to assignments will not be seen until the UTF and I grade that assignment. (So, asking them questions specific to the assignment will not be answered until after it is due. Send them those questions directly via their email.) The email we give you for your assigned UTF should be the main method of contact for questions. Emails via Canvas are not sent directly to your assigned UTF. They could be lost forever. Well, at least until 2027!
Regarding questions about grades for assignments: please use the comments box that accompanies your graded assignment. Note: Even though Canvas sends you Comments as Canvas emails, you must post comments as comments within the respective comment box, not as Canvas email messages.

Useful Pages (links)

List of Approved Events — Use this page to find approved events and plan your required attendance throughout the semester. Some of these events WILL sell out, so secure your tickets early! Do this the first week of classes.

Visual Directory of Venues — Not sure what the USU Performance Hall or one of the other venues looks like? Check this page to make sure you're going to the right place.

Guide to Using Sources: How to Avoid Plagiarism And Cite Properly — This page will answer all of your questions about how to use sources correctly.