FAA 101, Section ADF– Fall 2012

Art and Design Building, Room 106

Wednesdays, 12:00-12:50

Ben Barber

Week 2: Campus Resources, 9-2-12 through 9-8-12

Scenarios

Matthew is taking HIST 252. Matt broke his arm and failed to contact the emergency Dean. He decided this was okay because he could drop the score anyways.

Was this wise? What would you do and why?

-The best thing to do is to make sure that yourself or a family member contacts the emergency dean to get a permission of absence because of some unforeseeable cause, like breaking your arm. Matt would have been able to take the quiz at a later date and if his grade was better than another quiz, it would help out his overall grade in the course.

If you need to miss class because of an illness

From the Dean’s Website: If you miss class due to illness, injury, family emergency, or other reasons beyond your control, an absence letter may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS). ODOS requires documentation, which validates the absence. Upon receipt of this documentation, an absence letter will be sent to the your University email (as a pdf attachment) and it is then the student’s responsibility to forward such letter to each instructor and to work with each instructor to complete any missed assignments. Since it can take up to 2 weeks to generate an absence letter, students are strongly encouraged to contact their instructors letting them know about the absence and that contact has been made with the Office of the Dean of Students. The Dean on Duty can be reached 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at (217) 333-0050.

Sarah is taking ARTS279. The professor has outlined that students are allowed two excused absences without penalty provided that they receive permission beforehand. Sarah is in the Women’s Glee Club and has an upcoming performance in Montreal and will miss one day of her class. She provides all the information needed for the professor and discusses how she might make up the work. The instructor refuses to accommodate her absence.

-Does Sarah have any recourse and what should she do?

-She could get a note from the head of the Women’s Glee Club explaining the imperativeness of the performance in Montreal.

-Unfortunately for Sarah, absence policies are left to the discretion of the teacher. However, whoever teaches ARTS279 is a damn turd. I doubt a teacher will go back on their word or policies. If Sarah’s teacher’s policy was in written form, like in a syllabus, Sarah could point out to her teacher that she was being inconsistent with her word.

-This train of reasoning we have been discussing can be said for the group of All Illinois Singers who have been nationally recognized and invited to NYC.

-Sarah needing to be absent because of a visit by the President of the National Board of Sororities? What do you guys think?

Time Management

Myth: My life is completely controlled by external events.

Fact: You can have some control over many aspects of your life, but you and you alone are responsible for initiating that control. Learn to recognize what you can and can’t control before making your choices. Anticipate the future and clarify the external demands that must be faced. From there, it is easier to determine what can be done, and within what time frame, despite the demands.

•Use your biological rhythms to your advantage. Identify the times of day when your energy levels are at their highest and do your most important work at those times. For example, if you work best in the morning, do not plan all your studying for the evening.

•Optimize your work environment. Keep things you need in your work area and make sure the physical environment is conducive to concentration, not just comfort. You may need to experiment to determine the right work environment. For example, some work best in a quiet setting while others work best with background music; some work best amidst clutter, while others need a cleared desk or table; some work best at a place reserved only for study while others work best at the kitchen table; etc. Find what works best for you!

•Safeguard blocks of work time. Protect your time by saying “no” to various interruptions, activities, requests, or persons. Interruptions are a two-fold problem: the interruption itself, and the expectation of further interruptions. Both reduce your effectiveness considerably. Some interruptions can be avoided by keeping in mind the following:

•Arrange your work area so that your back is to the traffic flow.

•Close your door; open it selectively.

•Find and use a special space such as a library carrel or an office where friends will be unable to find you.

Unplug your phone, or install an answering machine. Return telephone calls when it is more convenient for you, perhaps when you take a study break.

Effective Planning for Procrastination

The larger, more involved, the project, the more difficult it is to plan effectively to carry it out. The following steps may be helpful:

•Segment the task. The entire job may seem impossible, but smaller segments may seem more manageable. Divide the task into small steps.

•Distribute the small steps reasonably within the given time frame. “Reasonably” is the key word; you must allot sufficient time for each step. Do not fool yourself by believing you can do more than is humanly possible.

•Realize that humans periodically need variety and relaxation. Intersperse rewards, relaxation, and gratification for work completed. This will help you feel less resentful of the task and the work that still needs to be done.

•Monitor your progress on the small steps. Watch for the pitfalls discussed earlier. Assess problems when they arise and do something about them quickly. Keep track of the segments and how they fit together to form the whole picture. Reassess time commitments as necessary.

Be reasonable in your expectations of yourself. Perfectionistic or extremely strict expectations may cause you to rebel or may sabotage your progress.

This information is sourced from the Student Affairs counseling Center. The website provides a whole list of remedies to stressors that may clog your brain. If you are struggling with specific personal issues, such as depression or any sort of coping issues, please go to the link below. Remember that I am here as a tool as well. If you’re encountering any difficulties, don’t hesitate to email me.

I’ll give you piece of personal advice from me to you. I know first-hand how tumultuous personal struggles may be taxing. But strive your best to separate school and problems in your life. It is easier said than done, but don’t use private problems as an excuse to slack in school. When you walk into the classroom or sit down to class work at home, keep your chin up and determination strong. All will be well eventually, but don’t let present sorrow weaken your grades, because slipping performance impairs personal pride and happiness as well.

Going to your Advisor

When I started out here, I was at a complete loss as to which I should go to talk classes, scheduling, or how I should go about organizing my four-year plan. Your advisor will help you out so much with what you need. My advisor is Robin Douglas. Anytime I need help or reassurance, I will email her and set up a brief appointment to talk logistics with her. She is always ecstatic to help and is a tremendous help with all the questions I still find myself asking. You shouldn’t ever feel nervous going to your professor or feel as if you are being a nuisance. It is their job, and they understand that starting out here can be confusing as hell. Part of your homework this week is to download a form that you will have your advisor sign, just so I know that you know where to find your advisor when you will most certainly need them.

Below is a link to a list of FAA advisors and their emails. Sometimes a certain major has one or two people that handle advising. I would advise emailing the Chief Advisor of your given field and tell them who you are and that you are seeking the advisor for incoming freshmen in your program. They will gladly let you know exactly who you should be talking to about all of your scheduling needs.

Registering for more than 18 Credit Hours

If you decide that you want to take more than 18 credit hours in a semester, you will need to fill out some paperwork to do so. The link below will take you to The College of fine and Applied Art’s Policies and Online Forms page. Under the “Undergraduate & Forms” section, you will see “Request an Overload”. Click on this link and fill out the form provided. Then click submit. You might run into more inquisition past this point, but this is how you start.

Collegiate Link

UIUC offers a vast array of clubs and organizations that promote individuals’ interests and backgrounds. If you have any interest in joining a club or organization, or if you are just interested in just how diverse our campus really is, go to Collegiate link and browse the many organizations that are available for you to become a part of.

What you need to do before Week 3: Academic Integrity

-Complete the quiz on Campus Resources (available from the Table of Contents on the left side of this week's lesson module). The Presentation slides that are part of your Compass reading material this week will help you with your quiz. Remember, this must be done by 5p.m. on Friday. Don’t get too stressed. It isn’t that bad. Once you’ve done the first one, you’ll know what to expect with future quizzes.

-View Academic Integrity Lecture Notes 1:

-View video "Making Basquiat"

-Complete self-reflection exercise

-View Academic Integrity Lecture Notes 2 (includes link to Article 1, Part 4 of the student code, which you must read)

-Complete Discussion Board Assignments:

-Definition of Integrity

-Integrity and Your Academic Work

-Review the Academic Integrity Campus Resources

-Prepare for in-class discussion by reading through the Discussion Perspectives Scenarios

Project for Week 6: Careers in the Arts

-I thought I would bring up our class project in advance so those who want extra time to prepare can get started. As you all may know, it may seem like a trying time to be an artist in the condition that our economy is in. However, it is not the fault of financial struggles that hold us back. Careers are out there; we just need to know how to promote ourselves. Michele Plante is UIUC’s Coordinator of Career Services for the college of Fine and applied arts (as well as a delightful person.)

“Artists need to know how to promote themselves…they need to know how to pitch to their audience with a kind of resonance,” Plante said. “It is incredibly important that they be able to speak in a language that their audience understands or they will never get the funding and support that they need to succeed.” –Michele Plante

-For this project, we will be divided into four groups of four and one group of three. You may choose your groups. If all or some of you would rather be assigned a group, I can take care of that.

-You and your group will have to come up with a proposal to get your audience interested in the project or “event” you have created.

Example: You want grant money from a local whale watching club (Whales in Illinois!? Let’s ignore logistics) to put on an Art Fair.

Questions to ask yourself while planning your appeal to the Whale Watching Club of Central Illinois:

-What incentives for whale watchers will be in the event?

-How will the event promote whale watching and stir interest in the public eye?

-What different kinds of art forms can be included in our event that will all encompass a theme of Whale watching and add a variety to the Art Fair?

-In short, how can we get them to want them to give us their money?

-Give some careful thought to your event. It doesn’t have to be an Art Fair; it could be a Music Festival, a Dinner Theater with an auction for art pieces that pertain to the event, or anything else you may dream up. Be creative and make sure that the audience you are appealing to can see how their investment in your idea will repaid to their cause and then some. I expect each student to contribute to their group as much as they’re other group members. If you get things done really fast, be patient. If you tend to procrastinate, be punctual. Your project can be as tame or as grand as you and your group mates choose. You will be presenting your proposals to the class during our class time on the third of October. It can be as simple as a verbal proposal or as elaborate as an illustrative pamphlet, poster, a skit, a map of an illustrated layout of the event, or something with even more of a pull. Be creative, it is what we do. There will be a prize for the team whose event gets the class vote as the grant winner.

*For an example of an event that is actually in effect, I would highly recommend looking into The Vivaldi Project, which is a musical event coming to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in March. Its poster was designed by an art student who won a competition put on by Michele Plante and Eric Benson (who is a leading man in UIUC’s Graphic Design department.) The event combines both visual and musical arts and promotes classical music to an audience who might not otherwise become interested in it. Below is a link to a brief description.