Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. The goal of this lecture/field experience class is to introduce philosophical issues about art education, and to anticipate the practical application and resolution of these issues. It is a philosophical investigation of the historical, social, political, psychological, and educational concepts, pursued to practical ends. A translation of theory to practice structures the course. Additional concepts address legal responsibilities and educational advocacy. Students research introductory and basic elements of curriculum design, lesson/unit plans, and assessment strategies. They generate applicable and pedagogically sound solutions addressing whom to teach, what to teach, how and when to teach. Students will author content and performance standards and design assessment tools that confirm learning. The course will test the student’s own beliefs about art and education against the thoughts that others have documented in addressing art and education issues. At the conclusion of this course, students will be familiar with leaders in art education and the issues and debates that currently define the field. Utilizing classroom observations and hands-on teaching practice, students will gain the knowledge to engage in learning and teaching as a reflective and active process. They will also have the ability to write lesson and unit plans, and practice effective assessment strategies for K-12 students. Prerequisite: must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. This course discusses and analyzes some philosophical issues in art and education, and their historical context. Students analyze the differences between and similarities among many philosophies, and examine how each led to and affect one another as well as society and culture. At the conclusion of this course, students will develop an individualized philosophy of art and education. Students will be able to identify theories and philosophies in action through readings, discussions, and field observations in K-12 classrooms, and they will better understand current debates in art education and how they affect society and culture. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. This course offers an in-depth study of the aspects of the human personality that support or block creative impulses. The material includes discussion of well-known creative people in all disciplines including science, literature, music, and art. Students examine how both positive and negative aspects of personality influenced these creative people’s work. Students will explore the influence of culture and social standards on creativity and will further understand their own personal creative process and style. At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to apply the principles of psychology to the process of creativity. Through assignments, papers, observations, and readings, students will understand the complexity of creative thinking and how it applies in K-12 art education. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design; must be an Art Education major

Students learn applications that support instruction and enhance student learning, including the use of the computer as an image-making tool. Skills at various levels include: technical use of the computer, spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, and use of the internet. At the conclusion of the course students will be able to use the computer for a variety of teaching situations, track and analyze student progress, prepare and deliver visual presentations. Prerequisite: none; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. This course will prepare students for teaching in the culturally rich environment of America’s schools. Students will understand the accepted definition of diversity and how to deliver content that assures successful outcomes to all learners. Students will learn how race, culture, and immigration affect society. Specific areas of study will include the contributions of Native American, African, Hispanic, and Asian cultures to the United States’ democratic society, and how work, leisure and essential belief systems affect the individual learner, as well as group culture. At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to define what culture is, and how culture affects and is affected by education; differentiate between additive and transformative multicultural curricula; and develop lesson plans that address the needs of diverse learners. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design; must be an Art Education major

This metal working and jewelry making course has an emphasis on K- 12 projects. Professional applications include basic fabricating, forging, lost-wax casting, stone setting, soldering, joining, fastening and forming, patinas and other surface treatments. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand basic jewelry techniques and develop projects for utilization in the K-12 classroom. Prerequisite: FD 2120 Visual Design 2

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. The course addresses three main goals: researching and accumulating resources to address literacy requirements, developing strategies to incorporate literacy development in the content of fine and applied arts courses, and researching potential texts and other published materials to support teaching philosophies and content delivery. Objectives include comparing and contrasting the common elements of written, spoken and visual language. Journaling serves as a main strategy. The Best Practices for Teaching Literacy and CSAP Test Strategies in the Visual Arts, published by Jefferson County Schools, is a primary resource. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand the many correlations between visual arts and literacy development. They will demonstrate an understanding of visual literacy through the development of strategies for teaching and the creation of lesson plans that incorporate reading and literacy in K-12 art classes. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design; must be an Art Education major

Various fiber media are explored, emphasizing those with direct application to a public art school program and professional practice. On- and off-loom weaving (including handmade, strap, table or floor looms) are integrated with soft-sculpture approaches. Students learn warping of looms from 2 to 4+ harness design and investigate different fibers in relationship to these processes. At the conclusion of this course, students will be familiar with the diverse vocabulary of fiber media through a variety of hands-on and research assignments. Students will also learn traditional and historical weaving and surface design processes, as well as contemporary potential for creative expression with natural and man-made fibers. Prerequisite: FD 2120 Visual Design 2

Students transfer their drawing skills to a variety of printmaking techniques and mediums that, in turn, have direct application to techniques, materials, and equipment appropriate to the public school and professional setting. Water-based materials are emphasized. Safe practices using minimal amounts of oil- based mediums and solvents will be explored, including monoprint, linotype, dry point, relief, and chemical resist printmaking methods. At the conclusion of this course, students will have learned a variety of printmaking techniques and practices for utilization in the K-12 classroom. Prerequisite: FD 2120 Visual Design 2

Field experience/observation hours: 40 clock hours in a public or private school setting. This methods class puts theory and planning into practice. Students apply the content of the applicable Liberal Studies courses and the introductory art education class to specific lessons incorporating appropriate and effective methods, equipment, and materials answering clear goals and objectives authored by the student. This is a combination lecture and studio course with a field experience. Students apply the elements of curriculum design, lesson/unit plans, and assessment strategies. Content has direct application to the classroom. Students model and demonstrate the skills intrinsic to the lesson, participate in the process, and create the art product resulting from the lesson objectives. Students share their experience with and are evaluated by classmates. Research and investigations of student diversity, multicultural objectives, learning styles, and exceptionality are incorporated into practical applications. At the conclusion of this course, students will have acquired an understanding of basic philosophy, methods and strategies for developing art programs for the K-12 student, be able to identify instructional objectives, learn how to develop lesson and unit plans using a variety of media, and put their lesson plans into practice. Prerequisite: AE 2210 Introduction to Art Education; AE 2220 Philosophy of Art + Education; AE 2230 Psychology of Creativity; AE 2240 Instructional Technology; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. The course introduces basic statistics principles and applies them to the purposes for and approaches to assessment, both traditional and alternative. Study includes quantitative and qualitative methods for assessing student performance in art and design, as well as, course and program effectiveness. Included are basic statistical principles. Various assessment strategies documented in the RMCAD assessment/ evaluation model are analyzed. Proficiencies are determined by measuring the student’s ability to organize data, plan teaching effectiveness, devise and demonstrate assessment and evaluation instruments and methodologies. At the conclusion of this course, students will have learned basic statistical methods for data collection and analysis for the purpose of assessing teaching and learning in K-12 schools. Students will also become familiar with how to assess their own teaching skills and to recognize the importance and methods of assessing student learning in the classroom. Prerequisite: AE 2210 Introduction to Art Education; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 30 clock hours in a public or private school setting. The goal of this course is to enable teacher candidates to design, organize, and facilitate positive learning environments. They observe, document, devise, and discuss consistent teacher behaviors that produce high levels of student involvement in classroom activities and minimal amounts of student behaviors that interfere with work. Proficiencies are determined by the candidate’s ability to plan and design clear expectations about appropriate and inappropriate behavior, efficient use of time, room organization, traffic pattern, dissemination of materials, cleanup, and project storage. Study includes the teaching cycle, teacher threat cycle, positive characteristics of classroom managers, and prescriptions for effective management of the classroom and instruction. Legal rights, due process, and school governance augment the course objectives. Prerequisite: AE 2210 Introduction to Art Education; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 300 clock hours in a public or private school setting. This is an extended field experience and mentorship. The student teacher spends a minimum of six weeks in an elementary school setting and a minimum of nine weeks in a secondary school. The student teacher has the opportunity to implement their teaching abilities in actual school classrooms. The student teacher is observed, guided, and coached by a cooperating teacher in the accredited public or private school and a supervising teacher from the college. The cooperating teacher has a minimum of three years experience in teaching art. Responsibility for taking over the teaching by the RMCAD student teacher is gradually increased, allowing growth in a safe, supervised environment. The student teacher will keep a reflective journal and learning portfolio as an assessment instrument and a future resource. Feedback is consistently given and documented. A summative evaluation of the student teacher’s performance establishes proficiencies, which are translated into a Pass/ Fail grade. The student teaching seminar is taken concurrently. Longer student teaching experiences can be implemented if agreed to by both the cooperating teacher and the student teacher; however, maximum credit hours awarded for elementary are seven and for secondary are eight. Prerequisites: All AE courses, field hours completed and all required studio classes. Concurrent requisite: AE 4260 Student Teaching: Secondary and AE 4930 Student Teaching Seminar; must be an Art Education major

Field experience/observation hours: 300 clock hours in a public or private school setting. Please refer to AE4250 for the course description. Prerequisites: All AE courses, field hours completed and all required studio classes. Concurrent requisite: AE 4250 Student Teaching: Elementary and AE 4930 Student Teaching Seminar

This capstone, culminating course is taken concurrently with student teaching. Student teachers share experiences, challenges, celebrations, concerns, and strategies from their student teaching assignments. The course content is based on real-life, ethnographic experiences and events that impact philosophy, theory, and practice. Other seminar objectives include career opportunities, interview strategies, résumé critique, and portfolio assessment. Proficiencies are determined by quantity of participation and quality of shared insights, observable application of discussions and solutions, and the demonstration of knowledge, skills, and strategies that make up the content of all art education and education course work. Concurrent requisites: AE 4250 Student Teaching: Elementary and AE 4260 Student Teaching: Secondary

An introduction to the tools, materials and processes of painting including: building stretcher frames, stretching and preparing the canvas and paint application with various brushes and tools. Topics include: the cultivation of self-expression through exploring basic painting techniques and developing art literacy, including terminology; through critical review and discussion. Upon completion of this course, students will be technically prepared to undertake projects in higher level painting courses. Students will demonstrate in critiques and projects their knowledge of canvas and panel construction, painting techniques, light and color, and an introductory knowledge of contemporary art trends. Prerequisite: none

This course is an introduction to black and white photography; from a working knowledge of the camera through film processing to printing in a darkroom using traditional light sensitive materials. Students will be introduced to the history of photography – its approaches and trends – resulting in a basic knowledge of photography and its relationship to contemporary art. They will begin to explore the relationship between this acquired knowledge in photography and the individual and then begin to apply this knowledge to a realized personal vision through critical thinking and seeing. At the conclusion of this course, students will have a broad understanding of B&W photography and its relationship to contemporary art and will have created a thoughtful portfolio of photographs. Students will need a manual 35mm camera and should expect to spend $100-$150 in materials for this class. Prerequisite: none.

This lecture course focuses on issues, art movements, and criticism from 1950 to the present. Students investigate art through the writings of artists and critics that correspond with, but are not limited to, movements that include: Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Earth Art, Process Art, Conceptual Art, Feminist and other political art movements, Video and Multimedia work. Students study important issues and philosophies in contemporary art. Discussions are led by visiting lecturers, and field trips are taken to museums, galleries, and artists’ studios. Course work includes a research project covering contemporary artists and issues. Prerequisite: AH 1020 Art History 2: Renaissance to Contemporary.

Students thoroughly analyze the total organic structure of a work of art and its meaning. The class also studies light and space in relation to both two and three dimensions. Psychology, theory, history, design, and aesthetics are investigated as tools to develop a visual vocabulary. At the conclusion of this course, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of visual vocabulary, formally and in relationship to content in class projects. Prerequisite: none.

This course allows students to work independently with the instructor assisting as needed. Personal interpretations of the meaning of art are encouraged. Emphasis is placed on incorporating design elements, material handling, technique, concept development and expression, and in the meaning of the work presented. In-depth individual and group critique analysis is expected. Prerequisite: must be a junior or senior.

Students explore basic hand-building techniques using ceramic materials to make sculpture and vessels. Emphasis is placed on individual style and how clay can be used as a vehicle for expression. Students make work from low-fire clay using a combination of coil, slab, and texturing techniques, surface slips and glazes. An introduction to ideas about sculpture, the vessel, and the Raku process are presented through slide lectures and research assignments. At the conclusion of this course, students will be well-versed in hand-building techniques, basic glaze formulation, and firing of electric and Raku kilns. Students will learn to develop strategies to translate an idea into sculptural form. Prerequisite: none

Students deal with intermediate painting issues as they continue to develop skills in their chosen media. The course includes exploration of the human figure and the landscape as they student the relationship between figure and ground. As students begin to define their individual directions, creative integration of concept, drawing, painting, color, composition become important concerns. At the conclusion of this course, students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of research skills and its application to individual process. Prerequisite: FA 1150 Introduction to Painting

Students who have completed over 60 credit hours (Junior year) are required to participate in a mid-career portfolio review before reaching 90 credits (Senior year). This review is designed to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses so that they may address both in their upcoming major course work. Prerequisite: FD1990 Freshman Portfolio Review

In this course the emphasis is on dealing with contemporary issues while further defining individual directions. Craft, content, and the dialogue between the artist and the viewer are emphasized. A broadening of format, image, and theme allows the students to independently analyze and develop within their chosen painting media and forms. At the conclusion of this course, students are expected to have obtained sufficient technical ability to undertake more advanced work. Prerequisite: FAP 2150 Painting 1: Painting Practicum

The theme of figure is utilized as a point of departure. Issues of craft, content, and the dialog between the artist and the viewer are emphasized. A broadening of format, image, and theme allows students to independently analyze and develop their own painting media and forms. Prerequisite: FAP 2150 Painting 1: Painting Practicum

All Seniors who are ready to graduate are required to participate in a departmental Senior portfolio review. This pre-graduation portfolio review is an initial step in preparing students for both their graduation exhibition and their movement from the academic environment into the professional world. Prerequisite: FAP 3100 Painting Sophomore/ Junior Portfolio Review; Must be a junior or senior.

Students research advanced contemporary issues while refining a personal visual vocabulary. Emphasis is on building a stylistically coherent body of work evolving out of concepts explored in previous courses. At the conclusion of this course, students will have a working knowledge of contemporary painting practices and its application to their individually derived content. Prerequisite: FAP 3170 Figure Painting, or FAP 3150 Painting 2

This course investigates the language, theories, and practices of color and two-dimensional design in the visual arts. This course familiarizes students with the basic relationships between color and compositional practices such as space, unity, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and proportion. Prerequisite: none

This course investigates the creative possibilities found in the act of drawing and thinking. Students draw from seen and invented subject matter to practice with conceptual ideas, experimental materials, and techniques. Drawing exercises emphasize composition, positive/negative space, figure-ground relationship, and multiple points of view. At the conclusion of this course students demonstrate improved ability to implement creative, expressive, and personal solutions to visual problems. Prerequisite: none

This course introduces students to methods of structural based drawing through rigorous observational practices. With an emphasis on composition, ideas such as light, shade, value contrast, tone, proportion, texture, mass, volume, and technique are introduced. Utilizing the study of natural and man-made objects, students become familiar with one, two, and three point perspective. At the conclusion of this course the students demonstrate improved knowledge and skills in translating what is observed from life into 2-D picture plane. Prerequisite: FD 1275 Drawing 2c

This course focuses on the basic anatomy of the human figure. Students improve their understanding of figure drawing through the studies of skeletal structures and muscle masses. Issues such as foreshortening, accurate proportion, lighting, and composition are explored. Prerequisite: none

This is a non-credit portfolio review taken by all Freshmen at the end of their second semester of study. Attendance at the Freshman portfolio review is mandatory as this is a graduation requirement. Prerequisite: two semesters of Foundation study

This course explores theories and practices of three-dimensional design. Students use a variety of materials, processes, and techniques to explore fundamental issues such as volume mass, gravity, tension, compression, light, color, and structure. Prerequisite: FD 1115 Visual Design 1

In the first of four required courses in the history of art and design, students explore the major artists, movements and artistic themes of the Western tradition, beginning with Prehistoric art and concluding with the Gothic in the late thirteenth century. Lectures and readings examine ways in which artists conceive of religion, society, politics and the role of men and women within their historical and stylistic context. In addition, the course considers various media and materials, such as painting, sculpture, and architecture, and the fundamentals of design and composition. At the conclusion of this course, students will recognize a broad range of artists, works, and styles from ancient to medieval art. Further, students will learn to conduct research within the discipline of art history, and write knowledgeably on topics from ancient to medieval art. Prerequisite: none

In the second of four required courses in the history of art and design, students explore the major artists, movements and artistic themes of the Western tradition, beginning with the Renaissance and concluding with contemporary art of the twenty-first century. Lectures and readings examine ways in which artists conceive of religion, society, politics and the role of men and women within their historical and stylistic context. In addition, the course considers various media and materials, such as painting, sculpture, and architecture, and the fundamentals of design and composition. At the conclusion of this course, students will recognize a broad range of artists, works, and styles from Renaissance to contemporary art. Further, students will learn to conduct research within the discipline of art history, and write knowledgeably on topics from Renaissance to contemporary art. Prerequisite: AH 1010 Art + Design History 1: Ancient to Medieval

In the third of four courses focusing on the history of art and design, students study the painting, sculpture, craft, architecture and design of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, China, the Pacific, and the Americas. Students encounter appropriate works from the prehistoric period to the present, exploring the cultural, religious, political and historical circumstances of their creation. Nonwestern art and design are studied both in their own national and cultural contexts and from the perspective of the European cultures. Prerequisite: AH 1020 Art + Design 2: Renaissance to Contemporary

In the last of four required courses, students concentrate on one topic in the history of modern and contemporary art and design. Advanced studies are designed to allow students to focus intensively on themes, issues, and theoretical frameworks that define twentieth and twenty-first century art and design. Lectures, readings and assignments emphasize research, writing, and oral presentations. Topics vary from one semester to another. Sample topics include: Modern Latin American Art, Abstract Expressionism, The History of Photography, Modern German Art. At the conclusion of this course, students possess a deeper understanding of art historical movements, methods, and theories. Further, students refine and deepen their research and writing skills, researching and writing knowledgeably on topics from the course. Prerequisite: AH 2010 History of Art + Design in the Nonwestern World

This is the first course in the Liberal Studies sequence and serves as an introduction to college-level reading, writing, discussion and presentation. Relying upon significant works from our intellectual tradition as stimuli, students will increase their writing skills using a number of different genres and further develop oral communication skills commensurate with those required at the college level. Prerequisite: none

Written and Oral Communication Lab is designed to promote student success in college. By focusing on strategies and skills critical to academic progress and to personal adjustment, students become successful in college and throughout adult life. Six major topics such as research methods and are addressed within the Lab curriculum. Each topic is introduced within a large group session, then explored in depth within small group sessions. Students attend twelve sessions altogether, with the first session scheduled during Week 3 of the semester. At the conclusion of the labs students will demonstrate increased understanding of what academic success entails and be empowered to make appropriate choices for their own academic careers. Prerequisite: must be taken concurrently with WO1020 Written + Oral Communication

In this second and final course in freshman reading and writing, students explore major paradigms of aesthetic theory. Building upon the work of WO 1020, WO 1060 challenges students to greater complexity of thought and greater competency in verbal and written argumentation. Together, WO 1020 and WO 1060 provide the foundations for the rest of the Liberal Studies curriculum. Thus students will develop information literacy and research abilities, will critically examine the understanding of their own aesthetic, and will foster appropriate levels of communication necessary to proceed in their college careers. Prerequisite: WO 1020 Written + Oral Communication and WO1025 Written + Oral Communication Lab

This course examines climate change from the perspective of several scientific disciplines. The class will introduce students to scientific thinking with concepts from plant ecology, glaciology, earth science and meteorology. Students will learn how scientists have begun to understand the earth as an integrated system. Special note will be taken of features in the intermountain West such as snowfields, glaciers, gas, oil and coal fields and emerging trends in energy use. At the conclusion of this course students will have the tools to critically evaluate climate issues using scientific principles to critique a rapidly evolving world of conscious consumerism and energy use. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

This course introduces students to the major processes responsible for the physical appearance of our planet and for the changes in our environment. Through the study of minerals and rocks, and through field trips to explore the striking geology of Colorado, students study plate tectonics, volcanism, oceanography and ecological issues. Students explore the connections between art and design and earth science. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Students explore the basic aspects of life on Earth, including its requirements and patterns; its basic units; the organization of the living world; and the interdependence of living organisms. The concepts of flow of matter and energy; heredity and natural selection; population dynamics; and community interactions are also examined. Field trips and case studies are used to evaluate the living world. After completion of this course, students will be able to understand how biology explains the living world, and to address the questions of evolution and ethics that face the world today. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Human Ecology examines our relationship to the environment through an analysis of our historical and theoretical understanding of the relationship amongst the environment, our biology, and our cultures and through a review of ecological principles and terms. Topics will include, amongst others, disease, sustainability, famine, and pollution at the local and global levels. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to knowledgeably discuss and write about the key theories in ecological anthropology, including the historical contexts in which they arose and environmental issues within the contexts of politics, economics, culture, and the environment. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Anthropology is the study of human beings throughout time and across space. In this course, students explore human evolution, our place in the animal kingdom, our knowledge of others, and our knowledge of ourselves through a focus on specific peoples and cultures. Students also critically evaluate our perceived understanding of other cultures and the role of that understanding in our own culture. Outcomes: Students will learn about a variety of cultures; grasp and use the principles governing the discipline of anthropology, including its methods of research and writing. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Students investigate the multitude of environmental elements that contribute to the development of the personality or the “self.” Humans are born into a preexisting world of social demands and expectations, and so each person’s entry into and journey through that world shapes the personality in many ways; the individual journey takes place in the midst of social forces over which one has little or no control. This course provides an understanding of the balance between the internal workings of individuals and the external forces surrounding them. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Students explore the nature and function of belief structures or “world views.” The dynamic, living relationship between a religious organization or world view and its immediate cultural environment provides a “living laboratory” for the study of beliefs and believers. Students will gain initial exposure to Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course focuses on the understanding of basic tenets of, as well as the similarities and differences between, belief systems and on developing tolerance for others’ views. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design

Biological Anthropology examines human biology and genetics within an evolutionary framework. Beginning with basic genetics, students explore how we are similar to other animals and how we are unique. From this foundation, the uses, ramifications, and ethics of our knowledge of our biology and genetics will be studied and discussed. At the end of the course students will be able to knowledgeably discuss and write about biological anthropology, genetics and related ethical implications; human evolution; and our biological and genetic adaptations to the environment. Prerequisite: WO 1060 Philosophy of Art + Design