Topic outline



  • Welcome to teaching at ArtCenter! 
    This page provides detailed information and resources to support preparation to teach in ArtCenter's Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs (in-person and online) and ArtCenter Extension programs. Please reach out to Chris Balaschak if you have any questions along the way.

    Orientation for new faculty members begins with a  'Welcome to Teaching at ArtCenter' email from the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL).

    The Welcome letter includes: 
    • Important information for the first few weeks
    • Orientation events
    • Tasks to complete prior to the first day of teaching

    •   Day One Checklist

      Use the Checklist for Day One to help you plan and prepare for the start of the term by attending to three different tasks/areas: syllabus and curriculum, access to inside.artcenter.edu, and classroom and material preparation. 

      Syllabus
      The first section of the Day One checklist, Preparing for the Classroom / Studio, asks you to complete your syllabus before the start of the term. Upload your syllabus to ArtCenter Canvas and make your course site visible to the students before Week 1 of the term.  Detailed information about Syllabi in the section, below.  

      You can access ArtCenter Canvas in one of two ways:

      You may want to check in with the Library as you prepare your teaching materials. Your librarians are familiar with the specific genre and content areas and our collections. Please contact the Library staff for help preparing your curriculum, identifying materials, and utilizing the course reserve system. 


      Inside.ArtCenter
      You will need access to Inside.ArtCenter (the College's internal portal) to review course information, see a roster of your students with pictures, utilize the email class function, and take weekly attendance (a required responsibility for faculty members). You will also log Final Grades through your Inside Faculty Dashboard. 

      Once you have your artcenter.edu email and access to Inside, you can find your course information on your Faculty Dashboard under the 'Academics' heading.  




      Classroom Supplies and Classroom Technology

      Copies can be made using a departmental copy code (budget code) at several copy machines across campus and in the faculty lounge(s). This code can also be used in the print shops and the campus store to purchase classroom and instructional materials. Please get in touch with your department/coordinator for budget codes, limitations and restrictions to purchases and amounts, and approval.


      Please visit your classroom before the first day of teaching to familiarize yourself with the set-up and arrangement and confirm computer connectivity and displays.

      •   Syllabus and Weekly Plan - Templates


        The syllabus is a teaching and learning agreement between the instructor, the students, and the department. 

        An ArtCenter syllabus includes: 
        • A course description and Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs, provided by the department)
        • A tentative schedule for the term, projects and grade percentages (generated by the instructor)
        • A detailed weekly plan and required materials
        • A listing of major assignments and their alignment with Program or Course Learning Outcomes
        • A list of pertinent institutional policies and resources.

        The appropriate version of the ArtCenter syllabus template is required for all courses in degree programs and is an important component of assessment and accreditation. Make sure you are working with the appropriate one for your program level and degree type:

        Here's a ArtCenter Syllabus Template checklist to guide completion.

        Naming your Syllabus file:
        [Department abbreviation]_[Course number]_[Instructor last name]_[Year][Term of instruction] 
        For example: ILL_261_Tillinghast_20Su

        All faculty members must complete a syllabus in courses for which they are lead instructor and the syllabus must be posted with their ArtCenter Canvas course by the Friday before the start the term. Please refer to the 'Important Dates' section at the top of this page for actual calendar dates.

        Use the appropriate syllabus template to generate or update your syllabus before the beginning of each term, email a copy to your department Coordinator, and upload it online via Canvas for students.

        A few reminders to consider when completing your syllabus:

        For courses in undergraduate programs:


        • Please make sure that the Course Description for your class matches the one that is posted on inside.artcenter.edu.
        • You should have Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) from your department (Undergraduate, Graduate and MDes programs). If you are writing or updating them yourself, please review the CLO_FAQ for suggestions, examples, and appropriate language.
        •  It is important for students to know how they will be graded. Please make sure the grading box is completed and indicates clearly what percentage of the final grade each project or assignment carries. Completing a rubric for major projects is a good way to make sure the criteria are clear as well. A Sample Rubric from a presentations class is provided for you to use as a guide.
        • Rubric Worksheet / Checklist
        • Don't forget to complete the Alignment Chart, if requested on the syllabus template. This is the section where you indicate which project evidences primary achievement of CLOs.
        • Provide details in your Weekly Plan to help students with time and project management, and in case they have to miss a class.
        • Make sure you provide estimated costs for required materials for your course in the appropriate section. This is essential to help students with fiscal and financial planning.

        If you have any questions while you are working on your syllabus, please don't hesitate to reach out to Chris Balaschak or Matt Sahlit or your department Director or Coordinator.

        Note: The sample syllabi provided is on an earlier version of the College's official syllabus template for undergraduate degree courses / programs. Not all the fields will match the most recent version of the template that is available on this page

      •   Developing Rubrics


        A Rubric is a teaching tool that guides evaluation of the effectiveness of a piece or work in reaching pre-established criteria, which are derived from the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs).

        You can think of a rubric as a type of scoring guide; it lists what a student can expect to learn through assignments for a course and how it will be determined if they have demonstrated that learning.


        Most importantly, rubrics support conversations between faculty and students about expectations, criteria, and parameters for projects and performance. Rubrics can be a valuable tool to deliver feedback.

        A good pedagogical practice is to give the rubric to the students when you hand out a assignment description or project brief. Rubrics are most effective when the criteria for evaluation of the project are generated in response to the course learning outcomes. Rubrics should agree with the grading information offered on the Syllabus and align to the college grading structure.

        Each faculty member can design their own rubric to answer the needs of their course and assignment(s). Here's a Template for Rubrics. The table below includes several samples that show how rubrics can be designed to meet different needs. Some samples focus on expectations tied to degrees of quality and others allow for greater subjectivity by defining the criteria clearly and using the rating scale to reflect achievement.

        Rubric Type

         

        Links to Files

        Six Elements of a Professional Presentation

         

        Sample Rubric -Presentations_Tony Luna

        Illustration Design Lab: Value (single assignment)

         

        Sample Rubric – ILL_261_Value_Tillinghast

        Illustration Design Lab: Project Grading (all)

         

        Sample Rubric – ILL_2261_Project Grading Rubric_Tillinghast

        Graphic Design Project Grading

         

        Sample Rubric – GPK_159_Goodman

        Teamwork

         

        Sample Rubric - Teamwork

        Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

         

        Sample Rubric – Intercultural Competency

        Please download the handbook (Tools for Teaching: Rubrics) for further explanation.


      •   Canvas


        Canvas is ArtCenter College of Design’s official Learning Management System (LMS).

        Digital Teaching & Learning (DTL) Software Support Page

        ArtCenter Canvas Support Page

        "New Faculty Orientation" Canvas course (request to be added by emailing chris.balaschak@artcenter.edu)

        •   Students Receiving Accommodations

          A person with a disability is any person who has a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities. A student requesting accommodations from the college must provide professional verification documentation certified by a licensed physician, psychologist, or other professional health care provider qualified in the diagnosis of the disability. We advise students to request accommodations as soon as possible after being admitted to ArtCenter or after being diagnosis with a disability. A student who is granted an official accommodation from the college will be issued an accommodation letter. Each term the student will have to decide which faculty members will be notified with the accommodation letter via email from the Center for the Student Experience. Once a faculty member receives an accommodation email for a student with a disability, they are encouraged to speak with the student directly about the accommodations and how they will best work in the context of the course.

          All faculty members working with students who are receiving accommodations should watch the recording of the CITL Roundtable: Accommodations, where we discuss the accommodations process and faculty share how they engage with students receiving accommodations:


          Faculty members with any questions about how to engage with their students, or ways to best meet the accommodation(s) can consult with the Director for Teaching & Learning (chris.balaschak@artcenter.edu) or Associate Provost, Teaching & Learning (sam.holtzman@artcenter.edu). 

          For questions about the accommodations process, please contact CSE@artcenter.edu.

        •   CARE: Communicate. Assess. Refer. Educate.


          CARE is a campus-wide initiative that provides outreach to students who are demonstrating signs of behavioral, emotional, and/or academic distress. By submitting a CARE referral you will be helping to connect students of concern to campus services, advisement, and off-campus resources, as needed.

          The CARE team, which receives and assesses referrals, consists of individuals from varied academic and co-curricular departments. The team will determine a plan to best address student and community need and continue to provide resources regarding students in distress. Please note that the CARE Team does not respond to emergencies on campus; campus security should be notified in the case of a medical or safety emergency.

          Faculty members are often the first to identify a student showing signs of distress, whether it be of an academic or of a personal nature. We encourage you to share that information through a CARE referral and (when appropriate) inform the student that you have made a referral on their behalf. Once the referral is submitted, Information that is essential to the faculty member, such as a student returning to a class or continued support needed, will be shared. Please know that the CARE Team may be limited in what they can share due to information that is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

          You will soon be seeing WE CARE stickers go up in each classroom with the link to the CARE webpage that will include resources, useful contact information, and the direct link to submit referral about a student of concern. Further information on the CARE Team and guidance on when and how to make a referral is on the CARE webpage. 

          Should you have questions about the CARE Team, process or other resources please contact  care@artcenter.edu.