New Faculty Orientation

Information and resources to support your preparation to teach at ArtCenter College of Design.

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Day One Checklist

  • Use this Day One Checklist to help you plan and prepare for the start of the term.

    It will address the three following areas:

  • 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.

    You can access ArtCenter Canvas two ways:

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

  • 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 Faculty Dashboard on Inside ArtCenter.

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

    [[image]] Faculty Dashboard Location

  • 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 Copy Center and the Student Store to purchase classroom and instructional materials. Please get in touch with your department coordinator for budget codes, limitations, and restrictions for purchases.

    Lastly, 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.

Building Your Syllabus

  • 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 an ArtCenter Syllabus Template Checklist to guide completion.

  • The naming convention of your ArtCenter Syllabus file(s) should follow this structure:

    • [Department Abbreviation]_[Course Number]_[Instructor Last Name]_[Year][Term of Instruction]

    • Example: ILL_261_Tillinghast_20SU

  • All faculty members must complete a syllabus for courses in which they are the lead instructor. Syllabi must be completed and posted into the corresponding ArtCenter Canvas course no later than the Friday before the first week of the new term.

    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 ArtCenter Canvas for students. Please refer to the ArtCenter Canvas Quick Start Guide if you require a demonstration for uploading your syllabus.

  • Here are a few reminders to consider when completing your syllabus:

    [[image]] syllabus reminders

    • 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.

    • 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 CITL or your departmental Director or Coordinator.

    Note: The sample syllabi provided use an earlier version of the College's official syllabus template for undergraduate degree courses and 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.

    [[image]] simple rubric example


    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 an 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.

  • Here are a few types of rubrics and examples for you to explore:

    • Six Elements of a Professional Presentation | Example

    • Illustration Design Lab: Value (Single Assignment) | Example

    • Illustration Design Lab: Project Grading (All) | Example

    • Graphic Design Project Grading | Example

    • Teamwork | Example

    • Intercultural Knowledge and Competence | Example

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