Communication & Arts Division
Mission Statement
The Communication and Arts Division strives to provide quality education to its students. The division works to help prepare students for success and fulfillment in both college and in their lives beyond college, through the myriad courses the Division offers.
The Communications/Arts Division is home to Associate Degrees in the following areas:
- Associate of Applied Science in Visual Media Arts / Graphics Design
- Associate of Arts Degree
- Associate of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education
- Associate of Liberal Studies Degree
- Proposed Associate Degree in Photography
Students majoring in fields such as art, philosophy, speech, English, foreign language, education, journalism, music, photography, or related fields may contact the division chair to discuss options.
The division includes ten full-time faculty and about thirty part-time faculty. Full-time faculty offices are on the second floor of the office building next to the library.
Pictured Left to Right: Ted Felton, Alicia Sorrels, Nannette Crane-Post, Jim Castaldi, Roger Fox, Ken Cook, Thad Flenniken, Barbara Briscoe, Anzolette Cheatham, Richard Browne, and Joan Henry. Not Pictured: Denise Edds.
Communications/Arts Division Objectives
- Develop and use critical thinking skills
- Promote intellectual and artistic expression in a way that promotes lifelong learning
- Develop and use effective communication skills
- Develop sensitivity to cultural diversity
- Expect appropriate college-level demeanor
Communications/Arts Student Learning Outcomes:
Comp I
The student will:
- Respond appropriately to various rhetorical situations, purposes, and audiences
- Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating
- Integrate original ideas with those of others
- Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading
- Use collaborative writing processes
- Demonstrate knowledge of structure, paragraphing, tone, mechanics, syntax, grammar, and documentation
Comp II
The student will:
- The student will demonstrate an advanced application of outcomes expected in ENGL1013.
- Respond appropriately to various rhetorical situations, purposes, and audiences.
- Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
- Integrate original ideas with those of others
- Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proof-reading
- Use collaborative writing processes
- Demonstrate knowledge of structure, paragraphing, tone, mechanics, syntax, grammar, and documentation
Creative Writing
The student will:
- Generate creative writing projects in both prose and verse.
- Learn techniques, styles, and forms for imaginative writing.
- Participate constructively in a workshop environment.
- Explore structures and techniques used in published fiction and poetry
Technical Report Writing
The student will:
- Generate technical documents in a variety of formats, including letters, memos, proposals, and reports.
- Use collaborative writing processes.
- Learn to integrate visuals.
- Use technology in the creation of technical documents.
Art Appreciation
The successful student will be able to:
- Analyze the nature and function of the visual arts.
- Identify and analyze visual elements and principles of design.
- Identify varied media associated with art processes.
- Identify characteristics of a given period of art.
- Identify selected works of various artists.
- Identify and analyze the role of art in various cultures.
- Write a short analysis based on an original work of art using terminology appropriate to the course.
Art History I
The successful student will be able to:
- Identify and discuss selected works of art from prehistoric times to the Renaissance.
- Relate works of art to social and historical issues.
- Identify and explain the terms, methods, and modes of expression in media pertinent to the periods.
- Analyze and critique various art works through written analysis.
- Identify and analyze the creative process and how it relates to the cultures studied in the course.
Art History II
The student will be able to:
- Identify and discuss selected works of art from the Renaissance to the present time.
- Relate works of art to social and historical issues.
- Identify and explain the terms, methods, and modes of expression in media pertinent to the periods.
- Analyze and critique various art works through written analysis.
- Identify and analyze the creative process and how it relates to the cultures studied in the course.
- Demonstrate the ability to use basic research skills in art history.
Theatre
The successful student will be able to:
- Analyze the nature and function of theatrical performance.
- Identify and explain terminology related to theatre arts.
- Identify the nature and function of theatre arts and society.
- Identify the various genre and styles of theatre.
- Identify the uniqueness and role of various theatrical artists in the collaborative creative process.
- Identify the characteristics of theatre and important artists and their contributions to the theatre during various historical eras.
- Attend a live performance and write a critique of the experience using terminology appropriate to the course.
Music Appreciation
The successful student will be able to:
- Identify and analyze the elements and forms of music
- Identify selected works of various composers
- Identify and explain music terminology
- Identify various genres, periods, and major composers
- Analyze the role of music and musicians within historical contexts
- Attend a live performance and write a critique of the experience using terminology appropriate to the course
- Differentiate various instruments aurally and visually
Spanish I
- Listening: Understand short learned and some sentence-length utterances, particularly where context strongly supports understanding and speech is clearly audible.
- Speaking: Respond to simple questions and statements involving learned materials.
- Reading: Understand familiar written language as used in practical daily life involving learned vocabulary.
- Writing: Write simple, fixed expressions, limited memorized material and some recombinations.
- Culture: Demonstrate elementary knowledge of important aspects of contemporary Spanish-speaking culture.
Spanish II
This course is a continuation of SPAN I. Students will show an increased proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding.
- Listening: Understand short learned and some sentence-length utterances, particularly where context strongly supports understanding and speech is clearly audible.
- Speaking: Respond to simple questions and statements involving learned materials.
- Reading: Understand familiar written language as used in practical daily life involving learned vocabulary.
- Writing: Write simple, fixed expressions, limited memorized material and some recombinations.
- Culture: Demonstrate elementary knowledge of important aspects of contemporary Spanish-speaking culture.
Spanish III
- Listening: Sustained understanding over longer stretches of connected discourse on a number of topics pertaining to different times and places.
- Speaking: Participate successfully in uncomplicated communicative tasks and social situations. Initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation with a number of strategies appropriate to a range of circumstances and topics.
- Reading: Read consistently with full understanding simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs about which the reader has personal interest and/or knowledge.
- Writing: Meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands. Can take notes in some detail on familiar topics and respond in writing to personal questions. Can write simple letters, brief synopses and paraphrases, summaries of biographical data, work and school experience.
- Culture: Demonstrate increased knowledge and awareness of and sensitivity to important aspects of contemporary Spanish-speaking culture.
Spanish IV
This course is a continuation of SPAN III. Students will show an increased proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding.
- Listening: Sustained understanding over longer stretches of connected discourse on a number of topics pertaining to different times and places.
- Speaking: Participate successfully in uncomplicated communicative tasks and social situations. Initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation with a number of strategies appropriate to a range of circumstances and topics.
- Reading: Read consistently with full understanding simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs about which the reader has personal interest and/or knowledge.
- Writing: Meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands. Can take notes in some detail on familiar topics and respond in writing to personal questions. Can write simple letters, brief synopses and paraphrases, summaries of biographical data, work and school experience.
- Culture: Demonstrate increased knowledge and awareness of and sensitivity to important aspects of contemporary Spanish-speaking culture.
Speech
This course is designed to develop confidence in the student's ability to communicate effectively. Students will demonstrate the following competencies:
- Critical thinking and listening skills
- Research and organizational skills
- Verbal and non-verbal presentation skills
- Knowledge of oral communication theory
The following programs and degrees are systematically assessed in the Communications/Arts Division:
- Associate of Arts Degree
- Associate of Applied Science Degree in Visual and Media Arts
- Associate of Arts Degree in Teaching
