Photography Program Syllabus | Course SLO PDF
Attendance Requirements
Grossmont College Photography courses are as follows:
2 hours lecture and 4 hours in-class laboratory practice and approximately 6 hours of outside-of-class time to work on assignments each week of the scheduled academic semester/session:
2.5 hours of lecture only and approximately 4 - 5 hours of outside-of-class time to work on readings and assignments each week of the scheduled academic semester/session:
In accordance with Grossmont College policies, attendance will be recorded during each class meeting that the course is scheduled during the academic session. Students are expected to be present during the entire class and demonstrate active, engaged learning with the curriculum and assignments while attending each class session and in-class laboratory practice.
Instructors are obligated, at the beginning of the semester/academic session, to announce to their students their policy regarding excessive absences. When absences exceed the number of hours that a class meets in a week, the instructor may drop the student from the class for excessive absences. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss anticipated extensive absences with the instructor. Make-up work for an absence of any kind must be completed to the satisfaction of the instructor. No absence relieves the student of the responsibility of completing all work assigned.
For lecture-only courses, such as PHOT 154 – History of Photography which are scheduled to meet for 2.5 - 5 hours per week depending on course schedule, the third unexcused absence could result in your being dropped from the class.
For lecture | lab courses which are scheduled to meet for six hours per week, the third unexcused absence could result in your being dropped from the class.
Add | Drop Policy
Students may add courses only during the official “Add” period using an “add code” issued by the instructor and submitting the completed “Change of Program Card” to the Admission and Records Office.
It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop courses they are no longer attending. If a course is not officially dropped, you may receive an “F” for the course.
The last day to drop a course without a “W” appearing on your record is:
Friday of the 2nd week of instruction
The last day to drop a course and receive a “W” on your record is:
Friday of the 12th week of instruction
College Student Code of Conduct
Academic Integrity
Students with Disabilities and/or Learning Challenges
Assistive Technoloogy Accommodations may include the following:
Support Services may include the following:
Supervised Tutoring Referral
Student Support Programs and Resources
Grad Coach
During the semester, students may experience some challenges including any of the following:
Please contact your instructor to discuss in confidence and/or contact a Grad Coach to help guide and connect you with the appropriate resources. Grad Coach is located upstairs in the Tech Mall (Building 70) and additional information can be found at:
Basic Needs
Students facing food or housing insecurity are encouraged to contact a Grossmont College Basic Needs Liaison (their names are listed in the web link provided below) or you can send an e-mail to Grossmont.BasicNeeds@gcccd.edu to request information or assistance.
Additional information on basic needs resources, including Gizmo’s Kitchen (Grossmont College’s food pantry) is available at: Grossmont College Basic Needs
College | VAH Department | Photography Program Policies & Best Practices
Campus and Facility Safety Policies and Best Practices
Emergency Preparedness
At the start and throughout the semester, your instructor will provide and review the general safety and emergency preparedness information and instructions for various emergency situations, including an active shooter threat, earthquake, fire safety, personal safety/well-being and evacuation.
Emergency Preparedness Information and Protocols
In addition to discussing and reviewing the emergency preparedness information and protocols for emergency and non-emergency situations, your instructor will provide a facility walk-thru to review building protocols in the event of the any of the above emergency situations, including emergency exits and strategies for safely exiting the facilities, fire alarm and extinguisher locations, eye-wash stations, and use of the emergency phones in each room.
Photography Health and Safety Policies and Best Practices
It is expected that all students will conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with common courtesy to all other students, faculty, and lab technicians.
The Photography Program uses certain chemicals and other materials that create hazardous, universal and/or special wastes that must be disposed of in a responsible manner so that they don’t contaminate the environment and/or threaten student health.
The College and the Photography Program is required to follow Federal, State, Local and College Policies with regards to proper disposal of these chemicals and materials, including analog photographic chemicals such as developers and fixers, digital inkjet printer cartridges and batteries.
In each class, instruction and handouts are provided for each student to understand and follow the proper handling and disposal policies, and is reinforced with signage throughout the Photography Program facilities.
Students are expected to dress appropriately for a laboratory class. VAH Department and Photography Area Studio Courses are officially formatted as combined Lecture | Lab sections. This means that the lecture or lab portion of the class may occur anytime during the scheduled time block for the course.
When working in the analog photography areas, including the film developing rooms, print finishing area and darkrooms, closed-toe shoes must be worn always per the darkroom safety requirements.
Per OSHA requirements, safety glasses and disposable gloves are required to be worn in the film processing rooms, all darkrooms and alternative processing working areas.
To insure a productive working environment for all students, please clean up your work area by returning all items to their proper storage area upon the completion of class and lab.
Computer Use and Best Practices
Computers in all areas of the photography area, including the classrooms, digital lab, print finishing area and studio, are strictly for use as it pertains to photography curriculum activities. Using the computers for personal email, downloading of music, and/or other inappropriate use will be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
Computers are required to be turned-off at the end of each class.
Students are required to save their digital photographic work on an external storage device, including portable external drives and/or thumbdrives.
The Thawspace (blue icon in upper-right corner of the computer desktop) is for temporary storage only and files may be removed on a regular basis to insure optimum performance of the computers and software.
Adobe Creative Cloud Single Sign-On
Single Sign-On / Protocol Process for Faculty
Single Sign-On / Protocol Process for Students
Course Content and Subject Matter
The subjects and materials covered in this course may sometimes be of such a nature as to be offensive to an individual’s personal beliefs. Politics, religion, sexuality and/or morality have often been the content of artists’ efforts and will be discussed openly in a mature manner to facilitate a greater understanding of varying perspectives.
Food and Drink Policies
There is no food and/or drink allowed in the film developing rooms, print finishing areas, darkrooms, digital labs and studio. A securely capped drink may be stored in the storage space provided and must be taken into the hallway to be consumed.
Smart Phone | Watch Use in Classroom and Laboratory Spaces
In consideration of fellow classmates and to insure a thoughtful and productive learning environment without disruption, please set smart phone | watch settings so notifications received are discrete, including setting the phone | watch on a vibrate setting.
Please put smart phone | watch away when working in any of the analog photography laboratories, including the film processing rooms and print darkroom. The operation of a smart phone and/or smart watch can expose light-sensitive photographic materials in the film processing rooms and print darkroom.
If at any point the smart phone | watch is continuously being activated and becomes disruptive to instructional activities, this could be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in administrative action, including a warning and/or being asked to leave the classroom, and/or a short-term suspension.
Service Animals and Other Animals on District Property
Per District and College policies and in order to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability, the District will allow an individual with a disability to use a service dog or miniature horse in District facilities and on District campuses in compliance with state and federal law. The Board shall designate that District property be closed to all other animals, unless the animals are involved in the instructional process.
A “service animal” for purposes of this procedure means any dog (or miniature horse, as provided herein) that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler's disability. The crime deterrent effects of an animal's presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition.
Exceptions
The District may ask an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from
the premises if:
Children on Campus
Per District and College policies, except when children are enrolled in the Child Development Center, other instructional programs in the District, and/or attending public events under the supervision of parent or guardian, bringing children on campus while attending classes is not permitted. Parents and guardians must be aware that the ultimate responsibility for the safety of the children in their care rests with them and no liability can be accepted by the District nor any of its agents or staff for the consequences of children being on campus.
Photography Area Equipment Check-Out Procedure and Policy
Check-out contract is completed by the student’s instructor. Students without written reservations in the form of a completed contract cannot check-out equipment under any circumstances. Student must present identification at time of check-out. All check-out sheets must have both student and staff signature to validate the contract.
All photography equipment for check-out is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Students making up an incomplete must be enrolled in a Grossmont College class to check-out equipment.
Weekend Check-Out
Pick-up of Grossmont College photography equipment for off-campus check-out and use is on Fridays only from 9:30am to 3:00pm. Students can pick-up equipment from the Photography Lab Technician until 3:00pm.
Equipment for off-campus check out is due as follows:
All returned equipment must be brought to 20-110. Overdue equipment will result in a one week suspension of borrowing privileges. A second incident of overdue equipment will result in the loss of borrowing privileges for the remainder of the semester.
No equipment can be checked-out for off-campus use after the 15th week of instruction.
On-Campus Check-Out
Check-out of photography equipment for on-campus use only, including cameras and/or studio lighting equipment, is done during course hours and is required to be returned after completing on-campus photographic work. Check-out contract is completed by the student’s instructor and/or with the Photography Program Lab Technician or Program Teaching Assistant.
Semester-Long Check-Out
Semester-long check-out of photographic equipment, including available analog (film) 35mm, medium- and large-format cameras, may be requested for the following courses only:
The semester-long check-out contract is completed by the student’s instructor. Equipment is available and permitted to be checked-out from weeks 3 - 15 of course instruction. During the check-out period, the students academic records will be placed on hold to cover equipment liability matters, and as such, students will not be able to register for courses or request transcripts.
If a student needs to register for classes and/or request transcripts, it will be necessary for the student to request a temporary release of the hold with the instructor. As it may take a business-day to complete the request, students are asked to request this temporary release in a timely manner.
Continued positive attendance is required to continue to have equipment checked-out. Excessive absences and attendance issues will result in borrowing privaleges being revoked.
All photographic equipment checked-out for semester-long use will be due on:
Monday or Tuesday (depending on course schedule) of the 15th week of instruction
The Photography Program Lab Technician does not inspect, repair or instruct students in the use of their equipment. Any such questions should be directed to the Course Instructor.
There are no exceptions nor allowances of these procedures and policies when checking-out Grossmont College Photography equipment.
Photography Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
PHOT 150 - Introduction to Photography
Create photographs of creative expression that demonstrate the purposeful use of photography’s aesthetic attributes, including the use of light, compositional organization, photographic description, emphasis and moments of exposure.
Demonstrate application of photographic tools, materials and processes, including camera controls, image exposure and processing.
Demonstrate application of proper laboratory practices for making optimum photographic prints.
Demonstrate application of proper laboratory practices for optimum print finishing and presentation.
Assessment Activity: Portfolio
PHOT 151 - Personal Photographic Practice
Demonstrate the ability to analyze photographic images and utilize the application
of advanced photographic processes and materials, including image optimization and
processing techniques, the use of the dynamic tonal range and photographic printing
techniques.
Demonstrate application of proper laboratory practices necessary for making and presenting
photographic prints of optimum technical quality, craft and professional standards.
Assessment Activity: Portfolio
PHOT 152 - Contemporary Photographic Practice
Demonstrate the application of various advanced analog (film) and digital photographic imaging systems through appropriate camera controls, image exposure and processing, specialized materials, and various other photographic tools and strategies.
Demonstrate the application of available light and artificial lighting techniques in various photographic shooting circumstances, including on location and in the studio, within the photographic genres of still life, commercial table top, portraiture, editorial and/or fashion.
Create photographic prints of optimum quality using proper laboratory practices, with strong applications of technical craft and professional standards to produce images with strong photographic aesthetics for effective communication.
Conclude through the use of critical thinking practices (description, interpretation and evaluation) the appropriateness of the resulting photographs considering the various technical, commercial and personal objectives for effective creative expression and communication of one’s personal vision.
Assessment Activity: Portfolio
PHOT 154 - History of Photography
Demonstrate ability to recognize and recall photography’s historical, modern and contemporary aesthetic and technical developments, practitioners, genres and trends in photographic thought.
Demonstrate application of critical thinking practices in describing, interpreting and evaluating photography’s historical, modern and contemporary aesthetic and technical developments, practitioners and genres, and its relationship within broader social, cultural and visual arts contexts.
Assessment Activity: Exam or Essay
PHOT 166 - Image and Idea
Demonstrate the ability to recognize and recall the critical issues and visual strategies of historical, modern and contemporary photographic thought within specialized genres of photographic practice.
Create photographs of creative expression that demonstrate the purposeful use of conceptual development and visual strategies that attempt to define a range and depth of individual photographic practice within a specialized genre of photographic practice.
Demonstrate advanced application of photographic tools, materials and processes, including camera controls, image exposure and processing strategies, and photographic printing techniques.
Demonstrate advanced application of proper laboratory practices necessary for making and presenting photographic images of optimum technical quality, craft and professional standards.
Demonstrate application of critical thinking practices in describing, interpreting and evaluating the use of photography as a means of effective creative expression and communication of personal vision.
Assessment Activity: Portfolio
PHOT 252 - Photographer's Portfolio
Demonstrate the ability to recognize and recall the critical issues and visual strategies
of historical, modern and contemporary photographic thought within specialized genres
of photographic practice.
Create photographs of creative expression that demonstrate the purposeful use of conceptual
development and visual strategies that attempt to define a range and depth of individual
photographic practice within a specialized genre of photographic practice.
Demonstrate advanced application of photographic tools, materials and processes, including
camera controls, image exposure and processing strategies, and photographic printing
techniques.
Demonstrate advanced application of proper laboratory practices necessary for making
and presenting photographic images of optimum technical quality, craft and professional
standards.
Demonstrate application of critical thinking practices in describing, interpreting
and evaluating the use of photography as a means of effective creative expression
and communication of personal vision.
Assessment Activity: Program Capstone Portfolio