Bapa Handbook 10 - 11 Final

BA (Hons) Photographic Arts
Course Handbook 2010/11
Definitive Version September 2010
CONTENTS The Handbook is spilt into two parts. The first part is the programme specification which can be used as a standalone guide to the course. This is also published on the Universitys web site as a guide to potential applicants and current students: Section Content Welcome to the Course The induction programme Key dates PART 1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Course Record Information Name and level of final and intermediate awards Awarding Body Location of Delivery Mode of Study UoW Course Code JACS Code UCAS Code QAA Subject Benchmark Professional Body Accreditation Date of Initial Course approval/last review Date of the programme specification Admission Requirements Accreditation of Prior Learning Aims of the Course Employment and Further Study Opportunities Course Learning Outcomes Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods Course Structure Academic Regulations Support for Students Key Reference Points for the course Quality Management and Enhancement 7 Page 5 6 6
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University of Westminster | Handbook Version: 2010/11 (V1) July 2010 - New UG Students
COURSE HANDBOOK 1 1.1 1.1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 7 7.1 How to contact us Course Management Arrangements Staff Contact Details Personal Tutor arrangements Who to contact about module queries School Registry role, location and opening hours Where course information/news/events is posted Student Support & Guidance Personal tutor School Senior Tutor Student Counselling & Advisory Service Study Skills Support Students with disabilities University of Westminster Students Union Career's Advice Health Support for international students Other Useful Telephone Numbers How you are taught The Teaching and Learning Strategy for the course The course skills strategy Blackboard Study abroad and Exchange opportunities Employability and Work Placement opportunities How you learn Study Guidance The Library Photography Facilities Personal Development Planning Feedback on assessed work How you will be assessed The assessment strategy for the course Cheating and Plagiarism Guidance on the Major Project/Dissertation Assessment Boards and the release of results External Examiners Marking Guide Make you voice heard The Course Committee How course representatives will be selected Feedback from the Course Committee Module Evaluation Questionnaire Student Experience Survey National Student Survey What to do if things go wrong Mitigating Circumstances
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Penalties for late submission of coursework What to do if you fail Suspending from the course Withdrawing from the course Changing Course Complaints procedure Course Regulations How your degree is classified Intermediate Awards Maximum periods of registration Exclusion from the course on academic grounds Your rights and responsibilities as a student Equipment, Insurance & Class Materials Borrowing Equipment Insurance Health & Safety Emergency Procedures Modules Year One Year Two Year Three Appendix 1 Links to useful resources Appendix 2 Glossary of commonly used regulatory terms
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Every effort is made to ensure that the information given in this Course Handbook is correct at the time of publication and that the course information given accurately describes the courses offered by the University. The University reserves the right to cancel, without prior notice, either a course, modules or specialisms within a course.
Welcome The course team is delighted to welcome you to one of the most prestigious photography courses in Europe. BA (Hons) Photographic Arts course is the most recent manifestation of a long established course with an excellent reputation in this country and abroad for its academic and practical teaching. This reputation is reflected in high application rates, in a distinguished record of graduate employment in the industries it serves, and in the publication, production and teaching profile of its staff and graduates. This course evolved from the famous Regent Street Polytechnic School of Photography which was the first Photography School in the world. Photographic critical theory was also pioneered at the Polytechnic of Central London in the 1970's and 80's. The course is renowned for its distinctive philosophy which aims to provide a holistic photographic education combining high levels of technical and visual photographic skills alongside excellent visual literacy and a critical awareness of historical and contemporary visual culture. Making our graduates some of the most adaptable in this highly competitive environment. The course has a direct relationship to the BA (Hons) Photography Part Time course. The courses share their general ethos as well as many modules and students are able to take up modules in either course and alter modes of study as circumstances of work, family, grant, income, etc change. The concerns of BA (Hons) Photographic Arts are extended and developed in the MA Photographic Studies. This handbook gives information on the aims and objectives of the course, what you will achieve, details of modules with indicative reading lists, as well as regulations, assessment and staffing information and a course calendar of key dates. You should also consult Essential Information and The Handbook of Academic Regulations which gives detailed information about regulations. You can find these in the library or on the Intranet under the Academic Registrar's Department (http://intranet.wmin.ac.uk). The Harrow Campus is one of the largest and best-equipped media and communications centres in Europe, it contains excellent resources of theoretical and practical expertise, with programmes ranging from undergraduate study to postdoctoral research. Besides the opportunities of the course and campus, you will also benefit from proximity to the West End of London and we recommend that you make regular use of institutions such as The Photographers' Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Arts, The National Film Theatre, the Hayward Gallery, The Tate (Britain & Modern), The Victoria & Albert Museum as well as the full range of galleries, cinemas and theatres. We hope that you will find the course stimulating, enjoyable and rewarding and we look forward to your input and feedback in classes, personal tutorials and through the course committee. If you have any queries or anxieties do not hesitate to contact your Personal Tutor, Year Leader, Course Leader or Head of Department.
The induction programme In your first week you will enrol, and will be taken through an Induction Programme, designed to settle you into the course and the university. The programme includes an introduction to the university and the course, key regulations, orientation activities, a meeting with your personal tutor, and a study trip (typically to central London exhibitions). We will also give you timetables and information on enrolling for module options. It is also a time for you to get to know the course team and, of course, your fellow students. The induction programme is essential to give you a strong start to the course. However, if you unavoidably miss one or more sessions you must contact the Course Leader or your Personal Tutor as soon as possible. Checklist of what to know and by when How to choose an option module Induction week Timetable School Registry location and opening times Personal tutor name, room and contact details Student support opportunities Plagiarism regulations Progression regulations Mitigating circumstances procedures Induction week Induction week Induction week Induction week BEFORE submitting your first piece of coursework By the end of semester one By the end of semester one
Academic year structure and calendar 2010-2011 Key Dates Semester 1 Autumn Term Semester 2 Spring Term Summer Term Exam Board and Related Dates Level 4&5 Subject Exam Board Level 6 Subject Exam Board Conferment Board Deferral / Referral Deadline Defer / Refer Exam Board
20 September - 17 December 2010
10 January - 8th April 2011 03 May - 25 June 2011
June 2010 June 2010 July 2010 tbc July 2010
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Course Record Information Name and level of final & intermediate Awards Awarding Body Location of Delivery Mode of Study UW Course Code JACS Code UCAS Code QAA Subject Benchmarking Group Professional Body Accreditation Date of initial course approval/last review Date of Programme Specification Admissions Requirements In respect of GCE Advanced Level, applicants must show that their successes equate to a minimum of one B and one C. In the case of mature students, appropriate learning or experiential learning (e.g. work experience) see the next section on students without formal entrance requirements and for information about Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Application forms are initially assessed on the basis of the minimum requirements above. Students are also required to complete a questionnaire supplement to the standard application form which requests information about their critical theoretical background the nature of the practical work they are involved in the cultural influences on their application to this course in particular and their post graduate and professional ambitions (if known) Last reviewed 2007 March 2007 W640 Communication, Media, Film & Cultural Studies Art & Design BA Photographic Arts Diploma of HE Photographic Arts Certificate of HE Photographic Arts University of Westminster Harrow Campus Watford Road Harrow HA1 3TP Full Time BDMPPHO
Application forms will normally be assessed on: a commitment to ideas and their visual representation a commitment to critical debates experience in photography intellectual ability and curiosity capacity for self-motivated study If a student satisfies these criteria they will be invited for interview. They are required to bring evidence of practical work that demonstrates their skills in course-related areas. They are invited in groups of around 20 and given a general introduction to the course, site and facilities. They are then divided into smaller groups of around 5 interviewees with at least two interviewers (normally one staff and one student) and asked to make a presentation of their portfolio to the group. They then attend a short individual interview, where they will be assessed according to the following criteria: competent oral and written expression perceived ability to deal with the academic demand of the course basic technical control of media perceived ability to deal with the practical demand of the course standard of visual / aural perception capacity for individual and group work IELTS 6.5 minimum standard in English for non native speakers The course accepts many mature and overseas students and these criteria are applied flexibly where the applicant is unable to satisfy all of them due to differences in educational provision available to them. Students who do not have English as a first language are assessed to meet the IELTS standard and may be advised to attend a language course prior to entry, or counselled to take a module in English for Academic Purposes on attendance. In exceptional circumstances students may be admitted directly to Level Five if they can demonstrate appropriate previous academic experience. All applicants resident overseas and unable to attend for interview will be required to submit a portfolio of visual work and written work as specified by the Course Leader. Aims of the course The principal aims are to provide graduates with a sound academic knowledge and understanding of photography and related media to provide a theoretical understanding of the historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts for a broad range of contemporary photographic practices to facilitate the attainment of a high standard of practical and technical control in the production of photographic and related media products to enable students to communicate effectively through photographic based visual media. to enable students to contextualise their practice within the wider external professional / institutional contexts. to develop students reflective and critical engagement with their own work and
with contemporary visual culture generally. to develop a broad range of relevant transferable skills which will enable students to work in a variety of media and cultural contexts
Employment and Further Study Opportunities As practitioners, graduates are prepared for a wide range of employment in the professions and industries concerned, with the ability to fulfill both traditional roles and to participate in the rapid changes and developments that characterise the field. In academic terms, the course provides graduates with a theoretical and critical understanding of photography, giving the basis both for postgraduate study and for a broad range of employment within visual and creative industries. Some of the range of aspects of the industries graduates have gone into are listed below: Photographer (freelance editorial, photojournalists, sports, social, fashion, advertising, PR, music, portraiture, architecture, documentary, newspaper, medical, wildlife, war, police photographer) Photographers assistant, Stylist, Propper, Location finder, Studio manager Arts Officer (Director, Assistant, Production personnel), Museum (Curator, staff, archivists) Gallery (Director, manager, assistant, technical support). Picture Researcher, Photographers Agent, Photographic Association personnel (MD, education officer etc. Picture Libraries (stock sales personnel, library manager, technical support, scanning/keywording) Picture desk personnel (photo/picture editor, commissioning editor, retrieval/picture management, image enhancement) Photography competition organiser, Photography festival director and various associated personnel Photographic and digital bureau services personnel, including technician and those who design and produce photo related printed material. Designer (for magazines and books), Website designer, Exhibition designer Photography writer - journalism, critical writing, exhibition/book reviews, technical reviews, criticism, books. Lecturer, Teacher, Workshop Leader, education management, quality manager, administrative support for education (schools, FE, HE, special needs)
Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes are statements on what successful students have achieved as the result of learning. They are threshold statements of achievement and are linked to the knowledge, understanding and skills that a student will have gained on successfully completing a course. Year One Learning Outcomes At the end of Year One it is expected that students will be able to: Make use of the photography facilities with a clear and measured understanding of health and safety procedures. Expose monochrome and colour analogue and digital materials accurately. Print using black and white and colour analogue processes and a range of digital outputs Control 35mm, Digital SLR, medium and large format cameras Control studio flash lighting Demonstrate effective use of Image Processing software to prepare digital images for output. Demonstrate through practical image making an understanding of visual language and photographic conventions Articulate a coherent idea through the production of photographic images. Collect and categorise information and ideas using defined techniques and principles. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of subjectivity, objectivity, and photographic truth.. Demonstrate some of the key debates in photographic history Demonstrate an understanding of the procedures for the presentation and structure of academic essays. Make effective use of their learning environment. Identify and utilise the range of information sources available to them. Develop appropriate research methodologies. Organise and communicate their ideas effectively in written and oral form. Critically evaluate their own performance and that of their peers. Negotiate collaborative working practices through pair and small group work Demonstrate competence in the use of IT for academic purposes.
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Year Two Learning Outcomes At the end of Year Two it is expected that students will be able to: Demonstrate advanced skills in more specialist methods and techniques while producing projects within the expanded field of photography. Consider the production of their work in relation to specific audiences, viewing contexts and presentational styles. Engage in the process of problem solving in negotiation with both peers and external agencies. Present and evaluate their own performance through documentation and analysis. Undertake extensive research for the production of projects. Demonstrate a high level of autonomy in the research and production of photography based projects. Effectively interact within a learning group and contribute to that learning Demonstrate a fluency in the key concepts and debates within contemporary visual theory.
Year Three Learning Outcomes At the end of Year Three it is expected that students will be able to: Demonstrate highly developed conceptual, analytical and practical skills in the complex field of visual and textual representation Command a broad informed historical, critical and theoretical framework for future production and intellectual work Demonstrate sophisticated problem solving skills in media production and project management Exhibit confidence in themselves as critically informed practitioners able to make informed postgraduate career choices Engage effectively in professional debate and produce coherent reports Realistically assess their own skills, knowledge and interests and to match these to an appropriate career. Demonstrate a range of transferable skills and flexibility of approach to the media, cultural and educational market place and professions
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Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods Delivery Methods The course team implements a range of teaching strategies and methods that follow the Universitys guidelines in supporting independent learning. Our intentions are to foster and encourage abilities and attributes that can help students become critically aware and skilled individuals and professionals. We have created a learning environment that encourages the constructive development of critical analysis, reflective thinking and self-evaluation. Processes such as questioning, examining, problem solving, comparing, analysing, reflecting, speculating, deconstructing and experimenting are all encouraged to function within an intellectual framework of concepts, critical positioning, cultural awareness, diversity and context. Our teaching methods provide a range of skills and strategies so that students might examine and develop an understanding in critical photographic practice and image production. The course uses the following forms of delivery: illustrated lectures technical classes workshops demonstrations tutorials group tutorials interactive critical reviews seminars visiting speakers work reviews research independent study
Tutorials Module leaders and tutors engaged in the delivery of specific modules will offer tutorials in order to discuss students progress, concerns, action points and to respond to issues raised during the module. Group Tutorials At levels 5 and 6 for some modules students are taught in small tutor groups of approximately 5 to 10 students. The emphasis is on presentations and work reviews to the whole group so that students can experience feedback and support from both their tutor and peers. This practice encourages students to develop skills in critical analysis, reflective thinking, self-evaluation and communication. Interactive Critical Reviews Before or at the end of each practice module all students are invited to present their work to the year group and module tutors for feedback and critique. The focus of these sessions is to enable the constructive development of skills in critical analysis, reflective thinking and selfevaluation. After being given the context for the work the group are invited to discuss the projects and feedback to the student.
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Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods Cont Seminars These are smaller group discussions based on a specific text or topic where students will take an active role in both presenting and debating material. Visiting Speakers Visiting artists and writers and professionals are invited to the department to speak to groups from both the full and part time BA programmes and the MA in Photographic Studies and Photojournalism. Recent speakers include Helen Sear, Victor Burgin, Parveen Adams, Martin Parr, Homi Bhabha, Rut Blees Luxemburg, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Isaac Julian, Stuart Hall, Susan Buck Morss, Laura Mulvey, Karen Knorr, Olivier Richon, Irit Rogoff and Paul Shambroom. Adam Broomberg, Hannah Collins, Richard West, Jason Evans. Work Reviews Work reviews provide the most common context for the discussion and development of work in progress at level 6. These group sessions are highly constructive in enabling students to further develop skills in critical analysis, reflective thinking, self-evaluation, communication, supporting others and the presentation of ideas. Research Research refers to a broad range of information gathering, synthesis and selection, which informs and enhances the development of students work in considerable depth. Research is documented through journals, workbooks and written logs and includes the reflective and critical analysis of visual and critical references and contemporary photographic practice. Research need not only be library based and should include visiting exhibitions, galleries, museums, viewing films, attending performances, lectures, seminars etc. Independent Learning The course aims to enable students to develop their study and practice in an increasingly self-defined way throughout the 3 years of the programme. Students are encouraged to take an increasing responsibility for time management, organisation of studies, management of information and strategies for the production of their work and research and critical selfreflection of how their own practice stands in relation to current practice and the market place.
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Range of Assessment Methods Learning outcomes are demonstrated through the following Assessment Methods: Level 4 Projects Group Projects Workbooks Critical Self-Assessment Essays (1,500 2,000 words) Level 5 All of the above plus Essays (3,000 words) Level 6 All of the above plus Portfolio Major Project Research File Seminar Paper (1,000 words) Dissertation (9,000 11,000 words) Detail on Assessment methods Projects One of the key strategies of teaching and learning in practice across the programme is through projects. These are initially set by tutors during the first half of the course and progressively become more self-defined during the second half. Projects provide a framework for problem solving tasks, which invite students to find solutions and to consider formats, critical and cultural contexts, issues of audience and consumption, proposed form, medium, presentation via proposal forms. On completion of a project students are required, at level 5 and 6, to write a critical self-assessment, which reflects on the project and the relationship of their work with both contemporary practice and its context. Project Proposal 500 to 1,000 words (Major Project) Project Title (or working title) Subject Aims, objectives, concept Audience Context (editorial, gallery, artists book etc) Proposed form, medium, presentation Research References (visual and critical) Essays and Dissertation Guidelines for essays and induction into essay writing are given at the start of the course during The Thinking Photography module and continuing support is offered through Study Skills Support and tutorials throughout the course. Guidelines and advice on the Dissertation module is given in June of Year 2 to enable students to develop research areas and topics before Semester 1 of
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their final.year. Group Working At each level of the programme there are opportunities for students to work collaboratively in groups in some modules in both theory and practice. Group working enables students to develop skills in working effectively with others, giving and receiving information, being proactive in leadership, learning to compromise and negotiate with others including dealing with conflicting opinions, learning to take individual responsibility and to delegate tasks and support others. Students working in groups are normally given the same mark for any group work submitted for the project or workbook components of a module. Collaboration is encouraged within the School. Student Feedback Students on the course receive verbal feedback from tutors and their peers through tutorials, work reviews and interactive critical reviews. Assessment offers more formal written feedback that accompanies the return of work for each module. This feedback reflects on the overall course work produced for that module. The feedback is normally written by the module leader or tutors engaged in the teaching and assessment of the module. The following methods are used to provide feedback to students: individual tutorials group tutorials seminars work reviews interactive critical reviews personal tutorial feedback sheets module feedback sheets
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Course Structure This section shows the core and option modules available as part of the course and their credit value. Full-time Undergraduate students study 120 credits per year. Please also see course module plans in appendix Year 1 Code Title 2PHO437 Basic Photographic Practice 2PHO438 Thinking Photography 2PHO433 Photography & Visual Culture 2PHO439 Intermediate Photographic Practice 2PHO440 Photographic Languages plus 2PHO441 Modernity & After or Free Choice Module Option Award of Certificate of Higher Education available Year 2 Code Title 2PHO558 Perspectives in Photography 2PHO559 Technologies of the Self 2PHO562 Contemporary Photo Practices 2PHO631 Contemporary Cultural Theories plus 2VID 501 Video or 2PHO557 Digital Manip. & Photomontage or 2PHO552 Photography & Publication plus 2PHO560 Photography in Context or 2PHO561 Work Placement or Free Choice Module Option Award of Diploma of Higher Education available Year 3 Code 2PHO627 2PHO623 2PHO633 2PHO634 Title Practice Research Dissertation Major Project Professional Futures Status Core Core Core Core Value 15 45 45 15 Status Core Core Core Core Option Option Option Option Option Value 30 15 30 15 15 15 15 15 15 Status Core Core Core Core Core Option Value 15 30 15 15 30 15
Award of BA Photography available Award of BA (Hons) Photography available NB: Not all option modules will necessarily be offered in any one year.
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Academic Regulations The BA (Hons) Photographic Arts and its intermediate awards operate in accordance with the University's Academic Regulations and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in 2008. All students should make sure that they access a copy of the current edition of the general University handbook called Essential Westminster 2010/11 which is available at westminster.ac.uk/essential-westminster. The following regulations should be read in conjunction with the Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses and relevant sections of the current Handbook of Academic Regulations. A pass in a module is achieved when the overall mark is greater then or equal to 40%; with at least 30% in the final assessment and any qualifying marks and/or sets achieved as detailed in the module handbook. Condoned Credit at Level 3 and Level 4 A student may be awarded condoned credit at Levels 3 and 4 four only, on the condition that the failed element(s) of assessment has been attempted at both the first and referred opportunity, and where he/she has achieved: a) b) an overall module mark of greater than or equal to 30% but less than 40%; an overall mark of 40% or greater but not reached the required qualifying mark(s) and/or qualifying set(s) as detailed in the module handbook.
Where a student is awarded condoned credit, the recorded module mark will be capped at 40%. Condoned credit will count towards any credit limits for specified awards. Where a student is awarded condoned credit in a module but subsequently achieves an overall pass at a re-take, credit may contribute only once to an award. Progression To progress from Level 3 to Level 4 and from Level 4 to Level 5 in full time study, a student must achieve an average of 40% across 120 credits; to progress from Level 5 to Level 6 full-time study, a student must pass at least 165 credits, including 75 credits at Level 5. Course specific Progression Requirement In addition to the above, in order to progress from level 4 to level 5 a student must achieve a minimum of 40% (pass) in the following modules: either 2PHO437 Basic Photography Practice OR 2PHO439 Intermediate Photography Practice Plus Either 2PHO433 Photography & Visual Culture OR 2PHO441 Modernity & After To qualify for the award of BA (Hons) Photographic Arts, a student must: a) Obtained at least 360 credits including: - passed 75 credits at Level Four or higher and achieved at least a condoned credit in each of the remaining modules worth 45 credits at Level 4; and - a minimum of 120 Credits at Level 5 or higher; and - a minimum of 120 credits at Level 6 or higher. b) attempted modules with a maximum value of 330 credits at Levels 5 and 6 c) Satisfied the requirements contained within any course specific regulations for the relevant course Scheme. In the case of BA (Hons) Photographic Arts,
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students must achieve at least a pass mark (40%) for both 2PHO633 Major Project and 2PHO632 Dissertation. The class of the Honours degree awarded is decided by two criteria: the average of the best 105 credits passed at Level 6 being in the range of the class to be awarded, and the average of the next best 105 credits passed at Levels 5 and 6 provided the next best 105 credits passed are no more than one classification below this. . Support for Students On arrival, an induction programme will introduce students to the staff responsible for the course, the campus on which they will be studying, the Library and IT facilities and to the Campus Administration. There is also a full programme of course specific events designed to acclimatise students to the course and its environment and to help students to get to know each other and staff better. This includes trips to Galleries in central London, group photo assignments and a social event at the end of the week where new student have the chance to meet with other year groups. Students will be given a copy of the Course Handbook, which provides detailed information about the course. Students are allocated a personal tutor who can provide advice and guidance on academic matters. Learning support includes the Library which, across its four sites, holds printed collections of 412,000 books, 1,600 journal subscriptions and substantial audio visual collections. Access to over 6,500 electronic resources (databases, e-journals, ebooks, exam papers and links to recommended websites) is facilitated through infoLinX, the library portal. There are over 3,500 computers spread over the four University campuses available for students use. The University uses a Virtual Learning Environment called Blackboard where students can access course materials and communicate with staff and other students via message boards. At University level, Services for Students provide advice and guidance on accommodation, financial and legal matters, personal counselling, health and disability issues, careers and the chaplaincy providing multi-faith guidance. The International Education Office provides particular support for international students. The University of Westminster Students Union also provides a range of facilities to support all students during their time at the University. Reference Points for the course Internally University Teaching & Learning policy University Quality Assurance Handbook Handbook of Academic Regulations Staff Research
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The course has been reviewed with reference to the Universitys mission to provide education for professional life and is designed to meet the requirements of the University Policies on skills development and employability and its Teaching & Learning Policy. The course structure meets the requirements of the modular frameworks and the academic regulations of the University. The course has a close relation to the BA Photography (part time) and to the MA Photographic Studies and MA Photojournalism courses within the department. There is also some relation to BSc Photographic Imaging Science. Externally QAA Subject Benchmarks The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is the government agency responsible for safeguarding the standards of higher education qualifications in the UK. They produce Subject Benchmark Statements that set out expectations about standards of degrees in a range of subject areas. They describe what gives a discipline its coherence and identity, and define what can be expected of a graduate in terms of the abilities and skills needed to develop understanding in the subject. (www.qaa.ac.uk) There are not specific benchmarks for photography as a discipline. There are, however, two sets of benchmarks that refer to our area (Art & Design and Communication, media, film and cultural studies). You can read these in full on the QAAs website (www.qaa.ac.uk). The development of the broad range of skills and knowledge articulated in the benchmarking statements can be mapped across the three levels of the programme. We are confident that the carefully planned development of theoretical and practical skills within the modules on the course will offer students the opportunity to meet and exceed the threshold expectations set out in the benchmark statements.
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Quality Management and Enhancement Course approval, monitoring and review The course was last approved by a University Revalidation Panel in 2007. The Panel included internal peers from the University and external subject specialists from academia and industry to ensure the comparability of the course to those offered in other Universities and the relevance to employers. Periodic Course Review helps to ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date and that the skills gained on the course continue to be relevant to employers. The course is monitored each year by the School to ensure it is running effectively and that issues which might affect the student experience have been appropriately addressed. Staff will consider evidence about the course, including the outcomes from each Course Committee, evidence of student progression and achievement and the reports from External Examiners, to evaluate the effectiveness of the course. The Annual Monitoring Sub-Committee considers the School action plans resulting from this process and the outcomes are reported to the Academic Council, which has overall responsibility for the maintenance of quality and standards in the University. Student involvement in Quality Assurance and Enhancement Student feedback is important to the University and student comment is taken seriously. Student feedback is gathered in a variety of ways. The most formal mechanism for feedback on the course is the Course Committee. Student representatives will be elected to sit on the Committee to represent the views of their peer group in various discussions. The University and the Students Union work together to provide a full induction to the role of the Course Committee. All students are asked to complete a Module Feedback Questionnaire at the end of each module. The feedback from this will inform the Module Leader on the effectiveness of the module and highlight areas that could be enhanced. The University also has an annual Student Experience Survey which provides valuable feedback about a range of University services. Students meet with Review Panels when the periodic review of the course is conducted to provide oral feedback on their experience on the course. Student feedback from Course Committees are part of the Schools quality assurance evidence base.
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For more information about this course please contact: Admissions Tutor Silke Lange 020 7911 5000 (x4515) S.Lange01@westminster.ac.uk Admissions Officer Nathalie Gerverun 020 7911 5903 N.Gerverun@westminster.ac.uk Course website http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-177 Please note This programme specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the course and the learning outcomes that a student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. This specification should be read in conjunction with the Course Handbook provided to students and Module Handbooks which provide more detailed information on the specific learning outcomes, content, teaching, learning and assessment methods for each module.
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SECTION TWO COURSE HANDBOOK
1 1.1
HOW TO CONTACT US Course management arrangements The management structure supporting the course is as follows: Gavin Jack, Course Leader, responsible for day to day running and overall management of the course and development of the curriculum. Heather Barnett, Year One Leader, assists course leader in coordinating and overseeing the first year of the course. Neil Matheson, Theory Coordinator, responsible for overseeing and coordinating theory modules on the course. Silke Lange, Admissions Tutor, responsible for overseeing and coordinating admissions and recruitment on the course. Andy Golding , Head of Department, holds academic responsibility for the course and other courses within the Department of Photography & Digital Media within the School of Media, Arts & Design Sally Feldman , Dean of School, holds overall responsibility for the course, and for the other courses run by the School of Media, Arts & Design. Fauzia Ahmad, Course Administrator, is a member of the School Registry team, responsible for enrolment, registration and other matters. More details are given below in section 1.4. Module Leaders are responsible for the delivery of individual modules, but may be only one of the staff team supporting that module. It is also possible that a module leader will have only an organisational role, with teaching delivered by other staff. Academic staff teach and in some cases lead modules. Note that several staff with specific roles also teach and lead modules.
1.2 Staff Contact Details Academic Staff Name Heather Barnett Dr David Bate Dr David Campany Andy Golding Dave Hampshire Teemu Huupli room J1.15b J2.02 J2.02 JG.07 GG.02 J1.15b email barneth@wmin.ac.uk D.Bate@wmin.ac.uk d.campany@wmin.ac.uk goldina@wmin.ac.uk hampshd@wmin.ac.uk T.Hupli@westminster.ac.uk extension 4426 4204 4611 5973 7345 4426
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Gavin Jack Dr Silke Lange Ulrike Leyens Shirley O'Loughlin Dr Neil Matheson Allan Parker Eileen Perrier Andr Pinkowski Dr Eugenie Shinkle Prof Mitra Tabrizian Frank Watson Technical staff Darrin Cobb Print Technician Rachel Cunningham Studio Manager Dave Freeman Equipment Stores Craig Austin Print Technician Sam Rowelsky Material Stores 1.3
G1.05 G1.05 J1.15b G1.05 G1.06 J1.15b J1.15b J1.15b G1.06 J2.02 G1.06
g.h.jack@wmin.ac.uk langes@westminster.ac.uk U.Leyens01@westminster.ac.uk oloughs@wmin.ac.uk mathesn@wmin.ac.uk A.Parker04@westminster.ac.uk E.Perrier@westminster.ac.uk A.Pinkowski@westminster.ac.uk E.B.Shinkle@wmin.ac.uk tabrizm@westminster.ac.uk F.Watson@westminster.ac.uk
4527 4515 4426 4266 4547 4426 4426 4426 4528 4206 4528
GLG.18 GLG.10 GLG.10 GLG.18 JG.61
cobbd@wmin.ac.uk cunninr@wmin.ac.uk freemad@westminster.ac.uk austinc@westminster.ac.uk S.Rowelsky@westminster.ac.uk
4505 4050 4594 4505 5935
Who to contact about module queries Questions regarding enrolment on modules, and the authorisation of optional modules, should be taken to the Course Leader. We will also offer general guidance at the beginning of the academic year (for new students), or the end of the preceding year (for continuing students). Subject specific advice on modules / assessment tasks will be provided by Module Leaders or the member of staff responsible for delivering the module. You should be informed of who this is in your year timetable (available at the start of the teaching year in September), or in specific module outlines. If you are not able to locate your Module Leader, you may also approach your Year Leader or the Course Leader.
1.4
School Registry role, location and opening hours The Media Arts & Design Registry is responsible for the administration of all undergraduate and postgraduate courses run in the school, the maintenance of student records, enrolment assessment, logging of coursework, module registration and dealing with enquiries from staff, students and external agencies. It is located in room FG.07 on the ground floor of F-Block. Counter Opening Hours are as follows: Term Time: Monday Tuesday 12.00 - 18.00 12.00 - 18.00
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Wednesday Thursday Friday
12.00 - 18.00 12.00 - 18.00 12.00 - 16.00 12:00 - 16.00
Vacation Time: Monday - Friday Telephone: Fax: 1.5
020 7911 5000 ext 5936 020 7911 5921
Where course information/news/events is posted We communicate to you through both the Course Notice Board, and through 'Blackboard', a web-based learning environment, as well as using email / phone details provided by you. Your standard university log-in gives you access to Blackboard. It is particularly important that you ensure your contact details in the Universitys records are up to date. You can change these yourself by logging in to the University portal, then follow the link to SRS Web, and choose the option to update your email / contact details. You can enter a non-university email address here. Much of our direct communication with you will be through email (using your email address on the system). The Course and Module pages on Blackboard, and the Course Notice Board announce the timetables and daily events of the course and should be checked each day for locations, events and opportunities. Your Course Leader, Year Leaders, Module Leaders and other staff regularly update this information. The Course Notice board is located in the Harker Photography Centre in the corridor leading to the photography stores. Student post trays are located by the notice board, and letters and module feedback forms for you are placed in these on a regular basis.
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2.
Student Support & Guidance The University provides a range of services to help students in many areas of their life on site. The following lists provision at Harrow with information on other sites where appropriate. Free-phones for internal, university calls are available in the Student Union and by the Main Reception Desk.
2.1
Personal Tutors Every substantially registered student is entitled to a Personal Tutor from their course team. These operate outside of the standard teaching commitment and are there to monitor and support a student's overall development on their course, providing guidance on all aspects of academic progress, and directing students to more specialist pastoral support (see below) where appropriate. Whilst some personal tutorial input will be formally time-tabled, the required minimum input of one hour per year per student also allows ad hoc time for students to contact their tutor quickly if anything is affecting their progress on the course. Personal Tutors may be changed by either party if an arrangement proves unsuitable. To assist in the effective delivery of personal tutoring is the Personal Tutoring Support Officer (PTSO) (email tba). The post is currently being re-appointed but is based in the Media, Arts & Design School Registry Office, room FG08, ext 5936, providing support and advice on everything from attendance to Mitigating Circumstances claims to both tutors and students.
2.2
Senior School Tutor The Senior Tutor for the School of Media, Arts & Design (M.A.&D) is Pip Thompson, ext 4811, e-mail thompsp@westminster.ac.uk , who can be found in room JG13 (Ground Floor, J Block), via a Drop-in Surgery from 11.00am to 1.00pm on Fridays, and at other times by prior appointment. His function is to provide advice and support to students and staff within the School on both academic and pastoral issues, and to liaise with others within the University network on support provision.
2.3
Student Counselling and Advice Service This service is there to provide help for all with virtually all aspects of University life, across the board. Housing, legal and financial problems are all addressed here, as well as any of life's more personal concerns, covering everything from time management to emotional repair. With access to several trained counsellors, the service is available on site Mon. to Frid., 9.30 to 15.00 in room EG15 (above the Union Shop) and contactable via ext 4408 & 4023. It is also available via it's main office on the 3rd Floor at the Marylebone Rd. Campus, ext no 4902. All emails go via canda@wmin.ac.uk. and see their website www.wmin.ac.uk/canda for more information. For overseas students this service is supplemented by support from Kirsty McPhee, the International Student Adviser, available at Harrow on Tuesdays, ext 4023, and at Marylebone Rd. the rest of the week, ext 3261/3140/3232, email mcpheek@wmin.ac.uk or contact joinwispa@yahoo.com
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2.4
Study Skills Support For any MA&D students who need specific help with academic study (including dyslexics, dyspraxics, late returners to education, overseas and "English as 2nd language" students) advice and support is available from Rosey Briggs who, as Study Skills Support Tutor for the School, is available on site each Tuesday during term-time from 10am until 5pm. For more information contact Rosey on Tues via her office E4.2, email rosemarymccracken@btinternet.com or phone ext.4114. Her office E 4.2 and ext no are shared on Wednesdays & Thursdays by our current Literary Fund Fellow, Alex Games who is similarly available by appointment to students who wish to further advance their writing skills. See University Noticeboards for details, email address. Substantial academic support is also available for all students with English as their first language, from the Academic Writing Centre, see www.wmin.ac.uk/awc. They provide everything from modules (Writing for Academic Success) to Self Study materials, and also provide drop-in consultations via the Study Skills Centres in each of the Site Libraries throughout most of the academic year, with times published on each Site Library's Study Skills Centre door. The Harrow Site Library also offers access to on-line Study Support Software for all, consult library staff for advice. For those with English as a foreign language there is also a range of English Language courses, designed to help students at UG & Masters levels, available via the University's EFL School, details via the website through the International Students Office, and finally there are specific supplementary modules, available via Polylang (ext.2062, www.wmin/regent/polylang ), which provide more formal input in academic writing skills, for both overseas and home students. Initial advice on all of these support systems can be obtained through your Personal and Academic Tutors, the Senior Tutor for the School, the university intranet or directly from the individual providers. N.B. None of these support services provide proof-reading. Finally, it is also possible to apply through the Counselling & Advisory Service for "Access to Learning" funding which can provide additional funds to facilitate a particular individual's learning needs.
2.5
Students with Disabilities The term disability can cover dyslexia, hearing impairments, some visual impairments, loss of limb, MS, ME, RSI, some back injuries, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, mental health difficulties and a range of other long-term conditions. If you have a disability or long-term medical condition (including mental health) which is likely to affect your studies you should let the Disability Services know at the earliest possible moment. Disability Services can advise you on obtaining funding, specialist support and arrange centrally-provided support as needed. A screening service for dyslexia is available for students in particular circumstances. In addition, dyslexia study skills tuition can be made available. Other types of support
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can include library loan extensions, provision of specialist equipment, note taking support and special examination arrangements. All information is treated confidentially. Please ensure you have up to date medical evidence eg a GP letter or consultants report, or if you have dyslexia an up to date diagnostic report, and contact the Disability Services. For more information about Disability Services please go to http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-6927 or email disabilities-westminster@wmin.ac.uk or telephone 020 7911 5163. Disability Support Services All registered disabilities carry entitlements and affected students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the resources provided, which are theirs by right. Both Dyslexia and Dyspraxia are formally recognized as disabilities within the University. Enquiries, testing and follow-up support are all directed on site through Disability Services, via Room EG.15.(above the Student Union Shop). Initial contact is through our Disability Services Administrator, Frances Tye, on ext 4406, room EG 15, email F.Tye@westminster.ac.uk She is on site from 9am to 5pm every day. Staff available include Viola Wallace, Dyslexia Adviser, v.wallace1@westminster.ac.uk ext 4344, and Hayrunisa Pelge, Disability Adviser for all other disabilities h.pelge3@westminster.ac.uk ext 7360. In support of this provision there is also the School's Disability Liaison Tutor, Dave Hampshire in room GG 02, available for advice and support and contactable direct on ext 7345, email hampshd@westminster.ac.uk or through tutors. 2.6 Students Union The University of Westminster Students Union (UWSU) works to make sure students have the best university experience possible by providing you with a range of activities and support services: from sports clubs to society groups, educational advice and social events. We support you by: representing your views to the University: calling for the changes and specific improvements that you have identified providing advice when you get into difficulties with your course (for example if you are accused of plagiarism) offering you new opportunities and experiences through our sports clubs, societies, magazines and radio station asking you what matters to you about your course and your university experience and acting on what you say
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To find out more visit our website www.uwsu.com or email us at uwsuadmin@westminster.ac.uk. UWSUs offices are located at Marylebone Campus and Harrow Campus. The SU have two permanent Welfare Advisers, Suzanne Leach based at Harrow on extns 4022/4413, email leachs@wmin.ac.uk. and Iman Buraleh at the Marylebone extn 5454. The Harrow Site SU Office is in EG.17 above the Union Shop, and staff are available all week to help students with problems or direct them to the appropriate agencies. 2.7 Careers Advice The Careers &Student Employment service (CaSe) can help with all aspects of job seeking including long-term ambitions and short term temporary work, CV writing and work placements. They provide advice workshops and drop-in sessions across campuses and are on the Harrow site every Monday and Thursday, from 9.30 to 17.30 in EG.15. Contact through their website www.wmin.ac.uk/careers email careers@wmin.ac.uk or tel 020 7911 4030. Specifically for Work Placements & Internships help is available from our Work Placement Officer, Sarah Bryant, located in room FG01, on ext 7325, email bryans@westminster.ac.uk
2.8
Health There is a Student Health Service in the corridor opposite the SU staffed by nurse, Sue Beeley, in EG.5, email s.beeley@wmin.ac.uk ext 4107 and open Mons, Tues, Thurs & Frids from 10.30 till 14.30, and Weds from 10.00 till 14.00 hrs, term time only. There is also a special link with a local GP at the Kenton Medical Centre, 7 Northwick Park Avenue, HA3 OAA. This is just the other side of Northwick Park station from Halls of Residence; Tel. 020 8907 6105 and fax 020 8907 8259. During closed times call NHS Direct (24hr line) on 0845 4647 and for medical emergencies 020 8969 0808 or see below.
2.9
Support for international students There is an International Student Adviser (ISA) at the University who is based in the Counselling and Advice Service (CANDA) at the Marylebone Campus throughout the week and at Harrow Campus on a Tuesday. The ISA provides support with non-academic issues such as immigration, working in the UK, finance, culture shock, homesickness and making friends. The ISA can see you for one appointment or for ongoing support. To make an appointment call 020 7911 5000 extension 3232 for Central London or 4023 for Harrow. There is a welcome programme for international students starting in September which covers information such as your rights to healthcare in the UK, safety in London, working in the UK (during or after your studies), how to cut your costs in London and much more.
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When you have successfully completed your course, the University holds a Valediction Ceremony at the end of Semester Two for international students who are unable to attend the Graduation Ceremony, which is held in London in November or December. There are regular visa clinics if you need to extend your visa, the advice service can check your application and send it off for you. For further information please visit: www.westminster.ac.uk/visas There is also useful pre-arrival information for international students available on the following web page: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/international If you have any queries please email: studentadvice@westminster.ac.uk 2.10 Other Useful Telephone Numbers University of Westminster : 020 7911-5000 Course Leader: Gavin Jack 020 7911 5000 (x4527) Emergency First Aid, Harrow Campus ext 5555 or Northwick Park Hospital 020 8864 3232 Counselling: Harrow 020 7911 5000 ext 4023 Marylebone Rd. 020 7911 5000 ext 3261 3 3.1 HOW YOU ARE TAUGHT Teaching and Learning Strategy for the Course The course team implements a range of teaching and learning strategies and methods that follow the Universitys guidelines in supporting independent learning. Our intentions are to foster and encourage abilities and attributes that can help students become critically aware and skilled individuals and professionals. We have created a learning environment that encourages the constructive development of critical analysis, reflective thinking and selfevaluation. Processes such as questioning, examining, problem solving, comparing, analysing, reflecting, speculating, deconstructing and experimenting are all encouraged to function within an intellectual framework of concepts, critical positioning, cultural awareness, diversity and context. Our teaching methods provide a range of skills and strategies so that students might examine and develop an understanding in critical photographic practice and image production. Student Workload Modules on your course are in 15, 30 and 45 credit sizes. As a guideline, each credit represents 10 hours of study. Consequently, a 15 credit module represents 150 hours of study over a 12 week period. Only a proportion of that time is in-class time (not normally more than one third). The remainder is your self-managed study and independent learning and completion of the assessment tasks. Acquisition of Practical Skills You will be taught a broad range of practical skills during the course. Some of these will be taught in the abstract in a lecture form but most of these are taught within workshops which tend to be smaller groups of students being given a demonstration and then given the opportunity to try out what theyve
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learned. However, we cannot stress enough the importance of independent practice for honing these skills. Students are expected to spend additional time outside of these workshops in practicing and developing their technical competence. In the first year of the course these skills are slightly separated out in the two modules Basic and Intermediate Photographic Practice. This is to ensure that all students gain a thorough technical grounding in the core skills of photography. Thereafter skills become more specialised depending on your interests and there is a much greater emphasis on self motivated practice. Professional Skills The course is not a technical training course but does actively position our students in relation to industry practices - firstly through the calibre and professional standing of the Course Team and Visiting Lecturer staff, and secondly through the modules Photography in Context, Photography Work Placement and Professional Futures. The final year ends with Professional Futures, which asks you to create a portfolio and to engage with the skills necessary to approach employers. The graduating group of students is encouraged to organise their own degree show. 3.2 The course skills strategy As well as your subject specific skills in photography, we incorporate a broad range of widely applicable skills, designed to equip you for a flexible approach to your future career. The course has a skills strategy for these, and this has been developed with reference to the University of Westminster Skills Policy and Employability Strategy. These skills are referred to here as Key Transferable Skills (KTS). The Government requires all Universities, Further Education Colleges, and Schools to identify KTS that are specific to the education they offer. The KTS that we aim for in Photographic Arts offer you the opportunity to develop a range of research, evaluation and self-management skills specific to the personal development of each student. Key Transferable Skills are relevant to everyone, whether in education, industry or the cultural and art sector. Each module has identified Key Transferable Skills, and the course overall also identifies these skills (stated above, in the Level Learning Outcomes). This embedding of KTS in modules, and the course overall, forms the core of our skills strategy. The following sections discuss the uses of KTS, giving you an overview of the benefits and rationale of this aspect of the course. Why should you achieve Key Transferable Skills? They enable you to focus on what and how you are learning to get better results. They enable you to be flexible. They enable you to identify your knowledge base in relation to personal development. They can help you organise yourself.
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They can help you to evaluate what you have learnt, so that you can identify strengths and improve on weaknesses.
Examples of Key Transferable Skills in Photographic Arts Working in a team. Problem solving. Participate in cultural and academic debates. Developing transferable skills. To be multi-skilled in ideas and technology. To contextualise the practice of media technology. To be aware of the critical and political implications of media product. To communicate. To be prepared for a career in media production. Are Key Transferable Skills transferable outside of the education sector? The philosophy behind Key Transferable Skills is that we should identify to you how the skills we offer in Photographic Arts feed into the relevant education, industry and the media sectors. Educating students to work within the photographic and other creative industries and cultural sector as thinking practitioners has been an objective within the curriculum of Photographic Arts for many years. This section will help you to identify specific skills so that you can plot your learning, and also evaluate what you have learnt so that you have a currency to offer within the sector particularly when it comes to employment. What are the benefits to you as a Student? Identifying Key Transferable Skills will give you greater awareness of your strengths. Understanding what skills you have gained will help you to: negotiate placements for Photography Work Placement communicate your employability to prospective employers navigate your own ideas within the contexts of the media sectors make your own ideas visible learn and think independently map your own development market yourself and your own work outside of the institution, (e.g. Photography in Context, photography Work Placement and Professional Futures modules) How can you adopt Key Transferable Skills? Key Transferable Skills are not limited to academic knowledge per se. For example: team work, time management, autonomous learning are Key Transferable Skills that are part of the curriculum, but which are not academic as such. What non-academic Key Transferable Skills should you be aiming for? Communication Improving your own learning Team Work Problem solving Personal progress monitoring Evaluating your own performance Presentation of outcomes (practice or written) Planning complex activities Developing a personal strategy within the media sector
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Importantly, we can only guide you, with Key Transferable Skills identified in particular modules. You will need to take responsibility for further developing and adopting the Key Transferable Skills that will help you. This should (for example) be part of your own Personal Development Planning strategy (see also section 3.4). Career Management Skills These are the skills you will need to develop your post-graduation career, and can be understood as being independent of the subject / industry specific skills. These might include: Planning your career over the next 6 months / 3 years / 15 years Identifying future opportunities 3.3 Blackboard Blackboard is an online system that facilitates and manages electronic communication and access to materials or information. Many of your tutors will use Blackboard to help support your learning. Blackboard helps tutors and their students to: Share valuable learning resources (documents such as module outlines, lecture notes, assignment briefs etc). Communicate via announcements, email, discussion boards and chat rooms. Undertake on-line 'private' group work and take short-answer tests and surveys.
Each module, and the course overall has its own self contained Blackboard website. Much of the important course information (such as timetables, and this handbook, in electronic version) will be available to you on the Course pages. Course Announcements often include details on current professional opportunities, competitions etc. You should check the Announcements, and other parts of the Course pages, on a regular basis. Module information will be posted on the pages for that module. Check with your tutors if in doubt as to where to look. You may also be asked (in specific modules) to use the ePDP facility. See below for more details on this. Accessing Blackboard Blackboard can be accessed via any computer with an internet connection, using a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. You access the system using the link to Blackboard under Fast Links after you have logged in to the Universitys website. More detailed guidance on using blackboard can be found at: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-2343
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3.4
Study abroad and exchange opportunities You can apply to study part of your second year (level 5) abroad with one of our overseas exchange partners. These currently include: Barcelona, Helsinki and Dortmund. This is an optional arrangement, and requires you to talk to the Course Leader to discuss a Learning Agreement before you make the arrangements. Please also note that you must have passed all level 4 (year 1) modules to be able to take this period of study abroad. We normally require any exchange to be confined to the first semester of level 5 (year 2). More information on study abroad opportunities can be found at: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-4591 In all cases you need to talk to your Course Leader at an early stage.
3.5
Work placement opportunities/ Employability in the course The course offers both formal and informal opportunities for work experience. The optional Work Placement module in level 5 requires students to secure a period of work placement, normally for a minimum of 15 days. Informal opportunities range from companies approaching us seeking a student intern, to collaborating with final year students. In many cases students undertake paying jobs on a freelance basis, effectively working as professionals whilst still engaged in completing their education. All such experiences should be seen as supporting your learning. Its important to feed back your experience into your study and the interaction with your peers. The department has recently launched the WestPhoto Photographic Agency and Picture Library. This will offer students and graduates many opportunities for professional experience including photographic commissions from outside clients, internships working within the agency and picture library and having their images selected for the picture library. There is a Work Placements Officer (Sarah Bryan) in Harrow Campus, who is able to offer advice and practical support, in addition to the course staff. More information can be obtained from: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/harrowplacements
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4 4.1
HOW YOU LEARN Study guidance In this section we outline the support mechanisms built into the course, as well as advice on what you should do to get the most from your studies. Academic Tutorial support Academic guidance is provided through the general teaching in lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. These support the teaching, learning and assessment strategy. Module Leaders, Level Coordinators and the Course Leader all individually offer support. Visiting lecturers are also available for limited one to one guidance. Module Leader, Level Coordinator and Course Leader roles are outlined elsewhere in this document (section 1.1.1). Preparing for lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials We expect you to arrive at timetabled sessions, tutorials or meetings on time, and having done any set practical or reading work beforehand. We design the curriculum and teaching approaches to best support your own individual (and varied) approaches to learning, but you do still have a responsibility to keep pace with the set programme.
4.2
The Library ISLS and Harrow Campus IT Services Information Systems and Library Services (ISLS) has responsibility for delivering library services across the University. Harrow Campus IT Services is responsible for the computing facilities on Campus apart from in the Computer Science areas. Students are entitled to use library and IT facilities across the University, and to borrow books from any of the Universities four campus libraries: Cavendish Campus (Library and Computing) 115 New Cavendish St Harrow Campus (Library and Computing) Northwick Park Marylebone Campus (Library and Computing) 35 Marylebone Rd Regent Campus 4-12 Little Titchfield St (Library and Computing) 309 Regent St (Computing) When you join the University you are automatically registered to use computing and library facilities. You will receive information about these facilities at one of your induction sessions, where you can pick up a WISE guide, which describes our services in detail. Or check out the web pages at www.wmin.ac.uk/library and www.wmin.ac.uk/computing. The following is a brief description of these services: Harrow Learning Resources Centre (LRC) The Learning Resources Centre brings together library and computing facilities in a separate building on the Harrow Campus. The three storey building offers access to a wide range of materials and study space for group and individual study, including two bookable meetings rooms where students can discuss projects together and practice presentations.
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The LRC is open 24/7 for the teaching weeks throughout semester one and two, and during the Christmas and Easter vacation. Core staff hours during term-time are 8.30 21.00 Monday-Thursday, 9.30 19.00 Fridays, 10.0017.00 Saturday and Sunday. Outside term-time the staffed hours are 09:0017:00 Monday Friday, 10.00 17.00 Saturday and Sunday (Sundays only during the Summer vacation), with some evenings. When 24/7 is operating, security staff are present when the staffed service finishes. Help with computer and library queries is available from the staffed information point on the 1st Floor. Students can also log calls online https://helpdesk-form.wmin.ac.uk/, and use the virtual library enquiry service at www.wmin.ac.uk/ask/. Print and electronic materials The LRC houses c90,000 books and has c700 subscriptions to hard copy journals. There is a key text collection containing a reference copy of most reading list material. We receive exhibition catalogues from galleries and museums critical to the study of visual arts in the 21st century. Use your ID card to borrow up to 15 items from our self-service machines. Books and journal articles not held by the University can be requested via the IDD service. There are also arrangements in place for students to use the libraries of other UK universities, particularly useful when undertaking specialist research and in vacations. Access to over 6,500 electronic resources (databases, e-journals, e-books, images, and multimedia) is facilitated through infoLinX, the library portal. Many of these resources are accessible from off campus. The named librarian for the course is Sally Bannard bannards@wmin.ac.uk who together with the course team co-ordinates stock selection, runs information skills sessions and attends the course committee. Computing There are about 200 workstations for student use. All are networked to the internet and to the campus black/white and colour printers. There is a wide range of installed software, with image processing applications (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Express) provided mostly on the Apple Macs. There is a large number of A4 scanners and both CD- and DVD-writing capability. Both wired and wireless network access for student laptops is available on all floors of the LRC. In fact many areas of the Harrow campus are now wireless zones. Please look out for the readily recognisable Wireless logo. Outside the LRC, IT Services manages open-access computer access facilities in the Harrow Business School (71 PCs) and in the Media Arts and Design (300 Apple Macs) areas. Large format (up to A0) colour printing is available in the Printshed in Block J. There is a Copy Shop on the 1st Floor of the LRC where services such as photocopying, laminating and binding are available, and where you can purchase CDs, USB drives, acetates, etc. The Copy Shop also has one of two of the Centres A3/A4 colour printers. You have an account attached to
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your ID card for printing and photocopying, and will be given some credit each academic year, which you can then top-up. DVDs and CDs The 2nd floor of the LRC houses an extensive DVD and videotape collection, to support recommended viewing and study. There are over 8,000 films, animations, artists videos, documentaries and programmes, most of which can be borrowed for 7 days or viewed in the LRC. There is also a CD collection containing contemporary material and BBC sound effects which can be borrowed overnight. Learning Skills Also on the 2nd floor is a Learning Skills Centre with books to help with skills such as academic writing, giving presentations and preparing for the workplace. Computer facilities are provided for use by students with visual impairments or dyslexia. 4.3 Photography Facilities Studio One Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3 Workstation 4 Workstation 5 Workstation 6 66 sq meters PowerMac G5 23" Mac Pro intel 23" PowerMac G5 23" PowerMac G5 23" Mac Pro Intel 23" PowerMac G5 23" Cinema Cinema Cinema Cinema Cinema Cinema Display Display Display Display Display Display
Pictography 4500 printer
PowerMac G5 19" Spectraview Monitor
Flextight 646 Scanner Imac G5 17" Flextight 646 Scanner Imac Intel 17" Minolta DiMAGE Scan MultiPro Emac Epson V750Pro Scanner Emac Epson 3200Pro Scanner Emac Studio Two 70 sq meters Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 1 Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 2 Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 3 Elicncrom Mico 3000 Pack 4 2x 3K Flash Heads 2x 3K Flash Heads Large Window Lite 3 meter Softbox
12ft Background Support System 9ft Background Support System Studio Stand Dressing Room Film Loading Room Studio Three 100 sq meters Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 5 Elinchrom 3k spotlight Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 6 3k Flash Head 70cmx170cm Softbox Elinchrom Mico 3000 Pack 7 2x 3k Flash Head Elicncrom Mico 3000 Pack 8 2x 3k flash Head 3x 9ft Background Support System
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Studio Stand Dressing Room Film Loading Room Studio Four 49 sq meters Manfrotto Still Life Table 9ft background Support System Studio Stand Dressing Room Film Loading Room Studio Five 65 sq meters
4x Wooden Still Life Tables Manfrotto Still Life Table 9ft background Support System Studio Stand Dressing Room Film Loading Room Studio Six 49 sq meters 9ft background Support System Studio Stand Various Tungsten Lights Wooden Still Life Table General Studio Equipment Elinchrom Studio Flash Lights 6x 3k Packs 1x2k Pack 1x1.5k pack 11x 3k/2k flash headsheads 2x 70x70cm Softbox 2x MSQ Softbox 1x Spotlight 1x Fresnel Light 1x Square Dish with Honeycomb Various Tungsten Lights 15x 8x4 Poly boards 5x Polyboard Stands Various Colorama Background Paper Various Accessorie, honeycombes, snoots etc Studio Camera Equipment 2x Mamiya RB 67 Camera kits 2x Hasselblad Camera Kits 1x Leaf 17Mpix studio Hassleblad 1x Phase One H25 Digital Hasselblad Kit 1x Canon 1Ds Camera Kit 1x Nikon D1X Camera Kit 3x Imac G5 20" 8x 5x4 Sinar Kits
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4.4
Personal Development Planning (PDP) The term personal development planning (PDP) is used to describe the means by which you can monitor, build and reflect upon your personal, educational and career development. It includes Career Management Skills, but is also a much broader set of self-reflective strategies. The primary objectives for PDP are to improve your capacity to understand what and how you are learning and to review, plan and take responsibility for your own learning. The benefits are that you will be better able to: Make links and gain a broader overview of your studies; Reflect critically; Become a more independent learner; Become more pro-active in your academic study and career planning; Capitalise on your learning in a variety of contexts; and Be more articulate in describing your skills and capabilities. PDP will enhance self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses and directions for change. Graduate employers are keen to know not only that graduates have a particular skill and can prove it, but also that they can apply that skill in different contexts and provide evidence for using the skill in a variety of different situations. Many employers value the process of PDP. Indeed, many have such procedures of their own. Time devoted to understanding the influences upon your own performance is therefore, very well spent. Throughout your time at university you will be provided with opportunities to participate in the PDP process. It's a built-in component of all courses. However, PDP can be undertaken in different ways and programmes of study will vary in their approach. As you progress through your course you will produce evidence of personal development and reflection. You may be required to collect this evidence together, and this can be done in a number of ways. One way is through a Personal Development Portfolio, accessed through Blackboard. The e-Portfolio consists of a record of learning experiences and achievement, personal reflections and smart action plans for selfimprovement. Some courses will encourage and support you as a student to make use of the e-portfolio, however it is user friendly and can also be used by all to chart their personal journey. How does PDP work? Personal Development Planning is a structured reflective process which gives you greater insight into your own development. The PDP cycle is defined as follows: Analyzing where you are now Understanding what you want to achieve Deciding how you are going to achieve it Doing it Looking back to see how well you did (Self-Awareness) (Setting Targets) (Planning) (Action and Practice) (Reflection)
The most important aspect about PDP is reflection and self-awareness. By following the UoW Interactive PDP Cycle process you can become more selfUniversity of Westminster | Handbook Version: 2010/11 (V1) July 2010 - New UG Students
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reliant and a better learner. By developing knowledge about yourselves, you will build a stronger sense of identity and will improve your ability to relate your learning and achievements to employers' interests and needs. The section on Key Transferable Skills above (section 2.2) expands on the broad reflective learning approach implied by PDP. Where will you encounter PDP on the course? You will be introduced to PDP at the start of the course within the Thinking Photography module where youll be introduced to the e-portfolio system and given guidance in its use and usefulness. It will be up to you to keep it updated and to make it work for you. There will be personal tutorial sessions at the end of each year and these will use your PDP as a starting point in discussing your progress. You will be given further opportunities to update your PDP during Photography in Context or Photography Work Placement in the second year and Professional Futures at the end of the 3rd year. 4.5 How you should use feedback on assessed work. We aim to return most assessed work to you within 4 weeks of the coursework deadline (longer over vacation periods). This will be accompanied by written feedback, with an opportunity for you to contact the relevant tutor for any further guidance on how you achieved the grade awarded for the work. In Practical Modules you will also normally receive verbal feedback in the crits at the time of assessment. These forms of feedback relate directly to what is called summative (ie formal, graded) assessment. You will find that you are given feedback against the assessment criteria for the module / coursework task. (Note that on some modules different assessment tasks will have different assessment criteria.) We aim to give you an indication of your performance against each of the assessment criteria, as well as a short narrative on the strengths and weaknesses evident in your work. Assessment criteria are published in the Module Proformas, elsewhere in this handbook. However, feedback should not just be seen as a direct consequence of a formal assessment. For example, tutorials often incorporate feedback on work in progress (sometimes referred to as formative assessment). In all cases, feedback is designed to give you guidance on your performance, both your strengths and the aspects to be improved. It is important that you reflect carefully on the feedback, particularly if you were not expecting to receive critical comment on certain aspects of your work. If you are unable to reconcile your own perception with those of your tutors (or peers) you should always be prepared to seek further advice. The emphasis on independence and self-management in Degree level study means that you are responsible for actively integrating feedback into your developing work. It is the key means by which you learn to improve your work, requiring openness to advice, and honesty about your own aims and objectives. If you have any difficulty at any time with feedback you should therefore seek further advice from your Personal Tutor, Module Leader, Year Leader or Course Leader.
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5 5.1
HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED Assessment Strategy for the course All modules are assessed through coursework (we do not use exams). Clear Assessment Criteria are stated in module documents, and these are linked to the module Learning Outcomes. We offer a range of assessment methods on both practical and theoretical modules. This encourages different forms of learning and allows our students to demonstrate their skills and understanding in a variety of ways. Practical modules are normally assessed through a combination of summative crits (presentations of practical work to staff, normally with other students present), and submitted media artefacts and planning / research material (eg sketchbooks). Practical / Technical skills are assessed insofar as they are skilfully and appropriately utilised in the production of meaning. In this sense, technique will be seen as a fundamental and integrated element of the creative process and will be assessed in respect of a student's capacity to 'realise' their ideas or to recognise critically any failure to do so. Theoretical modules (and some practice-theory modules) draw upon a range of assessment methods, including written work, seminar presentations, research folders and study tasks. Modules may have more than one required coursework assessment task. The overall module grade is normally a product of the component assessment tasks. In this case the different tasks are given weightings, which are stated in module documents. In line with standard practice at the University of Westminster, assessment tasks are graded numerically on a 0 -100 scale. An overall pass mark of 40 or above is required to gain the module credits. You receive written feedback from all assessments, and this directly relates to the assessment criteria for each module. You also have an opportunity to discuss the outcome with module staff. Feedback is designed to inform students of areas for improvement, and of current strengths which are to be nurtured and developed. More information is available above, section 3.5. Assessment should not be seen only as the result of a culminating set of work. We also operate progressive evaluations of student work in tutorials and seminars throughout the modules. This is not graded, and is sometimes known as formative assessment. It is intended to form the students sense of their strengths and weaknesses, and so enable improvement and selfreflection. A Marking Guide is given at the end of this section (4.4). Assessment Boards and release of results All assessment marks, suggested referral opportunities, recommendations for conferment of an award or exclusion from a course must be formally ratified by the relevant Assessment Board. Any marks or grades released prior to the meeting of the Assessment Board have the status of provisional marks.
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The University operates a two-tier system of Assessment Boards for undergraduate modular courses: Subject Boards (for modules) and Conferment Boards (for awards). Details of these Boards are set out in Section 14 of the University Academic Regulations. Each Campus Office will publish its own calendar for submission of assessment marks and Assessment Boards. Provisional marks will be released through the online interface with the Student Records System (SRSWeb) throughout each semester. Confirmed results will be issued through the release of student module profiles and transcripts after the appropriate Assessment Board, and as results become available, rather than on a single University-wide date. Please note that if you have failed a module you need to re-check your results on or after the University publication of results day. If a Conferment Board has subsequently determined that a student should be excluded from their course on academic grounds, that decision will override any decision of a preceding Subject Board about reassessment in a module. Moderation and External Examiners Module marks are moderated between workshop areas to ensure parity of assessment. Moderation is conducted by course staff. We also work with appointed External Examiners, who are subject specialists from outside the university. Their role is to judge whether students have been fairly assessed in relation to the objectives and syllabuses of modules and have reached the required standard indicated by their final marks. External Examiners also attest that assessment regulations have been fairly applied ensuring parity of judgement for all students taking a module. Note that they do NOT mark student work on the course. 5.2 Cheating and plagiarism As an academic community, all students and staff at the University of Westminster are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of academic conduct. The Universitys expectation is that all grades obtained by students must result form the students own efforts to learn and develop. If carried out knowingly, cheating and plagiarism have the objectives of deceiving examiners and gaining an unfair advantage over other students. This is unethical. It also threatens the integrity of the assessment procedures and the value of the Universitys academic awards. While you are studying here your academic performance will be assessed on the basis of your own work. Anyone caught cheating in exams/in-class tests or through coursework assignments will be subject to formal investigation in accordance with Section 10 of the University Academic Regulations. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are not vulnerable to any allegation that you have breached the assessment regulations. Serious penalties are imposed on those who cheat. These may include failure in a module or an element of a module, suspension or exclusion from your course and withdrawal of academic credits awarded previously for modules which have been passed. Typical breaches of assessment regulations are described below
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Plagiarism/Academic Integrity When you submit work for individual assessment, the work must be your own. If you have included sections of text from other sources without referencing them correctly, then you may be accused of plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as submission for assessment of material (written, visual or oral) originally produced by another person or persons, without acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be the students own. Plagiarism may involve the unattributed use of another persons work, including: ideas, opinions, theory, facts, statistics, graphs, models, paintings, performance, computer code, drawings, quotations of another persons actual spoken or written words, or paraphrases of another persons spoken or written words. Plagiarism covers both direct copying and copying or paraphrasing with only minor adjustments. You must keep a careful record of all the sources you use, including all internet material. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand correct referencing practices. If you use text or data or drawings or designs or artefacts without properly acknowledging who produced the material, then you is likely to be accused of plagiarism. Here are some simple dos and donts, to help you avoid plagiarism: Do Include references to all sources at the point where they appear in your text, either via a direct reference or foot note Always use quotation marks to indicate someone elses ideas Reference diagrams, tables and other forms of data Include full website references which make clear exactly which page you referenced, e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/20 09/apr/18/university-life-academiccheating Do not! Rely on citing sources in your bibliography without making clear where they appear in your text Take parts of other peoples sentences and incorporate them into your own writing without making clear that they are not your own words Assume that plagiarism only refers to written words in prose narrative Simply cite the top-level page and expect your tutors to search for your source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Always check with your Module Leader or Course Leader if you are unsure about subject-specific conventions concerning referencing and attribution (e.g. in design-based and creative subjects where there may be particular expectations about referencing and/or copyright). You can access a helpful tutorial about plagiarism in Blackboard. After signing
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in the tutorial can be accessed from any page in Blackboard by clicking on the Skills Resources tab. Please consult the relevant Module Leader or your Course Leader if you need any further advice. Plagiarism Detection To help eradicate plagiarism and thereby protect the value of your qualification some modules include the requirement that your coursework must be submitted electronically and checked by text-matching software, such as Turnitin or SafeAssign. If requested by your Course or Module Leader, you must submit your coursework in electronic form to the text-matching software system used on your course, so that it can check your work for its originality. Students should seek guidance from their Course or Module Leader or follow the instructions on the Online Learning Website www.wmin.ac.uk/oll Double-counting Students are also not permitted to re-present any assessment already submitted for one module as if for the first time assessment in another module. Double counting of assessed work is not normally allowed. If submitting work previously included in another assessment the student should attribute the section of text from the earlier work. This may be taken into account by the markers. Working Together Discussing ideas is part of academic life at University and you are allowed to exchange sources and references. However, you must recognise the distinction between sharing ideas, and collusion. This means that you must not work with others to the extent of exchanging written materials you have prepared, such as notes or drafts of assignments. If these types of materials are shared this will be regarded as an assessment offence for the person who lends the material as well as for the person who uses it. Your own work must be regarded as your own property and you should protect it. If you are working in a shared space, log off from the PC you are working on whenever you take a break so that others cannot access or copy your work; take care to destroy printed drafts or copies of work, rather than just discarding them; and, dont give your work to others on disk. If you are working on a group assignment make sure you understand the allocation of responsibilities between yourself and the other members of the group. Cheating in exams or in-class tests You must not communicate with other students during an exam or test. You must not take into the exam or test room any materials, notes or aids other than those officially authorised in the examination paper. If an invigilator observes you with any prohibited materials, notes or equipment, or observes you communicating with another student, your actions will be investigated in accordance with Section 10 of the Universitys Handbook of Academic Regulations. Students should also remember that the reproduction of material originally produced by another person, or persons, without acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be the students own is not permitted; this includes work produced in examination conditions.
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5.3
Major project/dissertation guidance By Level 6 students are considered to be sufficiently skilled to determine their own programme and to sustain substantial and high level work over a longer period. The Major Project module is the culmination of the student's practical work and is developed over the whole of the final year. This process begins in the first semester with the Practice Research module where students research, experiment and develop their ideas through the production of a pilot project. This pilot then forms the basis for the major project which is completed in the second semester. This is an opportunity for students to undertake a much deeper level of engagement in a project than ever before - from the research, development of ideas, realisation and execution of the project. The Dissertation module provides an extended space for a self-initiated theoretical investigation, which builds on theoretical and critical debates studied in Levels 4 and 5. This module requires substantial research and a sophisticated level of understanding and analysis. Students are encouraged to investigate a range of primary and secondary sources in the production of this intellectually challenging conclusion of their theoretical studies.
5.4
Assessment Boards and the release of results All assessment marks, suggested referral opportunities, recommendations for conferment of an award or exclusion from a course must be formally ratified by the relevant Assessment Board. Any marks or grades released prior to the meeting of the Assessment Board have the status of provisional marks and are identified with an *. The University operates a two-tier system of Assessment Boards for undergraduate modular courses, comprising Subject Boards (for modules) and Conferment Boards (for awards). However, in some cases a single Assessment Board may combine the roles of Subject and Conferment Boards. Details of these Boards are set out in Section 14 of the Universitys Handbook of Academic Regulations. Each School Registry will publish its own calendar for submission of assessment marks and Assessment Boards. Provisional marks will be released on-line through SRSWeb throughout each semester and marked with a *. Confirmed results will then be released through SRSWeb once agreed by a Subject Board, and the * removed, rather than on a single University-wide date. Please note that if you have failed a module you need to re-check your results on or after the University publication of results day (westminster.ac.uk/university-calendar). If a Conferment Board has subsequently determined that a student should be excluded from their course on academic grounds, that decision will override any decision of a preceding Subject Board about reassessment in a module.
5.5
External Examiners As part of its overall procedures for ensuring the quality of its provision, the University appoints External Examiners to its courses (or sometimes to groups of related courses or subject areas). Each Assessment Board as specified in the Handbook of Academic Regulations will have at least one External
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Examiner from another University or Higher Education Institution in the UK appointed to it. Courses with a particular professional focus or which are accredited by a Professional Statutory Body (PSB) may also appoint External Examiners from the relevant PSB or industry, in order to ensure that assessment within the University meets their expectations. Results cannot be formally published to students unless the External Examiner(s) for their course confirm that their agreement with the marks, as specified in the Handbook of Academic Regulations. For the BA(Hons) Photographic Arts there are two Subject Board External Examiners and one Conferment Board Board External Examiner. The role of Subject Board External Examiners is to judge whether students have been fairly assessed in relation to the objectives and syllabuses of modules and have reached the required standard indicated by their final marks. External Examiners also attest that assessment regulations have been fairly applied ensuring parity of judgement for all students taking a module. The role of Conferment Board External Examiners is to ensure the fair and equitable application of the University's regulations on credit accumulation, and the course specific regulations for each award, in decisions on the award of qualifications and specific classifications of awards to students. This includes decisions on intermediate awards and decisions to exclude students from their course of study. 5.6 Marking Guide
All work on the Course is marked numerically according to the following criteria:
First / 1st
85 - 100% 75 - 84% 70 - 74%
(A+) (A) (A-)
Practical: Work of real distinction incorporating originality, imagination, independent thought & critical reflection & control of the medium being used. Theory (essays, exams, seminar presentations): Work of real distinction which shows evidence of extensive appropriate reading & research, successful & productive engagement with the object & processes of study, the keen development of a structured argument, independent thought, critical reflection, excellent organisation of the material & excellent presentation.
Upper Second / 2.1 67 - 69% 64 - 66% 60 - 63 %
(B+) (B) (B-)
Practical: A good to very good piece of work showing consistent thought & evidence of creativity, & a good understanding of the practices & technology being used.
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Theory etc: Above average work which shows evidence of a good range of appropriate reading & research, serious engagement with the object & processes of study, a well structured argument, thorough organisation of the material, good critical engagement, good presentation, some measure of independent thought.
Lower Second / 2.2 57 - 59% 54 - 56% 50 - 53%
(C+) (C) (C-)
Practical work. A competent work showing thought & a solid understanding of practices & technology being used. Potentially lacking in development/refinement. Theory etc: A competent piece of work which shows evidence of appropriate reading & research, some engagement with the object & processes of study, a reasonable level of discussion & some critical ability.
Third / 3rd
47 - 49% 44 - 46% 40 - 43%
(D+) (D) (D-)
Practical work. An acceptable piece of work with some technical proficiency, but showing an incomplete engagement with creative process. Theory etc: An acceptable piece of work which, despite showing evidence of some relationship with the topics of study, does not succeed in grasping them coherently or producing an organised account of them. Little evidence of research.
Fail (Condoned Credit) 36 - 39% 30 - 35%
(E+) (E)
Practical work. Some relevant material but inadequate creatively & technically, or seriously incomplete. Theory etc: An inadequate or seriously incomplete presentation of the topic or the arguments. Poor evidence of research. Weak academic structure/presentation. NOTE: you are only allowed 45 credits of condoned credit modules in your degree.
Fail (Not Condoned) 0-30% (F) Practical work. Deemed not condoned. Fails to demonstrate sufficient understanding of aims & objectives of the projects undertaken. Or lack of involvement. Theory etc: Deemed not condoned. Fails to demonstrate sufficient understanding of the material presented in module. Lacks even basic academic structure/presentation.
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MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD The University takes your views about your course and your experience as a student. This section of the handbook provides information on how you can contribute to the quality assurance of the course and modules you are studying on.
6.1
The purpose and role of the course committee The Course Leader is responsible for organising a Course Committee Meeting in semesters one and two of each academic year. The Course Committee is the forum for students and staff to present their views on the operation and development of the course. As a formal Committee within the University's Committee Structure, the Course Committee provides an important mechanism for the collection and consideration of student feedback. The Terms of Reference and Composition of Course Committees are set out below. Any alternative mechanism approved for student-staff consultation e.g. for part-time students, should accord with these Terms of Reference and Composition. Terms of Reference The Course Committee has responsibility for considering the effective management of the course, including enhancement of provision. The remit of the Course Committee covers the: academic welfare of students, and specifically the course induction and the Personal Tutor system; student feedback comment on course operation, curriculum content, teaching, study skills, support, assessment, facilities, library and computing support and administrative support; monitoring information/comment on previous year's course audits, operation of course academic standards, i.e. progress statistics' of students enrolled, progressing, graduating (and withdrawing); aggregated Module Feedback Questionnaire data; student survey outcomes (internal and the National Student Survey where appropriate); summaries of external examiners' reports; reports of University Review Panels and University Validation Panels or external bodies which accredit the course; consultation on proposed changes to module content, assessment and/or course structure.
The Course Committee minutes provide part of the evidence base for the annual monitoring exercise conducted each year by the School, and the periodic review of the course conducted by the University (normally every six years). Composition elected student representatives, forming 40% - 50% of total membership, including representation from all modes of study and subject areas as far as possible Course Leader and/or Deputy Course Leader
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Dean of School or Head of Department full-time staff teaching the course, to include representatives of all major subject areas one member nominated by Information Systems & Library Services (ISLS) one member of administrative support staff nominated by the School Registry Manager.
Total membership should not exceed 30. The quorum shall be 40% of the approved membership. Where the traditional model of face-to-face meetings is not considered to be the most appropriate mechanism to gather and respond to student feedback, Course Teams may present an alternative approach to a University Validation or Review Panel for consideration. Good practice in committee organisation indicates that: The Course Leader should organise a pre-meeting for all student representatives in advance of the first Course Committee meeting of the session, and provide copies of the previous year's Course Committee minutes;
Agendas should be circulated one week ahead and put on course notice boards/ Blackboard sites to allow for items to be researched and responded to by inviting relevant parties to respond; Meetings should be held at least once each semester but preferably twice; A Secretary should be appointed from the School Registry Office and should be responsible for posting minutes and the associated actions and outcomes on the Blackboard site; Issues raised at the Course Committee should be reasonably representative of the student and/or staff group and not just of a minority; Urgent practical problems (e.g. access to IT facilities or teaching rooms) are to be raised with the Course Leader and/or Head of Department inbetween Course Committee meetings, rather than delayed; Issues raised at the meeting and decisions taken are recorded on an action list', and draft minutes or notes should be approved by the Chair and circulated within three weeks of the meeting and the list of actions reported back to the next meeting as Matters Arising'.
6.2
How Course Representatives will be selected At the beginning of each academic year each level group of students are asked to nominate and self-elect 4 student representatives for the Course Committee. This process is entirely concluded through student decisions. In the event that an elected student representative wishes to withdraw from the role, students are again given the opportunity to select a replacement.
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6.3
What happens to the discussions held at the course committee Course Committee minutes will be published on the course Blackboard pages, so that they are accessible to all students on the course. We track any actions required from each meeting, and these must be accounted for at the next course committee meeting. Module Evaluation Questionnaires You are asked to complete an end-of module questionnaire at the end of each module. The feedback from this will inform the Module Leader on the effectiveness of the module and highlight areas that could be enhanced. This feedback is also taken into account in the Annual Monitoring Report compiled by the Course Leader. Student Experience Survey The Student Experience Survey is held once a year for all non-final year undergraduate and postgraduate students and will seek your opinions on:

6.4
6.5
The teaching on your course Academic support Skills development and employability Learning resources Welfare resources and facilities Representation and social opportunities
The results are made widely available within the University and Schools are asked to identify any action they need to take to enhance the student experience as a result of the survey outcomes. 6.6 National Student Survey The National Student Survey (NSS) was introduced by the Higher Education Funding Council as a way of gathering information directly from graduates about the quality of their courses. The information gathered is used to provide information to future applicants to courses and to improve public accountability in higher education funding. The NSS is conducted by an external company. You will be contacted, initially by email, towards the end of the final year of your course and asked to complete an online questionnaire which should take about five minutes to complete. The University is set a target for completed questionnaires and so IPSOS, who manage the survey, will contact you either by email or by phone until you complete the questionnaire. Please do take the time to take part in the survey as it provides important feedback to the University and to potential applicants to your course.
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7 7.1
WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG Mitigating circumstances If illness or other unforeseen circumstances unavoidably prevent you from completing your assessed work, or submitting it on time, you can submit an application for Mitigating Circumstances (MCs) to be taken into consideration. If your MC claim is accepted it will result in one of the following outcomes; Your original mark will be reinstated (for late work submitted up to 10 working days after the published deadlines); You will be offered an opportunity to sit the assessment without penalty at the next available opportunity as a Deferral (in cases where you have missed an assessment entirely).
The University operates a fit-to-sit policy for assessment. This means that if you submit a piece of coursework or attend an exam or other time-limited assessment, you are deemed to have declared yourself fit to attempt the assessment and must accept the result of the assessment. If you have missed a significant part of your studies due to ill health or other personal problems, you must speak to your Course Leader and Personal Tutor, to discuss whether you should suspend studies or request deferrals either for the individual assessments, or entire modules. If you do so it is very important that you seek advice from a Student Advisor in the Counselling and Advice service, as suspension of studies may have a serious impact on your student funding. If you are taken ill during an examination, you must notify the invigilator of the reason for leaving the examination and you must go to your doctor, or an A&E unit (in more serious cases), to obtain a diagnosis, which you will need when you submit your MC claim. If you miss an assessment or submit work late, you should submit an application in writing using a Mitigating Circumstances claim form to your School Registry, supported by original documentary evidence (e.g. a medical certificate), at the earliest available opportunity. MC claims will be considered, when submitted, by at least two members of the School Mitigating Circumstances Board. It is in your best interests to submit your claim as quickly as possible, normally within one month of the circumstances occurring, as you will receive a decision on your claim much earlier and will be in a better position to plan your studies for the remainder of the year. A claim of mitigating circumstances should be submitted as close as possible to the deadline of the piece of assessment in question (see Section 11 of the Handbook of Academic Regulations). A School Mitigating Circumstances Board will meet at least twice a year in order to review decisions made to ensure consistency. Please note that retrospective claims will not normally be considered, especially in cases where the claim is being made after the release of the results for the assessment in question. If you do submit an MC claim, you should not assume that it is necessarily going to be accepted; it is your responsibility to make sure that you complete all assessment requirements in a module as far as possible.
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It is very important that you read Section 11 of the Handbook of Academic Regulations, on Mitigating Circumstances, to find out what to do if you miss the deadline for any piece of work; in most cases it is crucial that you submit the work or participate in the assessment as soon as you possibly can. Late work will not normally be accepted if it is received more than ten working days after the original coursework deadline. If other students have already had their marked work returned, the same assignment cannot be marked once submitted late. Your MC claim will be considered and a decision made by at least two members of the Mitigating Circumstances Board. The Mitigating Circumstances Boards decision will normally be communicated to you by email within five working days of the MC claim being submitted (please note during busy periods a response may be communicated up to ten days from the MC claim being submitted) . It is your responsibility to obtain the outcome of your mitigating circumstances claim. This decision is later communicated to the Subject Board, which meets at the end of the year to formally ratify all of the results for your course. The University-wide criteria by which claims will be judged are standardised for reasons of fairness and these are published in detail in Section 11 of the Handbook of Academic Regulations, which you should read before submitting any claim. The criteria for acceptance or rejection of an MC claim reflect work-based standards of conduct and performance, and only those circumstances which are demonstrably serious and likely to have affected your academic performance will be considered. 7.2 Penalties for late submission of coursework The University operates a two-tier penalty system for late submission of coursework and in-module assessment. This regulation applies to all students registered for an award irrespective of their level of study. All University coursework deadlines are scheduled between Monday and Thursday inclusive. Where possible, the submission day will coincide with the day the module classes are normally taught. However, the University does not allow submission deadlines to be set for Fridays. If you submit your coursework late but within 24 hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that element of assessment (i.e. 10%) will be deducted, as a penalty for late submission, except for work which obtains a mark in the range 40 49%, in which case the mark will be capped at the pass mark (40%). If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours or more than one working day after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question. Late work and any claim of Mitigating Circumstances relating to coursework must be submitted at the earliest opportunity to ensure as far as possible that the work can still be marked. You will normally have the right to submit coursework 10 working days after the original deadline. Once the work of other students has been marked and returned, late submissions of that same piece of work cannot be assessed.
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7.3
What to do if you fail For details of University regulations and procedures in the case of failure in a module or element of a module, please refer to the Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses, Section 17 in the Handbook of Academic Regulations. You should note that, the University has specific regulations pertaining to modules results and awards. For example, in order to be eligible for the award of an Honours Degree, the maximum number of credits that can be attempted at Credit Levels 5 and 6 is 330 credits. Therefore, if a student fails and does not pass any reassessed modules, that will take their number of credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6 over this limit, they will not be eligible for the award of BA (Hons) Photographic Arts Suspending from the course The University allows a student to suspend from their course for a period of one academic year. If you think you need to suspend your studies you are advised to contact the School Registry and speak to a Student Adviser or the Students Union before making any final decision. You need to make yourself aware of any financial implications your decision might have and bear in mind the maximum periods of registration for the course. It is then your responsibility to: a) b) c) discuss the suspension with your Course Leader or Personal Tutor inform the School Registry of your decision in writing contact the Course Leader and School Registry 6-8 time weeks prior to the enrolment period.
7.4
Please see contact the School Registry for full details of the regulations on suspension which gives information on liability for fees and implications for any deferred or referred assessments. 7.5 Withdrawing from the Course If you decide to withdraw from the course please speak to your Course Leader or a Student Advisor before making a final decision. Once you have decided to leave the course, it is your responsibility to inform the School Registry in writing of your decision. You should be aware that if you withdraw from the course you may be liable for the payment of the full tuition fee for that semester/academic year. Please note that the School Registry will inform Student Finance England about your withdrawal from the course. If you are a student on a visa sponsored by the University and suspend or withdraw from studies, the University will be obliged to inform the UK Border Agency. 7.6 Changing Course If you want to change your course for another within the University, you must discuss this request with both your current Course Leader. It is also recommended that you speak to a Student Advisor. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained the full agreement from both your current and the new Course Leader and completed the standard form, which is available from the School Registry. This process must be completed before changing course. There is no guarantee that once you have been accepted onto one course at the University that you will be able to transfer to another.
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Please contact the School Registry for further information. 7.7 Complaints procedure The University is committed to providing a good quality service to students. However, it is acknowledged that there may be times when individuals may experience a quality of academic or service delivery which they feel falls short of the standard reasonable expected by the University. In such cases, you may feel that it is necessary to make a written submission setting out your concerns. You will find information on the procedure for making complaints on the Academic Services Department website: westminster.ac.uk/student-complaints.
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8 8.1
COURSE REGULATIONS How your degree is classified The University normally determines the classification of undergraduate degree in accordance with the following mark and credit ranges: First: An average of 70% or above in the best 105 credits at Credit Level 6, with an average of 60% or above in the next best 105 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6. An average of 60% or above in the best 105 credits at Credit Level 6, with an average of 50% or above in the next best 105 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6. An average of 50% or above in the best 105 credits at Credit Level 6, with an average of 40% or above in the next best 105 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6. An average of 40% or above in the best 210 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6.
Upper Second:
Lower Second:
Third:
The Universitys Student Records System automatically calculates the recommended Degree classification on the report for the Conferment Boards. However, the final Degree classification agreed through the assessment process is a matter of academic judgement, following a consultation with the External Examiners for the course, as appropriate. 8.2 Intermediate awards Students who are unable or do not wish to complete the BA (Hons) Photographic Arts, may be eligible to claim an intermediate award as described below. If a student plans (for whatever reason) to leave the course for which they are registered and therefore wants to claim an intermediate award, they must notify the relevant Campus Office in writing. The University will then confer any intermediate award for which they are eligible at the next available opportunity. A student shall not normally be allowed to claim more than one award within the same undergraduate course scheme. BA Photographic Arts To be eligible for the award of an unclassified Degree, a student must have: a) obtained at least 300 credits including: - passed 75 credits at Level Four or higher and achieved at least condoned credit in each of the remaining modules worth 45 credits at Level 4; and - a minimum of 120 credits at Level 5 or higher; and - a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6 or higher. satisfied the requirements contained within any course specific regulations for the relevant course scheme The University may award: - a Non-Honours degree with Merit to a student whose marks average at least 60% across the best 150 credits passed at Credit Levels 5 and 6.
b) c)
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a Non-Honours degree with Distinction to a student whose marks average at least 70% across the best 150 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6.
Diploma of Higher Education in Photographic Arts To be eligible for the award of a Diploma of Higher Education, a student must have: a) obtained at least 240 credits including: - a minimum of 120 credits at Level 4 or higher, of which no more than 15 shall be condoned; and - a minimum of 120 credits at Level 5 or higher; and satisfied the requirements contained within any course specific regulations for the relevant course scheme. The University may award: a Diploma in Higher Education with Merit to a student whose marks average at least 60% across the best 105 credits at Credit Level 5 or higher. a Diploma of Higher Education with Distinction to a student whose marks average at least 70% across the best 105 credits at Credit Level 5 or higher.
b) c)
Certificate of Higher Education in Photographic Arts To qualify for the award of a Certificate of Higher Education, a student must have: a) b) c) obtained at least 120 credits at Credit Level 4 or higher; and; satisfied the requirements contained within any course specific regulations for the relevant course scheme. The University may award: 8.3 a Certificate of Higher Education with Merit to a student whose marks average at least 60% across the best 105 credits; a Certificate of Higher Education with Distinction to a student whose marks average at least 70% across the best 105 credits;
Maximum periods of registration The University normally expects a student to complete their award within the following maximum periods of registration (in years) including any period of suspension of studies. Full-time Study Cert HE Dip HE Degree Honours degree Degree/Honours degree incl placement/year abroad 3 5 6 6 7 Part-time Study 5 6 8 8 9
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If a student is following a mixed mode programme of (part-time and full-time study) the maximum period of registration will apply as if they were studying part time. 8.4 Exclusion from the programme of study on academic grounds In certain circumstances, usually where students have failed a significant proportion of modules attempted, a student may be excluded from their course on academic grounds. Please refer to the Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses published in the current Handbook of Academic Regulations for further details. This is available on the Academic Services Department website westminster.ac.uk/academic-regulations. 8.5 Your rights and responsibilities as a student The Universitys Essential Westminster student guide is available at westminster.ac.uk/essential-westminster. This includes information on your rights and responsibilities as a student of the University of Westminster and it is important that you make yourself aware of these rights and responsibilities. The Universitys rules and regulations are published in the interests of fairness, consistency and transparency. Your signature on the enrolment form signifies that you undertake to abide by the Universitys regulations. It is therefore important that you take the time to read and understand them. The University Handbook of Academic Regulations is available at westminster.ac.uk/academic-regulations.
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9 9.1
Equipment, Insurance and Class Materials Borrowing Equipment When you are using the University of Westminster's equipment, it is your responsibility to keep the equipment safe and not to damage it. It is also your responsibility to return it on time; should you return equipment late, you will be penalised. You are not allowed to book equipment for other students. If a piece of equipment develops a fault, please report it when you return it. Please make a point of reporting all faults. When equipment is booked out, you will have to sign a form and without this form the equipment will not be allowed out of the stores. When you book and collect equipment you agree to the date and time of its return. If you fail to return it on the due date, other people may suffer and you will also be placed on the offenders' list, which may restrict your use of University equipment. When you sign the booking form, you agree to make good any uninsured loss that may occur.
9.2
Insurance The main conditions of the insurance you must abide by are as follows: Whatever the cause, the first 2000 of any loss is not covered by the insurance. Any loss that occurs when the item of equipment is not in your personal possession is not insured except when the equipment is in a secured dwelling and the theft occurs by forced entry. (In multiple occupation dwellings, the room in which the equipment is left must be locked.) Any loss from a vehicle left unattended, even if the items are in the boot, is not insured. Never leave equipment in an unattended vehicle. This is particularly important whilst loading and unloading. Somebody must always stay with the vehicle. Students found to be contravening this regulation will be stopped from using University equipment. Please note that any personal equipment or belongings are not covered on the University of Westminster insurance policy. Also, if you hire in any equipment for the University of Westminster projects, the University's insurance company will need details before insurance cover is established.
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10
HEALTH & SAFETY All employees, students and others using University premises and equipment have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid injury to themselves or others by their work activities and they are to cooperate with management to enable any local departmental rules to be met. Whilst on University premises, no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything that has been provided in the interests of Health and Safety. It is the responsibility of all persons on University premises to report to their tutor, supervisor or first aider any accident/incident or dangerous occurrences, irrespective of whether any person has been injured or not. First Aiders on the Harrow Campus Studio M and Photography Studios Robert Belton MG.12 Ext.4170 Melvyn Matthews J2.04 Ext.4027 David Freeman GC.10 Ext.4594 Student Nurse EG.04 Ext. 4107 Fire Extinguishers Fire Extinguishers are placed around the campus to save lives. Please do not set them off unnecessarily.
10.1
Emergency Procedures An emergency is an uncontrolled event which may put an individual or group at risk and which demands immediate and disciplined action. The following procedures apply to any event, which causes the emergency alarm to be operated. The alarm is identified as follows: a continuous siren The alarm, the main function of which is to indicate an emergency (real or simulated) involving fire, may also indicate other emergencies (e.g. bomb scare; an accidental release of toxic materials, etc). All necessitate immediate evacuation of the building These procedures must be read in conjunction with the printed FIRE ACTION NOTICES displayed at various points throughout Harrow Campus. All staff must familiarise themselves with the Fire Exit(s) in their area and the assembly points. Action to be taken On discovery of a fire, however small, the nearest fire alarm must be operated. Dial ext.5555 immediately, and inform the operator of the location and nature of the emergency. On hearing the alarm, all persons who have not been assigned emergency tasks are to vacate the building as quickly as possible by the nearest escape route. (If necessary, please assist any disabled members of the University.) Under no circumstances must lifts be used when evacuating the building
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If there is time, machinery or other apparatus should be closed down or otherwise made safe. All doors and windows must be closed. Staff supervising classes are responsible for ensuring that the rooms in which they are working are cleared of all persons. If there is time, members of staff are requested to see that their immediate and adjacent areas are clear taking care to inspect inner rooms, e.g. editing rooms, studios, etc. People vacating the building must proceed to the designated assembly points and not assemble outside the nearest Fire exit and/or building. Lecturers and other staff are asked to set an example and lead those people in their charge to the designated assembly point. Failure to observe this instruction may impede the work of the emergency services. In the event of a bomb scare a loud-hailer will be used If it is necessary to evacuate the building, the fire alarm will be sounded depending on instructions received by the emergency services. Normal fire evacuation procedures will then be put into operation with the exception that everybody must move a safe distance away from the building (at least 500 metres). The instruction to return to the building will be given by Peter James, or his deputy in his absence, or by the Fire Brigade or Police, if present. There must be no return to the building until the instruction is over Emergencies during normal Office hours: illness/accident During the hours Of 9.00 - 21.00 in cases of sudden illness or accident, not involving the Fire Service, please inform one of the designated first aiders. Should none be available, contact the emergency telephone number 5555. Emergencies outside normal working hours Outside normal working hours e.g. weekends and vacations, the following emergency procedures will apply: All staff and students working with special permission after 21-00 hours on Monday Friday, or at any time during the weekend must advise the security desk / reception (ext. 5909) of their intention, giving their name, whereabouts and approximate time of departure. Only in this way can an effective check be made on building clearance by the emergency services. The general instructions above must be carried out. All people who have not been assigned emergency tasks must vacate the building and follow the instructions given by the fire marshals. The above Emergency Procedures also apply to students living in the Halls of residence at Northwick Park.
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YEAR 1 MODULES
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BASIC PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICE

Module Code: 2PHO437 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Rachel Cunningham Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Access Restrictions: Max capacity 60 Summary of Module content This module involves a thorough introduction to the use of analogue and digital camera equipment and related photographic practices. Through a series of workshops, students are introduced to the basic techniques of 35mm, monochrome and colour photography for location and studio shooting from exposure through to the final print and produce a photographic project in response to set a brief. Module Aims To introduce photographic production techniques and procedures. To enable students to extend their knowledge and skills in analogue and digital practices To enable students to produce a body of work in response to a set brief. To introduce the practice of constructive appraisal and self appraisal of performance. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Construct a series of photographs in response to set brief 2. Demonstrate control in the use of 35mm and digital SLR cameras 3. Successfully process 35mm B&W film 4. Demonstrate control of a B&W darkroom to make resin coated prints 5. Demonstrate competence of image processing software to make a digital print 6. Critically evaluate their own performance and that of their peers. Indicative syllabus content There will be a programme of practical photographic workshops Introduction to 35mm analogue and digital camera - exposure control using built in meter, shutter speed, aperture, depth of field/depth of focus Monochromatic film characteristics - speed, contrast, reciprocity failure, push/pull processing. Health & Safety in the Darkroom Monochrome 35mm film processing, negative handling and storage. Monochrome printing, exposure tests and control, contrast control, contact sheets, printing easel. Introduction to hand held flash Finishing, retouching, mounting, editing, presentation. Introduction to digital SLR camera, digital image processing, digital printing, file editing and storage There will also be tutorials where work in progress will be discussed and monitored. Critical review of projects.
Teaching and Learning Methods Practical workshops, tutorials, interactive critical review.
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Assessment rationale The assessments are designed primarily to test students technical abilities. In setting three projects each with specific briefs relating to various technical and practical skills, students will be required to master a variety of technical processes and digital and analogue practices. Project 1 will assess Learning outcomes 1 and 2, Project 2 will assess learning outcomes 1,2 and 4, project 3 will assess learning outcomes 1,2 and 5, and the Log book will assess learning outcome 6 Assessment criteria Students will be assessed according to the following criteria: Creative response to set brief Technical control of camera Print quality of B&W resin coated prints Use of Image processing software to prepare digital image files for print Overall presentation quality Ability to critically evaluate their own and their peers performance Assessment Methods and Weightings Produce and present three sets of photographic images 30% Project 1 30% Project 2 30% Project 3 10% Log Book Sources Essential reading Langford, M., Basic Photography, Focal Press, 2000. Rudman T., The Photographers Master Printing Course, Octopus Publishing 1999 Evening, M., Adobe Photoshop for Photographers, 7th ed., Focal Press, 2005 Date of initial Validation: 2007
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THINKING PHOTOGRAPHY
Module Code: 2PHO438 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 30 Length: 1 semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Heather Barnett Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Access Restrictions: Max capacity 60 Summary of Module content: This module introduces students to essential learning strategies, research processes, writing and communication skills required to organize and analyze written and visual information in the context of a theory and practice based degree course. It provides students with a variety of strategies for thinking through and presenting ideas in written, oral and visual form, in an organized, thorough, and creative way. Module content is organized thematically around notions of subjectivity, objectivity, and photographic truth and delivered in a format that encourages resourcefulness and independent learning. Module Aims To Introduce Students to: - the learning environment of the Harrow Campus. - key information sources including libraries, archives, databases, and the internet. - basic IT skills used in research, preparation, and presentation of coursework - basic research methods and skills - constructing an academic essay - thinking skills: idea generation, lateral thinking, mind-mapping - presenting, discussing and analysing visual work Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Make effective use of their learning environment. Demonstrate competence in the use of IT for academic purposes. Develop appropriate research methodologies. Construct an academic essay. Organise and communicate their ideas effectively in written and oral form. Demonstrate basic competence in the analysis and discussion of visual work Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of subjectivity, objectivity, and photographic truth. 8. Demonstrate through practical image making an understanding of visual language and photographic conventions 9. Negotiate collaborative working practices through pair work and small group work Indicative syllabus content: Illustrated lectures on contemporary and historical issues relating to notions of subjectivity, objectivity, and photograhic truth Workshops on research, organization, and presentation skills IT Workshops Supervised research and practical sessions Student led seminar presentations Group/individual tutorials Peer assessment and critique
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Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures and seminars and where appropriate, in-class demonstrations, independent reading, practical exercises, interative workshops. Assessment rationale The assessments are designed to encourage students to thoroughly explore the research methods and resources available to them and to engage in research and critical reflection. Students will be able to demonstrate the outcomes of this research in written and photographic practice. Coursework 1 will assess learning outcomes 1,2,3,5,6&9, CW2 will assess learning outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,6&7, CW3 will assess learning outcomes 3,5,6 & 8 & CW4 will assess learning outcomes 1,3 & 8 Assessment criteria The essay will be assessed on: Evidence of research and quality of sources Critical evaluation of research materials Ability to construct a coherent argument in response to essay question Depth of engagement and comprehension of theoretical concepts Evidence of independent thought General presentation including proper referencing format The photographic project will be assessed on: Conceptual engagement and creative response to the brief. Coherence and realisation of project work Overall quality of images, print and presentation Ability to identify and utilize appropriate production methods for the intended purpose The workbook will be assessed on: The documentation of the processes of research, planning, development and production of the project. Assessment Methods and Weightings 1. Seminar presentation (30%) 2. Written work (Short critical text, bibliography, and abstract) (20%) 3. Project (Body of images and self evaluation) (30%) 4. Research Workbook (20%) Indicative Reading List: Barry, Peter, Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory, Manchester University Press, 1995. Chambers, Ellie, The Arts: Good Study Guide, The Open University, c1997. Cottrell, Stella, The Study Skills Handbook, Macmillan/Palgrave, 1999. Drew, Sue, The student skills guide, Gower , c1997 Fairbairn, Gavin, Reading, writing and reasoning :a guide for students,Open University Press , 1996. Northedge, Andrew, The Good Study Guide, The Open University c1997. Practices of Looking - An Introduction to Visual Culture, Marita Sturken & Lisa Cartwright, eds. Oxford University Press, 2000. Trzeciak, John, Study skills for academic writing :student's book, Prentice Hall , 1994. Van den Brink-Budgen, Roy, Critical Thinking for Students, How-to Books, 2001. Date of initial Validation: 2007
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PHOTOGRAPHY AND VISUAL CULTURE

Module Code: 2PHO433 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Neil Matheson, ext 4547, email: mathesn@westminster.ac.uk Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Summary of Module Content Through a series of lectures, seminars (and where appropriate, gallery visits), this theory module will introduce students to a range of key concepts used in current cultural debates, particularly in relation to photography. Concepts considered will include: realism, history, art and culture, spectatorship, representation, ideology, and stereotypes of race and gender. Module Aims To introduce some of the key concepts and debates as they relate to the production and consumption of images within culture and society. To consider those concepts in relation to the history and role of the photograph within its broader cultural context. To introduce the concept of semiotics and the study of photography as a semiotic system, together with competing models of the medium (realist, etc). Learning Outcomes At the end of the module it is expected that the successful student will be able to: 1. Develop appropriate research methodologies. 2. Construct a coherent academic essay. 3. Understand and discuss basic cultural concepts and grasp their broader social significance. 4. Apply that knowledge to the analysis of images, their production and consumption. Demonstrate an understanding of photography as a semiotic system, within a broader family of images, and of alternative models. Indicative syllabus content Meanings of "culture" considered in terms of the "high/low" culture debate. The defining of "art" and its socio-cultural function. Introduction to the politics of representation and the role of stereotypes. The meaning of "realism" and how photography functions as a "realist" medium. Spectatorship and the position of the subject within visual culture. The meaning and functioning of ideology. Semiotics and visual rhetoric, and their use in the analysis and construction of images. Teaching and learning methods: Lectures, screenings, reading and discussion. appropriate. Seminars and gallery visits, where
Assessment rationale: Two essays which aim to test the student's ability to coherently and accurately deploy basic concepts used in cultural analysis, both in terms of the level of understanding of those concepts, and in terms of ability to then relate those concepts to the particular contexts specified in the essay questions (in particular, to the photographic image). The essays will measure learning outcomes 1 - 4. Assessment criteria:
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The essays will be assessed on: Evidence of research Evidence of critical engagement with material Understanding of and appropriate response to essay questions Ability to construct a coherent argument Use of appropriate theoretical perspectives Use of relevant case studies and examples General presentation Assessment methods and weightings: 50% Essay 1 (1500-2000 words) 50% Essay 2 (1500-2000 words) Sources Essential readings: rd Wells, Liz (ed), Photography: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge, 3 ed., 2004. Sontag, Susan, On Photography, London: Penguin Books, 1978, repub. 2002. Williams, Raymond, Keywords, London: Fontana, 1976, revsd. edition 1988. Further reading: nd Mirzoeff, Nicholas, The Visual Culture Reader, London: Routledge, 2 ed. 2002. Wells, Liz, The Photography Reader, London: Routledge, 2003. Evans, Jessica and Stuart Hall (eds), Visual Culture: The Reader, London: Sage, 1999. Pollock, Griselda "Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity", in Vision and Difference, London: Routledge, 1988. Easthope, Antony and McGowan, Kate (eds), A Critical and Cultural Theory Reader, Buckingham: Open University Press, 1992. Whiting, Ccile, A Taste for Pop: Pop Art, Gender and Consumer Culture, Cambridge, 1997. Jenks, Chris, Culture, London: Routledge, 1993. Wolff, Janet, The Social Production of Art, London: Macmillan, 1981. Nochlin, Linda, Women, Art and Power, London: Thames and Hudson, 1991. Solomon-Godeau, Abigail Photography at the Dock, Minnesota University Press, 1993. Tagg, John, The Burden of Representation, London: Macmillan, 1988. Mitchell, W J T, Picture Theory, Chicago: University of Chicago, 1994. Periodical references: Evans, Jessica (ed) The Camerawork Essays, London: Rivers Oram Press, 1997. Date of Initial Validation: May 2001
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INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICE

Module Code: 2PHO439 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Paul Winch Furness Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Access Restrictions: Max capacity 60 Summary of Module content: This module involves a detailed exploration of various types of lighting, including electronic flash and camera formats by using digital and analogue studio equipment. Through the production of group and individual staged photographic projects, the students construct colour images and will be introduced to digital image processing (input and output) for different photographic genres, for example portraiture, editorial, fashion, advertising, etc. Module Aims To provide the ability to control lighting of subjects and objects using analogue and digital cameras To understand different lighting setups and use of electronic flash. To introduce the operation of the large format and medium format camera. To achieve sound professional group working practices, and to maximize efficiencies in the production of the studio environment, through management of the roles of photographer/director, assistants, (stylists) etc. To practice digital photographic processes by using digital imaging software To perform scanning to transform analogue images to digital files. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module it is expected that the successful student will be able to: 1. Construct a series of photographs in response to a set brief 2. Demonstrate control of the lighting and staging of the photographic set, 3. Demonstrate competence in the operation of medium and large format cameras 4. Demonstrate technical competence in electronic flash lighting. 5. Achieve proficient group working practices in the photographic studio. 6. Produce correctly exposed and colour balanced colour prints using analogue techniques 7. Demonstrate competence of image processing software to make a digital print Indicative syllabus content There will be a program of practical photographic workshops Instruction in studio, location and portable flash equipment. Working in groups to produce images. Students identify their role in each group production for example as art director, photographer, assistant, lighting assistant, set builder, stylist etc. they also identify their contribution to devising of the concept and design of the particular image either as individual auteur or as part of a design team of equal contributors. Colour film characteristics, colour temperature. Colour printing from negative, exposure tests and control, filtration. Introduction to medium format analogue and digital camera - exposure control using external light meter, shutter speed, aperture, depth of field/depth of focus Introduction to large format camera Scanning of negatives Intermediate image adjustments using digital image processing software
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There will also be tutorials where work in progress will be discussed and monitored. Critical review of projects.
Teaching and Learning Methods Practical workshops, tutorials, interactive critical review. Assessment rationale The assessment is designed to test technical achievements and understanding in the production of photographic works in response to the set briefs. Project 1 will assess Learning outcomes 1 and 2, Project 2 will assess learning outcomes 1,2 and 4, project 3 will assess learning outcomes 1,2 and 5, and the Log book will assess learning outcome 6 Assessment criteria Students will be assessed according to the following criteria: Control of camera Control of lighting Print quality of colour analogue prints Use of Image processing software to prepare digital image files for print Overall presentation quality Ability to critically evaluate their own and their peers performance Assessment Methods and Weightings Produce and present three sets of photographic images 30% Project 1 30% Project 2 30% Project 3 10% Log Book Sources Essential reading Langford, M., Basic Photography, 6th ed, Focal Press, 2000. Langford, M., Advanced Photography, 5th ed., Focal Press, 1999 Evening, M., Adobe Photoshop for Photographers, 7th ed., Focal Press, 2005 Date of initial Validation: 2007
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PHOTOGRAPHIC LANGUAGES
Module Code: 2PHO440 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 30 Length: 1 School: MEDIA, ARTS & DESIGN Department: PDM Module Leader(s): Frank Watson Host course: BA Hons Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: An introduction to the theories and use of photographic languages and conventions used by practitioners to convey meaning through images. An introduction to the relationship between language and image. Production of group and individual photographic projects informed by a critical consideration of visual languages as they occur in a range of contexts. Module Aims To provide the ability to communicate ideas and concepts through previsualisation and the control of key signifiers of photographic meaning, including lighting, (styling), juxtapositioning of subjects, objects, props, environment, and positioning of the camera. To provide understanding of the meaning and codes of lighting To achieve sound professional group working practices, and to maximise efficiencies and the production of the set up shot, through management of the roles of photographer/director, assistants, (stylists) etc. To critically consider the construction of visual languages in relation to historical precedents and contemporary practice. To research and present concepts of semiotic analysis in relation to photography Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of codes and conventions used in photography to construct and convey meaning. 2. Produce a coherent body of photographic work informed by a critical awareness of historical and contemporary practices. 3. Achieve proficient group working practices in the photographic studio and on location. 4. Deliver a presentation consisting of ideas, research and project work. Indicative syllabus content Illustrated lectures on visual languages in historical and contemporary photographic practices Student led seminars - presenting and discussing project work, its process and research. Workshops in the construction of meaning through lighting, staging and positioning Supervised studio sessions and colour printing Group/individual tutorials Peer assessment involving critique Teaching and Learning Methods Illustrated lecture, seminars, technical workshops, supervised practical sessions, group/individual tutorials, and interactive critical reviews. Assessment rationale The assessment is designed to test technical achievement and conceptual abilities in the production of photographic works in response to the set briefs. The individual workbook will demonstrate research and development, working processes, roles within group practice, as
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well as a self reflection of the aims and intentions of the final project. Coursework 1 will assess Learning Outcomes 1,2,3, CW 2 will assess LO 1 & 2 and CW 3 will assess LO 1 & 4. Assessment criteria conceptual engagement and creative response to the brief. coherence and realisation of project work overall quality of images, print and presentation effectiveness of development of rhetorical and narrative devices ability to identify and utilize appropriate production methods for the intended purpose ability to prepare and deliver a digital presentation of ideas, research and project work quality research and development of work, self reflection as evidenced in workbook Assessment Methods and Weightings 1. Group project (30%) 2. Individual project (40%) 3. Individual workbook including presentation (30%) Visual references Campany David, Art and Photography, Phaidon Press, 2003 Cotton, Charlotte, The Photograph as Contemporary Art, Thames & Hudson 2004 *di Corcia, Philip-Lorca, Philip-Lorca di Corcia, Contemporaries, The Museum of Modern Art, 1997 Koehler, M., Constructed Realities: The Art of Staged Photography, 1995 Lori, P., Acting the Part: A History of staged photography, 2006 Mack, M., et al (ed). Surface: Contemporary Photographic Practice, Booth Clibborn Editions, 1996. Pierre et Gilles, LOdyssee Imaginaire, Contrejours, 1988 Portraits, the Library of World Photography, Thames & Hudson, 1983 Sherman Cindy, Cindy Sherman 1975 - 1993, Schirmer/Mosel 1993 Smith, Joshua, The Photography of Invention: American Pictures of the 1980s, Smithsonion Institution, 1989 Theoretical references Barthes, R., The Rhetoric of the Image found in Image, Music , Text. Fontana 1977 Bignell, J., Media Semiotics: An Introduction. Manchester Uni. Press. 1997 Roberts, J. The art of interruption: Realism, photography and the everyday, Manchester University Press, 1998 Silverman, K., The Subject of Semiotics. Ox Uni Press 1983 Tagg, J., The Burden of Representation. Macmillan 1988 Wells Liz, The photography reader, Routledge London, 2003 Wells Liz, Photography: A critical introduction, Routledge London, 1997 Williamson, J. Decoding Advertisements Marion Byars 1978 Periodicals Aperture, Next Level, Dazed & Confused, Portfolio, DPict (Creative Camera), Afterimage, Camera Austria International, Tank, Lrzers Archive. Portrait Photography, including: Richard Avedon, Julia Margaret Cameron, Tom Hunter, Joseph Karsh, Annie Liebowitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn, Man Ray, Thomas Ruff, August Sander, Madam Yvonde. Constructed Photography, including: Victor Burgin, James Casabere, Helen Chadwick, Calum Colvin, Thomas Demand, Richard Prince, Olivier Richon, Andres Serrano, Cindy Sherman, Hannah Starckey, Mitra Tabrizian, Arthur Tress, Boyd Webb, Jeff Wall, William Wegman, Andy Weiner, Joel Peter Witkin. Date of initial Validation: March 2007
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MODERNITY AND AFTER

Module Code: 2PHO441 Module Level: 4 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader(s): Eugenie Shinkle Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Option Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: This module examines photographic and visual culture from the mid nineteenth century to the present day. It looks at the ways that artistic practices have conformed to, and resisted cultural and historical shifts. Taking European modernity as a point of departure, the module looks at various positions that sustain or challenge its status quo. Using a range of historical and contemporary case studies, it demonstrates some of the ways that Modernism excludes, undermines, or opposes a range of cultural ideologies, and examines the way these positions are made visible through photography and other forms of visual practice. Module Aims To introduce students to a range of cultural and historical positions relating to photography and visual culture, and to encourage them to think critically about these positions. To consider the emergence of culturally and historically specific forms of subjectivity, and the way that these are linked to particular creative practices To foster a critical awareness of the relationship between creative practices and their broader social, historical, political, and economic context Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module the student will be able to: 1. Identify a range of historical and theoretical positions on the nature of visual practice 2. Critically assess the relationship between visual practice and other aspects of historical and cultural transformation 3. Situate a range of cultural practices in terms of their broader historical, social, economic, and political context. Indicative syllabus content: Nineteenth century European modernity and the emergence of modern forms of subjectivity The Modernist canon formalism and the art institution Surrealism Late Modernism Mass culture, commodification, and the city Postmodernism Cold war ideology Contemporary global culture
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Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures and seminars and where appropriate, gallery visits, independent reading Assessment rationale One 3000 word essay will test the students grasp of the material, and their ability to use this material critically and independently in assessing historical and/or contemporary cultural phenomena. The essay will measure learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3. Assessment criteria The essay will be assessed on: Understanding of and appropriate response to essay question Evidence of research and quality of sources Evidence of critical engagement with material Understanding and use of appropriate theoretical perspectives Ability to construct a coherent argument Discussion of relevant case studies and examples General presentation including proper referencing format Assessment Methods and Weightings One 3000 word essay worth 100% Sources: Essential Reading: Modern Art and Modernism, a Critical Anthology Frascina and Harrison, eds., Harper and Row, 1982. The Post-Modern Reader, Charles Jencks, ed., Academy Editions, 1992. Further reading: Alberro A. & Stimson B., Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology, MIT Press, 1999. Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts, Frascina and Harris, eds, Phaidon, 1992. Art in Theory 1900-1990 Harrison & Woods, eds. Blackwell, 1992, pp130-135. Bate, David, Photography and Surrealism, I.B.Tauris, 2004. Benjamin, Walter Illuminations, London: Fontana, 1973. Clark, T. J., The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers, Thames & Hudson, 1984. Connor, Steven, Postmodernist Culture, Oxford: Blackwell, 1989. Cotton, Charlotte, The Photograph as Contemporary Art, Thames & Hudson, 2004. Crimp, Douglas, On the Museums Ruins, MIT Press, 1997. Eagleton, Terry The Illusions of Postmodernism, Oxford: Blackwell, 1996. Fer, Briony, et. al., Realism, Rationalism, Surrealism: Art Between the Wars, Yale/Open University, 1993. Foster, Hal (ed) Postmodern Culture, London: Pluto, 1985. Foster, Hal The Return of the Real, MIT Press, 1996. Greenberg, Clement, Art and Culture: Critical Essays. Beacon Press, 1961. Harvey, David The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford: Blackwell, 1990. Hutcheon, Linda, The Politics of Postmodernism, Routledge, 1989. Kern, S., The Culture of Time and Space 1800-1918, Cambridge University Press, 1983. Krauss, Rosalind, The Originality of the Avant-Garde and Other Modernist Myths, MIT Press, 1985.
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YEAR 2 MODULES
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VIDEO
Module Code: 2VID501 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 15 School: MEDIA, ARTS & DESIGN Department: PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL MEDIA Length: 1 semester Module Leader(s): Steve Preston Status: Option Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: There are screenings of a range of contemporary video works including music videos, gallery based work as well as short independent film productions. Students are given instruction in camera work, lighting, sound and editing. Students identify a subject area and, working in small groups, develop, shoot, edit then screen a 3 - 5 minute video Module Aims to provide a basis of technical and conceptual skills appropriate for a range of contemporary video practices To consider the difference and appropriateness of video in relation to still images in terms of production, communication, distribution and audience. To enable students to produce a short video which explores some of the possibilities of the non-broadcast form. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student will be able to: 1. produce a coherently structured short video piece. 2. demonstrate appropriate production strategies informed by contemporary practice. 3. competently employ a range of video production techniques and methods. 4. successfully collaborate in all stages of video production. Teaching and Learning Methods Screenings, demonstrations, training sessions, group tutorials, supervised shooting and editing. Group critical review Indicative syllabus content The module begins with screenings of a range of contemporary video practices including music videos, advertisements, short independent films and work drawn from gallery contexts. There follow workshops in basic scripting and storyboarding, camera, lighting, sound recording and mixing and video editing. Video production groups are formed around shared interests; they are monitored and supported in group tutorials. There are supervised filming and editing sessions. There is a review of the rough-cut stage then a final group screening and critique. Assessment rationale The greater part of the mark goes to the final video work (70%) which most clearly demonstrates the students collective command of the medium, their understanding of the conventions of production and their awareness of contemporary video practices. The group workbook evidences the quality of research and its application to the project; the individual log demonstrates the division of labour within the group, effectiveness of its management and individual contribution. Assessment criteria The video project will be assessed on: Conceptual engagement with and creative response to a script/treatment. Coherence and realisation of project work in relation to a specific genre/theme. Appropriateness of audiovisual strategies.
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Demonstration of technical control of media and production methods.
The workbook will be assessed on: The documentation of the processes of research, planning, development and production of the event. The critical self-appraisal will be assessed on: The capacity to develop a critical response to their own performance in the work of the group and an understanding of the external context of that production. Assessment Methods and Weightings 70% Video Project 20% Group/Individual Workbook including script, storyboards, treatment and logging sheets. 10% Individual critical self-appraisal of 500 words. Sources Essential reading Doucette, Martin, Digital Video for Dummies, IDG Books, 2001 H. Kobler, Final Cut Express for Dummies, IDG Books, 2003 Rees, A.L., A History of Experimental Film and Video, BFI, 1998 Rush, Michael, Video Art, Thames & Hudson, 2003 Rush, Michael , New Media in late 20th Century Art, Thames & Hudson, 2001 Watkinson, John. An introduction to digital video, 1994 Further references Ahtila, Eija-Liisa, Fantasized Persons and Taped Conversations, (ed) Maria Hirvi, Crystal Eye, 2002 Ahtila, Eija-Liisa, The Cinematic Works of Eija-Liisa Ahtila: Slipcase, Crystal Eye, 2004 Benning Sadie. The Videos of S, Vol.2.[France] : dv, 1991/2. - 1 videocassette (53mins) : sd.,b&w.English version with French subtitles, contents: A place called lovely. 1991. 14mins.Girl power (Part 1). 1992. 19mins.- It wasn't love. 1992. 20mins. Birnbaum, Daniel, Doug Aitken (Contemporary Art Series), Phaidon Press, 2001 Cream 3, eds of Phaidon Press, Phaidon Press, 2003 Ferguson, Russell, Douglas Gordon, MIT Press, 2001 Goetz, Sammlung, Fast Forward:Media Art, Ingvild Goetz, 2003 Hill, Gary, In light of the other / [edited by Penelope Curtis].Liverpool : Tate Gallery, 1993. 38p : ill ; 32cm.Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford,7 November - 9 January 1994 and the Tate Gallery, Liverpool, 26 Marker, Chris, La Jete, cin-roman, Zone books, 1992 Phelan, Peggy, Pippilotti Rist (Contemporary Art Series), Phaidon Press, 2001 Ross, David, Illuminating Video: An Essential Guide to Video Art, Aperture, 1991 Viola, Bill, The Passions, J. Paul Getty Trust Publications, 2003 Watkinson, John The art of digital video 2nd ed.,Oxford : Focal, 1994. Zippay, Lori, Artists Video: An International Guide, Abbeville Press, 1992 Video Doug Aitken, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Darren Almond, Sadie Benning, Joseph Beuys, Victor Burgin, Janet Cardiff, Willy Doherty, Tracy Emin, Douglas Gordon, Gary Hill, Isaac Julian, Bruce Nauman, Shirin Neshat, Yoko Ono and other fluxus films, Nam June Paik, Pippilotti Rist, Bill Viola, Mark Wallinger, Gillian Wearing, Jane and Louise Wilson.
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PHOTOGRAPHY & PUBLICATION

Module Code: 2PHO552 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Allan Parker Status: Option Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: In this module you will produce a publication such a photographic or artists book. After agreeing a project with your tutor you will assume all the roles required to bring the project to the point of publication. Including photographer, author, editor and designer and publisher. Module Aims To enable students to produce a project dummy suitable for publication To develop the necessary editorial skills in order to achieve this. To provide students with basic training in the use of appropriate design and publishing software, such as Indesign. To consider the uses of photography within the wider context of publishing by examining a range of practices. To introduce students to the conventions of professional practice within this sphere. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module successful students will be able to: 1. Develop, design and print a professional quality publication dummy. 2. Display editorial control and understanding of the chosen subject 3. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the appropriate software. 4. Produce and/or select photographic imagery appropriate to the context. 5. Engage with professional suppliers and services relating to the dummy publication 6. Critically evaluate their approach in relation to professional practice. Indicative syllabus content Introduction to conventions of different publishing formats Intellectual property rights and copyright laws. Scanning and preparation of photographic images for output. Page design and layout for print and electronic contexts. Introduction to fonts and basic typography. Print technology, colour profiles, digital printing, binding materials and techniques Preparing artwork for the press. Critical review of projects. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, seminars, practical workshops & demonstrations, tutorials, interactive critical review. Assessment rationale The assessment will focus on the final production and on the ability of students to edit and assemble images and texts to create meaning, presenting the material in an appropriate and original form. Self-reflection on the processes of research, planning, development, organisation, documentation will also be taken into account. Assessment criteria Students will be assessed according to the following criteria: Quality and suitability of images. Design & Layout.
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Originality of proposal Quality and depth of research, awareness of other practice and ability to manage the project.
Assessment Methods and Weightings Produce and present: 100% Dummy publication for print (e.g. magazine article, pamphlet, artist's book or printed project CD/DVD packaging/promotional material) In support of this work you must also submit: A workbook evidencing your research, project development and production procedure. Critical self-evaluation in relation to the above assessment criteria (300 wds). (these are an assessment requirement but do not carry a separate mark - they will be factored in to the overall mark for your project) Sources Further Reading Martin Parr & Gerry Badger, The Photobook. A History Volume 1. Phaidon Press 2004 Roth, A. The Book of 101 Books. Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century, Roth/Horowitz 2002 Fernandez, Horacio, Fotografia Publica: Photography in Print 1919-1939, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, 1999 Lebeck, Robert, Kiosk. A History of Photojournalism, Steidl Publishing 2002 Dugan, Thomas, , Light Impressions 1979 [a good insight into the boom in independent photobook publshing in the USA in the 1970s] Jaroslav Andel, Avant Garde Page Design 1900-1950 Te Neues, 2004 G1 Lewis Blackwell/Neville Brody* (Lawrence King) 1996 Tomato, Process, Bareback (Thames & Hudson) 1997 & 99 Magnum Cinema (Phaidon)* 1995 Baroque - The Culture of Excess (Phaidon) 1994 Visceral Pleasures Vaughan Oliver (Booth Clibborn Editions) 2000* Joseph Cornell Museum of Modern Art, New York (Prestel) * 1990 Raygun - Out of Control David Carson (Booth Clibborn Editions) 1997 2nd Sight David Carson 1997 Type in Motion Thames & Hudson 1999 Water Planet 03 (Zwemmers) 2002 Inside Magazines (Thames & Hudson) 2001 Phaidon 55 series (Current) United Colours of Benneton - The Campaigns (United Colours) 2001 Flyer and Leaflet Collection 2 (Zwemmers) 2002 GRANTA Literary (fiction) magazine that has contemporary photography Magazines EYE magazine * TANK Magazine (A Westminster originated mag) Sleaze Nation Wallpaper Magazine foto8 & www.foto8.com Websites See also these websites for key exhibitions and publishers of photographic books: The Russian Avant Garde Book: www.moma.org/exhibitions/2002/russian/ Steidl Press: www.steidl.de Trolley: www.trolleynet.com Aperture: www.aperture.org Photo-Eye: www.photoeye.com Scalo: www.scalo.com Bookart Bookshop (Artist Bookshop) www.falkiners.com (bookbinding supplies)
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DIGITAL MANIPULATION & PHOTOMONTAGE

Short Module Title: Digital Photomontage Module Code: 2PHO557 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 semester School and Department: Media, Arts, & Design / Department of Photography & Digital Media Module Leader(s): Dave Hampshire Extension: 7345 e.mail:hampshd@wmin.ac.uk Host course: BA (Hons) Photography Status: subject specific option Subject Board: Photography Pre-requisites: [Level 4 Photoshop] Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module Content Students learn the practical techniques and historical & contemporary understandings necessary to produce digital photomontages that successfully & creatively communicate messages. They devise and produce a set of digital montages (2-5) on a self-set theme. Learning is supported by lectures & workshops on the generation, processing retouching, compositing, and printing of digital photographs. Module Aims The module aims to provide students with the means to develop the practical and intellectual tools to produce digital photomontages that utilize the creative and rhetorical possibilities of the medium to convey their message, and to a high standard. Where students do not expect to prioritise digital photomontage as a future practice the module will be relevant in improving the students skill in, and understanding of, digital photographic image processing and to develop their ability to design effective photographic projects and images. Learning Outcomes The successful student will be able to: 1. Generate high quality digital photographs using both digital cameras and film through an appropriate use of the hardware and software entailed. 2. Recognise and rectify problems in, and improvements to, digital photographs through digital image processing software. 3. Design and produce digital photomontages to a high technical standard using digital imaging processing software and digital image input & output hardware. 4. Design and produce digital photomontages that deliver coherent and persuasive conceptual and creative content. 5. Devise and produce a visually and conceptually coherent set of digital photomontages that address a theme. 6. Analyse and assess their own work, that of their peers, and of existing artists and photographers. 7. Research and present informative, considered, and refined information on a specific subject. Indicative syllabus content Students will devise a project composed of a small set of photomontages (2-5) that is both appropriate and effective for its intended use. Their work is supported through lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials, and their own theoretical and practical learning. The technical issues of colour & luminosity assessment, correction & enhancement, retouching and montage techniques, and preparation for printing will be covered. Short exercises will be set to facilitate this learning. Students will also research the historical & contemporary practice of photomontage its uses and implications, and present their findings as a seminar presentation.
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Lectures & workshops include: The hardware & software entailed in the use of small & medium format digital cameras. Virtual drum scanning of film based originals. Decoding and correcting RAW file format digital photographs. Intermediate & advanced level image correction & manipulation techniques using Photoshop. For example: curves & levels adjustment layers, perspective control, retouching methods using cloning, patching etc., resizing and interpolation, image compositing using image layers and layer masks. Discussions of contemporary & historical examples of photographic realism, montage & construction. Discussion of the creative, communicative, and cultural implications of digital photomontage and its relation to photography. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, workshops, demonstrations, seminars and tutorials will occupy 36 hours per week depending on the module schedule. Students are also expected to engage in self-directed research, study and practice throughout the module to an average of 6 hours per week. Weekly Illustrated lecture/demonstrations (10) Group Seminar Presentations (2) Small group tutorials (2) Supervised production workshops. Critical review & analysis of the projects (1) PDF and hardcopy materials provided by tutor Blackboard E-mail information. Assessment Rationale The ability of students to practically realise images to a high standard is considered to be fundamental. However, the utilization of these tools & techniques in communicating creative and effective visual solutions is seen as pre-eminent. In assessing its effectiveness this is also considered in relation to the stated intentions of the work. The qualities of the projects produced, along with the students presentations and synopses, are therefore the primary vehicle for the assessment rationale. Assessment criteria: Projects are assessed according to: a). Technical criteria comprising: The quality of original Photographs & Scans: sharpness, lighting, exposure etc. The basic processing of digital files (e.g. resolution, colour, luminosity). Its montage & retouching qualities (e,g. spatial, texture, & lighting consistency, edge qualities). Layer & File organisation: Photoshop layers. Keywording. Storage organisation. Print quality: tonality, colour, media choice b). Conceptual criteria including: Its visual qualities and effectiveness. The treatment of the subject. The quality of ideas contained within the work. Its appropriateness for its intended context. The seminar presentation will be assessed on: The clarity and effectiveness of the presentation. The range and depth of their understanding of their material. The Project Synopsis will be assessed on: The ability to clearly summarise the intentions, aims, context and methods of the project. The ability to self-assess the strengths & weaknesses of their project
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Assessment Methods and Weightings: Assessment (100%) is of the following coursework: Evaluation of Practical Project: 75% Evaluation of Seminar Presentation on historical/contemporary photomontage: 15% Evaluation of Project Synopsis (inc. self-assessment, critical analysis and workbook: 10% Sources Essential Reading Evening, M. Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers, 2007, Focal Press. Fraser, B. Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop, 2005, Peachpit Press. Johnson. H. Mastering Digital Printing, 2005, Thompson Multimedia. Caplin, S How to Cheat in Photoshop, 2006, Focal Press. Further Reading Ades, D. Photomontage, 1986 Amelunxen, Hubertus V. Photography after photography: memory and representation in the digital age., 1996 Evans, David, Photomontage :a political weapon. 1986 Fraser, Murphy & Bunting Real World Color Management, 2005, Peachpit Press. Heartfield, J. John Heartfield, 1891-1968 :photomontages, 1969 Hoch, H. Hannah Hoch :Album. 2004 Kruger, B. Barbara Kruger. 2002 McAlhone, B & Stuart, D. A smile in the mind, 1995, Phaidon McClelland, D. Photoshop CS3 Bible, 2007, IDG Books. McQuiston, L. Graphic Agitation, 1998, Phaidon, Nyman, M. 4 colors: One image, 1993, Peachpit Press. Sanders, Poynter & Derrick, The impossible Image, 2000, Phaidon V&A Museum Modernism, 2006 Periodical references British Journal of Photography MacUser What Digital Camera Advanced Photoshop WWW references Apple: www.Apple.com Adobe: www.Adobe.com Kodak: www.kodak.com (various e.g. /daiHome/hub/) Photo Electronic Imaging Magazine: www.peimag.com Digital Photography Primer:www.nyip.com/tips/digital.html Dpreview.com Diesel: www.diesel.com Software Adobe Photoshop Adobe Bridge Adobe Camera Raw Capture One
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PERSPECTIVES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Module Code: 2PHO558 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 30 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader(s): Silke Lange Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment:: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: This module consists of illustrated seminars that discuss historical and contemporary practices within a wider critical framework; followed by production of, and tutorials on, practical work. The content of the module may vary from year to year according to its relevance to contemporary photography. The module will consider global perspectives in photographic practice, examining the concepts of identity (cultural, ethnic, national, and sexual ). Module Aims To equip students with an understanding of the key debates related to identity and the construction of otherness. To enable students to extend conceptual and visual strategies beyond their usual approach in the execution of a self - set project. Students are encouraged to revise and question their practice and experiment with new ways of working where appropriate Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful students will be able to: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the concepts of identity and otherness in relation to photographic images Create a coherent body of photographic work, which engages with aspects of identity, Write an accompanying introduction to contextualize, evaluate and communicate their ideas. Indicative syllabus content Illustrated seminars on identity and otherness in historical and contemporary photographic practices Group discussions on module related themes generated by students Student led seminars - presenting and discussing project work, its process and research. Workshops in the writing of project proposals and introductions to students project work Group/individual tutorials Peer assessment involving critique Teaching and Learning Methods Illustrated seminars, group discussions, group/individual tutorials, and interactive critical reviews. Assessment rationale The assessment is designed to test technical and visual achievements and conceptual abilities in the production of photographic works in response to the module themes. The workbook demonstrating research and development, engagement with the topic, working processes, as well as a self reflection of the aims and intentions of the self set project. Assessment criteria Challenging and innovatory qualities of the work Coherence and realisation of project work Overall quality of images, print and presentation
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Clarity and appropriateness of project proposal and critical introduction to project work Quality of research and development of work, and self reflection as demonstrated in workbook
Assessment Methods and Weightings Project 70% Workbook including proposal and critical introduction 30% Indicative visual references Amelunxen, H. (ed) Photography after Photography: Memory & Representation in the Digital Age, G&B Arts 1996 Buckland, D., Burning Ice: Art & Climate Change, Cape Farewell, London 2006 Chanarin, O., and Broomberg A., Ghetto, Trolley Ltd, London, 2003 Editors of Phaidon Press, New Perspectives in Photography, Vitamin Ph, Phaidon Press, London, 2006 Enwezor, O. Documenta11 (Hatje Cantz 2002) Hung, Wu, Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China, Steidl Publishers, 2004 12 Photographic Journeys: Iran in the 21st Century, Silk Road Gallery Tehran, 2003 Vartanian I., Setting sun: writings by Japanese photographers (Aperture 2006) Contemporary practitioners Richard Billingham, Gregory Crewdson, Willie Doherty, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, Andreas Gursky, Zhang Huan, Boris Mikhailov, Shirin Neshat, Wang Quingsong, Cindy Sherrman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Gillian Wearing Periodicals Aperture, Eyemazing, Dazed & Confused, Next Level, Portfolio, Afterimage, Camera Austria International, Tank, Lrzers Archive. Indicative theoretical references Bhabha, Homi K. The other question: difference, discrimination and the discourse of colonialism. Out there: marginalization and contemporary cultures. Ed. Russell Ferguson. New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art, 1990. Hall, S., (ed) Different: a historical context, contemporary photographers & black identiy, Phaidon Press, 2001 Hall, S., Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (Culture, Media & Identities), Sage Publication, 1997 Gilman, S.L., Difference and Pathology: Stereotypes of Sexuality, Race and Madness, Cornell University, 1985 Neale, S., The Same Old Story: Stereotypes and Difference, Screen Education, nos. 32-33 (autumn-winter 1979-80): 33 Kristeva, J., and Rodiez, L., Strangers to Ourselves, Columbia University Press, 1994 Sardar, Z., Araeen, R., Cubitt, S, Third Text Reader on Art, Culture and Theory, Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002 Stiglitz, J.E., Globalisation and its Discontents, Norton, New York, 2003 Wells, Liz, The Photography Reader, Routledge London, 2003 Wells, Liz, Photography: A critical introduction, Routledge London, 1997 Further references will be provided once the projects are set. Date of initial Validation: March 2007
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TECHNOLOGIES OF THE SELF

Module Level: 5; semester 1 Credit weighting: 15 Subject Board: Photography School: MAD Department: PDM Pre- and co-requisites: None Length: 1 semester Status: Core Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: Through an examination of media such as photography, film and digital games, this module develops a critical understanding of the role played by vision and representation in historical and contemporary theories of subjectivity. It examines Cartesian notions of the self, and the basis of these ideas in linear perspective models. Lacanian and post-Lacanian theories of the Gaze are used to consider the ways in which identity is structured through representation. These models are then re-assessed in light of more recent developments in critical theory, such as phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience. The notion of embodied subjectivity is introduced to challenge the visualist bias within modern and postmodern notions of the body, the subject, and the consumption and production of images. Module Aims To develop a critical understanding of perspectival/Cartesian models, and the way they shape Western thought, subjectivity, and representation. To develop a critical understanding of the role of psychoanalysis including notions of the Gaze, desire, spectatorship, and identity in subjective formation and cultural theory To critically reconsider such models in light of recent developments in the fields of phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of subjectivity and critically discuss this notion from a variety of historical and contemporary perspectives. 2. Identify and debate key issues around representation, subjectivity, and identity. 3. Critically discuss the concept and role of the body in representation, and in the shaping of subjectivity and identity. Indicative syllabus content: linear perspective and other technologies of vision Cartesian notions of the self cultural production and productivity of images Lacanian and post-Lacanian notions of the Gaze desire and the structure of looking identity and identification phenomenology, affect, embodied perception models of perception from cognitive neuroscience
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Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures and seminars and where appropriate, in-class demonstrations, independent reading Assessment rationale One 3000 word essay will test the students grasp of the material, and their ability to use this material critically and independently in assessing contemporary cultural phenomena. The essay will measure learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3. Assessment criteria The essay will be assessed on: Evidence of research and quality of sources Critical evaluation of research materials Ability to construct a coherent argument in response to essay question Depth of engagement and comprehension of theoretical concepts Evidence of independent thought General presentation including proper referencing format Assessment Methods and Weightings 100% 3000 word essay.
Indicative Reading List: Adams, Parveen, The Emptiness of the Image: Psychoanalysis & Sexual Difference Routledge 1996. Bate, David, Voyeurism and Portraiture, in Geometry of the Face, Denmark: National Museum of Photography, 2003 (exhibition catalogue). Burgin, Victor, Photography, Phantasy, Function and Looking at Photographs, both in Thinking Photography, Macmillan, 1982. Campany, David, Just Looking Art and Photography, Phaidon 2003 Crary, Jonathan, Techniques of the Observer: On Vision and Modernity in the Nineteenth Century, MIT Press, 1990. Davis, Erik, Synthetic Meditations: Cogito in the Matrix, in Prefiguring Cyberculture: An Intellectual History, Darren Tofts, Annemarie Jonson, and Alessio Cavallaro, eds., MIT Press, 2002, pp12-27 Hayles, N. Katherine, How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics, University of Chicago Press, 1999. Ihde, Don, Bodies in Technology, University of Minnesota Press, 2002. Jay, Martin, Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century French Thought, University of California Press, 1993. Lacan, Jacques, The Line and Light and What is a Picture, in The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis Jacques-Alain Miller, ed., Alan Sheridan, trans. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1994. Lacan, Jacques, The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I, in Ecrits, Tavistock, 1977. Lalvani, Suren, Photography, Vision, and the Production of Modern Bodies, State University of New York Press, 1996. Laplanche, J. The Ego & the Vital Order, in Life & Death in Psychoanalysis, Johns Hopkins 1976. Massumi, Brian, Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation. Duke University Press, 2002. Merleau-Ponty, Maurice, The Phenomenology of Perception, Colin Smith, trans., Routledge, 2000, c.1962. Meskimmon, M. The Art of Reflection: Women Artists Self-Portraiture in the Twentieth Century, Scarlet press, 1996. Mirzoeff, Nicholas, Bodyscape : art, modernity and the ideal figure. Routledge, 1995. Mulvey, Laura, Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema, & After thoughts on Visual Pleasure & Narrative Cinema, both in Visual & Other Pleasures, Macmillan, 1989, also in The Sexual Subject; the Screen reader on sexuality, 1994
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Owens, Craig, Beyond Recognition: Representation, Power, and Culture, University of California Press, 1992. Panofsky, Erwin, Perspective as Symbolic Form, Christopher S. Wood, trans., Zone Books 1991. Photographs Objects Histories: On the Materiality of Images, Elizabeth Edwards and Janice Hart, eds., Routledge, 2004. Richardson, C. Face On: Photography as Social Exchange, Black Dog 2000 Romanyshyn, Robert D., The Window and the Camera in Technology as Symptom and Dream, Routledge, 1989. Shinkle, Eugnie, Corporealis Ergo Sum: Affective Response in Digital Games, in Digital Gameplay: Essays on the Nexus of Game and Gamer, Nate Garrelts, ed., McFarland Press, 2005, pp21-35. Snyder, Joel, Picturing Vision Critical Inquiry 6 (Spring 1980), pp499-526.
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PHOTOGRAPHY IN CONTEXT
Module Code: 2PHO555 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography and Film Module Leader: Heather Barnett Host course: BA (Hons) Photographic Arts Status: Option Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: This module is about placing work before a wider audience. The display may take a variety of forms including exhibition, installation, print or electronic publication. Students may chose to re-contextualise or develop existing work or produce new work for a specific context and as a group organise, publicise and document the exhibition, installation or publication. Module Aims To develop skills of visual presentation of photographic work. To afford practical experience of presenting a body of work for a specific audience and context. To raise technical awareness and develop skills of design and communication in the public realm. To provide experience in working as a team to organise the production and to appraise the outcomes. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the context in which you produce art/media work. 2. Demonstrate competence in production and presentation of original material or development of already existing work for specific contexts and audiences. 3. Formulate and develop appropriate strategies for the promotion of communicative visuals in the public realm. 4. Demonstrate competence in the organisation and production of the exhibition/publication. Indicative syllabus content Overview of traditional and contemporary display conventions and contexts in the visual arts. Audiences and venues - assumptions and expectations. Graphic design and layout, text and image Presentation and installation skills. Group visits to galleries. Approaching curators. Preparation and delivery of publicity. Further development of the work as appropriate. Consideration of resource opportunities and limitations - sponsorship and funding. Selection methods and criteria. Documenting exhibition. Display and evaluation.
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Teaching and Learning Methods Workshops, seminars, visiting speakers, tutorials, interactive critical review. Assessment rationale The assessment focuses on the public display rather than the production of work and the assessment of the public display of work will measure learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. The critical self-appraisal will demonstrate comprehension of the module and the ability for selfreflection on the processes of research, planning, development, organisation, documentation, group contribution and will measure learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4. Assessment criteria Suitability of context in relation to the work's objectives and intended audience. Coherence and realisation of exhibition/publication. Appropriateness and professional quality of presentation. Promotion, Publicity and marketing the exhibition/publication. Assessment Methods and Weightings 80% Working as a group design and produce a public display of photographic work. 20% Write an individual critique of the work reflecting on the processes of research, planning, development, organisation, documentation and production of the exhibition/publication and an appraisal of your performance in the work of the group. (approx 1000 words form provided) Sources Essential reading AN, 2007, The Artists Information Company, (www.a-n.co.uk) Duffin, Debbie, 1997, AN Publications, Organising Your Exhibition. Staines, Judith, 1993, AN Publications , Selling. Wilson, Rhonda, 1993, Nottingham Trent University, Seeing the Light: The Photographer's Guide to Enterprise (www.artscouncil.org.uk/documents/publications/phpnft27j.pdf) Further reading Bezencenet, Stevie, 1987, Comedia, 'Exhibition' in Photographic Practices. Greenberg, Reesa, et al (eds), 1996, Routledge, Thinking About Exhibitions. Wallis, Brian, (ed), 1991, David R. Goidine, Art After Modernism: Rethinking Representation. Debord, Guy, 2002, Black and Red, Society of the Spectacle. Wolff, Janet, 1986, Macmillan, The Social Production of Art. Periodical references Art Forum, Art Monthly, Camera Austria, Frieze, Portfolio, Time Out (exhibition listings) www.references www.a-n.co.uk http://arts.guardian.co.uk/links/0,,797535,00.html www.bookworks.org.uk www.steidlville.com Date of Initial Validation: May 2001 Date of re-validation/review: May 2007
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PHOTOGRAPHY WORK PLACEMENT

Module Code: 2PHO561 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 15 School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Length: 1 semester Module Leader: Eileen Perrier Site: Harrow Host course: BA (Hons) Photographic Arts Status: Option Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Special features: Includes work placement/industrial experience. Access restrictions: None Summary of Module content In this module you will negotiate a work placement or client based project with your tutor and then submit for assessment an individual personal development portfolio. The portfolio will demonstrate a critical and analytical reflection on your learning experience and will cover all the learning outcomes. You will be assessed both on the content of your portfolio and your reflective approach. Module Aims To provide you with the opportunity to gain practical work-based experience. To enable you to establish a relationship between your course-based experience and professional practice. To enable you to develop a wide range of personal skills within the context of professional practice To develop your awareness of career paths after graduation. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful students will be able to: 1. Carry out an audit of their current knowledge, skills, values and aspirations. 2. Identify the job opportunities available to them in their chosen discipline. 3. Establish contact with professional practitioners in their chosen area. 4. Locate and carry out a period of professional practice through placement or equivalent project. 5. Record their experience in a from appropriate to discipline. 6. Review and critically evaluate their experience against prior learning. 7. Formulate a career plan based on their review and evaluation of knowledge, skills, values and aspirations. Indicative syllabus content The module begins with a programme of lectures and workshops which will cover general issues of commercial and institutional practice and a range of more specific professional skills. During the remainder of the module students will undertake a period of placement relevant to their professional interests, for example: work experience with professionals in the industry, completion of a piece of commissioned work for a professional client (this work may be integrated with the Contemporary Photography Practice module). Teaching and Learning Methods The teaching and learning methods are likely to include lectures, workshops, tutorials and work based experience. There will be an initial module introduction session outlining the purpose and intent of the module. You will also be offered a workshop to enable the identification of an appropriate placement experience. Assessment rationale Your portfolio should include all the elements outlined in the marking criteria guidelines. A
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successful portfolio will include all the specified content and will be easy to understand and assess (well-organised, indexed, etc.) There should be evidence of critical and analytical thinking and the portfolio should demonstrate your understanding of the knowledge, assumptions and values associated with your chosen professional field. Reflective statements will link theory to practice and will demonstrate your work-based learning. The portfolio will demonstrate your understanding of the career opportunities available to you and your reflections on these opportunities. Assessment Criteria, Critical self reflection and evaluation Awareness of the chosen area of the industry Ability to research and approach professionals within the industry Professionalism within the workplace Appropriateness and effectiveness of career plan
Assessment Methods and Weightings A portfolio comprising the following weighted elements 10% 7.5% 7.5% 15% 10% 25% 25% An audit of current knowledge, skills, values and aspirations. A map of the job opportunities available in the chosen profession. Database of practitioners in the field and evidence of contact. Summary of scope of professional practice (work offer, role and tasks, background to the organisation and specific project or tasks to be undertaken. Record the experience in a form appropriate to subject discipline. Review and critically evaluate the experience against prior learning. Formulate a career plan.
Essential Reading Thomas, G & Ibbotson J, Beyond the lens : rights, ethics and business practice in professional photography, Association of Photographers , 2003. Guirdham, M. & Tyler,K. Enterprise Skills for Students, Butterworth & Heinemann, 1992. Further Reading Boud, D. & Garrick, J., Understanding Learning at Work, Routledge, 1999. Brookfield, S., Developing Critical Thinkers, OUP 1987. Channon, A., Work Experience in Art & Design, CNAA, 1990 Handy, C. Understanding Organizations, Penguin, 1999. Mabey, T., Hounsell, D. & Entwistle, N.J., The Experience of Learning, Edinburgh Scottish Academic Press, 1984. Journals British Journal of Photography, eye site magazine. Websites Rhubard Rhugbarb www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net Association of Photographers www.the-aop.org
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CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICES

Short Module Title: Contemporary Photo Practice Module Code: 2PHO562 Module Level: 5 Academic credit weighting: 30 School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Length: 1 semester Module Leader(s): Gavin Jack & David Campany Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Subject Board: Photography Status: Core Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: Students are introduced to some of the main contexts for contemporary photographic practice through lectures and visiting practitioners working in a range of professional contexts (Art, Documentary, Editorial, Photojournalism, Fashion, Advertising, Book Publishing) Students produce a self defined photographic project for a clearly defined context and illustrated essay. Module Aims To enable students to develop an advanced understanding of both context and audience and its relation to photographic practices. To encourage students develop a professional approach to their own photographic practice by locating it within a clearly defined and researched context. To enable students to research, develop and produce a substantial body of work based on a self selected topic or subject as set out in a proposal. To promote confidence in developing and producing work that synthesises the conceptual and practical skills acquired through the course. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Formulate and prepare a project proposal 2. Conduct research into historical and contemporary practices appropriate to the project and its intended context. 3. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the chosen context. 4. Produce a substantial body of photography based practical work researched and developed in relation to a self selected topic, subject or theme. Indicative syllabus content The first part of the module will be lecture and seminar based where the notion of context will be examined in the abstract through consideration of the wall, the page and the screen as specific sites for photographic images each with its own history, conventions and requirements. Context will also be considered in a more concrete sense by examining the specific institutional and professional contexts for a diversity of photographic practices (Art, Documentary, Editorial, Photojournalism, Fashion, Advertising, Book Publishing). A range of visiting speakers will be invited from these fields (both photographers and the commissioning agents, editors, curators, designers etc who they work for). The second phase of the module will involve students proposing, researching and producing a photographic project aimed at a specific external context with tutorial support. There will be a programme of advanced skills workshops to support students in the production of their projects. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, Seminars, Practical workshops, tutorials, interactive critical review.
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Assessment rationale The two assessed elements are designed to allow students a great deal of autonomy in terms of the kind of project they undertake whilst ensuring that extensive and appropriate research be carried out into both the proposed context and field that the student will be working in. Assessment criteria Students will be assessed according to the following criteria: Project Concept Command of photographic medium Coherence of project Realisation Presentation Sensitivity of work for the proposed context Essay Evidence of research Evidence of critical evaluation with material Ability to construct a coherent argument Use of appropriate theoretical perspectives Use of relevant case studies and examples General presentation Assessment Methods and Weightings 60% Self defined body of photographic work 40% 2,000 wd illustrated critical essay on chosen context Sources The Photographic Page Parr & Badger, The Photobook: a history vols. I & II (Phaidon 2006) th Andrew Roth, The Book of 101 Books: seminal photographic books of the 20 century (Roth/Horowitz 2003) Eye: the international review of graphic design Kerry William Purcell, Alexey Brodovitch (Phaidon 2004) Blake Stimson Introduction, The Pivot of the World: photography and its nation (MIT Press 2006) Carol Armstrong, A Scene in a Library: reading the photograph in the book 1843-75 (MIT Press 2003) David Campany, Cinema on the Page in Photography and Cinema (Reaktion 2007) The Russian Avant Book 1910-1934 (MoMA, New York 2002) www.photo-eye.com The Photograph and the Wall Christopher Phillips The Judgment Seat of Photography in Bolton ed., The Contest of Meaning (MIT 1989) David Campany, A theoretical diagram in an empty classroom: Jeff Walls Picture for Women Oxford Art Journal March 2007 Mary Anne Staniszewski, The power of display: a history of exhibition installations at the Museum of Modern Art (MIT Press 1998) Eric Sandeen, Picturing an Exhibition: The Family of Man and 1950s America (Alberquerque UP 1998) Gavin Wade, Curating in the 21st Century (Baltic 2002) The Photograph and the Screen Lev Manovich Soft Cinema: navigating the database (MIT 2005) Chris Marker, Immemory CDrom Lev Manovich The language of New Media (MIT Press 2002) www.manovich.net/ Victor Burgin The Remembered Film (Reaktion 2006) David Green (ed) Stillness and Time; photography and the moving image (Photoforum 2006) James Monaco, Dictionary of New Media (Harbor Electronic 1999) David Campany, ed., The Cinematic (MIT/Whitechapel Gallery) Date of initial Validation: 2007
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CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL THEORIES

Module code: 2PHO631 Module Level: 6 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Neil Matheson, ext 4547, email: mathesn@westminster.ac.uk Host Course: BA Photographic Arts/BA Photography Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module Content This module will debate topics drawn from a range of subjects of current concern within visual culture. Areas might include: the theme of the body in contemporary art and photography; cultural memory; mimesis and the double; monstrosity; surveillance; fetishism. Theorists might include: Baudrillard, Deleuze and Guattari, Kristeva, Zizek, Lacan, Foucault, Virilio, Jameson, Badieu, or Butler. Module Aims To introduce students to a more advanced range of theoretical debates relevant to an understanding of contemporary culture. To provide students with a clear understanding of some key theoretical concepts and to relate those concepts to contemporary cultural practice and debates. To provide a space within which students are able to present their own ideas on, and debate those issues. To assist students in beginning to identify a suitable dissertation topic. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Have acquired a range of theoretical concepts relevant to an understanding of current cultural debates. 2. Apply that knowledge either to their own work or to contemporary cultural production. 3. Engage in debate of that theoretical material and summarise their views in a written seminar paper. 4. Produce a critical essay that engages with one of the themes of the module. Indicative syllabus content Actual content will vary according to the state of current debates around visual culture and according to the research interests of contributors. Typical areas for inclusion might be: Kristevas theory of abjection applied to contemporary art and photographic practice; Foucaults theory of surveillance and the role of lens-based media; Virilio and the militarization of vision; Deleuze and Guattari on faciality, monstrosity and the portrait; Judith Butler and the performance of masculinity; Zizek, popular culture and ideology; Aug and non-places; Cathy Caruths analysis of cultural memory and trauma. Teaching and learning methods: Lectures, seminars and tutorials - students will be expected to contribute to class discussions, as well as to bring along and present material for analysis in seminar sessions. Assessment rationale Following an initial series of lectures, students will be required to present short seminars based upon self-selected readings, related to the themes of the module. The student
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seminars will provide a space for students to engage with the taught material and to focus upon areas of personal interest. The seminar paper will test student ability to assimilate, summarise and clearly present an area of theoretical interest. Students are encouraged to identify topics that might later be developed as a dissertation. The essay aims to test more in-depth critical engagement with the material taught. The essay and the seminar paper will measure learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Assessment criteria The seminar paper will be assessed on: Critical response to seminar topic Evidence of originality and independent thought Evidence of research and quality of sources Critical evaluation of research materials Depth of engagement and comprehension of theoretical concepts Analysis of images (where applicable) General presentation including proper referencing format The essay will be assessed on: Ability to formulate an appropriate topic Evidence of originality and independent thought Evidence of research and quality of sources Critical evaluation of research materials Depth of engagement and comprehension of theoretical concepts Analysis of images (where applicable) General presentation including proper referencing format Assessment methods and weightings: 10% Seminar presentation 20% Seminar paper (1000 words) 70% Essay (2000 words) Essential readings: Baer, Ulrich, Spectral Evidence: The Photography of Trauma, MIT Press, 2002. Zizek, Slavoj, Looking Awry, MIT Press, 1991. Foster, Hal, The Return of the Real, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1996. Further reading: Elkins, James (ed), Photography Theory, Routledge, 2007. Batchen, Geoffrey, Burning with Desire: the Conception of Photography, MIT, 1997. Braidotti, Rosi, Nomadic Subjects, Columbia, 1994. Jones, Amelia, Body Art: Performing the Subject, University of Minnesota, 1998. Stewart, Susan, On Longing, Duke University Press, 1993. Butler, Judith, Gender Trouble, Routledge, 1990. Kristeva, Julia, Powers of Horror, Columbia University Press, 1982. Apter, Emily and Pietz, William (eds), Fetishism as Cultural Discourse, Cornell , 1993. Bois, Yves-Alain and Rosalind Krauss, Formless: A Users Guide, Zone Books, 1997. Aug, Marc, Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity, Verso, 1995. Adams, Parveen, The Emptiness of the Image, Routledge, 1996. Feher, Michel (ed), Fragments for a History of the Human Body, (Three volumes), Zone, 1989. Kirkup, G, Janes, L, Woodward, K (eds) The Gendered Cyborg: A Reader, Routledge, 2000. Bell, David and Barbara M Kennedy, The Cybercultures Reader, Routledge, 2000. Lyon, David, The Electronic Eye: The Rise in Surveillance Society, Polity, 1994. Periodical references: October, Artforum, Discourse, Afterall, Portfolio, Frieze, Art History, Oxford Art Journal and Cabinet. Date of Initial Validation : May 2001
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YEAR 3 MODULES
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PRACTICE RESEARCH
Module Code: 2PHO627 Module Level: 6 Academic credit weighting: 15 Length: 1 Semester School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Gavin Jack, x4527, g.h.jack@wmin.ac.uk Host Course: BA Photographic Arts Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: At this level students are required to demonstrate the capacity for sustained study and the production of high quality practical work. In this module students will prepare the ground for this by developing a research plan with the assistance of their tutor and carry out extensive research and development including the production of a pilot project and a Major Project proposal. Module Aims To assist students to develop a research plan which identifies in detail the research, resources and management required to progress towards a substantial practical project.. To enable students to determine a subject area and, through research and development, to prepare for the production of that project. To produce photographic investigations as defined and projected in the research plan. To prepare a Major Project proposal in relation to their intended objectives, audience and context. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Develop appropriate research techniques and methods. 2. Develop a critically informed means of production for the communication of their ideas. 3. Demonstrate the project management skills of organisation, planning and budgeting for an extensive practical project. 4. Produce a pilot project of self directed practical work for the Major Project. 5. Demonstrate a critical evaluation of their work in the form of a research report. 6. Demonstrate skills in the writing of a Major Project proposal. Indicative syllabus content Students elect to work in any medium, which is suitable for their project, and in which they are proficient including: photography, digital imaging, multimedia and (by arrangement) video. Initial research and development. Preparing a research plan: definition of prior skills and knowledge, topic, objectives, research requirements, resources, timetables. Advanced skills augmentation workshops/seminars. Production of pilot project through visual research and practical investigation. Student presentations to peer group. Project proposal preparation. Teaching and Learning Methods Seminars, individual and group tutorials, presentations of work in progress, independent study. Assessment rationale Although this module requires the production of a body of practical work in the form of a pilot project, the emphasis is placed upon research and pre-production. Exceptionally, the practical
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project should be seen, here, as part of the process of visual research rather than as an end product. In shifting this emphasis students are encouraged to undertake a deeper level of research and conceptual engagement than in previous projects. Simultaneously they will have the opportunity to develop a more innovative visual approach through experimentation, trial and error and critical reflection. The assessment of the proposal will measure learning outcomes 2 and 6. The research file documenting the processes of research, planning, development, organisation, and pre-production including test materials and the pilot project will measure learning outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Assessment criteria The proposal will be assessed on: Coherence of project. Conceptual strengths of the project Critical and creative engagement with the chosen field of representation. The research file including test materials and the pilot project will be assessed on: Coherence of project. Conceptual strengths of the project Quality of research (identification of appropriate references, rigour methodology). Critical and creative engagement with the chosen field of representation. Command of the medium of the pilot project. Assessment Methods and Weightings 25% Major Project proposal of 500 to 1000 words. 75% Research file containing research proposal, research report with bibliography contacts and test materials, production timetable, a budget and edits of pilot project/s.
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Sources References will be determined by students in relation to their individual project requirements and will be identified in their research plan. Date of Initial Validation: May 2004
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PHOTOGRAPHY DISSERTATION
Module Code: 2PHO632 Module Level: 6 Academic credit weighting: 45 Length: Year long School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Module Leader: Neil Matheson, ext 4547, email: mathesn@westminster.ac.uk Host Course: BA Photographic Arts/BA Photography Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: None Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content Through self-initiated research students initially identify an appropriate topic within the field of visual culture and produce a written proposal of their dissertation topic. With tutorial support from their supervisor, they then develop their research and writing skills and transform that proposal into a written dissertation. Module Aims To enable students to undertake substantial, structured research into a specific topic susceptible to academic treatment and to relate that topic to the critical, historical and theoretical concerns encountered on the course. The research work for the dissertation enables students to locate and evaluate primary and secondary source materials within the field of visual culture. Tutorials (and where appropriate, seminars) extend students verbal and written skills, to enable the production of a substantial theoretical and critical discourse on their chosen topic. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Research existing literature and other relevant source materials on a specified topic. 2. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of relevant existing literature and related Research materials to the chosen topic. 3. Construct a clear and critical argument grounded in thorough research. 4. Manage the preparation and presentation of an extended academic dissertation in the appropriate format. Indicative syllabus content Individual tutorials on research development and argument. Seminar work as appropriate, including student presentations of topics in tutor groups. Ordering and critical evaluation of research materials. Contextualising the study within the broader theoretical and critical debates. Time management. Writing style and procedures for presentation of material. Teaching and Learning Methods Primary methods are self-directed learning, tutorials and seminars. Reseach skills are also taught by the Learning Resouces Centre. Students are expected to identify their own timetable for the schedule of research and writing of the dissertation. Seminar work with tutor groups (where appropriate) and individual tutorials support the student in developing their own research work, planning, critical analysis and procedures for presentation of the academic dissertation. Assessment rationale Students will be required to submit a formal proposal of their dissertation topic by a deadline
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set at an early stage of the module. The proposal must provide a c.300 word statement of the topic and be supported by an annotated bibliography. The dissertation and the research work involved in its production enables students to locate source materials (primary and secondary) and extends their verbal and written presentation skills for the production of an informed, researched and developed critical argument on an identified topic and will measure learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Assessment criteria The dissertation topic proposal will not be assessed but will accrue 10% of the mark if submitted by the set deadline. The dissertation will be assessed on the: Formulation of a clearly defined and appropriate topic Creativity, originality and independence of thought Thoroughness of research and quality of sources Ability to construct and develop a coherent argument based on the research Independent critical evaluation and synthesis of research sources, case study examples and materials Depth of engagement and comprehension of theoretical concepts Critical analysis of images (where applicable) General presentation, including proper referencing format Assessment Methods and Weightings 10% Dissertation proposal (c.300 words, plus annotated bibliography) 90% Dissertation (9000 - 11000 words) Sources Specific readings are identified, based on the specific topic of study by the student through negotiation between tutor and student and the student is expected to provide an annotated key text bibliography at an early stage of the module. Students are expected to identify the following: Essential reading and further reading Periodical references Website references Handouts provide further detailed guidance on formulation of the dissertation topic and production of the dissertation. Other standard readings on research methods, writing style and dissertation production include: Martin Luck, Your Student Research Project, Gower, 1999. Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Style Manual, Modern Language Association, New York, 1998, nd Stella Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook, Palgrave Macmillan, 2 edition, 2003. Andrew Northedge, The Good Study Guide, The Open University, new edition, 2005. Susan M. Hubbuch, Writing Research Papers Across the Curriculum, Thomson Wadsworth, 2005. th Audrey J. Roth, The Research Paper, Thomson Wadsworth, 8 edition, 1999. P. Dunleavy, Studying for a Degree in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Macmillan 1986. E. Kane, Doing your Research: How to do Basic Descriptive Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Marion Boyars, 1984. Date of Initial Validation: May 2001
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MAJOR PROJECT
Module Code: 2PHO633 Module Level: 6 Academic credit weighting: 45 School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Length: 1 semester Module Leader: Gavin Jack, ext 4527, g.h.jack@wmin.ac.uk Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Pre-requisites: Practice Research or Advanced Practice Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content: Building upon the work completed during the Practice Research or Advanced Practice modules, students produce a fully resolved body of work that takes into account the requirements of placing the work in the public domain. Module Aims To enable students to achieve a substantial and fully resolved body of work to a high standard conceptually and technically, appropriate not only for academic scrutiny but also for public presentation and to support applications for employment, arts funding, post graduate study, etc. To extend students' ability to meet production demands and employ presentational forms which are suitable for the purpose of the work. To further student's expertise and confidence with their chosen medium. To demonstrate an understanding of the economic determinants, historical precedents and institutional contexts arising from representing ideas and choosing visual strategies, in relation to identified audiences. Learning Outcomes By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 1. Work independently and synthesise prior learning in achieving a resolved body of photographic work that takes into account the requirements of its anticipated audience and context. 2. Exercise critical judgement, imagination and technical control in mediation and presentation. 3. Demonstrate a critical evaluation of their work in the form of a self appraisal. Indicative syllabus content Students elect to work in any medium which is suitable for their project and in which they are proficient including: photography, digital imaging, multimedia, New Media and (by arrangement) video. Advanced skills augmentation workshops/seminars. Independent study Student presentations to peer group. Work in progress review Interactive critical peer review Teaching and Learning Methods Individual and group tutorials, independent research, presentations. Assessment rationale The emphasis in this module is on the successful realisation and production of a body of work in relation to the objectives and learning outcomes as set out in the initial proposal. Assessment criteria Conceptual strengths (quality of ideas, critical awareness)
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Command of Medium (technical and creative control) Coherence of project Presentation (quality of finish, professionalism of presentation appropriate to context)
Assessment Methods and Weightings 100% Final Project. You should also submit a Project Synopsis a concise statement (300-500wds typed) of the intentions and main concept of the work written in such a way that would help a first time viewer understand the work. You should also submit any supporting material such as contact sheets, edited out prints etc. Sources References will be dependant on individual projects and will be negotiated with project tutors. Date of initial Validation: May 2001
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PROFESSIONAL FUTURES
Module Code: 2PHO634 Module Level: 6 Academic credit weighting: 15 School: Media, Arts & Design Department: Photography & Digital Media Length: 1 semester Module Leader: Andre Pinkowski Status: Core Subject Board: Photography Pre-requisites: Practice Research or Advanced Practice Assessment: 100% coursework Summary of Module content This module is intended to enable students to prepare for their careers post graduation. Through a series of lectures, workshops and independent study, students will develop skills appropriate to a range of relevant career opportunities including: career research, compiling a CV, engaging with potential employers, post graduate study and grant application and compiling a portfolio. Module Aims To introduce students to relevant career options. To enable students to compile a portfolio of their practical work. To enable students to compile and adapt a Curriculum Vitae. To familiarise students with skills and strategies necessary to assist them in the development of their careers. To enable students to identify a suitable career pathway based on critical reflection of their skills and abilities. Learning Outcomes 1. By the end of the module the successful student is expected to be able to: 2. Define parameters of employment possibility through research. 3. Demonstrate their employability to a range of employers with a Curriculum Vitae. 4. Understand the procedures necessary for successful employment, self-employment, post graduate study and grant applications in various photographic industries. 5. Compile and present a portfolio of practical work in an appropriate format and to a professional level. 6. Discuss their practical work with outside experts/potential employers and critically reflect on their written comments. Indicative syllabus content There will be a series of intensive workshops on, for example: Compiling a portfolio in the appropriate format (CD and paper based) Preparing a Curriculum Vitae. Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights Building a support network. Long-term career strategies. Becoming self-employed, running a small business. Grant Applications. Applications for post graduate study. Researching and applying for jobs. Career counselling and advice services. Talks by a range of visiting speakers from the photographic industry, including employers, curators, editors, commissioners and successful graduates of the course. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, workshops and seminars, practical exercises, independent study.
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Assessment rationale The assessment is designed to require students to reflect on the learning they have done whilst on their course of study and to identify their areas of strength in relation to future career goals. They must also be able to clearly articulate and present these strengths in the form of a CV and portfolio. The requirement for them, not only to produce a portfolio of their work to a professional standard, but also to approach professionals for written feedback will ensure that valuable first steps are made on their career path whilst still within the support structure of the university. Assessment criteria Students will be assessed on Evidence of appropriate research into and understanding of chosen employment market. Capacity to complete a Curriculum Vitae that presents their experience and achievements in a suitable form. Suitability of selection and presentation of portfolio to intended career. Ability to establish links with external professionals and critically reflect on their written response to portfolio. Assessment Methods and Weightings 60% Portfolio appropriate for intended career path. 15% Analysis of the photographic area you like to work in/progress to (approx 400 words). 15% A critical evaluation of your work based on the written response to your portfolio by at least two external experts. 10% Appropriately presented Curriculum Vitae. Sources Essential reading Kelley, Jackie, Beyond the lens: rights, ethics and business practice in professional photography, 2nd ed, Association of Photographers, 1996. Wilson, R., Seeing the Light: The Photographer's Guide to Enterprise, Nottingham Trent University, 1993. Further reading Ball, Ben: Manage your own career, British Psychological Society, 1989. Brightwell, Chris, Setting your sights, IKON Productions, 1991. Eggert, Max, The perfect CV, London: Arrow, 1999. Evans, Desmond W,. People, communication and organisations, Pitman, 1990. Gutmann, Joanna, How to write a successful CV, London: Sheldon, 1995 Handy, C. Understanding Organizations, Penguin, 1999. Periodical references British Journal of Photography, Artists Newsletter, Portfolio Magazine, pluk Magazine, Next Level Magazine, Foto 8, Artforum, Colors, Camera Austria WWW references British Journal of Photography - www.bjphoto.co.uk Association of Photographers - www.the-aop.org National Union of Journalists - www.nuj.org.uk London Freelance - www.gn.apc.org/media/nuj.html Rhubarb Rhubarb www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net The British Press Photographers Association www.thebppa.com Date of initial Validation: May 2001
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APPENDIX 1 The following links will provide further information about the University and how it can support you throughout your studies and also your rights and responsibilities you have as a student at the University of Westminster. Academic Services Department: westminster.ac.uk/academic-services-students University Services for Students Career Development Centre This service can help you plan your future by providing quality information, advice and guidance on the options to consider when you leave the University of Westminster, and enhancing your employability while studying. Information is available on graduate work, internships, part-time work during your studies and voluntary opportunities within charities. You may use the service at any stage but we would advise you to make contact early in your course. Full details of all vacancies advertised by the Career Development Centre are available through the Prospects Net vacancy and event system on the website. There are also Information Rooms based at 101 New Cavendish Street and the Harrow campus, containing a range of comprehensive careers resources. For further information please go to www.westminster.ac.uk/careers Counselling Service The Counselling Service provides confidential counselling to all students on personal and emotional matters, including study-related anxieties, relationship difficulties, stress and mental health concerns. Both individual and group counselling is available. There is also mentoring programme available to support those students who have long-term mental health problems. Throughout the year, the Counselling Service organises workshops and events on issues of concern to support students. The service is provided in central London and Harrow throughout the year. To contact the Counselling Service: Student Advice Service This service is provided in central London throughout the year and at Harrow during term-time. A team of specialist Student Advisers provides a range of information and advice on practical and financial issues, including those relating to: Student funding Tuition fee status Visas and work permits Social security benefits Tax and national insurance Suspending, withdrawing or changing course effects on funding
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Financial Capability Adviser: A specialist financial capability adviser is available to offer guidance on managing your money and avoiding or dealing with debt. International student advice: The International Student Adviser organizes the International Student Welcome Programme for international students when they first arrive, and continues to provide help and advice to international students during their studies. One-to-one support is available to students who are finding it difficult to settle in, feel lonely or are suffering from the effects of culture shock. Please visit our website for further information: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-1318 Student Advice Service First Floor 101 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XH Tel: +44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext. 66080 Email: studentadvice@westminster.ac.uk Harrow (term-time only) Maria Hewlett Building Watford Road Northwick Park Harrow HA1 3TP Tel: +44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext. 4023 Email: studentadvice@westminster.ac.uk
Unilet Student Housing Services Provide help and advice in securing accommodation. http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/student-accommodation International Office http://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/international Student Health Services http://www.wmin.ac.uk/studenthealth
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APPENDIX 2 GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY USED REGULATORY TERMS (Undergraduate courses) All students should make sure that they access, for reference, a copy of the current edition of the Handbook of Academic Regulations. The following glossary should be read in conjunction with Section 17, the Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses. The full text of all academic regulations may be read on-line at the Academic Registrars homepage at: westminster.ac.uk/academic-regulations. Attempt To register for a module and not withdraw from that module or course by the specified deadlines. Critically, if a student decides to withdraw from a module or their course but does not complete the necessary notification forms by the due date they will be deemed to have failed the module i.e. to have used up one attempt and the associated modular credits. Therefore, particular care should be taken to ensure that a Change of Module Registration form is completed before the published deadline, and/or that written notification of withdrawal from the course is provided before the Subject Board meets to consider the results of the module for that semester. Pass The overall pass mark for all undergraduate level modules is 40%; with at least 30% in the final assessment and any qualifying marks and/or sets achieved. Qualifying marks and/or sets will be stated in the module syllabus and/or award specific regulations and students should be notified of these requirements within two weeks of the start of the module. A module may include both coursework and examination elements of assessment. The validated Course Handbook and the detailed module guidance must specify the type of assessment for each module and the weighting of these elements. Qualifying Mark(s) for Assessment The minimum mark required in any element of assessment, or group of assessments known as a set. A qualifying mark is required in addition to achieving the module pass requirements (see Pass above). Condoned Credit at Levels 3 and 4 The term Condoned Credit relates solely to undergraduate modules at Levels 3 and 4 and it means to have attempted a module, completed all of the assessment requirements and achieved an overall module mark of greater than or equal to 30%. A result of Condoned Credit means that although the student has failed the module overall they have broadly achieved the learning outcomes for the module such that the academic credits can be counted towards the total needed for an academic award within the course scheme in which they are registered. These credits are defined formally as Condoned Credits, and the module can fulfil the pre-requisite requirements of a module at the next level, except where course specific regulations require the prerequisited module to be passed. Undergraduate modular course regulations allow the equivalent of modules worth no more than 45 credits at Levels 3 and 4 to be Condoned for the purposes of progression and to count towards an Honours degree. However some courses state that certain modules (e.g. cores) must be passed with an overall mark of at least 40% to meet course specific regulations.
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Critically, a student must have attempted the initial and referred assessment(s) in a module to be considered eligible for condoned credit. Modules for which a condoned result is recorded will remain on a students profile and transcript. Fail If the overall module mark is less than or equal to 39% the module has been failed even if some elements of assessment reached or exceeded the pass mark. (See the Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses in the Handbook of Academic Regulations for details on action in the case of failure.) Refer/Referral/Referred If a student fails to achieve an overall pass in a module and/or failed to achieve the qualifying mark/set within a module, as detailed in the module handbook, a Subject Board may decide, at its discretion, to allow the student to be referred (to resubmit coursework or resit exams for part or all of the module) provided that they have attempted the assessment(s) at the initial opportunity and achieved an overall module mark of greater than or equal to 30%. The Subject Board will specify the date for referred work in accordance with the approved University Calendar: westminster.ac.uk/university-calendar. A student will not normally be referred in a part of the module in which they have either not attempted the assessment(s) at the initial opportunity or already achieved the pass mark. Any student who is offered referral but who does not take up the offer will retain the fail mark originally recorded for the module. The overall mark for any module successfully completed following a referral will be capped at the pass mark (40% for undergraduate modules) irrespective of the actual mark the student achieves. The term refer is used on student transcripts and profiles to indicate that a Subject Board has agreed to offer the student the opportunity of a referral (reassessment) in a module. Students are reminded that when they are referred in a module or any part of a module, the overall mark will be capped at the pass mark (40%) regardless of the actual mark they achieve. Retake Where a student has failed a module, the Subject Board may permit the student to retake the module. Retaking a module means to study the module again with attendance and payment of the module fee. The student must re-register for the module and complete all assessments (e.g. all coursework, practicals, in-class tests, critical reviews of studio work, examinations or other form of assessment requirements). This applies regardless of the marks the student achieved in any element of assessment at the first attempt. The actual marks awarded in a second attempt will be capped at the pass mark (40%) irrespective of the marks achieved. Modules may be attempted only twice (i.e. a first attempt and a subsequent retake). For the purposes of counting the number of credits that have been attempted towards the award of an Honours degree, a student must not have attempted more than 330 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6 (Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses). A first attempt of any module will count as an attempt, and a retake will count as a further separate attempt. However a referral following failure at the first attempt does not count as a further separate attempt.
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For example, if a student is referred in a 15 credit module following failure at the first attempt, then the first attempt and the referral will count as 15 credits attempted (in total). If a student then retakes a 15 credit module following failure in that module at the first attempt, the first attempt and the re-retake shall together count as 30 credits attempted (irrespective of any referrals). Differences between Refer (Referred/Referral) and Retake A student being referred in a module would not normally need to repeat components of the assessment for the module that had already been passed. A student retaking a module must complete the full assessment requirements irrespective of marks achieved at the first attempt in individual components of the assessment. A student being referred in a module would only be required to undertake assessment and would not have to pay the module fee again. A student retaking a module would have to repeat the whole module with attendance and would have to pay the full module fee again. A referral does not count as a further separate attempt for the regulations governing the maximum number of credits that can be attempted for an Honours degree (330 credits at Credit Levels 5 and 6, Modular Framework for Undergraduate Courses). A retake does count as a further attempt for these purposes. A module being referred in the following academic year will not count towards the number of credits being attempted in any one session in terms of the overall number of credits for which a full-time or part-time student may register in any academic session (i.e. 135 credits for full-time and 90 credits for part-time students at undergraduate level). A module being retaken (with attendance) in the following session will be counted in this way. Deferral This term is used on student transcripts and profiles to indicate that a student has been granted permission for a late assessment (or in some cases a further assessment) by a given date (this will usually be as a result of a successful outcome of a student's Mitigating Circumstances submission). In the case of a deferred assessment, the student will be awarded the actual mark achieved (i.e. there is no penalty and the mark is not capped). Deferral coursework and examination opportunities are detailed in the Academic Calendar: westminster.ac.uk/university-calendar. For further details please contact your School Registry. Pre-requisite Students may have to have achieved a condoned credit at Level 4 or pass a certain module before they can study another. In this case the first module is defined as prerequisite for the second module. Unless the course specific regulations require a pass in the pre-requisited module, a condoned result will suffice. Co-requisite Modules may be linked in such a way that a student is required to attempt one module at the same time as another, in which case the two modules are defined as corequisites for each other. Dis-requisites (or restricted) Modules may be linked in such a way that registration for a particular module may not be permitted if a student is currently studying or has previously studied a module with a similar syllabus which has been designated as a dis-requisite, or which has approved access restrictions.
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Student Module Profile Students can access a student module profile via SRSWeb. This shows the module(s) for which they are registered, module results for modules which they have attempted and re-assessment opportunities, where applicable; as well as results for previous academic sessions. Notes to accompany this are available via SRSWeb and the School Registry. Transcript A transcript is issued upon completion of a course. It is the Universitys formal record of achievement of modules passed or condoned, percentage marks and total number of credits awarded to a student. It also confirms the level, title and classification of the final award. Students can request a transcript either to give to an employer, or an admissions tutor for a programme of further study, or for the purposes of credit transfer.
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Bapa Handbook 10 - 11 Final

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BA (Hons) Photographic Arts

Course Handbook 2010/11

Definitive Version September 2010

20 September - 17 December 2010

10 January - 8th April 2011 03 May - 25 June 2011

June 2010 June 2010 July 2010 tbc July 2010

SECTION TWO COURSE HANDBOOK

GLG.18 GLG.10 GLG.10 GLG.18 JG.61

cobbd@wmin.ac.uk cunninr@wmin.ac.uk freemad@westminster.ac.uk austinc@westminster.ac.uk S.Rowelsky@westminster.ac.uk

4505 4050 4594 4505 5935

Wednesday Thursday Friday

12.00 - 18.00 12.00 - 18.00 12.00 - 16.00 12:00 - 16.00

Vacation Time: Monday - Friday Telephone: Fax: 1.5

020 7911 5000 ext 5936 020 7911 5921

Pictography 4500 printer

PowerMac G5 19" Spectraview Monitor

85 - 100% 75 - 84% 70 - 74%

(A+) (A) (A-)

Upper Second / 2.1 67 - 69% 64 - 66% 60 - 63 %

(B+) (B) (B-)

Lower Second / 2.2 57 - 59% 54 - 56% 50 - 53%

(C+) (C) (C-)

47 - 49% 44 - 46% 40 - 43%

(D+) (D) (D-)

Fail (Condoned Credit) 36 - 39% 30 - 35%

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICE

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VISUAL CULTURE

INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICE

MODERNITY AND AFTER

Demonstration of technical control of media and production methods.

PHOTOGRAPHY & PUBLICATION

DIGITAL MANIPULATION & PHOTOMONTAGE

TECHNOLOGIES OF THE SELF

PHOTOGRAPHY WORK PLACEMENT

CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHIC PRACTICES

CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL THEORIES

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