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LIBS 440 capstone courses offer seniors the opportunity to reflect upon, discuss, critique and write about their experience in art and design in relation to general education, major fields, senior projects, vocational aspirations, and compelling questions in practice and community.  Thus, the capstone is a unique opportunity for students to reflect on their education: the expectations that they arrived with, the knowledge and skills gained and how these experiences have, can, and will shape their creativity. Through discussion and reflection, students identify articulate, research, write about, and discuss specific issues and concerns that they believe are the most critical in developing an understanding of and evaluating their college experience and its dynamic relation to themselves as artists and designers. A minimum grade of "C-" (2.0) is required to pass this course.

Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course you will be able to:

  • Identify and explain the issues that you think are most important in relation to your studio work and/or yourself as an artist or designer through discussion, personal reflection, research, and reflective writing.
  • Critically reflect on your educational experience at Otis, and its relationship and value to your development as an artist/designer/creator over the past four years.
  • Critically position yourself and your studio work within the larger expanse of the art/design world, your particular field, or conversations in academia/culture.
  • Utilize an electronic portfolio where you will post your reflections and your own work.
  • Demonstrate senior-level critical thinking, researching, and writing skills through an assignment that involves individual choice of topic, independent research, analysis and synthesis of information, and the ability to sustain a convincing argument in a paper of substantial length.
  • Refine your time management skills through assignments that require independent organization of time and effort.  

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is LAS Capstone?

    The LAS capstone course offers you a unique opportunity to reflect on your education, artistic practices and/or interests. Through discussion and reflection, you will identify, articulate, research, write about, and discuss specific issues and concerns that you believe are the most critical in understanding and evaluating an engaging issue and its dynamic relationship to you
    as an artist and designer.

    The capstone is a blended class which means that about 30% of the course will be communicated online.  Some weeks you will meet as a class, some weeks you will meet individually with your instructor, and some weeks will you will work independently posting work online instead of going to class or having meetings.  You will work closely with your instructor discussing and reviewing all posted work to help you revise and be successful.

  • What will be expected of me?

    You will be researching and writing a paper that is approximately 12-15 pages or 3750 words, post this paper, along with a cover letter, a bibliography, and an annotated bibliography on your eportfolio, and will present this work to your class.  You will have much support from your instructor, the library staff, the SRC, and your peers.

  • Why should I want to do this?

    Your ability to critically think, to research, to utilize visual literacy, to analyze, to demonstrate mastery of a particular topic, to write in an articulate manner, and to skillfully present your work to an audience are all demonstrated through your capstone experience.  In other words, this class and what you produce “caps” or completes your Liberal Studies and Otis experience.

  • What can I do over the summer?

    Write down a list of topics you are interested in researching.  You will be asked to bring this list with you the first day of class in the fall.  Should you wish to get a head-start on your semester, you should choose a topic, email a LAS instructor from the list below for commentary, work with that instructor to write and revise a thesis statement (perspective or argument for your paper), and do some research using the Otis Databases (linked through our library page).    There will be a pathfinder or link on the Otis library page available before summer break which will take you to an eportfolio which has some helpful advice and useful links.

  • Who can I contact?

    The following are professors in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Dept.  Their specialties are listed although they all have other interests and expertise.  Feel free to email them this semester or over the summer with questions.

    Kerri Steinberg, Art History
    ksteinberg@otis.edu

    Heather Joseph-Witham, Folklore and Mythology
    hwitham@otis.edu

    Jeanne Willette, Art History and Critical Theory
    willette@otis.edu

    David Bremer, Literature and Theology
    dbremer@otis.edu