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Curtin University
Humanities

Major essay submissions

You should choose your essay topic from the list provided, or as nominated, by your lecturer. Should you wish to alter an essay topic or offer an alternative you must consult with your lecturer early in the semester.

Changes of essay topics will NOT be accepted after week 7 of the semester.

Your essays will be read with care and attention, trying to see what you have thought about the given subject, what you have understood of the set reading, and what you may have discovered from your own research. In general marks will be awarded for the quality of the ideas and expression. However, if your spelling and grammar are so bad that your ideas are obscured then you will lose marks as a consequence.

If essay writing is to be educationally worthwhile it must involve a two-way communication. You should consider carefully any comments and corrections on your essay when it is returned to you. If there is anything you do not understand, or any criticism you disagree with, then ask for an explanation. You have the right to disagree and you will not be penalised for this. In talking about art we are concerned with significant and complex problems so it is reasonable to expect that there will be areas of contention and disagreement between us.

At the tertiary level essays should be presented as if for publication or submission for a formal purpose. Learning to do this is a worthwhile end in itself and deserves careful attention. In your future professional lives as artists you will invariably need such skills. For example you may want to publish articles or manifestos, or perhaps make submissions for arts grants etc. To be a clear communicator within such a discourse is as important as being fluent in your chosen visual field.

The research skills required for preparing essays and tutorials are also invaluable in developing your professional practice as artists and in gathering information for your studio practice. If you are having difficulties with your written work If you are having difficulties in preparing your essay please seek the advice of your tutor. If you wish, you may hand in a draft of your essay at least two weeks before the submission date so that your tutor can advise on any necessary corrections and provide a commentary on the successes and shortcomings of your essay.

Distribution of marks for all Visual Culture units

Some lecturers may make slight variations on this pattern. These changes will be detailed in the Course Outline handed out in the first week of semester.

In the first semester of first year in the unit Introduction to Visual Culture the tutorial mark is broken down into shorter written assignments and your contribution to tutorials.