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The Curriculum

The main objective of the Computer Graphics Program at the Community College of Southern Nevada is to prepare students for a changing workplace where computers are being used more and more in the creation and transmission of visual messages.

The curriculum prepares students for professional positions in the industries that currently use this technology: 

• publishing
• prepress and printing
• graphic design
• computer animation
• interactive video games
• video post-production 
• interface design.

The Computer Graphics Program offers the students a number of options depending upon their career goals and abilities. 

Computer Graphic majors can concentrate their studies in the following areas:

• computer graphics design
• electronic publishing
• multimedia authoring
• web design
• 2D animation

The program starts with a conceptual overview of the field. Concepts, terminology and the manipulation of the digital tools are stressed. A variety of computer graphic assignments and projects introduce the student to the differences between vector and bitmap graphics.

From there, the students go on to learn the fundamentals of industry standard graphic applications, and to take intermediate and advanced course in two- and three-dimensional computer graphics and animation.

The mission of Computer Graphics is to 

• train people to use digital tools for design and creative production for first-time employment (for those seeking to enter the field)
• skills enhancement (for those already within the work force).

The course offerings 

• build a solid foundation to facilitate and exploit specific employment opportunities using digital media technologies
• provide the education in concepts and approaches to technology necessary for lifelong learning and transfer to a four-year institution (university or design school).

The curriculum is structured so that a student can begin at the highest level possible. 

Credit by Examination is available in introductory/fundamental and level-one courses: 

• Introduction to Graphic Communications
• Introduction to Computer Graphics,
• Computer Graphics Fundamentals for Print
• Computer Graphics Fundamentals for Multimedia,
• Desktop Publishing I
• Computer Illustration I
• Electonic Imaging I.

The Instruction
The program provides training and education in five categories:

Macintosh

• Introduction to Macintosh (this is a CIT course administered by Computer Graphics program, which uses all of Macintosh classrooms in teaching its courses)
• Macintosh Troubleshooting & OS Management

General / basic computer graphics

• Introduction to Computer Graphics
• Color Scanning
• Computer Illustration I & II
• Electronic Imaging I & II
• Digital Photo Retouching

Design / graphics / art concepts

• Introduction to Graphic Communications
• Design Fundamentals
• Electronic Design
• 3D Electronic Design
• Layout & Typography Fundamentals
• Creative Typography
• Rendering & Illustration Electronic Painting
• Internship in Graphic Communications

Print-related graphics

• Electronic Publishing I & II
• Electronic Prepress

Multimedia-related graphics

• Computer Graphics/Digital Media
• Web Design & Publishing I & II
• Web Animation & InteractivityI & II
• Computer Animation I & II
• Multimedia Design & Production I & II

Since the Computer Graphics program's inception, it's curriculum has been continually changing. While it has been exclusively taught on the Macintosh platform (the traditional standard in the computer graphics field), the addition of a PC (Windows) classroom in Henderson in Fall 1999 as a designated facility for Computer Graphics is allowing students an option to courses taught on that platform.

Software
The software used within the courses is predominately produced by three major players in the graphics industry and include:

• Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, ImageReady and Premiere
• Macromedia Director, Flash, Fireworks, Dreamweaver
• Quark XPress
• A number of other applications are also used to support the curriculum.

The approach is not to solely train the students to use computer graphic applications, but to also educate them as to what can be done with them. Instruction in design is incorporated into all courses which use these software packages. The goal is to help the students to create (and design) as well as produce (or reproduce) graphics using the computer.

Instructional Staff

The five full-time faculty member's commitment to provide the finest education to their students is reflected in the amount of time spent preparing and updating their course work and presentations. Dan Lyons recently published a book and is currently working on another. M. Elyse Diamond and Ken Pugh are also both working on a book. Ed Kanet maintains the program's web site and updates materials to aid in the counseling and instruction of students.

The web is increasingly being used in coursework. The curriculum and degree sheets are updated each year to bring the degree requirements in line with the demands of this dynamic field. Efforts to use technology (a foundation in this industry) increase each semester: networking, email lists, web pages.

Student Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes for students in computer graphics are categorized into five basic areas of development:

Communications
Ability to gather, process, and understand the numerable inputs and innovations in the field, and recognize career possibilities and opportunities in computer graphics. Job-searing skills for presenting self through written communications, interviews, portfolio presentations, critiques. Exchanging and understanding complex oral messages with individuals and within groups.

Design
Applying and evaluating the design processes; creative expression of ideas through design. Developing individual style and technique.

Technology
Students develop the attitudes, knowledge, skills, perspective, and vision necessary to make informed decisions in a technological society, especially within the field of digital media. An appreciation for and a commitment to lifelong learning is closely tied to the success of creatives in increasingly dynamic change in technology relating to computer graphics.

Critical Thinking
Interpreting, evaluating, and analyzing digital works of art, both the student's and others, in the context of reflective thought and critical discussion. Showing an understanding of the important aspects of a work. Finding solutions to design and communications problems through critical examination of the purpose and aesthetics involved. Selecting and utilizing a variety of subject matter and symbols to express ideas in visual form.

Production
Using digital technology to create industry standard projects, which includes the necessary production techniques and skills and understanding of production processes in the computer graphics industry. Using computer graphics terminology, applications, and hardware to produce all varieties of projects using digital media to create and present.

The student learning outcomes outline the acquisition and application of knowledge for which students will be accountable in their profession. Many of these outcomes reflect not only the demands of industry, but also encompass the discipline, methods of inquiry, and study skills required for success in all areas of higher education.

Degrees and Certificates

The Associate of Applied Science Degree is offered in three areas of Computer Graphics, consisting of the equivalent of four semesters of full-time attendance:

• Computer Graphics Design (creative work which is destined for the printing press)
• Multimedia Authoring (creative work which is destined for a screen or monitor and includes multimedia authoring and animation)
• Web Design  (a more specific and fast growing area within multimedia) began in Fall 1999

Certificates of Achievement are additional options in all three areas (as well as in Electronic Publishing—a more specific area within Computer Graphics (initiated in Fall 1999)—and 2D Animation (initiated in the Fall of 2001) and consists of the equivalent of two semesters of full-time attendance.

Once a degree is earned, an additional certificate, in another area, could be earned in the equivalent of an additional semester.

Graduation

Upon graduation, students are expected to demonstrate a sufficient level of visual communication skills and concepts, as well as a deep understanding of the computer graphics technology.

Today's design studio uses the computer to perform tasks that just a few years ago were executed by hand; publishing enterprises use computer graphics in their everyday production; video and broadcasting companies base their services on mid- and high-end computer graphics equipment.

Physical Facilities, Equipment and Technology

The computer graphics program has exclusively used Macintosh computers (the traditional computing platform in the design industry) in all of its classrooms until a sixth site (using PCs) was added in Fall 1999 in the Henderson technology center. Currently, these is the configurations.

CAMPUSES

• Cheyenne, Room 2665 (28 Macs [G5 dual], 2 PCs [Dell GX260]); Room 1228 (16 Macs [G5]), Room 1240 (15 PCs [Dell GX260]), 1 pod (10 Macs [G5 dual])
• West Charleston, Room C113 (28 Macs [G5]); Room C226 (15 Macs [G5]), 1 pod (12 Macs [G5])
• Henderson, Room 122 (32 PCs [Dell GX260]); 1 pod (10 PCs [Dell GX260]); 1 pod (8 Macs [iMac G4])

SATELLITE HIGH TECH CENTERS

• Summerlin, Room 107 (28 Macs [G4 933]); 1 pod (12 Macs [G4 933])
• Western, Room 107 (30 Macs [G4 933]); 1 pod (12 Macs [G4 933])
• Green Valley, Room 112 (24 Macs [G4 733]); 1 pod (12 Macs [G4 733])

An instructor station is also included at each site along with a mechanism for demonstrating software. The methods vary from site to site: a video link system is used in three of the classrooms, a video projector is used in three classrooms, and software-based broadcasting is used in the others.

Each site has a T1 connect to the Internet and is networked to B&W laser printers, the three campus locations also have color laser printers.Group s of computers (pods) in the Interactive Learning Centers (ILCs)—the open lab areas—mirror the classroom configurations. Students have free, unscheduled access to these computers.