Changes to GRTC 3351, 3352, and 4373
Important News for Graphic Communications Technology and Studio Arts/Graphic Communications Students
In order to ensure that graduates of the TELS/GRTC and SA/GRC programs have a thorough understanding of how design, prepress, press, and finishing processes interact, major changes to the GRTC 3351, 3352, and 4373 classes will be implemented beginning in Fall 2007. These changes affect all students in the TELS/GRTC program as well as many SA/GRC students. It will also affect students in the Graphic Communications Technology and Computer Graphics minors.
In the past, prepress technologies were taught in GRTC 3351 (black-and-white) and 4373 (color) while press technologies were taught in GRTC 3352. The result of this separation of related technologies resulted in a less-than-adequate understanding by students of the interrelationship between what is designed, how it is prepared in prepress, and the final printed product.
Based upon a great deal of research by Dr. Waite, and in cooperation with the faculty of the School of Art’s Studio Arts/Graphic Communications program, prepress and press technologies will now be merged into a series of three courses titled: Graphic Production Process Control 1 (GRTC 3351), 2 (GRTC 3352), and 3 (4373). The course descriptions for these revised courses can be found at http://www.uh.edu/academics/catalog/tec/grtc_courses.html. You can also look at the outline of the course content of these three courses by clicking here.
The major change that affects current students is the prerequisite structure. Currently, GRTC 3351 and 3352 only require junior standing. Students do not need to take 3351 before 3352. However, GRTC 4373 requires GRTC 3351 to be taken as a prerequisite.
In the new three-course sequence, GRTC 3352 requires students to complete GRTC 3351 first. And, students must take GRTC 3352 before 4373.
To ease the transition for students currently taking GRTC courses, the new courses—and hence their prerequisites—will be implemented in stages.
GRTC 3351, Graphic Production Process Control, will be taught for the first time in Fall 2007. It has no prerequisite. This course is particularly useful for students who major in the School of Art’s Studio Arts/Graphic Communications program. In fact, its content was developed in cooperation with SA/GRC faculty.
In Fall 2007, GRTC 3352 will be taught as it has been for several years…as a stand-alone press class. So, “junior standing” will be its prerequisite. In Spring 2008, the new content for GRTC 3352 will be implemented and the course will require GRTC 3351 as a prerequisite.
The new content—and prerequisites—of GRTC 4373 will not be implemented until the 2008-2009 academic year. Therefore, you may take GRTC 4373 in Spring 2008 without having GRTC 3352 as a prerequisite.
If you have any questions about these changes or how they will impact your degree plan or graduation plans, please contact Dr. Waite at jwaite@uh.edu.