Sol LeWitt famously said that “ideas are machines for making art.” Integrative Seminar 1 awakens the possibilities of writing as an exciting, dynamic source of inspiration. It can be an experimental space full of play and invention. It can be a formal and rigorous space for debate. It can be a tool used to process, explore, express or reflect. Writing does not simply represent thought, it is a catalyst to form thought. In this course you will be introduced to a diverse range of texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, theory) in order to consider the expressive possibilities of language. Class discussions will examine how writing conveys ideas and emotions. They will also make room for your voice to enter into larger critical and creative conversations. At the heart of the integrative model is the connection to your Integrative Studio class. Our goal is to make reading, writing and critical thinking essential components of the art, design and strategic thinking processes. The two courses are tied together conceptually through a shared theme and through bridge projects. Bridge projects are shared assignments between studio and seminar. They ask you to explicitly and productively blur the boundaries between the two courses. What happens when writing becomes a form of making, and making becomes a form of thinking?

Language Supported Integrative Seminar 1 has two important goals. First, it will prepare students to read and write at the university level. Throughout the semester, students will work toward questions of scholarly consequence as they acquire the authority needed to write their way into existing intellectual conversations. Second, its relationship with Language Supported Integrative Studio 1 will result in critical dialogues between seminar and studio practice, or writing and making. This course shares a common theme with Integrative Studio 1 and at various times in the semester, the two classes share ideas, concepts and assignments through bridge topics. In this way, it will bring together reading, writing and making in a manner that is essential to the creative work of artists and designers in every discipline. The Parsons Learning Portfolio will be introduced and developed in the Integrative courses. This Language Supported (LS) course is specially designed for students for whom English is a second language. LS courses have the same content as non-LS courses as well as extra attention to vocabulary, cultural references, and support for reading and writing. Students will engage with the materials in a supportive and dynamic learning environment as they become acclimated to American educational context, culture, and expectations. Parsons LS faculty possess training specific to both the content area and language support focus.

Sol LeWitt famously said that “ideas are machines for making art.” Integrative Seminar 1 awakens the possibilities of writing as an exciting, dynamic source of inspiration. It can be an experimental space full of play and invention. It can be a formal and rigorous space for debate. It can be a tool used to process, explore, express or reflect. Writing does not simply represent thought, it is a catalyst to form thought. In this course you will be introduced to a diverse range of texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, theory) in order to consider the expressive possibilities of language. Class discussions will examine how writing conveys ideas and emotions. They will also make room for your voice to enter into larger critical and creative conversations. At the heart of the integrative model is the connection to your Integrative Studio class. Our goal is to make reading, writing and critical thinking essential components of the art, design and strategic thinking processes. The two courses are tied together conceptually through a shared theme and through bridge projects. Bridge projects are shared assignments between studio and seminar. They ask you to explicitly and productively blur the boundaries between the two courses. What happens when writing becomes a form of making, and making becomes a form of thinking?