60350 Business Fundamentals for Creative Practices

Course Syllabus

Course Number: 60-350
Meeting Time: Fridays, 1:30pm » 4:20pm
Location: Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
College of Fine Arts, Room 111
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Sections:

• Course Information
• Grading Policies
• Class Policies
• Schedule

1. Course Information

A. Instructor

Tom Hughes
Associate Director
Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry
College of Fine Arts, Room 111
Adjunct Professor of Arts Management
CMU School of Art

Contact: [email protected]
Office Hours: By appointment — Click here to schedule an in-person meeting
Pronouns: He/Him/His

B. Communication Tools:

• GitHub — Course documents, lectures and resources
• Canvas — Attendance and grading
• Email — General course updates

C. Course Description

This course is intended to expose students studying in creative fields to the basic principles, skills and functions of business used every day in creative practices and industries.

Running a successful creative practice - whether an individual studio practice, a temporary collaboration or commission, an incorporated business, or a non-profit - all require a foundational knowledge of basic organizational, legal, and financial structures and practices.

Throughout this course, students can expect:

• ...to develop a starting knowledge of basic business concepts;
• ...to learn a foundational understanding of ethics and best practices in business;
• ...to develop problem-solving skill sets and methodologies for managing creative projects and programs;
• ...to practice applying these learnings to their own creative practices.

D. Learning Objectives

1. Build a foundational knowledge and vocabulary of business concepts, laws and practices.
2. Become familiar with the ethics, best practices, and common pitfalls for each of these topics.
3. Practice applying these concepts for an individual's creative practice.
4. Engage in planning for post-degree success through writing assignments, participatory workshops, and the development of a draft a business plan.

This course has seven units. Each unit is a primer on a different business concept that is essential to running a creative practice

1. Building Blocks
   The starting point for every business: who are you and how do you work with others? We'll start with a primer on basic business structures, from sole proprietorships to corporations—examining the benefits and drawbacks of each. The main focus of the unit will be on agency and employment—how do we define our relationships with the people we work with?

2. Intellectual Property
   As creative practioners, we all actively engage in the act of creating, sharing, borrowing and—in some cases—stealing intellectual property. The goal of this unit is to help you understand what intellectual property is, how you can protect it, and how to ethically use and share it.

3. Legal Agreements
   Get it in writing! This unit is all about how we make agreements concrete and legally enforceable. We'll start with the standards of legal agreements and then delve into contracts, best practices, negotiation, enforcement and litigation.

4. Generating Income
   How do we make that money? In this unit, we'll look at the primary methods for creating income for your business. The unit will start with an overview of basic financial concepts, followed by primers on fundraising and earning an income, and capping off with best practices for budget development and proposal writing.

5. Managing Finances
   Now that you have that money, what do you do with it? Successful businesses don't just do well at bringing in funds, they also do well at managing it. In this unit we'll cover the basic concepts of accounting, financial management, and taxes. Understanding the importance of these concepts will lead you to financial stability.

6. Communication Skills Going viral ain't common and it ain't easy. So how do we get our names out there? During this unit, we'll discuss the basics of building a marketing plan, how to work with media, networking and presentation skills.

7. Business Models
   All of the subjects covered in prior units are all essential factors in a business, but to run a successful business you will need a plan. In this unit, we'll discuss the concept of business models and business plans—essentially putting all of our units together into one cohesive strategy.

E. Prerequisite Knowledge

• This course assumes no prior knowledge, business coursework or administrative experience.

2. Grading Policies

This course will have 12 assessments—one for each of our class sessions (minus the first day of class). Each assessment is worth 5 points for a total of 60 points. All assessments are pass/fail.

Why? This course is focused on the practical application of business concepts to your own practices. It is not about selecting the right answer on a quiz or writing the perfect essay. We're going to practice what we preach.

I can't emphasize enough that all assessments will be at the beginning of each class. There may be a required writing component as homework, but all submission and grading happens during class. Come to class on-time.

A. Grading Breakdown

60 points — Assessments 				
40 points - Default starting points for the course
-----------
100 Points

B. Grading Scale for Course Grade**

(A) — 90 to 100 points  
(B) — 80 to 89 points  
(C) — 70 to 79 points  
(D) — 60 to 69 points  
(R) — 59 points and below 

C. Scoring Rubric for Assessments

All assessments are pass/fail. Incomplete and/or late assessments will receive half-credit.

* (P) Pass — The graded activity was completed according to prompt. 
	Full credit — 5 points. 

* (I) Incomplete/Late — The graded activity was either incomplete, did not follow prompt, and/or was submitted late. 
	Half credit — 2.5 points. 

* (F) Fail — Student did not participate in the graded activity or schedule a make-up assignment. 
	No credit — 0 Points.

D. Make-Up Assessment Policies

• If you have an excused absence, you may schedule office hours to complete the assessment with no penalty (full 5 points)
• If you have an unexcused absence, you may schedule office hours to complete the assignment for half-credit (2.5 points)
• Instructor must be contacted about make-up work within 1 week of the original assessment date. If a make-up session is not requested in that time period, the student will receive an (F) for that assessment.

3. Class Policies

A. Class Etiquette

1. Be on time — Class starts at 1:30pm.

2. Be present — Engage with course content and engage with your classmates.

3. Keep electronics in 'politeness mode' — i.e. closed or face down and on silent. If you must use your electronics for an emergency, please go out in the hall.

4. Respect for others is required — No one gets to be rude or ramble. There will be no interrupting of or speaking over classmates. Threatening or aggressive language will not be tolerated. Students engaging in such behavior will be verbally warned, and if the behavior continues, asked to leave the classroom.

5. Respect for identity — For this course to have the intended impact, it is necessary that we all be ourselves (to the best of our ability). However someone identifies themselves as publicly in this course (gender expression or non-expression, social and/or economic status, professional goals, etc) is how they will be identified by their classmates and by their instructor. We do not debate identities in this course—we empower them.

Students are encouraged to hold Instructor to these same standards of etiquette.

B. Attendance Policy

• If you are tardy (1:45pm or later) three times, you will be marked down for one absence.
• Three or more unexcused absences will result in the drop of one letter grade.

Please look at the semester schedule and see if you need to miss class for any excusable reason (religious observance, job interview, university-sanctioned event, etc.) and notify me as soon as possible.

We may be able to make alternative arrangements for completing assessments. If there are extenuating circumstances that require you to miss more than one class session, please come and discuss this issue with me in advance of your absence(s).

C. Requests for Accommodations

If you have a disability and have an accommodations letter from the Disability Resources office, I encourage you to discuss your accommodations and needs with me as early in the semester as possible.

I will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, I encourage you to contact them at [email protected].

D. Recording Policy

No student may record any classroom activity without express written consent from me or a request via the Office of Disability Resources ([email protected])

E. Safer Spaces Policy

I am dedicated to providing a harassment-free environment in the classroom for everyone, regardless of race, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, religion, or marital status. Harassment includes offensive comments related to any protected personal characteristic, deliberate intimidation, sustained disruption of speech, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Students asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If student continues to engage in harassing behavior, they will be ejected from the classroom. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact me and/or Mark Cato in the School of Art Office.

F. Support Resources

Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is almost always helpful.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at http://www.cmu.edu/counseling. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:

• ACaPS: 412-268-2922
• Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226
• If the situation is life-threatening, call the police: CMU Police: 412-268-2323 / Off campus: 911

4. Semester Schedule

A. 8/30/19

// TOPICS COVERED
* Unit 0 — Course Introduction
* Unit 1, Chapter 1 — Business Structures and Models

// READING
* Please review Unit 1, Chapters 2-4 for next class.

B. 9/6/19

// TOPICS COVERED
* Unit 1, Chapter 2 — Agency and Representation
* Unit 1, Chapter 3 — Human Resources, Employment and Labor Law
* Unit 1, Chapter 4 — Self-Employment and Independent Contracting

// ASSESSMENT
* Lightning Business Formations  

// READING
* Please review Unit 2, Chapters 1 & 2
* Please watch Pt. 4 of "Everything is a Remix" 
	- (linked in the Chapter 1)

C. 9/13/19

// TOPICS COVERED
* Unit 2, Chapter 1 — Introduction to Intellectual Property
* Unit 2, Chapter 2 — IP Protections and Artists Rights

// ASSESSMENT
* Hire Your Friends

// READING
* Please review Unit 2, Ch. 3 & 4
* Please watch "A Fair(y) Use Tale" (Linked in Ch. 4)

D. 9/20/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
* Unit 2, Chapter 3 — Licensing and Royalties
* Unit 2, Chapter 4 — Permissions, Derivatives, and Fair Use

// ASSESSMENT
* Class Playlist Challenge

// READING 
* Please review Unit 3, Ch. 1 & 2
* Please watch "Fuck You, Pay Me" (Linked in Ch. 2)

E. 9/27/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 3, Chapter 1 — Standards for Legal Agreements
Unit 3, Chapter 2 — Essential Elements of Contracts

// ASSESSMENT
* License to ________

// READING
* Please review Unit 3, Ch. 3 & 4

F. 10/4/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 3, Chapter 3 — Breach, Enforcement and Litigation
Unit 3, Chapter 4 — Negotiation Skills

// ASSESSMENT
* Contract Review

// READING
* Please review Unit 4, Ch. 1 & 2

G. 10/11/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 4, Chapter 1 - Introduction to Financial Concepts
Unit 4, Chapter 2 — Fundraising

// ASSESSMENT
* Negotiation Workshop
* Grant Proposal (Homework)

// READING
* Please review Unit 4, Ch. 3-5

H. 11/1/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 4, Chapter 3 — Earned Income
Unit 4, Chapter 4 — Best Practices for Proposal Writing
Unit 4, Chapter 5 — Building Project Budgets 101

// ASSESSMENT
* Grant Review Panel

// READING
* Please review Unit 5, Ch. 1-2

I. 11/8/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 5, Chapter 1 — Introduction to Accounting Principles
Unit 5, Chapter 2 — Managing Finances and Financial Planning

// ASSESSMENT
* Minimum Rate Workshop

// READING
* Please review Unit 5, Ch. 3-4
* Please watch "How Tax Brackets Actually Work" (Linked in Ch. 4)

J. 11/15/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 5, Chapter 3 — Building an Operating Budget
Unit 5, Chapter 4 — Introduction to Taxes

// ASSESSMENT
* First Year Budget Workshop

// READING
* Please review Unit 6, Ch. 1-4

K. 11/22/2019

// TOPICS COVERED
Unit 6, Chapter 1 - Marketing Basics
Unit 6 Chapter 2 - Media Relations
Unit 6, Chapter 3 - Presentation Skills
Unit 6, Chapter 4 - Networking

// ASSESSMENT
* Minimum Rate Workshop (Now With Taxes!)

// READING
* Please review Unit 7, Ch. 1-2

L. 12/6/2019

##### — TOPICS COVERED
Unit 7, Chapter 1 - Generating Business Models
Unit 7, Chapter 2 - Building a Basic Business Plan

// ASSESSMENT
* Presentation Skills workshop
* Business Plan (Homework)

M. 12/13/2019 — FINAL

// ASSESSMENT
* Ready? Set? Pitch!