University Requirements

COURSES TAUGHT

Abilene Christian University // 2013-Present

• • ART 105: Two-Dimensional Design
  • ART 221: Art History General Survey I
  • ART 221: Art History General Survey II
  • ART 440: Graphic Design History
  • CORE 110: Cornerstone
  • CORE 210: Human Identity and Community
  • CORE 310: The Search for Meaning
  • Honors Colloquium: Think Wrong // Spring 2016
  • Honors Colloquium: Escape the Classroom // Spring 2019
  • Honors Colloquium: Propaganda // Spring 2019
  • Honors Colloquium: Escape the Classroom // Spring 2022

Wayland Baptist University // 2011-13

• • Art History General Survey I
  • Design I
  • Design II
  • Graphic Design I (Print Design, Digital Imaging, Photoshop)
  • Graphic Design II (Illustration, Logo Design)
  • Graphic Design III (Web Design, Advertising)
  • Graphic Design Internship
  • Graphic Design History
  • Typography & Branding

Lubbock Christian University // 2008-2011

• • Fundamentals of Design

CO-TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Courses Co-Taught

• • Victor McCracken – The Search for Meaning // Fall 2013
  • Cliff Barbarick – The Search for Meaning (2 sections) // Spring 2014
  • Houston Heflin – Human Identity // Spring 2014
  • Jeanine Varner – The Search for Meaning // Fall 2014
  • Paul Morris – The Search for Meaning // Spring 2015 
  • Curt Niccum – The Search for Meaning // Spring 2015 
  • Rodney Ashlock – Human Identity and Community // Spring 2015
  • Victor McCracken – Human Identity and Community // Fall 2015
  • Cliff Barbarick – The Search for Meaning // January 2016
  • Nil Santana – Honors Colloquium: Think Wrong // Spring 2016
  • Cliff Barbarick – The Search for Meaning (2 sections)  // Spring 2016
  • Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby – The Search for Meaning  // Spring 2016
  • Cliff Barbarick – The Search for Meaning // Summer 2016 
  • Kyle Dickson – Honors Colloquium: Escape the Classroom // Spring 2019
  • Ronnie Rama – Honors Colloquium: Propaganda // Spring 2020
  • Mike Wiggins – Two-Dimensional Design // Fall 2020
  • Kyle Dickson – Honors Colloquium: Escape the Classroom // Spring 2022

Curriculum Development

Abilene Christian University

• • CORE 110: Cornerstone // Directed 2016-2022
  • ART 440: Graphic Design History // New Course Design
  • ARTO 221: Art History General Survey I // Online Course Design, Spring 2021
  • ARTO 222: Art History General Survey II // Online Course Design, Spring 2022

Wayland Baptist University

• • Graphic Design I (Print Design, Digital Imaging, Photoshop) // New Course Design
  • Graphic Design II (Illustration, Logo Design) // New Course Design
  • Graphic Design III (Web Design, Advertising) // New Course Design
  • Graphic Design Internship // New Course Design
  • Graphic Design History // New Course Design
  • Typography & Branding // New Course Design

Image of me standing on the stage in Boone Auditorium, speaking about Crispr-CAS9 and the ethics of human gene editing to freshman in my annual Cornerstone Spotlight Presentation. I have given this presentation every year since 2016.  (Click here or the image for link to presentation video.)

ART 105: TWO-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN

Over the semester, students engage in a wide array of “exercises” intended to expose them to different media, train them in the creation of strong compositions based on the characteristics of form, and familiarize them with different terms and concepts in visual art.  Below are a few examples of student works created for my 2D Design classes that exemplify high-levels of student performance.

ART 440: GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY

I thought it would be fun to play a game. Below, I have provided three images.  Two are famous works from our graphic design history course and the third is a student work created in the style of the Bauhaus, a post Great War German art school well known for its minimalist, geometric approach to design and innovative teaching theories.  Choose from the three designs below which image you believe is the imposter.

The correct answer is the first one.  Highlight the text before this sentence to learn the correct answer.

The student met the parameters of the assignment, but more importantly, in the work he created you can see that he internalized the principles of Bauhaus graphic design.  From his color palette to his geometrical layout to his typography he successfully reproduces the style.

Below is a brief sampling of a few of the unsolicited notes I have received from students over the years.

Sample Evaluations:
In my opinion, course evaluations are helpful tools for identifying areas of strength and improvement but are also limited as assessments of student learning.  As a tool for improvement, I use evaluations each semester to find ways to strengthen my classes.  Often in the qualitative section, I find helpful comments that are useful tips for improving the classroom experience.  

Examples from Art Courses
For example, in my Spring 2015 evaluation for Art History General Survey II, a student pointed out that, “the lessons where [I] had the students debating/discussing at the beginning were the most effective.”  This was an encouraging comment because this was something that I had worked hard to incorporate into the class.  Since my first semester of teaching art history courses, I have struggled with a tendency to lecture too much and have sought out more interactive and engaging methods of content delivery.  During this semester, I made a point to discuss more issues related to art theory (What is art? What is kitsch? How does medium change the way we value an artwork? Why do inanimate objects have so much power over us? etc.) which led to a number of lively classroom discussions.

Another example from my fall 2015 Art History course similarly encouraged me in my course changes.  During this semester, I transferred the course over to a low-stakes testing method (discussed above).  Based on the comments, it appears that students appreciated the change and recognized the learning goals that it set out to achieve.  One student wrote,

“Professor Trey Shirley obviously cares about his students and presents and tests over his material in such a way that it is very successful and I actually retain the information instead of forgetting it after being tested. Very willing to answer questions and help his students in any way that can benefit them.” ART 221.01, Fall 2015

This is all part of my larger goal of making the course about more than art; at its best, it is a course that engages students at multiple levels, challenging them to rethink the way we learn history, inviting them to establish their own definitions of and methods for evaluating artworks, and giving them greater insight into the human condition.  As one student wrote:

“I took art history because I wanted to become more cultured; this course however, gave me a stronger appreciation of the arts because it is not an easy A, nor an easy course. I kind of expected the course work to be less strenuous, but to my surprise there is a lot more to learn about Art than I anticipated. The course also made me look at history differently because I knew art was an integral piece of the past, but I was not aware of the immense detail that could reveal so much about a society, and the scholarship required to make detailed assumptions.” ART 221.01, Fall 2015

And another:

“I appreciated the passion that you demonstrated for the course work. As a non-art major I learned a lot and was able to analyze better. I think I finally get “it” the importance and the power of art. This has been my favorite class by far this semester. I look forward to possibly having another class with this professor.” ART 222.01, Spring 2016

Examples from Core Classes
Since my time at ACU has been split between teaching in the Department of Art and Design and General Education, one of the primary reasons I was hired had to do with my ability to be conversant in multiple disciplines. This involved pairing teachings from philosophy, history, behavioral psychology, biblical studies, art and design, and a wide array of other disciplines into cohesive narratives that challenged students academically, morally, and spiritually, but also left room for them to share their own opinions.  Below are a few of comments that I believe speak well to my ability to convey these principles:

“Dr. Shirley genuinely cares about us as his students. He is approachable, intelligent, and humble. I genuinely enjoyed being his student this semester. What I loved about both Shirley and Sheasby is that they did not simply “stir the pot” just to anger or upset people. Every conversation was well-introduced and as a result, the class genuinely enjoyed discussing and even disagreeing with each other. This classroom environment is one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of. I am encouraged to embrace others’ beliefs with respect, honesty, and love. This course gave me the freedom to explore topics I honestly would have a hard time doing by myself, because I knew I had the covering of genuinely loving professors who had gone before me to lead me with honesty and with gentleness.” BCOR 340.01, Spring 2016, McLaughlin-Sheasby/Shirley

“Honestly, there was a wonderful blend of ethos, pathos, and logos in our discussions and in the lectures – as it should be, I suppose, in such a class as this. All the different ideas were wonderfully and thoroughly presented, and the discussion questions were thought-provoking. Thank you for not keeping such a tight hold on the legalities of the classroom, and for letting discussions and participation be rather abstract.” CORE 310.02, Fall 2014, Varner/Shirley

“Dr. Shirley was very nuanced in his discussion of class subjects, he had a broad base of knowledge that made the class inter-disciplinary in its execution.” BCOR 340.J1, January 2016, Barbarick/Shirley

“He was open to questions and really cared that his students understand the material that he covered. He was also understanding and very gracious when people came to him in times of need. He was clear, informative, and really cared about the subject in his lectures.” Art 222.01, Spring 2015

“It is clear that he has a passion for what he is teaching and enjoys doing what he is doing. Dr. Shirley made learning in the class interactive and fun. He understands that all students are different and tries to implement that in his lessons and expectations of students. He used many different ways of teaching to help all students gain knowledge. If a student puts in the work, this house is stress-free and enjoyable. It is evident that Dr. Shirley cares for his students and their well-being.” ART 221.01, Fall 2015

“Benevolence and understanding when dealing with students and a fair approach to every student’s work as well as when providing critique. Dr. Shirley regularly builds off of points students make and compliments them on their thought process, rather than focusing on inaccuracies that are sometimes suggested in discussion.” ART 221.01, Fall 2015

For a link to all course evaluations, click below: