As expected in a professional setting, assignments deadlines will be strictly observed. To be safe, submit your work prior to the time specified. Don't wait until the last minute to submit your assignment. An equipment failure is not an excuse for turning in an assignment late. Please do not request an exception unless you have the necessary documentation for an excused absence.
Attendance is important for success in this class. As per the catalog, students will be excused if they have a documented emergency or illness, or are representing Vassar College on university-sanctioned travel. If you miss a class, please let me know prior to class so I won't worry about you, and submit your assignments on time.
It is expected that all homework, lab work, and tests are your own work or your own team's work. Feel free to research assignments online, but the implementation should be uniquely yours. Please cite those who inspired your design in the assignment's concept statement. If your assignment is found to be plagiarized, I will have to report it to the Dean of Studies. Please don't do that to either of us.
VETERANS and active duty military personnel with special circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill requirements, disabilities) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructors.
ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Vassar College values the diversity of our student body as a strength and a critical component of our dynamic community. Students with disabilities or temporary injuries/conditions may require accommodations due to barriers in the structure of facilities, course design, technology used for curricular purposes, or other campus resources. Students who experience a barrier to full access to this class should let the professor know and make an appointment to meet with the Office of Accessibility and Educational Opportunity as soon as possible. You can make an appointment by calling 845.437.7584; by emailing aeo@vassar.edu; or by dropping by the AEO Office, room 125 in the Old Laundry Building. You can access further information here: https://accessibilityandeducationalopportunity.vassar.edu. Students who receive an AEO accommodation letter are strongly encouraged to discuss it with me as early in the semester as possible so that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to follow this process each semester.
PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. Vassar’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the University but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to any Responsible Employee – which includes most faculty and staff -- who will report the incident; contact Rachel Pereira, Vassar’s Title IX Administrator, at 845.437.7924; or report anonymously at https://savp.vassar.edu/reporting/form/. For more information regarding Title IX and resources concerning sexual harassment and its prevention please visit https://eoaa.vassar.edu/title-ix/
GRADING
% description
5% Class Participation, of which 1% is earned by coming to my office at least once
20% Homework and Class Exercises (this includes labs)
15% Test
Assistive Device Project*
25% Conceptual Design & Low-Fidelity Prototypes
35% Implementation & Fabrication
100 Total Possible
*The individual grade for the Assistive Device Project will be the team score weighted by the individual's contribution score from CATME, an online peer-assessment tool.