Grading & Policy

Projects and exercises will count 60% of the final grade.  Quizzes and a midterm/final will be given on the material covered in the readings and class, and will count 40% of the final grade. Class attendance will add to or subtract from this total as explained below.

The 60% portion consists of: 

• Completed homework chapters (16) ("projects" in the ATC books) must be complete to be graded, with 50 points being deducted if late.  A zero will be given on any chapters not turned in within a week of their due date.  All homework chapters will be due at the beginning of class on the date due.  Graded: Complete-Late-Zero Each homework is worth about 1 point on your final grade.

• InClass exercises and tutorials (26) will be graded as completed or not completed and may be turned in when complete at any time up to the midterm (for Illustrator ones) and the final (for Photoshop ones).  I do encourage you however to try to keep up with these as they compliment what you are learning in the book and applying in the projects.   Completed homework and most in-class exercises will be graded from your uploads on the D2L site

Graded: Complete-Zero Each exercise is worth about .6 point on your final grade.

• Weekly projects (12)  will be due at the beginning of class on the date specified on the schedule.  They will be saved as png files and placed on the class folder on the Whale server for critiquing in class with the file named as such - last name and project number like smith1.jpg.  Graded: 5 pt. scale (see below for grading code) Each weekly project is worth about 1.25 point on your final grade.

• Midterm and Final projects (2) will be due on the date listed and none will be accepted after the critique has started.  These main projects will be mounted on mat board or equivalent. ( I will explain as needed).  Emailing projects/exercises is not acceptable unless it is ok'ed by the professor.  Graded: 20 pt. scale (see below for grading code) Each MT & F project is worth 7.5 points on your final grade.

Important note: Each weekly project and main project must have your name/logo, name and number of the project, and date, or points will be deducted.  Please see the grading codes below that serve as the Rubrics  for further grading criteria.

The 40% portion consists of:

• Quizzes (12) will cover the chapters and readings in the ATC book (one question each quiz) and the rest from the From Design Into Print: Preparing Graphics and Text for Professional Printing books and topics covered in class.   They will be multiple choice.  There will be NO make-up quizzes/tests without a WRITTEN excuse from a doctor/infirmary or activity coordinator.  There will be between 12 total quizzes. Each quiz is worth 2.5 points on your final grade.

• Midterm/Final Tests (2) will be CUT & PASTED questions from the quizzes so be sure to keep them handy and correct them while they are still fresh in your mind.  Each will count as 2 quiz grades, so both together equal 4 quiz grades that should be a boost to the overall testing grade. Each test is worth about 5 points on your final grade.

Note: Quizzes & homework & sketches (for the Weekly Project) will be due on Tuesdays and the Weekly Projects will be due on Thursdays. The daily In-class assignments are worked on during the class assigned but are not technically due until the day of the midterm (for Illustrator) and the final (for Photoshop); however I STRONGLY encourage you to stay current with these as you will need to apply them to the other projects. I will explain the procedure for getting checked off for all assigned items.

Additional Policy:

• A bonus of 3 points will be added to your final grade if you have 100% attendence.  No points will be added or subtracted from your grade if you miss two classes.  Three missed classes will result in a reduction of one letter grade on the final grade.  Five missed classes will result in a reduction of two letter grades on the final grade.  Anyone having 6 or more unexcused absences will receive a grade of "F".  The ONLY way it won't count against you is if you supply a WRITTEN excuse from the infirmary/doctor or activity coordinator.  Attendance will be taken during each class.  Any work not turned in on time because of the unexcused absence will be counted late.  Note again, I do not accept emailed projects!

• If you miss a quiz but have a written excuse, then be prepared to take the quiz the day you come back.

• Facebook and other social networking or gaming is not allowed during class time.  Class time officially starts when I arrive so if I am a few minutes late, feel free to chat it up until I get there.  Texting is also strongly discouraged excepting a short note of reply.  Repeat offenses may count as an absence.  Chronic late arrivals may result in being charged with an absence.

• All info on due dates will be posted on the class Google Calendar schedule link.

• In the event of inclement weather you will still be responsible for the days work and a new due date will be assigned if applicable. We begin the semester in the snowiest time of the year and I live on a mountain with a 45 degree driveway and a road that would put fear in the most ardent Lock Ness Monster rider.  The class is at night which makes things a bit dicier.  For the most part we will follow the Radford decisions on closings; however there may be times where I simply can't make it in or need to get home before it gets bad. SOOOO...pay attention to your emails as I will let you know what is up. If you haven't heard from me then email me...DON'T rely on rumor!  You will still be responsible for any work due and I will post my expectations on that as needed.

• All of my classes have a ZERO-TOLERANCE policy when it comes to ripping off other peoples work and passing it off as your own original stuff.  All images are checked via image recognition apps for existing imagery so if you do lift someones else's work and pass it off as your own, most likely it will be discovered.  Any proven cases will be referred to the honor court as well as the student given a zero for that assignment.  Further violations will result in a grade of "F" for the semester.  This does not include tutorials and exercises that are assigned where you need to follow the instruction exactly.  This pertains to the weekly and midterm/final projects.  If you have any questions or are in doubt, please feel free to ask. This includes quizzes and tests.

 More than one student has been sent up for honor violations, so be forewarned!!! 

Grading Codes:

• Grading Code for Weekly Exercises (each counts off 1 pt. out of 5 total pts.)

• .1- missing information (name/logo, name/number of exercise, date)

• .2- file name ("name, exercise #), file format (JPG) example oconnor3.jpg

• .3- did not follow instructions

• .4- design issues (mostly SPELLING!)

• .5- late up to a week (counts 2 pts. off, not for midterm or final)

• .6- missing pencil sketch (when required) checked beforehand

• Additional numbers for Midterm and Final Projects (Visual Design, Production, Completion, Presentation); each counts 6 pts. for a total of 20 pts.)

• Each of the following counts off 1 pt. from a total of 5 pts. on the Completion portion

• .7a- missing or insufficient project definition

• .7b- missing or insufficient research

• .7c- missing or insufficient brainstorming

• .7d- missing or insufficient thumbnails

• .7e- missing or insufficient roughs

• .8- production issues (image beyond printable area, jaggies, wrong fonts, etc.) Each counts off 1pt. from a total of 5 pts. on the Production portion

• .9- mounting issues (crooked, ragged, off-center, mess) Each counts off 1pt. from a total of 5 pts. on the Presentation portion

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COVID-RELATED STATEMENTS:

Student Health: Students are expected to complete the University’s Daily Symptom Tracker. The guidance provided upon submission should be used to determine and guide actions related to one’s health. The Daily Symptom Tracker is available on RU Mobile and the OneCampus portal.

Face Coverings: Under Governor Northam’s Executive Order 63 and Radford University’s 2020-2021 Reopening Plan, all campus community members are required to wear a face mask or covering when in close proximity to others. This includes all instructional spaces (classrooms, labs, studios, etc.), as well as non-instructional ones, such as public areas of residence halls, dining halls, Radford Transit and while conducting business on campus. Radford University is providing faculty, students, and staff members with two washable cloth face masks.

The strength of our community rests on trust and care for one another. During this public health emergency, we expect students to abide by the required public health guidelines of our community by appropriately wearing a mask/face covering (i.e., covering both your mouth and nose), while in our academic spaces, including classrooms, computer labs, centers, and departmental suites. Students not wearing a mask in instructional spaces (classrooms, labs, studios, etc.) will be asked to leave. Students who have specific concerns or questions about the masking requirement should contact the chair of the art department. Dr. Stuart Robinson at srobinson7@radford.edu. For the health and safety of our community, those who do not wear face masks/coverings may face disciplinary action.

Attendance (for face-to-face courses): It is my expectation that you attend class in person unless you have made alternative arrangements with me prior to the start of class due to illness, medical reasons, or the need to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19. Many of the topics and content explored in the course will be taught and communicated via class demonstrations, activities, and discussions. Therefore, attendance and participation are crucial for a complete understanding of course material.

In the event that you find yourself experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, I request that you do the following:

· Stay home! This is best way to prevent spreading COVID-19.

· Follow the guidance from the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker. Forward emails you received from the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker and let me know of your absence.

· If you are self-quarantining, you can attend class virtually as indicated in this syllabus.

· It is my expectation that you will contact me to review missed coursework and arrange a timeline and plan for completing that work. In the case that you are not able to make up missed coursework by the end of the semester, we will need to consider options that may include a medical withdrawal or incomplete for the semester.

Be assured that I will do what I can to work with students to facilitate their successful completion of the course. I encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns. The Dean of Students Office is also available for assistance regarding extended absences: (dos-web@radford.edu, 540-832-6297, www.radford.edu/dos).

Engagement: Whether we meet in person or in a digital format, we are in a professional community. As professionals, we are expected to:

· show up on time;

· be prepared for our collective work;

· be appropriately attired; and

· try to limit distractions in our individual workplaces.

As members of a community, please consider the effects of your actions on your colleagues, just as you would in a physical classroom:

· keep your video on;

· mute yourself when not speaking; and

· focus your attention on the speaker.

Please let me know if you are having difficulties interacting in class via Zoom, and if there are reasons you cannot follow the above guidelines.

Zoom Technology: This class may use Zoom, which is a web and video conferencing tool. Please be sure you have Zoom installed and are familiar with using the tool. Below are tips:

· join the meeting early and test speaker, microphone, and camera settings;

· keep speakers away from microphones to avoid feedback;

· use a headset with microphone if possible; and

· do not join a meeting from multiple devices.

Additional Zoom resources can be found at www.radford.edu/zoom.