Course Guidelines

The information below is important. It details class policy and constitutes a sort of contract between the faculty and the students. Read it carefully. Keep it throughout the semester for reference.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory. Do not arrive late or leave early. A student will be asked to withdraw or will receive a failing grade for the course for three unexcused absences. Additionally, three unexcused lateness or early departures will be counted as an unexcused absence.

The instructors must be notified in advance by telephone prior to class time, regarding excused absences. Excused absences are as follows:

• Personal illness –please notify the instructor within one week after the period of illness; verification may be required.
• Serious illness or death of a member of the student’s immediate family –please notify the instructor within one week after the funeral or period of illness; verification may be required.
• Official College trips –notice must be given prior to the event or no later than one week after the event; verification may be required.
• Major religious holidays – a student must notify the instructor in writing of these dates; please submit to the instructor no later that the last day for adding class.

Readings and Seminars:

Periodically during the semester we will be handing out readings. These should be carefully prepared for reading seminars, which will be set for a future seminar time. Part of that preparation will be to take critical notes while you are reading. You should also be prepared to actively discuss reading.

Desk Critiques/ Pin-ups:

Be prepared to show progress each class period, lack of preparation will negatively impact your grade.

Evaluation:

Your performance will be evaluated using the following criteria:

1. Willingness and ability
   1. to explore; to work with given combinations of considerations you may not be familiar with (or in some cases, perhaps, not even comfortable with)
   2. to initiate personal searches for provocative considerations not already given in the design situation, which might open up new perspectives
   3. to take risks in order to learn
2. The quality of development of the research and mapping

Quality of the work includes such possibilities as depth and originality of insight; strength of involvement; willingness to venture into the ambitious and unsettled possibilities; evidence of personal growth; etc.

These are ongoing goals for you to keep in completing this and any seminar course:

• substantial new work prepared for each class meeting;
• sustained and thoughtful response to criticism;
• sustained quality of work from beginning to end of exercise;
• completeness of work at each class meeting and reviews;
• success of collaboration in joint/group projects; constructive class participation;
• attendance and promptness, ability to meet deadlines;
• significant progress over the semester within your own frame of reference. Please note that criteria are process oriented: every day affects your grade.

Grading Policy

Students will not receive a grade on each of the numerous studies during the semester. At mid-semester there will be individual discussions of overall progress: those not doing satisfactory work will also receive a written notice indicating both this evaluation and what steps might be taken to bring the work up to a satisfactory level. Final grades will be accompanied by written evaluations or by discussion with the faculty critic.

Final Grades will be based upon:

• active engagement with the work of colleagues as well as with group discussions & reviews;
• consistency of effort and work product throughout the semester;
• development of critical thinking exhibited through seminar assignments;
• progress of analytical skills over the course of the semester;
• completion of all required seminar work, including readings;
• attendance at all scheduled seminar hours.
• respect for your own work, your classmates, and instructors.

An “A” indicates an unusual development of insights, etc. (as above) based on the relevant materials considered. A “B” indicates a thorough understanding of the relevant materials. A “C” indicates a relatively perfunctory engagement. “D” and “F” indicate two degrees of insufficiency, the latter, of less than a passing level.