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Course Policies

Assesment and Grading​

Grading breakdown is as follows

  • Midterm project: 30%
  • Final Project: 50%
  • Weekly assignments: 5%
  • Participation: 15%

For your final and midterm projects, projects that lack adequate documentation will be considered incomplete. Simultaneously students who make an extensive effort to document their work, including both successes as well as failures and breakdowns will be evaluated highly, even if parts of their project are incomplete.

Absences​

  • Excused: Maximum of 2 pre-planned absences (e.g., conferences, performances).
  • Unplanned: Illness or emergencies are handled separately, but frequent absences may require re-evaluating enrollment in the course.

Safety and Equipment Use​

Incorrect use of lab equipment poses risks to yourself and others. Follow these safety protocols:

  1. Dress Code: Closed-toed shoes required at all times. No sandals. Avoid loose clothing. Long hair must be pulled back.
  2. Approved Materials: Use only instructor-provided materials. External materials or stocks for machining are prohibited.
  3. Authorized Use: Only use machines for which you have been properly trained.
  4. Buddy System: Never work in the lab alone; at least one other person must be present.
  5. Proper Use: Never deliberately misuse a tool or machine unless explicitly instructed to do so by the instructors (e.g. you should hack your plotters)
  6. Reporting: Report any equipment breakage or malfunctions immediately.
  7. Cleanliness: Clean up after yourself and respect shared space.
  8. Punctuality: Show up on time for lab sessions. Arriving 5 minutes late results in a loss of your session.

Note: First failure to follow safety policies will result in verbal warning. Second failure will result in restricted lab access. Third failure will result in expulsion from the course.

Code of Conduct​

All members of this course have the following responsibilities as learners, facilitators of learning, and as participants in dialog and discussion. This document was inspired by and references the p5.js community statement.

As Learners​

  • Actively ask for help from your peers.
  • Openly share your knowledge and progress with your peers. Publish your in-progress and finished work on your selected form of web documentation.
  • Give credit to your sources. When you are inspired by a project or essay, provide attribution and a link to the original source.
  • Be present. Avoid extensive use of laptops during discussions and lectures. Laptops and phones must be closed/ put away during all presentations and critiques.

As Facilitators of Learning​

  • Do not assume prior knowledge or imply that there are things someone else should know.
  • Actively seek to support your peers when they need help.
  • Recognize and validate multiple forms of contributions and expertise.
  • Be open to constructive feedback.
  • Avoid jargon when possible.

In Discussions and Critiques​

  • Prioritize listening.
  • Provide meaningful critical feedback- this is how we help our peers improve.
  • Be open to new ideas and alternative perspectives.
  • Be mindful and kind in your interactions with others.
  • Be respectful. Debate across different points of view is productive and passionate discussion is encouraged; however, disagreement is not an opportunity to attack someone else.
  • Any form of harassment or offensive comments relating to gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, language, neuro-type, size, ability, class, religion, culture, subculture, political opinion, age, skill level, occupation, or background is unacceptable.

Disclaimer​

This course is a work in progress. Any and all content is subject to revision based on the judgement of the instructors. Students will be provided with advanced notice of any changes.