Grading Standards

Graduate

Satisfactory completion of a course is considered to be a grade of B or higher.

A Work of exceptional quality
A- Work of high quality
B+ Very good work
B Good work; satisfies course requirements
B- Below-average work
C+ Less than adequate work
C Well below average work
C- Poor work; lowest possible passing grade
F Failure
GM Grade missing for an individual

Grades of D are not used in graduate level courses.

Undergraduate

A student’s final grades and GPA are calculated using a 4.0 scale. Please note that while both are listed here, the 4.0 scale does not align mathematically with the numeric scale based on percentages of 100 points.

A [4.0; 95 – 100%] Work of exceptional quality, which often goes beyond the stated goals of the course
A- [3.7; 90 – <95%] Work of very high quality
B+ [3.3; 87 – <90%] Work of high quality that indicates higher than average abilities
B [3.0; 83 – <87%] Very good work that satisfies the goals of the course
B- [2.7; 80 – <83%] Good work
C+ [2.3; 77 – <80%] Above-average work
C [2.0; 73 – <77%] Average work that indicates an understanding of the course material; passable
Satisfactory completion of a course is considered to be a grade of C or higher.
C- [1.7; 70 – <73%] Passing work but below good academic standing
D [1.0; 60 – <70%] Below-average work that indicates a student does not fully understand the assignments;
Probation level though passing for credit
F [0.0; 0 – <60%] Failure, no credit

Grade of W

The grade of W may be issued by the Office of the Registrar to a student who officially withdraws from a course within the applicable deadline. There is no academic penalty, but the grade will appear on the student transcript. A grade of W may also be issued by an instructor to a graduate student (except at Parsons and Mannes) who has not completed course requirements nor arranged for an Incomplete.

Grade of Z

The grade of Z is issued by an instructor to a student who has not attended or not completed all required work in a course but did not officially withdraw before the withdrawal deadline. It differs from an “F,” which would indicate that the student technically completed requirements but that the level of work did not qualify for a passing grade.

Grades of Incomplete

The grade of I, or temporary incomplete, may be granted to a student under unusual and extenuating circumstances, such as when the student’s academic life is interrupted by a medical or personal emergency. This mark is not given automatically but only upon the student’s request and at the discretion of the instructor. A Request for Incomplete form must be completed and signed by student and instructor. The time allowed for completion of the work and removal of the “I” mark will be set by the instructor with the following limitations:

Undergraduate students

Work must be completed no later than the seventh week of the following fall semester for spring or summer term incompletes and no later than the seventh week of the following spring semester for fall term incompletes. Grades of “I” not revised in the prescribed time will be recorded as a final grade of “F” by the Office of the Registrar.

Graduate students

Work must be completed no later than one year following the end of the class. Grades of “I” not revised in the prescribed time will be recorded as a final grade of “WF” (for Parsons and Mannes graduate students) or “N” (for all other graduate students) by the Office of the Registrar. The grade of “N” does not affect the GPA but does indicate a permanent incomplete.

Criteria For Evaluation

Communication

How well are the students able to express their ideas, both verbally and with other forms of communication such as: writing, drawing, mapping, modeling, and pre-visualization.

Critical Thinking and Reflective Judgment

To what degree have the students demonstrated and developed critical thinking skills over the course of the semester? Reflective judgment not only asks the questions with concrete answers such as evaluative questions about form, methodology, materials, utility, aesthetics, cultural context, experience, research, and process critique, but also takes on difficult problems in the world that require research and evidence to support conclusions and advocacy.

Design/Creative Processes

How do the students identify problems, brainstorm ideas, generate, analyze, and research solutions, write specifications and constraints, consider contextual factors, evaluate feasibility, test, iterate, evaluate process and form, integrate and adapt new processes, and pursue an iterative cycle?

Contextualization, Conclusion and Evaluation

Have the students been able to connect their work and ideas to historical and contemporary precedents, and situate their work within the larger discourse surrounding ideas of data visualization? Can the students synthesize a problem and apply diverse approaches to design and visualization in support of a conclusion? Can the students evaluate project successes and failures?

Integration and Appropriate Use of Technology

Are the students making good choices about the form and type of technology they are using to express her design concept? Are the students able to integrate technology into the conceptualization of their projects?

Iteration, Production, Time Management

Are the students able to scale their project to the appropriate time frame within the technical and design resources at their disposal? Are the students recording their thoughts and processes on their website so that their knowledge can be shared with and discussed the rest of the class.

Divisional, Program, And Class Policies

Responsibility

Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent. Late assignments, failure to complete the assignments for class discussion and/or critique, and lack of preparedness for in-class discussions, presentations and/or critiques will jeopardize your successful completion of this course.

Participation

Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, assignments, projects, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, active participation in group work, and coming to class regularly and on time.

Attendance

Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time. A significant portion of class time is defined as three absences for classes that meet once per week and four absences for classes that meet two or more times per week. During intensive summer sessions a significant portion of class time is defined as two absences. Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one full absence.

Canvas

Use of Canvas will be an important resource for this class. Students should check it for announcements before coming to class each week.

Delay

In the rare instance that I may be delayed arriving to class, check Canvas for instructions for a minimum of thirty minutes.

Electronic Devices

Use of electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops) is permitted when the device is being used in relation to the course's work. All other uses are prohibited in the classroom and devices should be turned off before class starts.

Academic Honesty and Integrity

The New School views “academic honesty and integrity” as the duty of every member of an academic community to claim authorship for his or her own work and only for that work, and to recognize the contributions of others accurately and completely. This obligation is fundamental to the integrity of intellectual debate, and creative and academic pursuits. Academic honesty and integrity includes accurate use of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicit citation of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or reporting on research findings or any aspect of the work of others (including that of faculty members and other students). Academic dishonesty results from infractions of this “accurate use”. The standards of academic honesty and integrity, and citation of sources, apply to all forms of academic work, including submissions of drafts of final papers or projects. All members of the University community are expected to conduct themselves in accord with the standards of academic honesty and integrity. Please see the complete policy in the Parsons Catalog.

It is the responsibility of students to learn the procedures specific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiating their own work from that of others. Compromising your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences, including (but not limited to) one or more of the following: failure of the assignment, failure of the course, academic warning, disciplinary probation, suspension from the university, or dismissal from the university.

Student Disability Services (SDS)

In keeping with the University’s policy of providing equal access for students with disabilities, any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations is welcome to meet with me privately. All conversations will be kept confidential. Students requesting any accommodations will also need to meet with Jason Luchs in the Office of Student Disability Services, who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate, provide an academic accommodation notification letter to you to bring to me. SDS assists students with disabilities in need of academic and programmatic accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. http://www.newschool.edu/studentservices/disability/.

Making Center

The Making Center is a constellation of shops, labs, and open workspaces that are situated across the New School to help students express their ideas in a variety of materials and methods. We have resources to help support woodworking, metalworking, ceramics and pottery work, photography and film, textiles, printmaking, 3D printing, manual and CNC machining, and more. A staff of technicians and student workers provide expertise and maintain the different shops and labs. Safety is a primary concern, so each area has policies for access, training, and etiquette that students and faculty should be familiar with. Many areas require specific orientations or trainings before access is granted. Detailed information about the resources available, as well as schedules, trainings, and policies can be found at resources.parsons.edu.