Cuyahoga Community College Western Campus                                          Business and Technology Unit (Rm C251)
 Intro to Visual Communication
VC&D 1110   /   18628  Weds. 12-1:50 pm   /   13635  Weds. 2-3:50 pm   /   Spring semester 2005   /   2 credits
Instructor: Al Wasco	Office: C230  Office phone: 216-987-5212    
			Office hours: T 2:30-6 p; W 4-5:30 p; Th 2:30-5:30 p; F 12-2, 4-5:30 p
			Email: AWDsgn@sbcglobal.net or alan.wasco@tri-c.edu
Class website:		www.IntroVC.com
I want you to succeed in this class
Feel free to contact me any time to discuss class projects, requirements, or any issue that may affect your performance in class. Email is best, since I read mine several times every day, including most weekends.
Course description
Learning to see! This is a fundamental, non-laboratory class that will explore a broad range of visual topics as they pertain to communication. Gain a better understanding of photographs, layouts, illustrations, videos and information design. Requires an additional 1-4 hours per week outside the classroom to complete reading, written and visual assignments.
Performance objectives
Upon successful completion of Introduction to Visual Communication students should
	- Understand how the eye and the brain work together in visual communication 
	- Recognize basic visual and Gestalt principles in existing work
	- Create work that uses visual principles effectively
	- Understand the role of  color in visual communication
	- Be able to explain what makes any piece of visual communication effective or ineffective  
Textbook
No required textbook. Recommended: Graphic Communications Today, 4th edition (2004), William Ryan, Theodore Conover, Thomson/Delmar Learning, ISBN 0-7668-2075-0 
Required materials 
Scissors, glue stick, colored construction paper, metal ruler (12” or more), Exacto knife, plastic cutting surface (8x10” or larger), Sharpie finepoint marker (black), and other materials as required for individual projects.
Notebook
A major part of the class is creating a notebook that includes all your class notes, handouts, samples of work, sketches, ideas, completed assignments, examples of visual material found outside of class, etc. This is an ongoing project that you should start immediately and add to every week. Your notebook will be graded at midterm and again as part of your final grade.
Discussion/critiques
An important factor in judging the success of any type of communication is discussing it with others, so a large part of this class involves in-class critiques of your work. Your active participation in critiques is essential, and you will be graded on it.
Attendance
Regular class attendance is required. Each absence = -2 pt from your grade. Arriving late or leaving early = -1/2 pt. Official college policy states that an instructor may withdraw a student for excessive absence if the student has missed the equivalent of one week of instruction unless arrangements satisfactory to the instructor can be made by the student to demonstrate that he/she can make acceptable academic progress.
Excused absences
If you must miss a class due to events beyond your control, i.e., death in the family, serious illness, mandatory job-related responsibility, military service, etc. please let me know as soon as you learn of the situation. With appropriate proof of the circumstances I will record this as an excused absence that will not affect your grade. You MUST contact me to arrange for an excused absence. You ARE responsible for doing any work done or assigned during that class.
Disabilities/special needs
If you have a disability that requires some type of accommodation, or you have concerns about issues that may affect your performance in this class, please talk with me privately after class or during office hours. You may also contact me via email at any time.
Homework / academic credit
In order to award one (1) semester hour of college credit, the Ohio Board of Regents requires two hours of significant student study outside of class for each one hour in class. This means that you should expect to spend 1-4  hours per week outside of class time. This includes reading, research, writing and/or completing projects.
Withdrawal
You may withdraw from any course prior to the last day of the second week of the semester with NO notation in your permanent record. After this you may withdraw from this course for any reason up to the last day of the twelfth week of the semester (Monday April 11, 2005) and your withdrawal will be noted with a "W."
A student's failure to attend classes shall not constitute an official withdrawal. It is your (the student's) responsibility to make sure that an official withdrawal takes place. All transactions involving withdrawal from courses shall be done in writing and on forms provided by the college.
Incomplete grades
A notation of "I" indicates that a student has not completed all course requirements as a result of circumstances judged by the instructor to be beyond the student's control. A student must complete all course requirements no later than the end of the sixth week of the academic term in which the "I" was noted. Failure to complete such requirements will result in an "F" (failing) grade.  NOTE: I only issue “Incompletes” except in the most extreme situations. 
Final Exam
There is no final written exam for this course. There is a final project and critique.
Late exercises and assignments 
All exercises and assignments are due at the START of class on the due date. Anything else is considered late and will have points deducted as shown below. If you arrive late to class, your work is automatically late that day.
	Within 24 hrs. of due date:	5% penalty
	Next class meeting	10% penalty
	More than one week late	Not acceptable - score of 0
If you know that you will miss a class, make arrangements to deliver your work before class.
Reworking & resubmitting projects
If you turn a project in ON TIME and are not satisfied with the grade you receive, you may rework the project and submit it within two weeks of receiving the grade. I will regrade the project, but this does NOT guarantee a higher grade. Projects that are late to start with cannot be reworked for a higher score.
Make-up Policy
When you have a legitimate reason for missing a class, assignments can be made up within one week of the assignment. It is your responsibility to get the information and instructions needed to complete the assignment. Because the Notebook is developed over the course of the entire semester, there is no make-up for this assignment.
How to get an “A” in this class:
Be actively involved in class every day: listen, work hard, ask questions.  Do work that exceeds the standard in quality and/or quantity. Go beyond the requirements.  
I evaluate your work using these standards: 1) the project description & specifications; 2) the work of your classmates; 3) your own abilities and progress. 
Grading
	Projects/exercises/quiz		40 pts
	Notebook/sketchbook		20 pts
	Final project		20 pts
	Attendance		10 pts
	Participation		10 pts

Grade	Meaning	
A	90-100	Exceptional participation & accomplishment; quality and/or quality of work exceeds expectations.
B	80-89	Above average participation & accomplishment; quality and/or quantity of work is better than most. 
C	70-79	Average participation & accomplishment; quality and quantity of work is similar to most students.
D	60-69	Below average participation & accomplishment; quantity of work is less and/or quality of work is less 		competent than most students.
F	< 60	Severely inadequate participation and/or failure to produce acceptable work

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I have read and I understand the class policies for:  

[ Introduction to Visual Communications /  VC&D 1110  /   Spring 2005 ]       

Signature _______________________________________________________   Date ______________

As part of a continuing attempt to promote the work of the college and our students, we often use student work in displays on campus or off, on the college website, in promotional publications, etc. If you would like your work considered for such use, please fill out and sign below. This is optional and in no way affects your grade for this or any other course.

PERMISSION TO DISPLAY OR PUBLISH

I hereby grant to Cuyahoga Community College the non-exclusive right to display and/or publish artwork—digital, printed or in other form—created in or for the class:

[ Introduction to Visual Communications /  VC&D 1110  /   Spring 2005 ]       

in any media now known or hereafter devised, in all languages for distribution throughout the world, and in the advertising and promotion thereof. 

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Signature _______________________________________________________   Date _______________