Absenses and Attendance.

22 Aug 2016

tl;dr: It's a course that relies on peer-learning. That means you being in class is really important. Being absent will effect your grade.

The structure of this course makes it critical for you to be in attendance. The way we’ll learn is through sharing of perspectives in discussions, through case studies, from guest lecturers and through critique of the work we make. This means it’s beyond important for you to be in class and on time.

Attendance

Plain and simple, you should be in every class. You shouldn’t expect to receive a passing grade without regular attendance. More than three unexcused absenses means you will fail the course unless appropriate documentation is provided.

There’s a difference between excused and unexcused absenses. In most cases where you give some prompt or early notice, it’s considered an excused absense.

If there’s an unplanned issue or you’re sick, let us know. Contact the instructor and the TA ideally before class if it’s possible and if not within 24 hours. If you have a planned, professional absense or will be attending a or school-related event (i.e. varsity sports trip), let us know as early as possible. Generally speaking, we’ll be very understanding and accomodating when you let us know ahead of time.

In all cases where you’ve missed a class, you’re responsible for understanding the course content and future deliverables. Make sure you meet with a classmate to find out what material you missed or ask for help on the course Slack.

Lateness

Attendance is taken for all classes including labs. Note: It’s your responsibilty to make sure you have completed any sign in sheets promptly on arrival.

Remember that any lateness affects the whole class. It is disruptive to those presenting during a crit or those watching a screening; and it is particularly disrespectful to show up late to a guest talk. Being on time allows class to start promptly and for us to focus on your work. Be a responsible and good member of the learning community.

Lateness (more than 5 minutes) will negatively effect participation grade by 1%.
Extreme lateness (more than 15 minutes) will count as a 1/3rd partial absense.

A note on attending labs

These policies apply equally to regular class times and Friday lab sessions. It’s important for you to be in all scheduled sessions. Labs are a key way for you to build your skills in media making and for you to become proficient in building better media. Additionally, labs are less than an hour long, so lateness is even more disruptive and problematic for everyone involved.

Attention

When you’re in class, pay attention. Don’t be on your phone, texting, tweeting, emailing, etc. If you have your laptop out, it should be for taking notes or class related activities. For everything else, please close the laptop and silence your phone. It can wait. If noted, it will also reduce your participation grade by 1%.

This is especially egregious during crits and discussions. If noted, it will reduce your participation grade by 2%.

And if you’re asleep, you might as well not be in class. This counts as a partial absense (see above).