graphic design department policies

graphic design department-wide student learning outcomes

updated 8.2020

  1. Communication – Demonstrate an ability to present and articulate written and verbal ideas and methods, to cultivate effective listening skills, and to participate in intercultural and intersectional discourse.

  2. Criticality – Create critical, culturally appropriate and meaningful digital and analog visual form and craft in response to design problems.

  3. Research: Conduct independent inquiry and research through critical engagement with diverse, multicultural and multidisciplinary information sources, including an understanding of dominant artistic discourses and their relationship to underrepresented groups and ideas.

  4. Risk-taking – Demonstrate a high level of creativity, a willingness to take creative risks, and an intellectual curiosity that probes beyond one’s lived experience.

  5. Techniques and skills – Demonstrate an ability to independently identify a design problem.

  6. Professional Practice – Demonstrate an understanding of professional design practice requirements including online portfolio development and self-promotional materials.

  7. Demonstrate an openness to learn about and cultivate an understanding and appreciation of different perspectives and diverse world views and how they contextualize works.

Each graphic design course in our curriculum has more specific learning outcomes that fall under these categories. Refer to your syllabus for more detailed, course-specific learning outcomes. 

In KCAI’s Graphic Design Department, all faculty and staff are committed to the creation and maintenance of inclusive learning spaces and the cultivation of a respectful community that is actively anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-discriminatory. We as faculty are committed to the ongoing evaluation and evolution of our curriculum, so that we may continually evaluate and reform inherent biases, oppressive historical narratives, and exclusive practices, in order to inspire and foster the creative explorations of all students.

In the Graphic Design Department, all faculty, staff and students of all race/ethnicity, gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, [dis]abilities, religion, regional background, Veteran status, citizenship status, nationality and other diverse identities that we each bring to class are welcome. In our studios, classrooms, online platforms, and other places of learning, all individuals will be treated with respect and our differences will be valued. All community members will be provided equitable opportunity to participate, contribute, and succeed.

Together we commit to developing intercultural and intersectional communication that recognizes the barriers of privilege and seeks to empower all students. The Department studios, classrooms, and online platforms strive to be safe spaces where all faculty and students are encouraged to speak up, share their views, and grow as individuals. We will all be held accountable for the respectful engagement with regard to the dignity of all others.

Your success in our department and beyond is enhanced by the innovation and creativity of thought that inclusive communities and studios facilitate. The success of our program relies on the participation, support, and understanding of all of us.

diversity / civility statement

included 8.2020

use of studio space and time

updated 8.2023

Rapid progress is a benefit of the frequent interactions occurring in a community environment. Therefore, students are encouraged to work in the studio, utilizing the space provided for them. Students are expected to plan and manage their time properly, and are required to be actively working in the class area during studio time, with the following allowances (with instructor’s permission): working in school shops or labs, library research, or any area within the classroom building. Leaving to get supplies, meals, etc is not acceptable, and should be done before or after class.

gd studio hours: 7:00am–3:00am, seven days a week.
email tgalloway@kcai.edu for questions or concerns about your studio, facilities, or equipment access.

student conduct

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a professional and educational setting and demonstrate collegial support of their peers. Students are required to observe the student code of conduct, which includes an anti-discrimination statement and no harassment policy. Please refer to your student handbook for more information.

use of communication / digital technologies

updated 1.2022

Regarding the myriad ways we may digitally communicate with one another – please practice the utmost respect for classmates, instructors, and your own intellectual development during designated course times. Engagement with technology during class time should be facilitating your learning experience, in particular for lectures, discussions and critiques. (Multitasking is not real). Cell phone rings, texting, social media, and other unproductive digital activity is discouraged. If there is an emergency that may require you to receive a call or text, please let your instructor know at the start of class.

engagement policy

updated 1.2024

Our department has eliminated our old attendance policy in favor of an engagement policy. This considers a wider range of activities that affect your educational growth beyond whether you are present on any given day.

Enrollment at KCAI assumes a baseline value in an embodied learning experience, engaging actively in the community, workspaces, and equipment that accompanies a physical campus. This will be assessed as 30% of your final grade in each course. The following course objectives will be in each graphic design syllabus, and are meant to capture and evaluate meaningful ways to participate in your experience in this department: 

  1. Demonstrate an ability to present and articulate written and verbal ideas and methods, to cultivate effective listening skills, and to participate in intercultural and intersectional discourse, in multiple formal and informal settings, with peers and professors. [engagement through dialogue of all types]

  2. “Show up” and give focused attention to the task at hand – active project work time, lectures, workshops, field trips, and all other class-time activities. [engagement through class-based attention and activities]

  3. Demonstrate a strong work ethic, curiosity, and motivation for self-teaching; consistent level of effort from concept through refinement to completion. [engagement with your own design process]

Attendance does play a role in the three course objectives above – it is hard to present or critique work if you are not in class. Faculty understand that missing class is sometimes unavoidable. Below are examples of what good and bad engagement looks like, and how to remain engaged when you are not able to be physically in class. 

actions that positively impact your engagement:

  • active participation in spoken or written critiques, class discussions, or one-on-ones with your professor

  • Paying attention and actively participating in any class activity

  • Showing progress for every class

  • Emailing your professor in advance of a known absence

  • If absent, making arrangements in advance to keep up with coursework

  • If absent, checking for required work and emailing work to your professor to get input on your progress, or 

  • If absent, attending office hours to show and discuss your process 

actions that negatively impact your engagement:

  • Missing class on a final presentation day

  • Not showing progress at any given point in your process 

  • Not actively working on your assignment during class work time or working on assignments for another class

  • FInalizing your presentation while peers are presenting

  • Any sort of distracting activity on your phone or laptop

  • Not participating in critiques or class discussions

  • Leaving class without explanation

Attendance is required by the institute and our accrediting bodies, and will be taken at the start of each class. We do need to draw a line for being present in class, even if you are otherwise fully engaged. The department is instituting a “six and out” policy, where your 7th absence [more than three weeks away from class], will result in automatic course failure, regardless of any circumstance. Students approaching that threshold should discuss options for course withdrawal or an incomplete as soon as possible. If you have missed three weeks of class, clearly there are other factors at play [a serious health issue, for example] and your enrollment at KCAI should be reconsidered in light of those factors. Faculty and staff in student services are always willing to discuss those issues as they become apparent.

Conversely, students with perfect attendance, above and beyond strong class engagement, will earn a half-letter-grade bonus to their final grade.

late / incomplete / missed projects & classes

All projects submitted for final critique will be evaluated as-is. You are expected to be present and engaged in all final critiques with your work ready to go at the beginning of class. 

Being absent for a final critique / projects not properly submitted at the start of final critique /Being tardy for a final critique may result in being marked absent for the day and/or receiving no credit or reduced credit for the project. If there are guest critics in attendance, it is at the instructor’s discretion if your work will be addressed and in what ways. Any assigned project not submitted by the end of the term will result in an f for the course. Therefore, if you miss a deadline, the completed work should still be turned in. This must be arranged with the instructor within 24 hours of the missed deadline. 

Students that know they will miss a class or final critique must make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time and will be expected to make up all studio work in addition to homework assignments and final projects.

Revisions

Projects submitted for final critique will be graded as-is. However, as in the profession, any work is subject to improvements based on feedback. Even after a final critique, revisions may be necessary for end of semester review, and most importantly, for your portfolio development. Students are encouraged to continue to seek critique from their instructors and make necessary revisions in a timely manner, as they have the potential to positively affect your final semester grade. 

process work

updated 8.2023

Process Documentation
Your instructors rely on well-documented process work to accurately assess your learning throughout a course. Keep all of your physical process (including sketches, interim print-outs, notes, etc.) throughout the semester and organize everything neatly and chronologically, according to your instructor's requirements – typically a project book, binder, or in an approved digital space such as personal website or Google drive/Google docs. This work will be periodically checked throughout the semester or may be required as part of your project deliverables. It will contribute toward your process and/or participation grade, as they are a primary means of demonstrating your learning through a rigorous design process.

Process documentation is a way for designers to communicate their research range and rigor of exploration, focus, methods, writing, and reflection of their creative output. Organize your process with an eye toward your professional development – a strong sense of craft is encouraged in photographing and scanning work, and writing about work. Process documentation often plays an important complementary role to final work in one’s portfolio, providing great insight into the thought processes that led to a final artifact. Remember, for publicly-accessible content – you are to document / post responsibly as a representative of the department and KCAI design community.

Process Printing
Designers print their work frequently as it develops so they can best assess the full array of design variables. Reviewing work on screen is not sufficient for physically-based artifacts. If your project involves physically-based artifacts, printouts are expected for work-in-progress and final critiques. Failure to deliver these as scheduled will result in a failing or reduced course or project grade, based on the instructor's discretion. Please allot around $100–200 per course for all printing and paper costs.

academic honesty and artificially-generated work

the use of artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools can be a valuable addition to the creative process, but they can also be a temptation for misuse. as with the use of any materials you have not strictly created yourself such as copyrighted material, you are required to use ai-generated material in an ethical and responsible manner.  

in this department, unless otherwise noted, you are free to experiment with the use of ai tools such as image generators and language models along with other traditional resources in the development of your assignments, provided that all such work strictly adheres to the following guidelines:  

clear citation: clearly label or cite any material generated using ai tools as such. your citation must include all query terms and relevant settings used to generate the material.  

respect intellectual property [ip]: do not generate material that would infringe on the intellectual property of others. this includes using query terms that generate material designed to mimic specific artists/designers [“…in the style of X”]

own your ideas: all work undertaken in this department should reflect only your ideas and conceptual solutions, and not those of any of any other sources, including ai tools. 

own the pieces: all final work should be totally composed of elements you created or sourced yourself. when elements are derived from a source such as ai, they should be substantially changed, re-contextualized, or clearly cited. 

own the whole: the orchestration and presentation of the elements of your final work should be entirely your own design, and not those of any of any other sources, including ai tools. 

there may be some assignments in your coursework where ai tools should not be used. when guidelines for a particular assignment differ from the general policy above they will be noted in the assignment. if you have any questions or confusion about the use of any ai tool as part of your class work, reach out to your instructor for guidance. 

[language adapted from, and used with the permission of, the university of kansas animation and illustration department]

GRAPHIC GRADING CRITERIA

All work completed in each course will be evaluated as a collective body. You will receive a written mid-term grade and a final grade, based on the course objectives laid out in your syllabus.

Grading Scale
A   4.0   superior         
A-  3.7
B+ 3.3
B   3.0 above average    
B-  2.7
C+ 2.3
C   2.0 average
C– 1.7
D+ 1.3
D   1.0 below average  
F   0.0 failing

Rubric
A superior
Fulfills all learning outcomes at a high level with clear extra effort and risk-taking; memorable and unique formal and conceptual work; high-quality physical/digital craft and final presentation; strong understanding, application, and generalization or synthesis of concepts/principles; group and individual participation is consistently strong and professional; excellent evidence of all required (and "above and beyond") process; significant learning is evident. 

B above average
Fulfills all learning outcomes at a moderately high level with some areas of extra effort and some risk-taking; strong formal or conceptual work; adept physical/digital craft and final presentation; clear understanding and application of concepts/principles; group and individual participation is consistent and occasionally strong; strong evidence of all required process; a good amount of learning is evident. 

C average
Fulfills all learning outcomes at a basic level with no obvious “above and beyond” effort; expected or common formal or conceptual work; a basic grasp of physical/digital craft and final presentation; basic understanding of concepts/principles; group and individual participation is often consistent; basic evidence of required process; some learning is evident.

D below average
Fulfills some learning outcomes at a basic level; concepts, form, craft and final presentation is of low quality, incorrect, or incomplete; struggles to understand and/or implement concepts/principles; group and individual participation is inconsistent; some inconsistent evidence of process; little learning is evident.

F failing
learning outcomes not addressed; poor or nonexistent formal or conceptual work; craft and final presentation is of very low quality or missing; concepts/principles not understood or implemented; group and individual participation is rare; little to no evidence of process; very little to no learning is evident.

Determination of how a student’s work ranks is in relation to developmental norms for design students at your course level pursuing a BFA degree, as well as expectation for entrance into professional practice. If your work and process stands out as highly effective, innovative, and memorable in how it satisfies all grading criteria, you will earn an above average or superior course grade. If your work and process satisfies the grading criteria in a basic way but is not memorable or does not demonstrate significant learning, you will earn a course grade of average or below.

If you have a question about your grade, the appropriate channel to contact your instructor is to set up an appointment for office hours. We are happy to meet with you to provide further clarification if you follow those steps. 

end of semester reviews

sophomores

At the completion of the sophomore fall term you will have the opportunity to verbally and visually demonstrate your design abilities. You will show select process and projects from your semester in the department. Faculty will provide feedback regarding your strengths and weaknesses and what to work on in subsequent courses. This review will have a significant impact on your fall semester studio grades, so take it – and all work undertaken this year – seriously. A project brief will be distributed several weeks before the review. Logistics and questions will be addressed at that time.

juniors

The junior review is a closed, private event at the end of the spring term that will be graded as pass/fail. Strengths and weaknesses will be formally recorded and serve to signal each student’s level of preparedness to advance to senior level courses. A passing grade in junior review is required to advance and a failing grade may result in remediation of certain coursework. It provides the opportunity for students to verbally and visually demonstrate their command of design. It includes the framing of process and select projects for faculty to review. A project brief will be distributed several weeks before the review. Logistics and questions will be addressed at that time. 

department safety manual

 

the department safety manual can be found on mykcai. you’ll first need to log in with your kcai email address and your kcai email password. students are responsible for understanding proper use of, and appropriate behavior around, all equipment used in our studios.