Art and Design Grading Standards
The following suggestions are designed to help you understand faculty expectations so you can do well in studio art classes.
Always bring your supplies and be ready to work.
Critiques
Don’t take an instructor’s less-than-favorable critique of your work as a personal attack. It is not meant to be. On critique days, leave your ego outside the door. If your work meets with an unfavorable review; there are sound reasons. If the instructor’s reasons are unclear, seek clarification so that you may learn from them.
When asked by an instructor in class to critique fellow students’ work, be objective and honest. It is always helpful to begin with positive observations and then to move to suggestions for improvement. Base your comments on sound design and artistic principles as they may apply to that particular course and assignment. Never look upon a critique as an opportunity to get back at someone. You should never leave, or cause someone else to leave, a critique angry or with hurt feelings.
Generating Ideas
Keep a sketchbook.
Begin a “swipe” or resource file. Save professional examples of good art, design or illustration that you may use as reference material for future assignments. Remember that there is a fine line between adapting existing art and stealing an idea. Resource material and swipe files are meant to be idea generators – as starting points in the development of a concept. Direct "lifts” are plagiarism and may constitute copyright infringement. If you are in doubt, ask your instructor and ask him/her to discuss the concept of “appropriation.”
Saving and Documenting Your Work
Save your assignments, especially your successful ones, and keep them in good condition. You will need them for both your sophomore and senior reviews, and for departmental competitions. As a general rule, save and document all of your work. While grades are important to you, your parents, and the college, they are not the only thing an employer considers important. The quality of your portfolio is a very important factor in finding employment. Always work towards building a portfolio that exhibits your creative skills and professionalism.
The demands of college are greater than those of high school. Standards are higher. It is unrealistic to expect your grades to be as high in college as they were in high school.
Rubric-General Guidelines for Performance
Exceeds Expectations
- Meets all objectives for assignments
- Persistently works independently
- Clearly demonstrates originality
- Clean presentation demonstrates clear thought about the composition
- Always willing to follow directions
- Consistently accepts criticism constructively
- All deadlines met, all supplies available
- Participates in class critiques using appropriate art vocabulary
- Midterm and final exams (85 –100%)
- Completed required papers, and assignments above and beyond direction
- Absences 0-1
Meets Expectations
- Meets most objectives for assignments
- Often works independently
- Often demonstrates originality
- Presentation often demonstrates clear thought about composition
- Often willing to follow directions
- Often accepts criticism constructively
- All deadlines met, all supplies available
- Participates in class critiques using appropriate art vocabulary
- Midterm and final exams (69-84%)
- Completed required papers, and assignments beyond direction
- Absences 2-3
Approaching Expectations
- Meets some objectives for assignments
- Originality apparent somewhat
- Sometimes works independently
- Some presentations reflect thought about composition
- Sometimes following directions is not apparent
- Sometimes accepts criticism constructively
- Some deadlines met, some supplies available
- Participates in class critiques using art vocabulary sometimes
- Midterm and final exams (53-68%)
- Completed required papers, and assignments but did not follow directions
- Absences 4-5
Does Not Meet Expectations
- Meets few or no objectives for assignments
- Originality is rare or not demonstrated
- Rarely or does not work independently
- Few or no presentation reflect thinking about the composition
- Rarely or does not follow directions
- Consistently accepts criticism personally
- Rarely or does not meet deadlines
- Rarely has or supplies unavailable
- Rarely or does not/ participate in class critiques; does not demonstrate knowledge of art vocabulary.
- Midterm and final exams (below 52%)
- Required papers, and assignments incomplete or did not attempt to follow directions
- Absences 6 or more