Academic Advising

Upon enrollment at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, each student is assigned an Academic Advisor. Academic Advisors will contact first through fourth quarter students to set up an initial appointment during the first few weeks of the quarter. Students can also find out who their Academic Advisor is by visiting the Academic Advising Center on the 7th floor of the Main Building. The Art Institute of California – San Francisco Academic Advising team is dedicated to helping guide the student through the curriculum of his/her program. Advising services are provided on an individual basis to help students maximize their school experience. Academic advising is also provided by the faculty, Academic Directors, and the Dean of Academic Affairs. Academic Directors for all programs of study can be found on the 7th floor of the Main Building ( Interior Design in Building 10UN and Liberal Studies Director in Building 1145.)

Michelle Williams, Academic Advising Program Director
E-mail: miwilliams@aii.edu
Phone: 415-276-1007

Academic Termination Appeal Policy

A student who is academically terminated must appeal in writing to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The written appeal must state the mitigating circumstances that contributed to the termination. The written appeal must be supported with appropriate documentation of the mitigating circumstances with an explanation on how the circumstances have been remedied or changed. Examples of mitigating circumstances include: death in the immediate family; hospitalization of the student; documented medical problems; and other special circumstances such as natural disasters and family emergencies. The appeal letter should:

• Introduce the student by name, major, and student ID number
• Explain what factors -internal and external- have contributed to the student's lack of success
• Explain what concrete steps the student has taken to ensure future success
• Explain the student's understanding that their appeal, if accepted, is accepted only once
• Be signed and dated

Appeals should be typed and delivered, in person, to the Dean of Academic Affairs or submitted electronically to the following: Dr. Caren Meghreblian – E-mail: cmeghreblian@aii.edu or Michelle Williams, Academic Advising Program Director – E-mail: miwilliams@aii.edu. Once an appeal is approved, the student must visit the Dean’s office on the 7th floor to sign the granted appeal. All appeal letters will stay in the student’s academic file in the Registrar’s Office.

Adding/Dropping Classes

Students who wish to add or drop classes or change class sections must do so during the Schedule Adjustment period. The Schedule Adjustment period begins on the Monday of Week 1 of the quarter and concludes at the end of the 1st class day of Week 2 (usually the following Monday). A student wishing to add, drop, or change his/her schedule, must see the Academic Director of his/her program or an Academic Advisor in person. An Official Schedule is required to make any changes. In special circumstances, a director may make changes over the phone. All prerequisites for classes must be met.

After making schedule adjustments, the student should come back to the Registrar's Office to receive a new Official Schedule to confirm that the schedule was changed properly. This is the only time students may add, drop courses, or change classes without financial penalty. Once the Schedule Adjustment period has concluded, a student may withdraw from a course(s) and receive a “W� until Friday of Week 9. Please see Withdrawal from a class Policy.

Attendance Withdrawal Appeal Process

A student who does not attend any classes for fourteen consecutive calendar days, and fails to notify the Academic Affairs department, will be withdrawn from school. Please note this policy includes weekends and school-observed holidays.

To appeal the attendance withdrawal, the student must write a letter to the Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Caren Meghreblian. All appeals must be submitted within five days of the date of the withdrawal letter sent by the Registrar. The letter should outline the following points: A) the reason(s) for the excessive absences, B) any steps the student took to alert the school and/or instructors to these absences. It is especially important for the student to discuss any pro-active measures taken to be in touch with instructors to make-up or keep up with coursework and C) plan for resolving any outstanding issues that would prevent them from attending classes moving forward, as well as their commitment to being successful through the remainder of the quarter. Appeals may be typed and delivered, in person, to the Dean of Academic Affairs or submitted electronically to the following: Dr. Caren Meghreblian – E-mail: Cmeghreblian@aii.edu or Michelle Williams, Academic Advising Program Director–E-mail:miwilliams@aii.edu. Once an appeal is approved, the student will need to come to the Dean’s office on the 7th floor to sign the granted appeal. All appeal letters will stay in the student’s academic file with the Registrar.

Changing a Grade

When a final grade has been established and recorded in the student’s record, the approval of the instructor, Academic Director, and the Dean of Academic Affairs is necessary for a grade change. A student who feels that he/she has received an erroneous grade may appeal that grade to the instructor of the class. If the student and the instructor do not reach a resolution in the matter, the Academic Director, after consultation with the instructor and student, will make a final determination. A request for a change of grade will only be accepted by the Registrar’s Office through the end of the Schedule Adjustment period of the following quarter.

Changing your Major

Students will be allowed only one change of major. Changing from an associate program to a bachelor’s program for the same major is not considered a change of major. Visit the Registrar’s Office to pick up the forms to change your major. It is advisable to meet with the Director of the new program prior to starting the change of major paperwork.

Class Registration

Registration Instructions (Check for posted signs)

1. Pick up registration packet from Registrar’s Office along with a schedule and a prerequisite matrix for your major.
2. Choose classes and write down your schedule on your registration worksheet.
3. See your academic director/advisor with your completed worksheet.
4. Your director/advisor will register you for classes. When finished, give director/advisor your signed registration worksheet.
5. Check your OLS account the following day to confirm your class schedule.

You’re registered!

If a student chooses to register after the end of Registration Week (the dates of Registration Week are posted around campus, a late fee of $50 is incurred. The late fee must be paid to the Student Accounting Office in order to register.

Account holds may prohibit students from registering for classes. Students must take care of any holds prior to registering.

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco has open registration. Priority is only given to pending graduates. Some courses have prerequisites requirements. Prerequisite matrixes are located in hanging folders outside the Registrar's Office. Students may not register for a closed class. At this point, the student will need to visit the Academic Director or Advisor to find another section of the same course or another course that is available.

Computers

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco is equipped with 12 computer labs, which are available to students whenever there is not a class in session. Computer lab 611 is an open lab.

Students are encouraged to use the computer labs as much as possible while studying at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco to increase their skills and proficiency. The technology team provides access to hardware and software. The goal is to provide fair and efficient service to all students and faculty. Questions and concerns should be directed to the Technology Department on the 3rd floor of Main building. Personal computers are not mandatory for specific programs or courses, although they can be helpful for completing assignments off campus.

Course Workload

Student Status is based on credit hours, status is defined as follows:

• Full-time: enrolled in 12 credit hours or more in an academic quarter
• Three-quarter time: enrolled in 9-11 credit hours in an academic quarter
• Half-time: enrolled in 6-8 credit hours in an academic quarter
• Less than half time: enrolled in 1-5 credit hours in an academic quarter
• Full load: full-time course load schedule averages 16 credits

A full-time student may become part-time in a meeting with his/her Academic Director and a visit to the Financial Aid office.

Course Information

The Registrar's Office provides course listings and schedules during registration periods. Open classes are also posted outside the Registrar's Office from registration through the end of the Schedule Adjustment period for each quarter. Course descriptions are available through the Academic Directors and Academic Advisors.

Students can find the location of their classes on their Official Schedule. Students may pick up their Official Schedules with their school ID starting the Friday prior to the first day of the quarter in the Registrar's Office.

Please visit www.aicasf.artinstitutes.edu/programdegrees.asp for more information about specific degree requirements.

To pick up this years school catalog click here. You can also pick up a catalog addendum by clicking here.

Credits for Experience

Proficiency credit is awarded on the basis of exam or a portfolio. Such credit is applied to the total credits required for graduation but has no grade point value and is not computed in the grade point average.

A student seeking Proficiency for a particular class should first visit his/her Academic Director. Students will be charged a nonrefundable administrative of $100 (USD) per course for which credit is sought. Prior to the first day of class of the inital quarter of study, a portfolio of examples demonstrating proficiency must be supplied to the appropriate Academic Director. Credit for prior work/experiential learning shall only be granted by the Dean of Academic Affairs upon the written recommendation of a faculty member or Academic Director and may be granted only if all of the following conditions apply:

1. The prior work/experiential learning is equivalent to a college- or university- level of learning.
2. The prior work/experiential learning demonstrates a balance between theory and practices.
3. The credit awarded for the prior work/experiential learning directly relates to the student's degree program and is applied in satisfaction of some of the degree requirements.
4. The student has documented in writing each college- or university-level work/experiential learning for which credit is sought.

Dean’s List & Honors

Students who enroll for and complete 12 credits or more during the quarter are eligible for honor's designation consideration. Below is an outline of the Honor Designation:

Diplomas

Students receive their diplomas within two months after graduation by mail. Replacement diplomas incur a fee of $10.00 (USD).

Grades

Mid-term grades are posted on the student's OLS account during the end of Week 6. Final grades are posted on the student's OLS account by the end of the week after the quarter ends. OLS is the primary way for students to receive their grades.

Grading System

The academic grading system incorporates letter grades and codes that have the following numeric equivalences and definitions:

Grade Point Computation: The grade point value for an individual course is determined using the equivalent grade points listed above. The total grade points for an individual course are determined by multiplying the letter grade equivalent grade point times the credit hours for the course.

Quarterly Grade Point Average (QGPA): The QGPA is computed by dividing the total grade points earned in the quarter by the total credits attempted in that quarter.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): The CGPA is computed by dividing the total grade points earned for all courses completed by the total credits attempted. The resulting CGPA is expressed as a whole number and a tenth, i.e. 2.5, 3.2. The CGPA is calculated by rounding up to the nearest tenth if the last digit is five or greater. It is rounded down to the nearest tenth if the last digit is less than five. Ex: 3.64 = 3.6, 3.65 = 3.7.

Graduation

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco holds two graduation ceremonies per year in December and June. The ceremony typically lasts 1 1/2 to 2 hours and features speeches from a graduate, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and a guest speaker.

Eligibility for Graduation

To be qualified to graduate, an Art Institute student must:

• Receive a passing grade or credit for all required coursework
• Earn the minimum required credits for the program
• Achieve a minimum CGPA of not less than 2.0
• Meet portfolio or other requirements as outlined by the student's degree program
• Satisfy all financial obligations to The Art Institute
• Submit a completed Graduation Clearance Form

Graduation Fees entail:

• $25 for Cap and Gown-purchased from the Supply Store located in the Basement of the Main Building
• $20 late fee is incurred if a student submits the Graduation Clearance Form after the deadline.

For more information, download this pdf form by clicking here.

Holds

Holds are placed on student accounts by the following offices of The Art Institute of California – San Francisco:

• Registrar’s Office
• Student Financial Services
• Student Accounting
• Housing
• Library
• Academic Advisor
• Student Affairs
• Admissions

Students are expected to take care of their holds prior to registering or picking up their Official Schedule. Holds can prevent a student from registering for their classes, attending school, etc. Students may check their OLS account for updated account hold information.

Liberal Studies Requirements

At The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, general education requirements are called "Liberal Studies." Liberal Studies instructors provide students with an opportunity to analyze our physical world, examine the systems human use to negotiate that world, and discuss and evaluate the artistic responses to those systems. In addition, students will hone their thinking, writing, and presentation skills.

Students in bachelors' degree programs must take 14 classes; students in associate's degree programs must take seven. Below are the general requirements. Students in certain majors may be required to take a certain number of upper division courses within their electives. Also, a student may be guided by his or her Academic Director or the Director of Liberal Studies to take certain electives based upon the student’s major, vocational interests, and academic interests.

Location

The Registrar's Office is located on the 7th floor of the Main Building. The Art Institute of California – San Francisco has three locations centered on U.N. Plaza in San Francisco's Civic Center. The Main Building is located at 1170 Market St. The Art Institute of California – San Francisco occupies the ninth floor in 1145 Market St. and the second floor at 10 U.N Plaza. For directions, please click on the link below.

Online Services Account (OLS)

Students are encouraged to use their Online Services Accounts (OLS) for the following functions:

• Academic Services: Print an unofficial transcript, view quarterly grades, and view course syllabi
• Financial Services: Apply for financial aid, view links to loan information, and find financial aid forms
• Student Services: Find the Student OLS Directory, links to helpful San Francisco websites, and the Student Handbook
• In addition to the above services, OLS provides students with 50MB of web space and 50MB of email space.

Please note the OLS site will be unavailable for routine maintenance at the following times:

• Sundays: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Eastern Time)
• Thursdays: 6 a.m. - 7 a.m. (Eastern Time)

All other times, the OLS site is available 24 hours.
Students may obtain OLS account information at the Registrar’s Office.
Contact to Cindy Shelton, cshelton@aii.edu, 4152761028

Student ID Cards

The Art Institute of CA – San Francisco ID cards are required for all current students. ID cards are required for entrance to all campus buildings and for all student services such as obtaining an Official Schedule or checking out a book from the library. Students will need their student number in order to obtain an ID card.

If lost, an ID card costs $10.00 (USD) to be replaced. To obtain an ID, please visit the Print Shop, located on the 3rd floor of Main Building.

Taking Online Classes

Students wishing to take an online course will register at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. A student may choose to take a combination of ground and online courses, or online courses only. Registration for online courses will begin at the same time as registration for on-ground classes.

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco has signed a consortium agreement with The Art Institute Online, a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. This agreement states that the online course is equivalent to the ground school’s offering of the same course. This allows the student to receive credit for the course. In addition, the student will sign an individual agreement with The Art Institute Online. The student will complete all required online registration forms with The Art Institute of California – San Francisco Online Advocate or Online Academic Advisor during the registration period. The Online Advocate can also provide students with a listing of available online course equivalencies for the current quarter.

The Schedule Adjustment week (first week of the quarter) is applied for both online sessions. If a student registers for a second session online course, they will not have an opportunity to drop that class or transfer to an on ground version after the normal schedule adjustment period. The student will be responsible to pay for the class(es). An Online Lab Fee of $100 (USD) is charged per course, in addition to the ground course tuition rate.

Screening along with a two hour online orientation must be completed by first-time students before taking online courses. Once registered for an online course, the student will receive instructions on how to participate in the orientation program for the online courses, and the student will be provided the course name and password for each online course. Once a student logs in to the virtual classroom, the instructor will be available via email through the virtual classroom. Students will learn more about communication with the instructor and classmates in the orientation program. There are no in-person requirements to complete your online course.

For more information about registering for online courses, please visit The Art Institute Online at www.aionline.edu/campus.

What You Need to Know About Online Classes

• 5½ weeks in length
• Offered in two sessions during each quarter

Qualifications: The student...

• Must be in good academic standing
• Must not have a pattern of dropping classes
• Should have a good attendance record

Characteristics of Successful Online Students

• Must be self-motivated
• Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills
• Must possess good written communication skills
• Must enjoy working in a collaborative environment with the instructor and other students
• Must take responsibility for own learning Requirements
• Must possess required technology
• Must be able to purchase textbook from online bookstore with a credit card
• Must be willing to dedicate 15-20 hours per week to each online course
• Must be committed to logging on at least four of seven days each week and actively participate in the discussion thread.

Online Attendance

The student is expected to attend the discussion area by participating in the discussion a minimum of four days per week from Week one through Week five and three days during Week six. Attendance is measured by recording the date of each entry a student makes on the system when that student participates in a meaningful way. Examples of meaningful participation include responses to assignments, commenting on the work of others in critiques, discussion questions, or questions for the facilitator or the group. An absence is defined as each day a student does not participate in the discussion area beyond two days per week. A day is defined as that period of twenty-four hours from midnight to midnight. However students have the flexibility of posting until 2AM (PST) and have the post count for day “before.�

For absence due to prolonged serious illness or personal emergency the student is expected to contact the instructor as soon as possible. For absence due to technical problems, the student is expected to contact the instructor immediately after notifying the appropriate technical support. Failure to notify the instructor will be considered a missed deadline. All assigned work must be completed regardless of the reason for absence.

Online Participation

Successful learning online requires active participation in the discussion area. This is achieved through students posting notes and responding to the notes of others that may relate to the lecture and assigned readings; answering and responding to others' answers of assigned discussion questions; case studies; specific assignments; and critiques. A "response" may be a question about another's work; an agreement with or challenge to the point of view expressed, supported by a reference to the text or lecture or personal experience (not mere opinion); citation of a reference relevant to the topic; a critique of someone's work, etc.

Everyone's comments are important. The diversity of experience among members of the class will enhance learning. All students will be treated equitably within the classroom. The classroom shall be a place of expression and discussion.

Communications will be respectful. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated, and the instructor will determine what is inappropriate. Students not treating instructor and peers with respect are subject to discipline or dismissal from the online learning platform for this course. All activities in the classroom will follow standards set in the Student Handbook.

The Art Institute Online Technology, Textbook & Supporting Materials Please review The Art Institute Online site to obtain a list of all technology, textbooks, supplies and other supporting materials that may be required for your classes: www.aionline.edu/AIO/campus

- Click COURSES and the Course Catalog window opens. SELECT PROGRAM, then AIO and choose major for course listings, materials and technology required.

Online programs are dependent on the student and faculty's ability to connect and communicate with the learning platform and with each other. In order to participate in an online course, students are required to possess or have immediate access to the computer equipment and software as described below. This will allow the student access to their courses and the means for completing assignments and projects. Should they desire, students have several options with regard to obtaining this hardware and software from partner vendors of The Art Institutes.

Students may need the following (refer to the course description in the online catalog for specific requirements per class):

• Current model Pentium class PC or G3 Macintosh computer
• 56K modem at a minimum
• Color flatbed scanner
• Color inkjet printer
• Digital camera
• Drawing tablet

In addition, online students need:

A standard set of software applications that will allow them to complete their assignments and prepare them to use the same software, as well as compatible software, on the job. The version numbers of the required software packages are also published in the Recommended Technology document. Online classes have been optimized for these versions, and our instructors will be using those same versions. It may be possible to use earlier versions of the software, but the files produced may not be fully compatible with the version your instructor or fellow students will be using. Additionally, depending upon the specific software application, older versions may be missing specific feature sets that may be employed in class activities. A connection to the Internet through phone lines using the 56K modem - Internet Service Provider. A reliable connection to the Internet is an absolute requirement to successfully engage with our course material, and participate in course discussions. We recommend a minimum 56K modem to successfully engage with our course material. Your ability to download higher bandwidth media, such as audio, is primarily dependent upon your speed of connection. A slower modem could make downloading class materials intolerably long.

Except for materials required to produce hand-worked art, all assignments and projects within the class are designed to be accomplished using the technology described above without requiring students to purchase or otherwise obtain additional equipment or services. Failing to obtain or provide the minimum technology, supporting textbooks, supplies or other required materials can mean that students will not be able to participate fully in the classes, complete the required assignments, or achieve the stated course outcomes. (top)

Withdrawal from a class

A student who withdraws from a course or the program after the Schedule Adjustment period and before Week 10 of the quarter will be assigned a "W" grade for each course. The "W" grade is not used in the computation of the student's grade point average (GPA). There are no tuition refunds for course withdrawals after the end of the schedule adjustment period.You must stop by the Registrar's Office on the 7th floor of the Main Building to pick up a Request for Course Withdrawal form.

If you are withdrawing from all of your classes, please see Withdrawing from School section.

Withdrawing from School

Students who are not registered for any courses by the end of the Schedule Adjustment period will be withdrawn from school. Students who voluntarily withdraw from school must complete a Withdrawal from School form (found at the Registrar's Office), obtain all required signatures, and return it to the Registrar's Office. Students who withdraw from school are subject to a tuition increase upon re-enrollment. If you have any questions please contact Cindy Shelton at cshelton@aii.edu.

Any student who has withdrawn from The Art Institutes for any period must go through the formal re-entry process. Each student's status must be reviewed before consideration for re-entry. For details, please contact the Anastasia Coussoulis, Re-admissions Advisor, at acoussoulis@aii.edu in the Admissions Office.

Study Abroad

2008 is an exciting year for Study Abroad. Programs will be offered every quarter! 11 quarter-length and 7 short-term programs are available.

Quarter length:

• Fall (tentative):
  Strasbourg [Inter Des, Gen Ed] download pdf
  Milan [Fashion, Art History, Gen Ed] download pdf
  

Short Term:

• September:
  September- Italian Fashion download pdf
  September- Italian Art History download pdf
  September- Vive el arte espanol download pdf
  
  

You may review and download available Program Info Packets.

Please attend a Study Abroad Info Meeting to get an application- Dates and times are posted in the Study Abroad info case in the Main Building Student Lounge. For more information, please contact the Study Abroad Coordinator, Annie Yu, ayu@aii.edu, Room 416 Main.