VISUAL COMMUNICATION LAB POLICY
HOURS OF OPERATION

The Visual Communication Lab (VC Lab) is open 10 hrs/week.

DEPARTMENTAL FEE

Students are required to pay a Departmental Fee of $10.00 per year. This fee gives also access to the Sensor Lab. Payment is accepted at the Art Supply store in the VA building, and return the receipt to the CDA. Make sure that the receipt says “Design and Computation Arts materials fee” on it.

ACCESS & RESERVATIONS

The Visual Communication Lab can accommodate a maximum of 6 persons at any one time.


In order to reserve a time slot contact the Visual Communication Lab Assistant via email at
visual.communication.lab@gmail.com or in person. Each person will be allowed to reserve a time slot for a period of up to four hours a day, with the maximum of two days in a row. A reservation will be held for a 15-minute grace period. After 15 minutes, the session will be given to any student(s) waiting.

Check the Visual Communication Lab Booking Schedule – Refer to the “VC Lab Open Hours” calendar. If there is space available – please email visual.communication.lab@gmail.com, and inform the lab assistant of the date you would like to reserve.

AFTER HOURS ACCESS:
After hours access to the Sensor Lab is privilege based, and will be decided upon by your Professor and Sensor Lab Assistant. All the cabinets will be locked and access to certain tools and equipment will have to be negotiated in advance.

STUDENTS

PROJECTS:
Students are expected to bring or buy their own materials and specified equipment for the realization of their academic projects. Students are therefore encouraged to consult the Visual Communication Lab Assistant early in their project development to get an overview of technologies vs cost vs availability vs complexity.

BORROWING:
Students who have paid their Departmental Fee can borrow certain equipment or books (weekends only) from the Visual Communication Lab. Borrowed equipment must be returned on time, unaltered and in working order.

LIABILITIES:
Students are liable for the repair or replacement cost of any equipment they borrow from the Visual Communication Lab, which has been lost or damaged whilst in their possession.

STUDENTS MUST LEAVE THEIR I.D. CARDS WITH THE SENSOR LAB ASSISTANT IN ORDER TO BORROW ITEMS FROM THE LAB.

SAFETY

NO FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED IN THE VISUAL COMMUNICATION LAB. ALL STUDENTS MUST ATTEND THE SENSOR LAB ORIENTATION SESSION IN ORDER TO MAKE USE OF THE LAB.

POWER TOOLS:
The use of power tools is not permitted in the Visual Communication Lab.

CHEMICALS:
The ventilation in the Visual Communication Lab is not designed to clear the air of toxic chemicals.
IF IT SMELLS BAD, DON’T USE IT HERE.

DON’T USE THE VC LAB EQUIPMENT TO MANIPULATE TOXIC OR PERMANENT MATERIALS THAT MAY CAUSE HEALTH HAZARDS OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. NO PAINTS OF ANY KIND.

CLEAN UP

CLEAN UP STARTS 30 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING:
All Visual Communication Lab users are expected to help clean when they make use of the lab.

PUT THINGS AWAY THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT:
All equipment should be put away and the lab left neat. If you are the only person in the Visual Communication Lab and you leave, put all tools away whether you took them out or not. This includes all hand tools, and any paper trimmings or other mess made.

IF YOU STAY LATE (AFTER HOURS ACCESS), CLEAN UP IS YOUR JOB.

END OF SEMESTER

At the end of the semester, ensure that you have backed up all your files stored on the Visual Communication Lab workstations, and removed your projects from the Visual Communication Lab. All files will be deleted from the workstations and projects not collected will be discarded of – in order to make room for others.