UCBUGG

Policies

11 min read

Course Overview

  • Email: ucbugg@gmail.com
  • Course Website: ucbugg.com
  • Class Time and Location:
  • Unit Information: CS 198-003, CS 198-303, 3 units P/NP
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Time Conflicts: Not Allowed

Enrollment

Enrollment is handled based on the submission of an application consisting of a short assignment alongside a form. The details of this application will be announced at the UCBUGG DeCal infosessions

Details about the infosession including when and where they are located will be announced on our 3DMA Discord Server. Please join the Discord server to see any and all announcements regarding enrollment

It is mandatory to attend the infosession to be considered for enrollment into the class. This infosession usually occurs the second week of the semester

Students must be fully enrolled in both this class and at UC Berkeley. Enrollment codes and instructions will be given once accepted into the DeCal

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this class. We do not expect anyone to have any background in either art or tech to take this class

It is required that students have access to a personal computer that can run the current version of Autodesk Maya that is in use for the class. As of Fall 2026, we no longer have access to a computer lab. If you do not have a personal computer, you can request one from the Student Technology Equity Services program

Communication

All course schedule and communications will be on Discord. A Discord server will be created and you will be invited to it once you get accepted in the class. If you need to contact the course staff privately, you can email ucbugg@gmail.com or message a facilitator directly.

Attention

All homework related questions must be handled in the appropriate channels in the course Discord server. Do not direct message facilitators for help on homework. Direct messaging facilitators is reserved for personal concerns related to the course

Lecture

We will have a 2 hour live lecture on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00pm - 9:00pm in Gateway B1015. The last 30 minutes of the lecture will be dedicated to group time to work with your group members on your final short. Lecture attendance is mandatory

Lectures may or not be recorded depending on the facilitator’s discretion. We try our best to record lectures, but there is no guarantee. Lecture slides will be publicly posted

Office Hours

We will have two 2 hour office hours held in-person and online throughout the semester. More details on the location of office hours will be released at a later date.

The office hour schedule will also be publicly posted, however, note that the schedule might change week to week

Readings

We do not have any mandatory readings. However, at the end of each lecture topic, we will provide additional optional reading if you are interested in pursuing the subject further

Assignments

Homework

There will be a homework assignment assigned every week relating to the concept taught during lecture. It is expected that you complete the assignment in a timely fashion as the following group work heavily depends on the collaboration and knowledge gained from the homework.

Homework rubrics are listed on each relevant homework assignment. Homework is not graded on quality but on completion and correctness of the required materials.

Group Work

In addition to your weekly homework, you are expected to allocate adequate time to complete your group work. Beginning Week 3, you will be assigned a group for the rest of the semester based on a shared interest for the short idea you want. You will work towards completing the necessary steps required to make your animated short throughout the semester

We have listed guidelines on what parts of the pipeline your group should work on at every given week. Your facilitators will work with you closely to ensure the group work recommended fits your short idea. The group work listed is not mandatory to complete and is flexible. However, it is important that you stay on track. Completing a 3D animated short requires a lot of work and it is incredibly easy to fall behind.

Danger

It is incredibly important that you stay on track with your group work. A lot of the 3D pipeline relies on top of each other, and failure to complete certain steps delays the entire pipeline. Do not underestimate the amount of work required

Weekly Group Progress

As a part of your group work, you will be required to submit a weekly slide deck consisting of your progress for the week alongside a small writeup detailing what you worked on. These slides will be reviewed in class by the facilitator assigned to your group.

For examples on past student slide decks, you can refer to them here.

Midterm

There will be a midterm on the week of Animation 2. This midterm will consist of a more in depth progress check-in for your entire group for the progress of your short. Additionally, facilitator and class-wide critique will occur for every group’s progress.

In addition to the in-class critique session, you will be required to submit 2 critiques in the course Discord giving constructive critique to your fellow students. More details surrounding the midterm will be announced closer to the midterm date.

There will also still be lecture after the in-class midterm critique.

Final Project

You will be working on your final project alongside your assigned group (Week 3) for the duration of the semester. Your final project is a completed animated short film. You can view our youtube channel for examples of past student shorts.

This final project will be presented at our end of semester showcase. Details about showcase will be released closer to the date. This final project is graded on completion, effort, and a peer evaluation.

Grading Policy

This is a P/NP course. A grade of 70% or higher will result in a Pass.

Attendance Policy

There will be an excused absence form for lecture attendance. A maximum of 2 excused absences & 1 unexcused absence will be given. Each additional absence after that will be a 5% deduction on the final grade

Homework Policy

For all individual homework assignments, there will be an extension request form. Up to a 1 week extension on the assignment will be given, no questions asked. Any extensions beyond that are handled on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, your lowest homework score will also be dropped.

If we notice that you are abusing the extension policy, we will deny future extension requests.

Any homework assignment turned in late can only be graded up to a maximum of 50% credit.

Grading Breakdown

CategoryPercentage
Homework Assignment40%
Attendance10%
Participation5%
Weekly Team Progress10%
Midterm10%
Final Short25%

Collaboration Policy

It is highly encouraged to collaborate with your peers on homework and group work. We believe that the best way to learn is to communicate and share with others. That said, it is not okay to have someone do the assignment for you. Unless it is for specific debugging purposes, you nor others should not go on another person’s computer to complete complex steps for them unless specifically for debugging purposes.

We believe that students will be able to distinguish between what is collaboration and teaching, and what constitutes as cheating.

Student Support

Extenuating Circumstances and Inclusion

If the above extension policy is not sufficient due to unexpected personal circumstances, please contact a head facilitator and we will be able to resolve them for you. At the end of the day, this is a DeCal and you are meant to have fun. If extenuating circumstances come in the way of that, please let us know and we will work with you.

We recognize that our students come from varied backgrounds and have widely-varying experiences. As instructors, our goal is to teach you the material in our course. The more accessible we can make it, the better. If you encounter extenuating circumstances, please do not hesitate to let us know. The sooner we are made aware, the more options we have available to us to help.

We believe in the crucial importance of creating a learning environment that is welcoming and respectful to students of all backgrounds. The following are specific steps that will help us in achieving this goal:

  • If you feel your academic performance has been impacted negatively due to a lack of inclusion, or due to experiences outside of class such as current events or family matters, please reach out to the instructors and staff. Our job is not only to teach but to support you in every way we can.
  • If something is said in class (by anyone) that makes you feel uncomfortable, disrespected, or excluded by a staff member or fellow student, please report the incident so that we can work to address the issue and create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment. Some options are:
  • If your name differs from your legal name, you may designate a preferred name for the classroom by following these steps.
  • Pronouns can be different for each student and should not be assumed. If you are misgendered by staff or another student, please respond however is best for you in the moment. If you’re open to letting us know about the incident via email or through the department’s Student Climate and Incident Reporting Form, we would really appreciate it, so we can both make sure you are appropriately addressed and continue to build habits of inclusion in our staff. You can also direct message a head facilitator directly if you do not wish to go through official department contacts.
  • If you’re in need of laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, or other required technologies, check out the Student Technology Equity Program.

Mental Health & Wellness

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. UC offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing.

If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, consider the following services available to you:

DSP

We committed to creating a learning environment that meets the needs of its diverse student body including students with disabilities. If you anticipate or experience any barriers to learning in this course, please feel welcome to discuss your concerns with the head facilitators.

If you have a disability, or think you may have a disability, you can work with the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) to request an official accommodation. The Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) is the campus office responsible for authorizing disability-related academic accommodations, in cooperation with the students themselves and their instructors. You can find more information about DSP, including contact information and the application process, at https://dsp.berkeley.edu. Students registered with DSP can expect to receive an onboarding email within a week of sending us your formal letter of accommodation through the AIM portal.

Course Climate

As a member of the Berkeley EECS community, realize that you have an important duty to help other students and staff feel respected in helping create an inclusive learning environment.

It is our expectation that all interactions with course staff and other students will demonstrate appropriate respect, consideration, and compassion for others. Please remember to be friendly and thoughtful; our community draws from a wide spectrum of valuable experiences. For further reading, please reference the Berkeley Principles of Community and Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct.

For exceptionally rude or disrespectful behavior toward the course staff or other students, we reserve the right to file a misconduct case with the Center for Student Conduct. You don’t need to be concerned about this policy if you treat other human beings with even a bare minimum of respect and consideration and do not engage in behavior that is actively harmful to others.

Acknowledgements

Parts of the student support policy has been adapted from CS168.

Policies