Capstone Guidelines

• Description
• When to Start
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• index.html page
• Accounts
• Login and Password
• Deadlines and Registration Procedures
• Student's Responsibilities
• Mentor's Responsibilities
• Student Projects

When to Start:

Students start working towards their Capstone Project and web portfolio in the first required class: Introduction to World Wide Web Authoring and XHTML. Under the instructor's directions, students will create the first page of their portfolio - index.html.

This page will serve as a cover page of their portfolio. (Students who are not taking Introduction to World Wide Web Authoring and XHTML course of the Webmaster Certificate Program at Austin Community College MUST create the index.html page BEFORE starting other classes towards the Certificate. The page (or pages) has to be approved by the Coordinator. Contact the Coordinator for details.

All other pages and projects - files and folders (directories) - will be linked from the index.html file.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Create the index.html file
2. Include links to other files (or directories - all of them will be subdirectories of the public_html directory)
3. Upload files to the public_html directory in your web account
4. Update the index.html file every time you add a project to your web portfolio
5. Add your résumé to your web portfolio and link to it from the index.html page anytime during your studies but at the latest, before submitting the Capstone Project
6. Before submitting the Capstone Project make sure it is linked from the index.html page

index.html page:

The personal page (index.html) can include a few paragraphs about a student, his or her goals, and interests. This page serves as a first page of the entire web portfolio. The index.html page must include links to the student's résumé and the Capstone project; it must also include links to other projects completed by the student in the Webmaster Certificate Program courses. The page can also include links to projects completed outside the Webmaster Certificate Program that will demonstrate the students' webmaster skills. All pages and projects have to reflect tasteful web design the students can be proud of and can present to a potential employer or client.

Accounts:

Students entering the Webmaster program after December 31, 2002, MUST use their accounts on the ACC server. (Students who started the program before December 2002 can request an account on the ACC server by sending email to the Coordinator. These students need to create their personal page on their own without the instructor's assistance.) Accounts are created for all students starting the program in January 2003 and later when they start Introduction to World Wide Web Authoring and XHTML I class in the beginning of the program. They will use the accounts under the instructor's directions.

Students will use this PERMANENT account for all classes requiring an account. No additional accounts will be created for students who already own one account on the ACC server. The students are responsible for safeguarding their login information, including the password and expiration date.

Accounts on the Austin Community College server can be used for purposes of the ACC Webmaster Certificate Program only.

It is the students' responsibility to keep back-ups of all files uploaded to the ACC server. ACC is not responsible for lost or corrupted files.

Login and Password:

Login and password information for these accounts will be provided by the instructor after students start their first class. Accounts on ACC expire two years after they have been created unless the student notifies the Coordinator before the original expiration date to extend the account.

Deadlines and Registration Procedures:

Students MUST finish the Capstone Project during the same semester in which they register for the Capstone course. If they keep working on or postpone the project to the following semester, they will have to register for the Capstone course again and pay full tuition. Students are able to register for Capstone Project only after they finish all other classes needed for the Webmaster certificate. Students must first obtain the Coordinator's approval to register for the Capstone Project. Registration is open only for the first six weeks at the beginning of each semester so that the students have enough time to finish the project before the end of the semester. If the students do not finish the project by the end of the semester, a grade of U - Unsatisfactory will be assigned for that course.

Student's Responsibilities:

• Find a project and organization/client to develop a website for
• Plan the website (including the site map, phase breakdown, backend technologies) before contacting the mentor
• Work and communicate with the client
• Meet the client's needs and requirements
• Find and contact a mentor
• Notify the mentor about the website deadlines given by the client
• Follow the mentor's suggestions
• Make sure that the project meets the requirements specified in the description and in these guidelines
• Post the website to a server
• Notify the mentor about the URL
• Finish the project within the semester in which the student is registered
• Notify the Coordinator if the site moves - otherwise the project will not be linked from the Webmaster website
• Get familiar with Administrative Rules - Student Rights and Responsibilities, specifically section H of this document; and the Student Handbook.
• Get familiar with and follow the ACC Internet Acceptable Use Guidelines and with the ACC Web Publishing Guidelines.
• Check this website for updates

Mentor's Responsibilities:

• Ensure that the project is the student's original work
• Ensure that the project meets the requirements specified in the description and these guidelines
• Approve the project's concept
• Assist the student in defining the requirements for the project
• Guide the student
• Provide suggestions and feedback throughout the development process
• Submit the project to the Coordinator when it meets these requirements and guidelines
• If the project does not meet these requirements, the mentor must notify the student and the Coordinator
• Check this website for updates

The Webmaster Program Committee approves the student's completed project and recommends the award of the ACC Webmaster Certificate. The Coordinator notifies the mentor if the project is not approved and provides suggestions for changes. The Coordinator notifies the student and the mentor when the project is approved and the certificate of the Webmaster Program is issued.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, contact the Coordinator by email or call 512/223-7588.

For comments and questions about this site contact the mnouzovs@austincc.edu.
© 2002 Austin Community College
This page was last updated February 2007