Attendance
When you miss class, you can’t be part of the discussion, you won’t understand the relevance of the reading and writing assignments, and you will fall behind. Thus, uneven attendance, including late arrivals to class, will affect every other aspect of this course on which your learning depends. If you have a legitimate reason for missing class (e.g., religious holiday, family emergency, illness), please contact me asap.
Unexcused absences will negatively affect your grade. Three unexcused absences will result in an automatic C for participation/preparation. 6 absences of any kind will result in an F for the course (or in special cases a recommendation to withdraw). (For more information about how I will evaluate your participation/preparation see the “Evaluation of Learning” page on this site.)
Late or Missed Assignments
On most days, you will be have some kind of writing due, and it’s important that you not fall behind. Most of the informal writing assignments are preparing you for the work of a particular day’s class, so missing an assignment will mean you’re not prepared for class. In addition, the more informal writing you’ve produced, the more you’ll have to think about when you turn to the longer assignments. For all of these reasons, I will not normally accept late work. If you anticipate a problem meeting a deadline, tell me about it sooner not later, and if possible, we will work something out.
Intellectual Honesty
Writing and reading are social and socializing activities, and more often than not in this course, you will be responding to and building on the ideas of other texts and readers. I encourage you to discuss the reading and writing assignments with anyone in or outside the class. In addition, I will frequently ask you to read and respond to one another’s work. Should you find yourself drawing on any of these discussions in your written work, you should include an acknowledgement statement. E.g., I would like to thank my classmate Pheobe Jones for her feedback on an earlier draft of this essay. Or, My idea for this blog post originated in a discussion I had yesterday with my roommate Mike Miller.
If you have any questions about how to use or cite published sources (we’ll be following MLA rules), consult your St. Martin’s Handbook or the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) or ask me.
Instances of plagiarism, representing without attribution the ideas of others, will be dealt with according to the procedure outlined in the most recent version of your student handbook. (See ”The Conduct Process,” “Academic Integrity,” and “How to Avoid Plagiarism.”)
Requests for Academic Accommodation
In compliance with Lafayette College policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you require as a student with a disability. Except in unusual circumstances, requests for academic accommodations need to be made during the first two weeks of the semester so that arrangements can be made. Students must register with the Dean of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs for verification and for determination of reasonable academic accommodations.
Federal Credit Hour Requirement
The student work in this course is in full compliance with the federal definition of a four credit hour course. Please see the Registrar’s Office web site for the full policy and practice statement.