Policies
Attendance
Please be on time and attend as many classes as possible. Repeated absences (e. g. more than three) or excessive lateness will lower your class participation grade considerably.
Class participation
Everyone should participate actively in class activities and discussions. If you aren’t asking to speak in every class, you aren’t participating enough. I’ll evaluate your participation in writing twice: at midterm (3/5) and the end of the semester (5/5). Discussion provocations are included in your class participation grade.
Ethical conduct
We will discuss the ethical demands of writing during the course. I expect every student to follow the highest professional standards for ethical behavior, especially regarding respect for other students. Criticism and enthusiasm are great; rudeness or antagonism is unacceptable. Please show respect and concern for your classmates both in class and on our email discussion list or in electronic environments.
I also expect academic honesty. Plagiarism (use of another’s ideas, data, and statements with little or no acknowledgment), collusion (unauthorized or undocumented collaboration), or re-submission (presenting an assignment previously completed for course credit) are not permissible. These types of academic dishonesty will be reported in accordance with WIU’s Academic Dishonesty Policy.
Feedback
Please help me be a better teacher by letting me know when you really enjoy a class or get a lot out of an assignment—I’ll keep it up. On the other hand, if something doesn’t seem to work well to you or other students, I’d also like to know. I frequently change assignments, policies, and other facets of courses in response to student suggestions.
If you wish to remain anonymous, I suggest placing a printed note in my mailbox. Alternately, contact my supervisor, Dr. David Boocker, Chair of the Department of English & Journalism. (Feel free to tell him when I’m doing good things, too.)
Grading
You earn points for each completed assignment. A ten percent per letter grade scale is used for all assignments and final grades. Since there are 1,000 points in the semester, it’s easy to figure out where you stand at any time.
Please keep track of your grades and keep all graded assignments.
|
assignment |
points |
|
grade |
points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Home page |
50 |
|
A |
900-1000 |
|
200 |
|
B |
800-899 |
|
|
Project two |
300 |
|
C |
700-799 |
|
150 |
|
D |
600-699 |
|
|
Class participation |
150 |
|
F |
599 or fewer |
|
Group work |
100 |
|
|
|
|
Peer reviews |
50 |
|
|
|
|
Total points |
1000 |
|
|
|
Help!
I want to help you achieve success in this class and all your studies at Western. Help me help you by asking me when you need some assistance. If you have a concern which you think others might share, please bring it up it in class discussions, before or after class, or by sending an email to our class list. This is a communication course, after all.
For tutoring or other assistance, come to my office hours. I hope to see everyone at least once in my office during the semester. Stop by any time you are in Simpkins Hall—I’m there quite often, and if the door is open, I’m happy to see you. Please keep in mind I share my office with another professor.
Students with special learning needs requiring pedagogical accommodation should speak with me as soon as possible.
Late work
Avoid late work. If you must turn in an assignment after the due date, I must know at least 48 hours in advance, or you will suffer a point penalty. Unless you have permission from me, late work will not be accepted after one calendar week.
Course grades of “incomplete” will only be given in the case of documented medical emergency (e. g. your arm fell off, and your doctor can prove it).
Privacy
There is no need to put your social security number or WIU ID number on any work turned in to me; your printed name will suffice.
By law (20 USC § 1232g, commonly called FERPA or the “Buckley Amendment”), educational records must be kept confidential. So: I will only discuss your progress in the course with you in my office, where your privacy can be ensured. I will only email grades or progress reports to wiu.edu accounts. I will never post such information in public. Ever.
We will be using computers at WIU and in other locations. I will make every effort to ensure your privacy while using these systems. You can help by choosing good passwords, keeping your passwords secret, and logging out of any lab computers after you use them. Should you ever suspect your privacy has been compromised in any way because of a computer system used in the course, contact me immediately by telephone.
If you have a problem with computers, please ask for help—but never email me or any other WIU staff member a password. Passwords should never be emailed.
WIU brings you the following announcements
In accordance with University policy and the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be
made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring
such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not
legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students.
Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations
should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures
to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services
at
298-2515 for additional services.
It is the responsibility of the student to comply with the prerequisites/corequisites for a course that he/she plans to take. Instructors who place the appropriate information on the syllabus and emphasize it during the first three class periods may exclude a student from the class who does not meet the prerequisites/corequisites by sending a note to the student with a copy to the registrar within the first two weeks of the term.