policies

Learning is an active process. As a seminar class, we will engage in a great deal of discussion and activities that cannot be recreated on your own. We not only are learning from our textbook but from one another in the classroom, which is why I emphasize attendance for our class. Sometimes students face obstacles to their education as a result of family obligations or unforeseen personal difficulties. If you are experiencing challenges throughout the term that is impacting your ability to succeed in this course or any other course you are taking, pleaser reach out to me immediately so we can work together to form a plan for your academic success. 

Here are some of my expectations of you in the classroom:

• You are expected to complete this course to the best of your ability.

• You are expected to attend class & stay the entire time. 

• You are expected to complete assignments on time or request an extension prior to the due date. 

• You are expected to be prepared for class so that you can contribute to discussions & appear engaged. 

• You are expected to follow appropriate classroom etiquette, especially the technology policy. 

• You are expected to communicate with me throughout the semester, especially if you need help (please don't hesitate or wait to reach out). 

• You are expected to let me know if you are struggling with any assignments or finding that they are not relevant to you so we can meet and talk through it. 

• You are expected to be respectful and professional in interactions with me and your peers. (See below) 

• You are expected to abide by all University policies

• You are expected/encouraged to take care of yourself by practicing in self care activities throughout the semester and reach out if you are struggling to do so. 

• You are expected to complete all of your ACCESS requirements. 

Anything else you'd like to add to this list? (let me know)!

Respecting Others: I am committed to creating a learning environment where diverse perspectives are recognized and valued as a source of strength. I request that all students work with me to create a class culture based on open communication, mutual respect, and inclusion. Disagreements and debates happen, but personal attacks are never okay and will not be tolerated.

Joint expectation list! 

Here is what you can expect of me in the classroom: 

• I will attend each class or let you know beforehand if something is changing. 

• I will be prepared for each class period. 

• I will have our course set up in a clear, organized manner that has clear expectations. 

• I will provide feedback on all assignments within 2 weeks of your due date. I will aim for one, but during busy seasons it may be closer to 2.

• I will respond to all emails within 24-48 hours expect for weekends. 

• I will always find a time to chat if you request a meeting. 

• I will always be open the feedback about the course at anytime and am open to considering make revisions if needed. 

• I will do my best to create a safe and supportive learning environment and respect each and everyone of you. If I ever miss the mark, please do not hesitate to come and talk to me. We are all learning together. 

• I will practice self care so I can be the best version of myself for you in the classroom. 

Anything else you'd like to add to this list? (let me know)!

Part of being a successful student is being organized and effective with managing your time. My preference is that you get in the habit of turning in all assignments by the due date assigned. If you have an exceptionally busy week and need an extension on an assignment, you can request an extension by completing  this google form BEFORE the assignment due date and time. You can select a new due date within a week of when that assignment is due. If you need more than a week, please reach out to me before completing the google form so we can work something out. This is a no questions asked form meaning I will not ask you to explain why you need an extension, but if I see there is a pattern of consistent requests, I will touch base with you about what is going on so I can help. 

I know that sometimes we have good intentions to getting the assignment in on time but we miss that mark. So if you miss the mark, don't give up, just try again. I have a grace period that allows you to turn things in until Friday at 8am without it starting to reflect in your grade. If you don't think you can complete the assignment in the grace period, please contact me so we can make a plan. 

I am being kind because I know that students are humans to and facing a variety of challenges and stressors. Please do not take advantage of my kindness so that others can experience the same type of grace I am giving all of you. 

• Please mute all cell phones/electrical devices during class.

• Please take out airpods or other headphones while in class. 

• Please put your laptop away unless I request that it is pulled out.

Writing, reflecting, and critical thinking are essential to learning. They also can be hard and take time and effort. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools, such as ChatGPT, are useful tools for helping us improve our writing and stimulate our thinking. However, they should never serve as a substitute for either and, in this course, they cannot. 

If you choose to utilize these technologies for any assignment in this class, you should note that all large language models (like ChatGPT) still have a tendency to make up incorrect facts, fake citations, and sometimes can produce content that is biased and offensive. You will be responsible for any inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit regardless of whether it originally comes from you or a AI model. The university's policy on plagiarism still applies to any uncited or improperly cited use of work by other human beings or these AI models as your own. If you use an AI model, its contribution must be acknowledged; you will be penalized for using an AI model without acknowledgement. Here are directions on how to cite AI. If you are not using direct quotes from AI, when you submit the assignment, in the submission box, please write down how you utilized AI for the assignment, including any prompts you used. For example, you can say, I entered my paper and asked ChatGPT to fix any grammatical errors. 

I personally would recommend that you lean into our amazing campus resources, such as the Writing Center, RAP Sessions, or Tutoring (plus it counts as a campus engagement activity). Utilizing these resources help you develop skills that will be beneficial to you in future classes that may not allow the use of AI. If you decide to utilize AI technologies instead or in addition to, I encourage you to think about it as if you were visiting one of those resources or brainstorming with a friend. Those resources or a friend may ask you questions to jump-start or deepen your thinking, provide you examples, or help you identify poorly organized paragraphs or passive voice; but they would never do the assignment for you. With that in mind, you will need to adhere to the following guidelines in our class. I will also include blurbs on the assignment pages with more guidelines for specific assignments. 

Appropriate use of AI:

• You are free to use spell check, grammar check, and synonym identification tools (e.g., Grammarly, and MS Word).

• You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to rephrasing sentences or reorganizing paragraphs you have drafted yourself.

• You are free to use app recommendations when it comes to tweaking outlines you have drafted yourself.

• You are free to use app recommendations to help you brainstorm ideas, deepen your ideas, or narrow down your ideas, but they must still be your ideas and written by you. 

Inappropriate use of AI:

• You may not use entire sentences or paragraphs suggested by an app without providing quotation marks and a citation, just as you would to any other source. 

• You may not have an app write a draft (either rough or final) of an assignment for you.

• You may not have an app do the majority of thinking for you for an assignment. 

Evidence of inappropriate AI use will be grounds for submission of an Academic Integrity report. Sanctions will range from a zero for the assignment to an F for the course. I hope that we won't have a problem in this course, but I want to make sure that expectations are clear so we can spend the semester learning things together and not worrying about the misuse of AI. If you are not clear on my expectations, please ask before you utilize the technologies. 

Please note: This is the AI Policy for this class. Other classes may have different policies and some classes may not allow you to use AI at all, so please make sure to read each one of your syllabi closely. 

AI Policy was personalized utilizing the guidance and statements from App State's Academic Affairs website.

If the university is closed because of inclement weather, I will email you through AsULearn about the missed class(es) instructions.

Appalachian State University's Academic Integrity Code is designed to create an atmosphere of trust, respect, fairness, honesty, and responsibility. All Appalachian State University community members are responsible for promoting an ethical learning environment. Please visit the following website for information concerning the university’s policies about class attendance, academic integrity, accommodations for disabilities, and student engagement: http://www.academicaffairs.appstate.edu/syllabi. I stand behind these policies.

Some important statements from the policy include:

• Students will not lie, cheat, or steal to gain academic advantage

• Students will oppose every instance of academic dishonesty

• Individuals needing reasonable accommodations associated with disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Resources (note: I will comply with any accommodation required by the Office of Disability Resources)

• Students are expected to attend every meeting of their classes and are responsible for class attendance. Regardless of what reasons there may be for absence, students are accountable for all academic activities, and faculty may require special work or tests to make up for the missed class or classes.

• Faculty members are required to make reasonable accommodations for students requesting to miss class due to the observance of religious holidays. (Note: there is more info about this on the website, and I encourage you to read it if this will pertain to you.)

• A student who does not attend a class during one of its first two meetings may, at the discretion of the academic department, lose her or his seat in that class. Further, if a class meets only one time per week-e.g., a lab or evening class-the student must attend the FIRST meeting of that class or risk losing her or his seat.

Many students have visible or invisible disabilities. Appalachian State University is committed to providing an inclusive experience, accessible learning environments, and equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities through the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Individuals needing reasonable accommodations should contact the Office of Access & Equity.

You can expect to spend two to four hours per week reading, preparing for class, and completing out-of-class assignments. 

Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students, 324 Plemmons Student Union, for a list of resources and support. Please let me know if you're comfortable doing that. This will make it so I can help you find the resources you may need. 

The Mountaineer Food Hub and Free Store is a free resource with pantry and personal care items located in the Office of Sustainability on the bottom floor of East Hall. There are also other campus pantries in the following locations: Appalachian Hall (Honors College), Belk Library (Room 222), Broyhill School of Music (Room 226), Everyone Eats Food Pantry (Leon Levine Health Sciences- Room 542G), Garwood Hall (Room 231), MS Shook Health Services (Miles Annas Bldg), Rankin Science West (Room 327), Reich College of Education (James Center), Student Access (DD Dougherty), Walker Hall (Room 203), and Wellness and Prevention Services (next to the App State Post Office).

The food pantry in this building is in  214 D.D. Dougherty Hall. 

Appalachian State University is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, and gender identity. To meet this commitment and to comply with state and federal laws, I am required to complete a referral to the Office of Title IX Compliance for any instances of Sex/Gender-Based Misconduct, such as sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or any form of gender-based harassment/discrimination. The purpose of the referral is to ensure Parties are made aware of the campus and community resources and support that are available at no cost as well as their reporting options. 

Once a referral is made, a staff member within the Office of Title IX Compliance will privately discuss available resources and support. Parties are not required to meet with the Office to discuss an incident or file a formal complaint. The University will not take action without your consent unless there is an immediate safety concern for the campus community. Whatever level of participation you choose, your privacy is of the utmost importance, so you may seek resources and support whether you file a formal complaint or not. Please visit https://titleix.appstate.edu or call (828) 262-2144 for more information. 

I am happy to speak with you about anything you wish to share and can talk with you more about this in person.