Course Policies

Cell Phone and Laptop Policy - In-Person or Online Synchronous 

Cell phone use on campus is permitted but must not disrupt others. Ensure your cell phone is on silent and kept in your bag or out of sight. If you need to make a call or send a text, please step out of the room. Our goal is to maintain a focused and respectful learning environment. Being fully engaged in class is crucial for your learning and that of your peers. Violating this policy will result in you being asked to leave the class, potentially missing important lessons for the week.

Laptops can be excellent tools for note-taking and accessing assignments during class. However, they can also be distracting. Please be considerate of those around you by using your laptop solely for taking notes during lectures. Avoid working on assignments, browsing the internet, engaging in other coursework, or playing games during class.

Classroom Behavior, Civility, and Leaving Early - In-Person or Online Synchronous

As a college student, exhibiting appropriate behavior and respect towards others is essential. Instructors have the authority to establish classroom rules, enforce standards of civility conducive to learning, and remove anyone who disrupts or obstructs these standards or violates any law or MPC policy. If you have an issue with something that happened in class, please talk about it with the instructor before filing an official complaint. Most of your worries can be resolved immediately or through an arrangement.

Please avoid eating in class, as it is disruptive and prohibited in many of our classrooms. Use our class breaks to have your food or snacks.

If you need to leave early, please sit towards the back and exit quietly. It's best to let your instructor know before class begins. If you arrive late, please go ahead and enter quietly and minimize disruption. Persistent lateness may require a discussion with the instructor about your continued enrollment in the class.

Attendance Policy - In-Person or Online Synchronous

I expect all students to attend lectures regularly. For online courses, this means actively participating in discussions and completing assignments. If you need to miss class due to illness or injury, please let me know right away, and you may also inform the Dean of Student Services.

If you register for a class but don't start attending regularly, you might be withdrawn from the course after the census date for the term. If you encounter any issues affecting your attendance, please come and talk to me as soon as possible. If you miss more than 30% of the classes, it might be best to consider withdrawing before the "W" deadline. Regular attendance is important for your success, and I am here to support you in any way I can.

Build Rapport and Communicate

If you're having trouble keeping up with assignments or any other part of the course, please let me know as soon as possible. Building a good relationship with your instructor is an important step towards becoming an effective professional. Being proactive about any difficulties you face during the semester allows us to work together to find a solution. Visiting during office hours is a great opportunity to connect and discuss any concerns you may have.

Completing Assignments

All assignments for this course should be submitted electronically through Canvas unless I specify otherwise. Make sure to meet the deadlines for each assignment. Extensions will only be granted in extreme circumstances. If you submit an assignment late, a 10% late penalty will be applied for each day it’s late, up to 10 days, after which it will no longer be accepted and will be worth 0 points. Discussion assignments must be completed by their due date as they require participation from your classmates and cannot be extended.

Please plan any vacations carefully. If you choose to take a vacation during the semester that does not align with our scheduled holidays or breaks, be aware that it may impact your grade and understanding of the course material. You can find our school academic calendar here to plan your vacations during our scheduled breaks.

Understand When You May Drop This Course

It is the student’s responsibility to understand when they need to consider disenrolling from a course. Refer to the MPC Catalog for dates and deadlines for dropping a course, refund information, understanding how your GPA is affected, receiving an "Incomplete", and more. 

I hope you will reach out to me before you drop the course and discuss it with me. It is possible that the reason you are considering dropping the course may be something you and I can easily rectify together.

Inform Your Instructor of Any Accommodations Needed

If you have a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the instructor during the first week of the semester so that your accommodations may be provided promptly. MPC's Access Resource Center (ARC) assists in determining and facilitating appropriate accommodations for students with verified disabilities. The ARC office is located on the first floor of the Student Services building (STS 115). If you need an accommodation not facilitated through ARC I am happy to discuss it with you. I want you to be successful in this course.

Communications Policy & Contacting Me

The best way to reach me is via email through Canvas, using my email: DSanculi@mpc.edu. Email should be for brief communication purposes. Please feel free to use office hours for questions or concerns regarding grades or assignments. 

General Availability 

I hold in-person and Zoom office hours, available to all students. This is the best time for us to talk about questions or concerns you may have about course material, assignments, exams, or anything else I can help you with. Times and locations are listed on Canvas, the link is on the home page.

Expected Response Time

Emails sent through Canvas have the quickest response time, and I strive to reply to messages within 24-48 hours. If you don’t hear from me after that, please send a follow-up email. The response time may be extended during holidays and campus closures. 

Safety Procedures

In the event of a life threatening emergency call 911.  

• To report a non-life threatening incident, safety hazard, or a suspicious activity please contact campus security at 831-646-4099.  

• Sign-up for campus alerts here.

• Please visit MPC’s emergency reporting link here.

AI Usage Policy for This Course

1. Prohibited Use of Generative AI for Assignments

   • Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are not permitted for use in any assignment submissions, including but not limited to quizzes, online exams, papers, lab reports, or lab packet submissions unless explicitly stated otherwise. All work must be your original creation. Any use of AI for these tasks will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

2. Permitted Use of Generative AI for Specific Assignments with Acknowledgment

   • For specific assignments where the use of AI is allowed, it will be clearly noted in the assignment directions. If you use AI tools like ChatGPT for any part of these assignments (from idea generation to text creation or editing), you must:

     • Properly cite the AI's contributions.

     • Include an Appendix in your submission with:

       • The entire AI interaction, with key parts highlighted.

       • Details on which AI tools were used and how.

       • An explanation of why you chose to use the AI tools.

   • Important: Always check with me if you are unsure whether AI usage is permitted or how to correctly cite it.

3. Encouraged Use of Generative AI for Brainstorming (When Allowed)

   • When permitted, you may use AI tools for brainstorming, drafting, or revising your work. If you do so:

     • Clearly indicate AI-generated content in your submission, either by using a different font color or by properly citing it.

     • Ensure all AI-generated content is accurate and correctly cited, including verifying sources and links.

     • Provide a brief explanation of what was generated by the AI tool and how it was integrated into your work.

4. AI Integrity Accountability

   • I reserve the right to schedule a face-to-face or virtual meeting if there is any suspicion of un-cited AI use in your submissions. The purpose of this meeting is to verify your understanding of the material through discussion.

If you have any questions or need clarification on these policies, please reach out to me directly.

Monterey Peninsula College’s Academic Honesty Policy & Procedures

From the MPC Academic Catalog: Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the educational community; therefore, students are expected to understand the standards of academic honesty as they pertain to students’ behavior in the classroom.

Plagiarism: It is important for students to acknowledge sources that are used for completing classroom assignments. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism may be any one of the following:

• Verbatim copying without proper documentation of the source(s).

• Paraphrasing without proper documentation of the source(s).

• Unacknowledged appropriation of information or ideas from someone else.

If students have any questions about these forms of plagiarism or about an assignment they are preparing, they should ask their instructor for clarification rather than risk unintentional plagiarism.

Cheating: It is important for students to act in an honest and trustworthy manner. Work performed on examinations or other forms of evaluation must represent an individual’s own work, knowledge and experience of the subject matter. Students are expected to follow the classroom rules established by the instructor. Cheating may be any one of the following:

• Unauthorized looking at or procuring information from any unauthorized sources or from another student’s work during an examination or from any work that will be graded or given points.

• Unauthorized acquiring, reading or learning of test questions prior to the testing date and time.

• Changing any portion of a returned graded test or report and resubmitting it as an original work to be regraded.

• Presenting the work of another as one’s own for a grade or points.

• Knowingly assisting another student in cheating.

This list is not all-inclusive and the list itself is not meant to limit the definition of cheating to just these items mentioned.

Consequences: The disciplinary action for cheating or plagiarism is up to the discretion of the instructor. The instructor may select one or more of the following options:

• Issue an oral or written notification and warn the student that further acts of this sort will result in additional disciplinary action.

• Issue an “NP” or a failing grade (“F”) or “0” for the assignment in question.

• Refer the student to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action.

I added this to our syllabus because it is our academic policy at MPC. I trust that we will not have to worry about cheating, plagiarism, AI, and academic dishonesty, we are going to have a great semester together.