Attendance. More than than 4 absences limits your course grade to a maximum of C. If you must miss class, you are responsible for catching up. If you miss class, please check the daily schedule in addition to talking to a classmate about what you missed. Arriving late or leaving early will adversely affect your grade.
Intellectual participation. Your participation is judged based on your daily performance in class. You are being evaluated on how clearly and thoughtfully you communicate your ideas about the readings and work with the class. This expectation means arriving on time, engaging with one another’s comments, staying engaged, and making real contributions to the discussion. Be sure to complete reading assignments by the date they are due (which may mean reading texts more than once). Bring all assigned readings to class in hard copy or on a lap top or pad (not a phone) as we'll work closely with these texts.
Late Work. Late work is unacceptable. Writing assignments must be completed by the assigned deadlines in order to receive credit. Please plan ahead so that you can get your written work done on time. Make sure you talk with me in advance if you are worried about meeting a deadline. Deadlines are not negotiable after you’ve missed them.
Technology Expectations. I'll share a Google Drive folder with you at the beginning of the semester. You'll submit all final assignments to your shared Google Drive folder by the assigned deadline. In addition, we'll have a class folder for discussion questions, so that those will be public. I'll also share a file with you for additional readings.
We won't use class time to learn Google Drive. If you aren't familiar with Drive, view Google Drive online tutorials for helpful instructions. Here's the link to the first of 6 helpful tutorials in youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ZvYRU1Y5Y&list=PLs7zxED4oCeqRgLjLzoVShif5RoDEIOSC&index=1. If you find yourself having trouble after watching and working with online tutorials, please ask me during office hours (well in advance of any written deadlines).
Make sure that you don't upload files as .pdfs. Make sure you submit all work as Google docs or Word documents, so I can easily comment in your text. You can convert documents to google docs formatting if you upload your assignments (you can also copy and paste assignments in to a Google doc or compose directly in Drive).
Please note that formatting shifts somewhat when you upload or copy texts into Drive. Check your formatting before you consider your work submitted. You can use an extra space between paragraphs to signal paragraph breaks rather than the indent. Check your formatting once you upload or copy text to be sure it looks ok.
Make sure to name your files clearly and locate them in subfolders for each major assignment (i.e., Ancient Rhetoric Study). If I can't find it, I can't grade it.
If you're working with images, you can email me a document (pdf or whatever), so I can see your project at its best, but also upload to Google Drive. I'll do my final comment in there.
Academic Conduct. Please be sure to submit original, document work for all assignments. Academic honesty is highly valued in the Montana State University community and acts of plagiarism, cheating, or submitting work from another course will not be tolerated. You must abide by the rules for academic conduct described in the Student Conduct Code.
Office Hours. Office hours provide us with an opportunity to talk one on one. You may drop in during these times or make an appointment with me to talk about any questions you have about the course.
Communication. I’m happy to talk with you via university email if you have a question about the course or an assignment. Please do not email me attachments, text or IM me unless asked to do so. I will respond to emails Monday through Friday usually within 24 hours. I also generally check email on weekends. Please include ENGL 450 in your subject line.
Classroom Community. We will work together to create an environment that promotes collaborative learning and effective, thoughtful discussion. I ask that you respect others' perspectives, even as you may disagree with them.
Please be sure to shut off cell phone ringers during class to prevent unnecessary disruptions. Please refrain from using social media or texting during class, so that your focus can be on our classroom community for the duration of the class meeting. If you spend more time on your phone than you do involved in discussions, it will negatively effect your grade.
Resources beyond the Writing Classroom. The Renne Library and the Writing Center are both excellent sites for researchers and writers to get support on their projects.
Students with Disabilities. Students with documented disabilities will receive appropriate accommodations in this course. If you do not have a documented disability but believe you should have a accommodation, please talk with someone in Disability Services to document your disability and coordinate any resulting accommodations.