CLASS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Attend all classes. I take attendance at every class meeting and report all absences. It is your responsibility to contact me if you miss a class, and you are responsible for obtaining any information or assignments. In order to make up major assignments like tests, you must provide a written excuse that is in accordance with university policy. Excused absences (which give cause for make-up tests or presentations but not peer review) include religious holidays, participation in SLU-sponsored activities, civic responsibilities, and true emergencies. If your absence is unexcused, you cannot make up the classwork you missed.
- After two absences over the course of the semester, you will lose 25 points from your total possible 1000. Each subsequent absence will take an additional 25 points. Six absences will result in a failure through absence (AF). Be aware that I will not check in with you when you have exceeded three unexcused absences.
2. Be in class, on time, prepared to work. We will often begin class with a small assignment, which you will submit after the first few minutes. Tardiness will likely cause you to miss all or some of a start-of-class assignment, which will result in your losing those class-work points. If you are late, you must see me after class in order to ensure that I have not counted you absent.
- When we perform in-class peer reviews, you must arrive on time (if not early) to ensure that you will be able to participate and earn credit. If you are concerned that a legitimate scheduling problem will cause you to be late for peer review, let me know and email me a draft of your paper before class.
3. Submit assignments on time and in the right place. I have a few policies about the submission of assignments:
- In addition to the hard copies of papers due in class, electronic drafts of papers will be due online to Google Drive; papers submitted to the wrong inbox or otherwise incorrectly will earn a zero.
- Final drafts of papers are due by 5 p.m. in my mailbox and on Google Drive.
- Rough drafts are due at the beginning of class.
- In order to receive credit for peer review, you must bring your own draft and participate with the class in the activity. There is no way to make up peer review credit.
- On final drafts of essays, your essay’s grade will drop a letter grade for each calendar day that it’s late.
- Unless I approve it (this requires documentation of my affirmative response to each individual request), I don’t accept assignments placed on my desk or slid under the door. Nor do I accept submissions via email, unless I approve it in advance. Plan ahead! I don’t excuse computer or printer problems of any kind.
4. Follow my rules about creating written work. Here are some of the most important rules:
- Use current MLA format on all paragraphs and essays unless otherwise indicated. Look up the rules and seek help when you're unsure. We won't spend much time on this in class.
- For multi-draft assignments, highlight all your revisions on your final draft.
5. Stay connected.
- Email is an important communication tool in this class, so check your email frequently. You are responsible for keeping up with assignments, announcements, and other information that I send via email. Also, if you need to contact me, email is often the most effective option. However, I get a lot of email. So, I ask that you consider a few things before emailing me:
- Can your question be answered by looking it up? If so, then please look it up as I am neither Google nor this syllabus.
- An email is not a text message, and I won’t respond around the clock. So, remember to use proper email etiquette, and expect me to take about 24 hours to respond (if it’s sooner, consider it luck).
- If your question is regarding something complex, like how to proceed on an assignment or how to manage a problem, I strongly (and warmly!) encourage you to arrange an appointment with me to discuss your essays or any aspects of course work. I’m happy to see you any time. If my regular hours don’t work, then we can always make an appointment.
- This website is another vital part of this course. Don't rely on printouts of the schedule as it is subject to change; use only the web version. Familiarize yourself with this site because I will be posting information, handouts, and helpful links.
6. Come to class prepared to learn. Bring all appropriate materials (textbooks, workbook, paper, pen, etc.) to class every day. Silence and put away your cell phone and laptop during class—tablets and e-readers without keyboards are ok. Once your electronic devices are stowed and your daily class materials are on your desk, I will consider you prepared for that day’s class. If I see you using your cell phone or laptop in class without my permission, I will count you absent, which will result in your losing the day’s points.
7. Maintain a respectful learning environment. I expect common courtesy in the classroom, so any disruptive or disrespectful behavior (e.g., talking while I’m talking) may result in your dismissal from the day’s class. If I dismiss you, you will not be present, which means you will be absent; I will count you thus. Your actions are your choices: if you choose to treat a classmate or me with disrespect, you choose to risk dismissal and the resulting loss of points. In return for your cooperation, you may expect the same respect from me.
8. Seek help when and where appropriate. If you have any questions or concerns about your writing or the class, make an appointment with me for a conference. You may drop in during my office hours, but if I’m with another student, please wait outside until we are finished, come back later, or email me to make an appointment. To discuss graded papers, you’ll need to meet with me during my office hours or make an appointment. Also, for extended help with writing, you can visit one of the Writing Services locations on campus.
o Writing Services. I urge you to make use of University Writing Services, where you can receive one-on-one peer writing consultations. A consultant will sit with you, go over your paper, and help you to revise and reformulate. Writing Services is not a grammar service; they will not simply proofread your paper. But if you have questions about particular kinds of problems, they will help you identify and correct those problems. You can make an online appointment (http://www.slu.edu/x34507.xml) or call at 314.977.3484.
- Accommodations. If you require special accommodations for physical, medical, or learning disabilities, please contact me or Disability Services as soon as possible. In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are available on campus. Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out more about:
- Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your course instructor.
- University-level support (e.g., tutoring/writing services, Disability Services) by visiting the Student Success Center (BSC 331) or by going to www.slu.edu/success.
Students who believe that, due to a disability, they could benefit from academic accommodations are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 314-977-3484 or email disability_services@slu.edu or visit the Student Success Center. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. Course instructors support student accommodation requests when an approved letter from Disability Services has been received and when students discuss these accommodations with the instructor after receipt of the approved letter. N.B. Telling me informally or over email about a disability does not constitute formal notification. You must present documentation from the ODS.
9. Complete your own assignments. I take academic misconduct very seriously and will prosecute you in accordance with university policy if you plagiarize.
- University academic integrity policy: The University is a community of learning, whose effectiveness requires an environment of mutual trust and integrity. Academic integrity is violated by any dishonesty such as soliciting, receiving, or providing any unauthorized assistance in the completion of work submitted toward academic credit. While not all forms of academic dishonesty can be listed here, examples include copying from another student, copying from a book or class notes during a closed book exam, submitting materials authored by or revised by another person as the student’s own work, copying a passage or text directly from a published source without appropriately citing or recognizing that source, taking a test or doing an assignment or other academic work for another student, securing or supplying in advance a copy of an examination without the knowledge or consent of the instructor, and colluding with another student or students to engage in academic dishonesty. Any clear violation of academic integrity will be met with appropriate sanctions. Possible sanctions for violation of academic integrity may include, but are not limited to, assignment of a failing grade in a course, disciplinary probation, suspension, and dismissal from the University. Students should review the College of Arts and Sciences policy on Academic Honesty, which can be accessed on-line at http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/ under “Quicklinks for Students” or in hard copy form in the Arts and Sciences Policy Binder in each departmental or College office.
Assessment and Submission of Work
The Saint Louis University Department of English is committed to excellent and innovative educational practices. In order to maintain quality academic offerings and to conform to relevant accreditation requirements, we regularly assess our courses and programs for evidence of student learning outcomes achievement. For this purpose, we keep on file representative examples of student work from all courses and programs such as: assignments, papers, exams, multimedia presentations, portfolios, and results from student surveys, focus groups, and reflective exercises. Thus, copies of your work for this course—
including exams, presentations, submitted papers or other assignments—may be kept on file for institutional research, assessment and accreditation purposes. All samples of student work will be anonymized before they are used in assessment exercises. If you prefer that the Department of English does not keep your work on file, you need to communicate your decision in writing to your instructor.