Expectations

Each reading in this course introduces new concepts and terms that will be used heavily in lectures and discussions. Having a strong understanding of these concepts and terms will be crucial to your success on the homefun tasks, class discussions, and quizzes.

Course lectures are designed to expand on the concepts introduced in the readings by explaining them and going into more depth. They also provide additional practice with the grammatical structures that will be covered in the course. You are expected to complete these practice activities before class as we will go over them in class.

Class attendance is not only mandatory, but also incredibly essential for your success in this course. Class meetings in this course will be devoted to going over homefun grammar practice activities done outside of class, further grammar practice activities, and discussions of topics covered in the textbook and lectures. As such, you are expected to come to class on time and ready to engage in class activities and discussions. This includes arriving on time, bringing all required materials, completing all readings and reading tasks beforehand, remaining engaged (e.g. not sleeping, not on social media), and staying for the entirety of the class (packing up early is the same as leaving class early). 

Attendance will be recorded at the beginning of class. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to check in with me. You are allowed to take three unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence beyond that may lower your final course grade by one level (e.g. from A to A-). Excused absences should be consistent with UF Attendance Policies. Additionally, students must provide documentation (e.g. doctor’s note) within two weeks after the absence for an absence to be excused.

Time management is one of the most essential skills you need to develop during college. This includes planning your work-life balance so that you can meet all your deadlines. Every assignment in this course has a deadline that you will need to meet. However, I understand that "life happens". Because of this, late work (excluding quizzes) will be accepted with a small penalty of 10% of the grade for each day it is late. After 5 weekdays, however, late submissions are no longer accepted. Extensions (without penalty) are possible in the event of circumstances out of your control (e.g. sickness, religious holidays) that you can provide documentation for (e.g. doctor's note). If you miss a quiz, you will need to contact me to set-up a make-up time and provide documentation. Missed quizzes without a documented excuse cannot be made up. 

Canvas will be our main online platform for the course and our main way of communication outside of class. All readings, lectures, and task details are posted there. In addition, I regularly send out Announcements and reminders about upcoming assignments, so make sure to check Canvas regularly and set up your Canvas notifications.

I cannot stress this enough: if you need to communicate with me, do not hesitate to reach out. I am here to help you succeed and am willing to work with you to make that happen. E-mail me, send me a Canvas message, or visit my office hours to get in touch. If I don't respond within 24 hours (except weekends), try again.

I expect you to do your own work and follow all rules concerning testing and assignment submission. As a student of the University of Florida, you are bound by The Honor Code. The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the me. 

ChatGPT/AI Policy. The use of ChatGPT or any other generative AI tool to complete any assignment in this course is strictly prohibited. If it is discovered that you used one of these tools to complete an assignment, you will receive a zero (0) for that assignment and not be allowed to resubmit it.

I always welcome professional and respectful feedback on all parts of my instruction and the course (for guidance on giving professional and respectful feedback, click here). I take this feedback seriously and use it to improve my teaching and how I set up my courses. You will have multiple attempts to give me anonymous feedback throughout the semester as well as at the end of the semester through Canvas as well as the Gator Evals system. In addition, you are always welcome to message or e-mail me with any additional feedback you may have. You can also see the feedback previous students have given me here.

College can be a challenging time. In addition to studying for multiple courses, you may face a host of social, mental, and physical challenges. It is important that you take care of yourself, both physically and mentally, so that you can not only survive, but thrive. See the Additional Help page for resources available to you as a UF student.

Technology, for all its benefits, doesn't always work. So, it's important for you to have a Plan B. Save files on your computer as well as Google Drive or Dropbox. Be prepared to submit assignments earlier than the last minutes in order to avoid possible internet issues when submitting assignments. If you're having issues with UF technology (e.g. Canvas), contact the UF Computing Help Desk. Worst comes to worst, contact me and let me know your situation and we can work something out.