Course Policies

AKA BASIC RULES FOR INTERACTING WITH OTHERS ONLINE 

YOU ARE PART OF A COMMUNITY 

While this is a hybrid course that meets on campus, we will also be using Canvas heavily throughout the semester. So, you are joining a virtual learning community as well. Exactly like our face-to-face environment, our virtual environment requires you to be a responsible and aware member of that community. So, please be a curious, kind, polite, and positive contributing member. Help us build the kind of learning community everyone would not only want to be a part of, but be proud to be a part of. Here is a gentle reminder of the interaction practices and rules we'll follow in all our interactions in this course.

If you ever feel that someone is not following these rules, please send an email to me using the Canvas Inbox and describe your concerns.

REMEMBER THE HUMAN 

Sometimes when we scroll through so much text, it’s easy to forget that there are real people on the other side of the screen. And, not just any people. In this case, the people are your peers and they are on this academic journey with you. We must do our best to be kind and respectful to each other. We can demonstrate this by responding to ideas and asking questions. 

THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE 

Read the assigned texts. Think about the articles. Consider the prompt for the assignment. Reflect on your own feelings. Then complete your assignments. When you respond to a classmate in a Canvas Discussion, take the time to think about what they've said and how you can carry-on the conversation. 

READ BEFORE YOU SUBMIT 

Read through your writing to make sure that you present your ideas clearly. Then read through again to check for sentence-level issues like spelling, punctuation, and word choice. Effective online communication can only be accomplished when your audience understands what you mean. 

When you enroll at CypressCollege, you are entering into a contract which grants you particular rights, as well as responsibilities.  In addition, you are agreeing to a code of conduct, which includes but is not limited to academic honesty and non-violence.  More information can be found in the Standards of Student Conduct and Discipline. 

*Throughout this course, we will explore various topics that may cover emotionally stimulating subject matters. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or triggered by the subject of our course materials, please feel free to come and speak with me privately. *

Attendance Policy

As an institutional standard, all instructors have to take attendance. And, while I encourage you to attend each and every class meeting to maximize your opportunities for participation, learning, and overall success I also understand that we are all human! Sometimes life throws unpredictable and unavoidable obstacles our way. If you find yourself facing one of these scenarios, and it does cause you to miss a class, please consult the information below.

• Absences - You are allowed four absences for the duration of the course. Please save these absences for emergencies. A substantial amount of course content will be covered during each week. So, your attendance is critical to your overall understanding of the subjects we will cover, as well as your success in the course. If you exceed four absences you may be insufficiently prepared to continue in and successfully complete the course. You may be dropped from the course at that time. However, it is a student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from the course. Ceasing attendance does not constitute a withdrawal. However, because of enrollment demands a student may be dropped by the instructor when not appearing at the first class meeting. A student may be dropped for excessive absences when the total hours of absences exceed 10% of the total scheduled hours of the class.

• You Missed Class. Now What? – If you miss part or all of a class, you remain responsible for any material covered, in addition to any assignments due, during your absence. Do your best to reach out to a few reliable and committed classmates, so you can review their notes, discuss their observations, and gain knowledge of any upcoming assignments. Also, check Canvas! I will frequently post updates on our class Canvas site including a new module and a detailed announcement each week. It is your best resource for materials, information on readings and assignments, plus it’s a great way to connect with your classmates, as well as myself. Once you have explored these options, I encourage you to touch base with me to discuss anything else you might be missing or unsure about.

Late Work Policy 

I highly encourage you to submit your assignments on time or even early to receive full credit, but sometimes circumstances make it difficult or even impossible to do so. Here is important information regarding missing assignment deadlines or turning in late work: 

• Essays — You must upload an electronic copy of your essay to Canvas by 11:59pm on the day it is due. Anything submitted after that time will be considered late and receive a 5 point deduction. An additional 5 points will be deducted for each additional day it is late. Essay assignments will remain open for late submissions for one week following their due date. 

• Essay Exams – Exams will be available for a 24 hour period. All submissions must be submitted to Turnitin. If you are unable to complete the exam on the designated date noted in the course schedule due to illness or extenuating circumstances, I will allow you to make up the exam within one week of the original test date. If you are fortunate enough to be aware of an unavoidable conflict that would prevent you from taking the exam on the selected date, please inform me as soon as you can. If it is possible, I will arrange an alternative prior to the original on which you can take the exam. Note that any exam completed at an alternate time will be different. Essay Exams will remain open for an additional one hour following their due date to accommodate for any technical issues that may be experienced during the submission time. Late Essay Exams will not be accepted. If you miss the exam deadline for any reason, you may request to make up the exam, but as stated above, any exam completed at an alternate time will be different.

• Reading Response Discussion Posts, Participation & Prewriting — These assignments will remain open for 48 hours beyond their due date for late submissions. Once the assignment is locked, it cannot be made up. To accommodate for absences or unforeseen circumstances, your lowest Reading Response Discussion Post scores will be dropped.

Turnitin

In this course, we will be using Turnitin through Canvas to protect your work and detect academic misconduct.  With its nationwide databases, Turnitin identifies the parts of your work that are not original.  Assignments submitted to Turnitin will become a part of its databases; however, your work will remain your intellectual property.

Refusal to upload to Turnitin through Canvas will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment or exam.