I am a strong believer in communication. Communication is a huge part of our lives and the more we practice, the more proficient we become. Communication is also the way that we build relationships with one another. There are many reasons for communication: a lack of understanding regarding policy or assignment, personal issues that are changing your ability to participate in class as usual, a need for accommodations or a different learning strategy, and many others that might come up.
My expectations for you:
I am a firm believer in putting space in your life for personal and family time. I honor and respect boundaries around this time and strongly encourage all of you to do the same. If I email you during a time that you have set aside for yourself, please wait to respond until you are back in front of a computer. Prioritize joy!
I am your partner in this class but I can only help support you when I know what you need. I do not need the nitty gritty details of your personal life, but I do need some sort of communication if you need something outside the ordinary from me.
I prefer that you communicate with me through your Canvas Inbox. It allows me to keep your messages associated with your class and easily navigate what you need. These messages are personal and confidential. If for some reason, you have something that is not directly related with class or you can't get into Canvas, then please email me.
What you can expect from me:
As I mentioned above, I am working hard to put space and balance into my life. Thus, Friday–Sunday are my personal days. You may get an email response from me but please don't count on it. My teaching days are Monday–Thursday, so I will usually respond to messages within 24 hours.
I will work hard to make sure that you're provided with the details you need for projects, assignments, and other class expectations. I will also reminders as necessary. If you ever feel that there is more that I can do to help support you through my communication, please let me know.
Each of you has a valuable contribution to provide to the class. Your individual experiences and unique perspectives help provide input and feedback that make the classroom better. That being said, you are all human and thus have lives that are made up of many pieces beyond this class, which means you might have a personal issue that keeps you from coming to class. Your contributions will be missed but you will not be penalized. Please communicate with me if you have something that will keep you out of class for an extended amount of time.
HOWEVER, I have started having students abuse this privilege so here is my word of warming. You really need to be in class in order to learn. Whether your absences is for a legitimate reason (family death) or a not (netflix binge) you are still missing class. This means your learning is going to be negatively affected...period. I promise, you will have a MUCH better experience in my classes if you are there every day and actively engaged with class.
Official ACCJC Policy: "Class attendance is not a measure of performance or proficiency. Whether a student is just physically present in the class is not a valid basis for grading. Reference Title 5 Section 55002 of the California Code of Regulations: (A) Grading Policy. The course provides for measurement of student performance in terms of stated course objectives and culminates in a formal, permanently recorded grade based upon uniform standards in accordance with section 55758 of this Division. The grade is based on demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter and the ability to demonstrate that proficiency, at least in part, by means of written expression that may include essays, or, in courses where the curriculum committee deems them to be appropriate, by problem solving exercises or skills demonstrations by students."
Ok, so here's the deal with dropping students: The school gets money, support, and is graded based on both our "drop" rate and our "pass" rate. Whether I personally believe this is the best way for things to be done or not, this is above my pay grade and I am expected to follow certain protocols regarding this.
"A student may drop or withdraw (or be dropped by an instructor) before the 75% point of completing the class. Students may not be dropped after this point, and instructors must issue a grade if the student remains on the class roster beyond this point. A student who drops a class (or who is dropped by an instructor) on or before 20% of the course will have no record of that class appearing on their permanent transcript, although they may still be responsible for payment of fees. Drops that occur after 20% of the course adn on or before 75% of a course will result in a W symbol being entered. Students may be dropped for lack of attendance or "good cause" as defined in California Education Code, Article 3, Section 76033. Students should not rely on instructors to drop or withdraw them from classes. Failure to officially drop or withdraw by the deadline may result in an F (Failing) grade or FW (Unofficial Withdrawal) grade. Refer to the Add/Drop policy and Important Dates and Deadlines listed on the Admissions & Records Register page."
The only reason that I would ever drop you without a discussion with you is because you have not communicated with me in any way for the first week of class. I am willing to work with you if you are having challenges getting going in class. However, I need to know that you are interested in actually participating and completing the course.
There is a specific list of requirements for the first week of class that I expect to see you accomplish. This will all be simple set up items, but your compliance with these items lets us both know that you are serious about staying in this class.
When I first started teaching, I really struggled with this particular piece as I always want to keep every student I can who wants to me in my class. However, I have learned from personal experience with students, that if you miss the first week of class you are more than likely not going to be in a good position for the rest of the semester. It's just really hard to catch up from with everything else that is going on in your life. Once again, I will work with you but I just want you to be very aware of some of the challenges that I have seen.
Incomplete – Incomplete academic work for an unforeseeable emergency or other justifiable reasons near the end of the term can qualify you for an incomplete. If you have an emergency that suddenly prevents you from attending late in the term, see me. You may petition for late withdrawal or if it is late enough be eligible for an incomplete.
Don’t…Cheating (of any kind, ie. copying, plagiarizing, etc…) is unacceptable in my classroom. My expectation is that you conduct yourself with integrity. Often cheating is due to one of two things.
1) You are feeling overwhelmed in the class but still want a good grade. Thus, you try to “solve” your problem with an unacceptable shortcut.
a. MY solution: This class is ungraded. If you are feeling overwhelmed at any point, PLEASE communicate with me. I would be happy to meet with you to help you get back on track. I want you to succeed and will do everything I can to make sure that happens.
2) You waited until last minute to complete an assignment or life got in the way and you don’t have time to produce the level of quality of work that you wanted. Thus, you try to “solve” your problem with an unacceptable shortcut.
a. MY solution: If you produce work that you feel is not representative of your true mastery of the information, then redo it. As the class will continue to move forward this will require you to spend some of your own time becoming more knowledgeable. However, this additional learning will allow you to increase your understanding.
This class is here to provide a learning environment for you. Obviously, I hope that at the end you have learned something related to our topic, however, in some cases it will be a learning experience of how to schedule your time, or how to ask questions. I have attempted to create a class that helps minimize these issues. And as the teacher, I am here to HELP you, as an individual. Most of you may not be going on to be professionals in the earth sciences, but you are ALL going to be contributing members of society and I want you to practice the ethical behavior and integrity I hope follows you through life.
Often students are aware that cheating on something like an exam is completely unacceptable. But, things get a bit more complicated when working on something like a research paper, video, book report, etc...
Please watch the videos below in order to gain a better understanding of what "plagiarism" means. I will follow the guidelines discussed in these videos when providing feedback.
Students with special needs are encouraged to meet with me to discuss the opportunity for academic accommodation and be referred to disabled student program and services per Administrative Procedure (AP 3440).