Policies on this page include those specific to this course and those common to all SCU Courses: https://www.scu.edu/provost/faculty-affairs/other-policies-procedures/teaching-expectations/#accordion-panel-664095
Attendance provides many opportunities for learning and contributing to the learning of others. Our synchronous sessions will include activities that scaffold your reading responses, Dig Deeper assignments, and larger projects, and discussion and reflection on course texts. For that reason, I do encourage you to attend class when it is reasonably safe for you to do so, both for yourself and for others in the class.
While you receive credit toward course engagement and have opportunities for other forms of engagement when you attend class (e.g. note-taking; exit tickets), you are not penalized for missing classes. Please refer to the engagement opportunities for this class to see what forms of engagement exist for this class beyond attendance of synchronous sessions.
On-time assignment submission contributes to more opportunities for learning and contributing to the learning of others. By submitting your assignments by the target due date, you will ensure your ability to participate in future peer response activities. On-time assignments allow me to plan my feedback so everybody receives responses in a timely manner. For that reason, you receive credit toward engagement when you submit your assignments on time. However, you are not "penalized" for late assignments except that late submissions for "bigger project" assignments may limit your ability to participate in some activities (e.g. peer response; revision plans).
Further, you may request an extension on any assignment except labor logs (instead of asking for an extension, just submit your current progress in the course). To receive an extension on an assignment, however, you must email me before the time the assignment is due, and include in your email a proposal for a new "on-time" due date. If the date you propose makes sense within the context of this course and other institutional policies, I will likely approve your request for an extension. Again, please be aware, some extensions for "bigger project" assignments may still limit your ability to participate in some activities (e.g. peer response; revision plans).
While you receive credit toward course engagement and have opportunities for other forms of engagement when you attend class (e.g. note-taking; exit tickets), you are not penalized for missing classes. Please refer to the engagement opportunities for this class to see what forms of engagement exist for this class beyond attendance of synchronous sessions.
Please let me know if you would benefit from accommodations for this course. The labor of this class is designed to create greater accessibility; therefore, there is more potential work than any one student is expected to do. The purpose of this design is to create more opportunities to opt-in and opt-out of some assignments and behaviors. If you need additional accommodations, I am happy to work with you to help navigate the course to work toward your desired outcomes. Additionally, Santa Clara University offers the following general policies regarding accommodations:
If you have a documented disability for which accommodations may be required in this class, please let me know, and also contact the Office of Accessible Education (Benson 1, http://www.scu.edu/oae, 408-554-4109) as soon as possible to discuss your needs and register for accommodations with the University. If you have already arranged accommodations through OAE, please discuss them with me during my office hours within the first two weeks of class. To ensure fairness and consistency, some faculty members request verification from the Office of Accessible Education before providing accommodations. OAE will work with students and faculty to arrange proctored exams for students whose accommodations include double time for exams and/or assistive technology. Students with approved accommodations of time-and-a-half should talk with me as soon as possible. The Office of Accessible Education should be contacted in advance (at least two weeks’ notice recommended) to schedule proctored examinations or to arrange other accommodations.
Accommodations for Pregnant and Parenting Students
In alignment with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and with the California Education Code, Section 66281.7, Santa Clara University provides reasonable accommodations to students who are pregnant, have recently experienced childbirth, and/or have medical needs related to childbirth. Pregnant and parenting students can often arrange accommodations by working directly with their instructors, supervisors, or departments. In addition, the Office of Accessible Education will provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy‐related impairments which impact a major life activity.
You may only use GenAI in specific circumstances and must submit a disclosure form if you do. If you use GenAI in an unauthorized way or without disclosure, you will not receive a passing grade for this class.
The following AI policy is adapted from Dr. Heather Turner and Dr. Jackie Hendricks
You are only allowed to use generative artificial intelligence tools (i.e. ChatGPT, DALL-E, Copilot, Midjourney, Bard, Grammarly, Quillbot, Wordtune, Rytr, Jasper, etc) on your work in certain circumstances. You may use generative AI to:
organize a draft or content you have already written yourself
edit a draft or content you have already written yourself
produce a generic evaluation of content you have already written/created yourself, being mindful that:
the assessment criteria will likely not be aligned with course assessment criteria; and that
uploading, or copying and pasting the assessment criteria for assignments in this class constitutes a prohibited use of AI in this class
If you use generative AI on essay assignments, you must:
Ask for permission to use these tools in advance and seek guidance from Dr. Gomes
Use Google Docs suggesting mode to document how you incorporated generated content into your assignments.
Acknowledge its uses to your readers (specify how and where readers can find its impact) in your assignment. To acknowledge its use, you must submit a comment on Camino or in submitted documents that:
Explains which AI tools you have used and for what purposes.
If you have found and used tools on your own, explains why these tools were selected and provide URL links to the tools.
Describes the inputs and prompting you gave the AI tools.
Notes the number of iterations undertaken with each main AI collaborative tool.
Describes what output from the tool/service has been included, and where.
Summarize how you have altered, adopted, or built on the AI output.
Upload or provide a link I can access with an appendix to your writing that includes high-resolution screenshots of all conversations, prompts, and responses.
Undisclosed use of AI will be treated as a violation of academic integrity
You may not use generative tools for reading, in-class activities, and/or key takeaways. Specifically, you cannot use generative AI tools:
as an information source; these tools are not trained on current, copyrighted, or paywalled information, like the kinds of information we will use in this class
to brainstorm ideas and/or to write your projects partially or in their entirety. Doing so violates SCU's Academic Integrity Pledge and Student Conduct Code and will not include current information.
to "read" or summarize course textbooks and materials, the course syllabus, assignment instructions, and/or your classmates' writing.
by copy/pasting, uploading, and/or typing content written by another person, including course textbooks and materials, the course syllabus, assignment instructions, and/or your classmates' writing. Doing so violates intellectual property laws and SCU's Academic Integrity Pledge and Student Conduct Code.
to paraphrase or rewrite content from sources of information
to produce full essays or portions of essays – You should never find yourself copy/pasting content from AI into an assignment.
to make changes in your writing style – AI can be helpful for identifying grammatical errors or unclear prose, and it’s fine to take those suggestions, but I want to read your personal voice, even if you don’t think it sounds “good” or “professional.” Do not let AI rewrite your essay for you.
to complete homework assignments without disclosure
to draft comments or suggestions for your classmates' work or to edit their writing.
to transcribe, and/or summarize in-class meetings.
Any use that violates academic integrity policies is also prohibited.
From the office of the Provost:
Santa Clara University is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment free of all forms of discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence.
Please know that as a faculty member, California law SB 493 requires me to report any information brought to my attention about incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct to the SCU Equal Opportunity and Title IX Office (408) 551-3043. This includes, but is not limited to, disclosures in writing assignments, class discussions, and one-on-one conversations.
Should you need support, SCU has dedicated staff trained to assist you in navigating campus resources, accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and filing a formal complaint with the University or with law enforcement. Please see the Student Resources page for more information about reporting options and resources.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence and wishes to speak to a confidential resource who is not required to report, please contact one of the following SCU resources for support:
https://www.scu.edu/provost/faculty-affairs/other-policies-procedures/discrimination-reporting/mandatory-reporting/
This course affirms the value and legitimacy of all languages and acknowledges the responsibility of providing educational opportunities to use and sustain those languages. Many of you may have fluency in multiple languages, including white Mainstream Englishes, Black Languages, Spanish, Vietnamese, or other languages. Additionally, you may have ways of communicating or expressing yourself beyond written essays. I encourage you to use all your languages and ways of making as resources for your learning, including in your writing and in communication with your peers. We will encounter examples of such “code meshing” in some texts early this quarter, and I will draw your attention to these examples as models. Similarly, students in this class will not be penalized or shamed for using languages other than white Mainstream English or its academic counterparts. When you participate in any class activities or discussion, please be mindful of how ideas about language may be informed by racist and/or anti-Black attitudes, and do not shame or criticize your peers for the language they intentionally choose to use in communication and expression.
Materials in this course are protected by the United States copyright laws. I am the copyright holder of the materials I create, including notes, handouts, slides, and videos. You may make copies of course materials for your own use and you may share the materials with other students enrolled in this course. You may not publicly distribute the course materials elsewhere without my written permission.
When possible, I will record each synchronous sessions and make these sessions available after class. Any classes hosted on Zoom will be recorded and made available. Please be aware however of the following general policy regarding student recordings of class sessions:
The Student Conduct Code (p. 13) prohibits students from “(m)aking a video recording, audio recording, or streaming audio/video of private, non-public conversations and/or meetings, inclusive of the classroom setting, without the knowledge and consent of all recorded parties,” except in cases of approved disability accommodations. The Student Conduct Code also prohibits the “falsification or misuse, including non-authentic, altered, or fraudulent misuse, of University records, permits, documents, communication equipment, or identification cards and government-issued documents.” Dissemination or sharing of any classroom recording without the permission of the instructor would be considered “misuse” and, therefore, prohibited.
Violations of these policies may result in disciplinary action by the University. At the instructor’s discretion, violations may also have an adverse effect on the student’s grade.