Policies

Communication Policy 🗣️😀

I enjoy hearing from you. No question or concern is too small, and there's no such thing as a "stupid question." With that being said, it is extremely important that you let me know (early on) if you are having any issues—whether they are technology-related, general confusion about the class, or anything else that you would like to talk to me about. Send me emails (at any time), text or call me (but not before 9 am or after 9 pm), or schedule a Zoom meeting. Issues arise in your lives, and I am sure they will arise in mine, so keeping communication open and consistent is key. Hearing from you about anything is never a bother. One more thing, some students end up waiting too long to let me know that they are having problems, and unfortunately by the time they reach out to me, it may be too late for me to help (this is especially crucial in an eight week class).

• Email: ryan.bacchia@gcccd.edu

• Phone: 619-206-4964

What You Can Expect From Me

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) including:

• Weekly communication will be sent through announcements, usually 2-3 a week. 

• Responses to all student questions within 24 hours

• Feedback on all assignments in 3-7 days, except for essays, which will be graded within a one-two week window

• Post a few times within weekly Discussion to help guide conversation if needed

Weekly Modules

Every Monday (though sometimes earlier), a new Weekly Module will be published. Each week of this term will have its own module (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3…etc.). Within each week’s module, you will find all of the readings, assignments (with due dates) and assignment links for that specific week; please make sure to scroll down to read everything for that week. Also, there will be different assignments due throughout the week, which means not everything will be due on the weekends. Basically the Modules are a tool designed to help organize the semester for you. 

Feedback and grading comments

I will provide feedback and grading comments to help you improve your concept attainment and skill mastery in this course. I encourage you to respond to my grading comments and ask questions or begin a dialogue about how to improve your work (if necessary). I will respond to your questions/comments within 24 hours (if not sooner).

Canvas Inbox

I will use the Canvas Inbox to message the entire class. Also, if you start to fall behind, I'll use the Canvas Inbox to check-in with you and learn how I can best support you.

Flexibility

This is tougher in a six week class because everything is so compacted, but if any issues arise that may affect your work or you need extra time or help, it's always best to let me know ahead of time, if possible. But, either way, I will try my best to accommodate your needs.  

Attendance

I want you here with us! Your perspective is valuable, and it wouldn't be the same without you. Attending an online course is achieved by participating in the course, contributing to discussions, asking questions, proposing answers, submitting assignments, and collaborating with your peers. You'll have many opportunities to participate in the coming weeks. 

Online courses turn the idea of attendance on its head. Online, you can "attend" class in your pajamas at 2 am in the morning, or sitting on a chair at Pacific Beach on a sunny day. Attendance is not marked by your body in a class, but rather by your participation within the class activities.

Here are the brief "rules" we will follow to guide participation:

• Check-in and interact in the course at least twice a week;

• Participate in all Discussions--the first reply each week is usually due on Thursday or Friday;

• Connect with me beforehand if you are going to be disconnected from the course for more than 5 days.

Going "out of town:" The advantage of taking an online (asynchronous) class is that you can do it from anywhere (and at almost at any time). Therefore, if you are going to another country or somewhere else during the class, you are still expected to keep up with due dates and deadlines. This is the type of class you committed to, so go ahead and take a trip, but like me, we still have a job to do. If this is something that you don't think you can do, then you might reconsider taking this class. 

This course follows a weekly schedule. Each week you will interact with your peers in weekly discussions, and complete a series of activities and assignments. The weekly schedule allows us to learn from one another, and it keeps everyone on a path toward our learning goals.

Your participation is an important part of the success of this course, but we also recognize that you each have other courses, family and friends to visit with, and, because we are human, sometimes we are just swamped or under the weather. If you have reached a point where you can't meet a deadline, please contact me--we will work together to try and make a path to success. 

The bottom line is that if you miss more than (any) six assignments, you risk being withdrawn from the class. Ultimately, if you decide to stop "attending" class, it is your responsibility to withdraw from the class. Pay attention to the last day you can withdraw, or you will receive whatever grade you end up with. A "W" is often the better option if you don't think you will be able to pass the class. 

Late Work

Plan on submitting work on time.  

In a fast paced online course like ours, it is incredibly important to submit your work on time. Every assignment has a due date, guidelines, and a deadline for submissions. It is vital to submit them on time, so we can work on revising together and help each other through it. Submitting your work on time allows both your classmates and me to be able to review your work, provide you feedback and work as a team. Each due date will be clearly stated under the assignment in the appropriate week. Make sure to double check these dates regularly and maybe even input them into your personal calendars. You can also download the Canvas app, which can send you reminders of these due dates.

Most assignments may be turned in late but usually only within 48 hours. The late policies for Essays work a little differently. For more information on these policies, look at the Class Activities section.

Campus Code of Conduct

Plagiarism 

In this course, I want to help you make choices reflecting integrity and responsible actions. Academic integrity means honesty in academic work. All work and all grades are results from the participants own effort. However, one may feel pressure by the amount of work needed to accomplish a task. Yet violating academic integrity can compromise one's academic career.

Plagiarism is using another author’s ideas or writing as your own and not giving proper credit to the authors and sources. This is an English course and we will be doing an extensive amount of writing, so keep in mind that just as it is easy for you to find information to plagiarize, it is also easy for an instructor to catch acts of plagiarism.  

We will learn how to document outside sources, even when we are paraphrasing. If you are found to be plagiarizing, we will have a conversation about it and discuss potential rewrites. However, this will not be the case with the final essay as it is due on the last day of class. Depending on the situation, you may be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs, and it will be placed on your student record. In addition, you will not receive full credit for that assignment, and this may lead to potentially failing the course. In some cases, you may have the chance to revise a plagiarized assignment, but this is not guaranteed. Using online assistance sites like Grammarly and/or translation services, or other people in your household to write your essay, are considered cheating. While you can of course use a dictionary to look up words, you should be writing on your own and in English, not writing entire sections or essays in another language and then translating them fully. All of your work will be checked through Turnitin, which is featured in Canvas and checks your work against the work of other students as well as any information found on the internet. 

Chat GPT (AI)

With the rise of AI assistants, students must take care that they use this technology in an ethical and honest manner. Therefore, whether you are aware of it or not, it is becoming a more normalized way of writing, thinking, creating, etc. While I do have a general policy on using Chat GPT or other AI generators, I would like to create a policy with our class that is fair and equitable. Therefore, in Week 1, our Discussion will revolve around Chat GPT, and part of it will be submitting your ideas on how we should incorporate (or not incorporate) it into our work this semester. Then, I will create a policy based on your ideas. Ultimately, everyone will need to agree to and then follow this policy for the rest of the semester. 

Diversity Statement and Respectful Conduct

As a white instructor, I am aware of my position/authority in the classroom, and even if I acknowledge my privilege as a cisgender, straight, white male, actions are always more meaningful than words. Especially over the last five-ten years, with the BLM movement, the death of George Floyd, Covid, and the Trump presidency, I understand more than ever how important it is to be empathetic, understanding, and supportive towards students that have been historically marginalized. And, I also recognize that I have not had the same experiences and therefore the most important thing I can do is to listen, offer opportunities for students to share their experiences, and facilitate rather than direct. I have been doing this for a long time, but my hope is that I have created a classroom environment where when it comes to race, gender, and ethnicity, we can learn from each other. 

With this in mind, I would like our class to be a supportive learning environment that values and builds on the richly diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences of our group. Please help me develop this environment by honoring the diverse identities of your classmates and letting your instructor know (via anonymous surveys, Check-ins, or email, for example) if an assignment, comment, etc. makes you feel uncomfortable.

Both in the readings and in discussions, you will likely encounter cultures, ideas, and values that differ from your own. These are valuable opportunities to learn more about different perspectives and where they intersect with yours. We all see the world from a point of view informed by our experiences and backgrounds, and what we read and discuss can open new windows through which to understand both our course content and world around us. You are encouraged to contribute your ideas about course content freely, but please remember to demonstrate respect for your classmates and instructor. We all have unconscious biases that stem from our experiences, and recognizing and discussing them can lead to unexpected insights.

Conversely, disrespectful or threatening responses tend to shut down conversation and insight, and so these kinds of comments will be promptly addressed by myself. To keep our interactions safe and productive, please know that anyone who repeatedly engages in disrespectful or otherwise inappropriate behavior will be locked out of the discussion for the week and/or face student misconduct charges. Please join me in creating a comfortable and productive learning environment for us all.

Expectations

What you can expect from me:

1. I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful way.

2. I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.

3. I will be actively present in your learning.

4. I will provide a supportive and safe environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.

5. I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.

6. I will treat you with dignity and respect and be flexible to support your individual needs. 

7. I won't be perfect. I am human, and I make mistakes sometimes. I will view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.

What I will expect from you:

1. You will strive to be an active participant in this course and meet most due dates.

2. You will maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.

3. You will contact me if you have a concern with meeting a due date.

4. You will strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities to ensure other members of our community have ample opportunities to read/listen, reflect and respond to your ideas. 

5. You will treat your peers with dignity and respect.

6. You will do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups; expect them. We will get through them together.

7. You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human, and you get stressed. Try not to get frustrated. You will learn, and we will get through it together. 

Online Etiquette

Often referred to as "netiquette," 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.

View a text-only version of The Core Rules of Netiquette in a new window.