:: COURSE POLICIES ::

Blackboard: will not be used in any capacity in this class. Alternatively, this class will rely upon Google Classroom & the G Suite for Education, which includes apps such as Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites. Please ensure you have a proper Google account with regular access to Drive.

Texts: There is no text you must purchase for this class; however, we will be working with a variety of sources, all of which will be distributed by me (for free!) via URL, open access, or fair use laws, or, churned up by you via your own research.

Grading: I urge you not to think about your grade in this class; instead, think about your learning. If the latter happens, and you show it, the former will take care of itself. Work in the class will be weighted as follows:

MILESTONES = 40% | ESSAY = 10% | RHETORICAL ANALYSIS = 10% | PROFESSIONAL EMAIL = 10% | FINAL PROJECT/REFLECTION = 30%

You can freely ask me at any point in the semester how you’re performing. For more details about assignments, point totals, and more, please review the ASSIGNMENTS page.

Attendance and Participation: Students who engage in class on a regular basis always perform better than those who do not. So be present. I will not take attendance, but missing class(es) will likely impact your ability to be successful in the course.

Class Announcements: All course announcements, reminders, and due dates will be posted to Google Classroom. Please adjust your Google alert settings to ensure you receive all updates in a timely fashion.

Late work: With the exception of the final project, work submitted after a deadline will be accepted but may be subject to a reduction of pts. Please ensure that you get your work done on time.

Rewrite/revision policy: Rewrites & revisions are allowed (except for the final). Scores will only improve if the new work is substantially better; superficially-revised papers & projects (with errors corrected, but with little or no re-thinking) might not be re-graded. All rewrites/revisions must be accompanied by a short explanatory essay which articulates what changes have been made, and should make an argument for how & why those changes have enhanced the work. To ensure success on a rewrite/revision, I highly encourage you to make an appointment w/ me. Rewrites cannot be accepted beyond the due date for the final project.

Plagiarism: A student who submits a paper or project which, in whole or part, has been written by someone else, or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from another’s work without acknowledgment has committed an act of plagiarism. Like all academic institutions, College of DuPage takes plagiarism very, very seriously. Please maintain academic integrity when completing assignments and be overzealous in giving credit where credit is due. If you ever are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me. We will continually discuss this subject in class, and the COD library has posted an informative tutorial online. Students who are found to have plagiarized could be subject to various disciplinary actions, including a failing grade on a particular assignment, failure of the entire course, a report filed with the Academic Integrity Team, and/or possible expulsion. For more information about academic integrity, please see the college's Code of Academic Conduct page.

Withdrawals, Incompletes, & Additional Policies: The last day to withdraw from this course is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12th. Incomplete grades are reserved only for unexpected emergencies; students must be in good standing (a ‘C’ or better) and have been a regular class participant for the majority of the semester. Put simply, please do not let registration or performance issues sneak up on you. If you face any impediments that might affect your ability to perform in class, please come see me. And finally, be respectful of both me and your classmates during class discussions. All noise-emitting devices should be silenced and used with respect during class.