Class Policies

Communication Policy

I enjoy hearing from you. No concern is too small, and there's no such thing as a "stupid question." But, like any relationship, to make things work well we need to communicate.

Your role is to participate regularly in the class. That means you should check in with the class every day:

• read the weekly announcements

• review the information on the homepage

• check the discussion area

• keep up with the reading and writing assignments

• when you have questions, ask me or a classmate for an answer

My job is also to participate regularly and to check in with the class every day. I promise I will:

• send out an announcement Monday morning with information about the reading, writing, and due dates for that week

• keep information on the homepage relevant and up-to-date

• interact in the discussion area by reading and replying to posts--one of my favorite aspects of teaching this class!

• reach out if/when I see a student needs help

• provide support and encouragement, or give corrections and solutions as needed

In the unlikely or unusual event that something unexpected comes up and I cannot fulfill my responsibilities to the class, I will let you know. I would expect you would do the same

Academic Honesty

We will do lots of writing in this class in the discussion area. Each of you has a unique perspective you bring to this class--and your classmates and I want to hear your ideas about the books we read. This class is structured so that students can--and should--use their own ideas about the readings. I hope you will trust your intellect and feel free to share your thinking with others. Your honest contributions will make our class discussions engaging and thought-provoking.

However, if you feel the need to research or to refer to outside sources, always quote when you use someone else's words and always acknowledge your sources of information when you use someone else's ideas. It is never acceptable to copy ideas or cut and paste words from others' writing. That is plagiarism. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense because it defeats the purpose of getting an education, which is to develop your own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Please ask me if you have any questions about how or when to cite information; I realize this can be confusing and I am here to help. I also recommend reviewing Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid it to understand how to quote and cite information properly in your posts and in your papers. Ultimately, you must be responsible for ensuring your work is your own or is correctly cited.

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.