STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT 

COMMUNICATION POLICY: I love hearing from my students! Please use the Canvas inbox to email me. You will hear from me within 24 hours, usually much sooner. There is nothing too trivial to email me about!

Our regular group collaborations are a key component of this course. All of them are opportunities to dive deeper into the course content and to share your experiences in the course with both myself and with other students. I look forward to reading your group's findings and viewing your group summary recordings. I am confident I will learn from you as you share your experiences as well.

The semester goes quickly and life happens! For that reason, it's really important to log in multiple times per week, ideally on a daily basis and keep up with the material. It helps to do a little every day, if possible. Don't leave assignments until the last minute! Please communicate with me and your group if you know you will be absent from the online environment for more than a couple of days, and let's work together to ensure that you can stay on track. 

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION POLICY: 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 in your backyard on a sunny day. Attendance is not marked by your body being in a class, but rather by your participation within the class activities. 

In this class we function as a team – teaching and learning together in small groups that we will most likely keep throughout the semester. Consequently, you’ll become increasingly vested in the success or failure of your classmates and vice versa. As a result, when you miss a collaboration, your group members will try to “catch you up” rather than moving forward with the lesson, and the entire group will fall behind. So, your participation in every scheduled collaboration is important and your ability to get “caught up” ahead of time is ideal.

The college policy states that the instructor may institute an excessive absence drop. I understand that life unexpectedly gets in the way of class on occasion so, if you know you are going to be absent from an online learning environment please email me and your “squad”. However, if at some point during class, you find that you will not be able to commit, please use MyPortal to drop yourself to avoid getting a failing grade.

RESPECT FOR THE INSTRUCTOR: This includes arriving to class meetings on time, staying the entire duration, being prepared, not speaking with other students while the instructor or another student is talking, having yourself muted when others are talking, boisterous, or argumentative, and turning off all cell phones, music devices, or pagers. No cell phones are permitted while taking tests. 

RESPECT FOR THE OTHER STUDENTS: This includes not interfering with the rights of others to listen and participate, being respectful, respecting your groups time by attending meetings on time, contributing to the group, and not using inappropriate language or harassing others in any way. 

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Lack of honesty in the classroom is considered a very serious offense. Any form of cheating on tests or assignments, turning in work which is not one’s own (i.e. plagiarism), talking during tests, furnishing false information to college personnel, or knowingly misrepresenting oneself to the college are grounds for disciplinary action. The consequences of cheating are severe and may include receiving a grade “F” for the class or possible expulsion from the college. 

INSTRUCTOR’S RIGHTS: An instructor has the right to remove a student from class any time he or she considers a student’s actions to be interfering with a proper collegiate environment. The instructor may also refer the incident to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action as warranted.

DISABILITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES: DRC serves students with physical, learning, and psychological/psychiatric disabilities by providing accommodations based on the type of disability and verifying documentation.  Services include academic counseling, disability related counseling and referral for community resources, test accommodations, tram services, adapted computer lab, assistive technology training, assessment, and equipment loan.  For more information please contact the Disabled Resource Center (DRC) at (951) 222-8060.