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." (If you ask a question covered in this syllabus, one of my Canvas announcements, or some other course document or Canvas page, I may refer you to that page. If I do that, I am not dismissing you. I am simply trying to help you know where information and guidance "lives" for our class). Please talk to me. Send me emails, schedule time to come into our Zoom student hours, or let me know if you need to see me on campus. If something is going on in your life that may be hindering your ability to participate in our course, let me know. Issues arise in your lives, and I am sure they will arise in mine, so keeping communication open and consistent in key. Hearing from you about anything is never a bother. It's a pleasure. You can expect the following regarding communication from me.

• Weekly communication will be sent through announcements, usually 1-2 a week. (You are welcome to reply to my announcements, if you like).

• Responses to all student questions within 24 hours -- except on a few weekends out of the semester.

• Feedback on assignments within 72 hours, except for Writing Assignments an Final Project, which will be graded within 5 days.

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

• I will provide feedback and grading comments to help you improve and also to appreciate your great insights and lovely writing. 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 usually respond to your questions/comments within 24 hours (if not sooner).

• 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.

Expectation:
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, while keeping in mind the need for you to be able to contribute to the learning of others in the course.

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:

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

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

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

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

• You will treat your peers with dignity and respect.

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

• You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human, and you may get stressed. Try not to get frustrated. If you aren't making any mistakes, then you aren't taking any risks. :) You will learn, and we will get through it together.

Attendance Policy

Your perspective is valuable, and our class 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.

I do understand that life happens. Here are just a few of the things that have created challenges for my previous students: jobs, children, family, issues with the law, illnesses -- including mental health concerns -- the illnesses of others, divorce, being kicked out of the house, being evicted, losing a job, coming out, coping with addiction, not having enough food to eat, taking care of siblings or parents, family members being deported, chronic pain, fear of deportation, etc. What is my point? You don't need to be afraid or embarrassed to tell me what's happening in your life that is creating challenges for you in this course. I have pretty much heard it all. And the more I understand your particular situation, the more I can be helpful to you. I get that there might be a time when you can't submit your assignment by the due date/time. If you need an extension, I am happy to talk to you about it on a one-to-one basis. Be sure to log into the container regularly. Assignments will be due on Wednesdays and Sundays. Missing two weeks of class without contacting me is grounds for me to award you a "W" or "withdrawal" grade. So, please, tell me what's going on. (If you wish to be dropped from any course, don't count on your instructor to do it. Always take responsibility for dropping yourself).

Submitting Work On Time/Extensions/Late Work

Every assignment has a due date and a deadline for submissions. You are expected to submit assignments on or before the assigned due date, which, in turn, allows me time to review your work and provide meaningful feedback. It also allows your classmates to learn form you -- and for you to learn from them. Due dates have been designed in the course to ensure time is provided to allow you to produce your best work.

I do understand that life happens, and there might be a time when you can't submit your assignment before the due date. If an extension is needed, I am happy to talk to you about it on a one-on-one basis. But, in order to remain fair to those submitting on time, these extensions need to be kept to a minimum.

So, plan on submitting work on time. BUT you can submit up to three Reading Activities (Discussion posts) or Anti-quizzes up to 48 hours late without any explanation. You can also email me in advance of Writing Assignments to request an extension.

Plagiarism

I am really most interested in your ideas -- not those of the people form Lit Charts or Masterplots or anyone else. And plagiarism is the one thing for which I have no patience. I will bend over backwards to help you. Please take pride in your educational opportunities. There are many people around the world who would love to be in college but are not able to for a variety of reasons. I do understand that college can be very stressful; however, there is never a good reason to plagiarize. If you don’t understand an assignment, email me for help or visit the tutors.

There are guides to avoiding Plagiarism in the Course Orientation module.

Plagiarism will result in a score of zero that cannot be made up. I will also report all instances of plagiarism to the Dean of Student Affairs.

You will be required to submit your written work through Canvas Turnitin due to campus-wide concern over plagiarism. Your work will be entered into a nationwide database and compared to that database. I will receive a report for each submission indicating percent and source of duplicate material. Be sure you agree to the Turnitin Policy when you submit or I will be unable to score your work and you will receive a zero.

Diversity Statement and Respectful Conduct

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 or an 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 the 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 them --even 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 your instructor. 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.

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.