Time Obligation:

For every hour of class time the college expects you to spend at least two hours of your own time outside of class preparing. Thus, since this is a three-unit course, you are expected to spend a minimum of six (6) hours of work outside of our class each week this semester. Your time will involve reading—lots of reading—writing your essays, writing in your journals, and reviewing your notes from lectures and class discussions.

Classroom Participation:

Classroom participation is what makes or breaks a class. There are few things I hate worse than having to teach a class of students who don’t want to talk, who have no opinions, and who sit vapidly in their seat. So, you are encouraged to join whole class and small group discussions. You really will be bored if you have to listen to me talk for three hours; that simply will not be fun for any of us. Besides, I will probably run out of things to say. So, the more you participate by asking questions, by speaking your opinion, by offering your personal insights about the material we’re discussing, and by provoking us all to think a little bit differently, the more fun this course will be. And remember, participating is an important way of distinguishing yourself from other students when I have to decide between borderline grades at the end of the semester.

NOTE: You must obtain my permission to use any electronic recording devices during any lectures, discussions, or activities in class.

Academic Honesty:

A brief word about PLAGIARISM: DON’T. Plagiarism involves willfully claiming work that was done by someone other than yourself. To accomplish this offense you, for example, would need to quote some material without giving credit to the original writer or even copy another student’s work and submit it as your own. I, the English Department, and the college take this offense very seriously. The best thing to do is turn in your own writing. Plagiarism is easy to detect and hard to conceal. The burden of proving the authenticity of any writing in this class is always the student’s responsibility. Please refer to the college’s policy on "Academic Honesty"(at the end of your syllabus) excerpted from your 1998-1999 college catalog.

ADA Statement:

Pursuant to the American Disabilities Act, any student with an identified disability is eligible to be registered with the Disabled Students/Learning Resource Services program. If you are a disabled student and you have need of special services, it is your responsibility to alert your instructors.

Pagers and Cellular Phones:

I know it is really cool and hip to have a pager, and it’s really convenient to use your cell phone anywhere you go. These tools give us access to immediate communication. Hey, why not? We’re in the communication age. However, in this class as a courtesy to your fellow students and to me, I insist that you turn your pagers to buzz mode and turn off your cell phones. Unless your wife or significant other will be going into labor any minute or an immediate member of your family is severely ill, there is no reason for you to be taking calls during class. So, as a courtesy to your class members, when you enter the classroom, please disable these devices until class is over.

Nature’s Call:

Everyone gets it. But while not everyone has the same endurance level when nature does knock, I do know that most people can sit tight for a couple hours. One of my pet peeves about classroom conduct is the student who bolts up from his seat insisting that he needs to use the restroom. Yes, this is college and yes, you can leave class anytime you want, but save this adult privilege for the real emergencies in life. You have plenty of time to attend to your personal needs before and between classes.

Attendance Policy:

Your attendance in the course is required for you to pass. Unlike other courses in which you can copy your friend’s notes, the success of this class and our growth as individual writers depend on the daily attendance of each class member. Since a large part of this course is structured around activities in addition to lectures and discussions, I consider absences and lateness discourteous to the whole class and particularly to the workshop group that needs input from the missing student.

So here is the policy: You are allowed three (3) absences to use throughout the semester. (That’s three weeks’ worth of missed class….) These can be either excused or unexcused absences; it does not really matter. Your third absence is a clear message to me that you earnestly desire to be dropped from the class. Upon your fourth absence, I will drop you from the course. (Authorized absences for campus-related activities do not count against you, but if you know you will be missing a great deal of class, you should find another section that better fits your schedule.) Three (3) five-minute tardies are equivalent to one absence. As a courtesy, please contact me (e-mail or phone) when you know in advance that you are going to be absent. And, remember, it is always your responsibility to find out what you missed. (NOTE: An absence on the second class meeting tells me that you earnestly plan to drop the course, so be sure you are present and accounted for, especially during the first couple weeks of classes.)

Exchange names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses with some of your classmates: