responsibilities: I am here to help you succeed! It is our shared responsibility to communicate respectfully. The syllabus and Canvas are your starting points when you have questions about what is happening in class. It is my responsibility to be as clear as possible about expectations, assignments, and assessment procedures. It is your responsibility to contact me when feeling confused, overwhelmed, or unsure. If you do have questions about an assignment after it has been graded, assessed, or commented on, I ask that you wait 24 hours and that you have specific questions for discussion when you contact me.
technology:
attendance: Attendance is required. You can miss 2 classes (1 week of class) for any reason. Arriving 20-40 minutes late will result in a half absence. Arriving more than 40 minutes late is considered a full absence. Please send me a brief e-mail so that I know you will be absent so I can plan accordingly. Any subsequent absences for any reason after missing 2 classes will lower your final grade:
- missing 3 classes = -2%
- missing 4 classes = -5%
- missing 5 classes = -10% (may result in course failure)
- missing 6 or more classes (3 weeks of the term) will result in course failure.
I recommend that you save your absences for emergencies. You are responsible for anything you miss if you are not in class. I recommend you ask a friend and check Canvas for materials and assignments distributed in class.
quiet day: In addition to two allowed absences (see attendance policy: I don’t distinguish between excused and not excused), you will be allowed to take one Quiet Day (QD). You are required to come to class, but if you are stressed out or have been unable to prepare for any reason, you can tell me ahead of time and opt to sit quietly and observe class activities. Be judicious in your use of your QD. You can only use it once, and it does not excuse you from any major assignments.
late work: Assigned work is due at the date and time specified on the syllabus and Canvas. I don’t accept late daily homework/participation assignments. Grades on formal assignments will be reduced by one letter grade for each 24 hour period beyond when it is due (weekends count!).
I expect you to maintain a high level of engagement throughout the course and to conduct yourself ethically and responsibly. You can expect the same from me. I will do my best to be clear about assignment expectations and how I will assess your work. It’s your responsibility to contact me — in my office, by e-mail, via Twitter — when you are confused, overwhelmed, or unsure about class expectations. Talk to me before an assignment is due, not after! That way I can help you talk through your confusion, brainstorm ideas, consider possibilities, give you resources, and discuss your work with you—that’s an integral part of my role in our class! I can’t make exceptions or extend grading deadlines unless you talk to me before the assignment is due.
incompletes: Please see me if circumstances arise that make it difficult for you to complete the course.
academic honesty, authorship, and plagiarism: It’s important to understand ‘authorship’ and ‘ownership of ideas and words’ in academic writing and projects. This helps writers give the correct credit to others for their words and ideas. When you use someone else’s words or ideas without telling your reader where they come from, you are PLAGIARIZING. Common examples of plagiarism include incorrect academic citation and copying and pasting parts of an essay from the internet or other students. Getting too much help from someone editing your writing is also a form of academic dishonesty. I am looking to help you improve your academic. I am not expecting perfect writing. If you have a question about using ideas and words from others in your essays, please ask!
All work submitted in ENG 250 must be your own and be written exclusively for this course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly documented. Please refer to the summary of the Code of Student Conduct on the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards website. In cases where academic dishonesty has been clearly established, the award of an F for the final course is the standard practice of the English Department. Please see me if you have any questions about your use of sources, translator or editors, or website you might consult as you are thinking about your questions of issue and developing your reasoning and your writing.
access: If you have a disability (physical or learning) that you think may affect your performance in this class, please see me during the term’s first week so we can make arrangements, if necessary, for your full access to classroom activities.
safe campus policy: Any student who has experienced sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, coercion, and/or sexual harassment is encouraged to seek help. Please visit https://safe.uoregon.edu for information. You are also strongly encouraged to contact Renae DeSautel, Sexual Violence Response & Support Services Coordinator, desautel@uoregon.edu. She will keep your information confidential. In addition, the UO Ombudsperson Bruce MacAllister (541 346-6400 or ombuds@uoregon.edu) can provide confidential support and assistance. You can also contact any pastor, priest, imam, or other member of the clergy. All of these people, including all UO faculty members, have an obligation not to reveal your name or other specific information without your permission, although faculty members do have to provide “general information” that will help us create a safer campus. As your instructor, I can also reassign work partners and make other necessary accommodations.
observance of religious holidays: Students who observe their religious holidays at times when academic requirements conflict with those observances must inform instructors in advance of the holiday. Students are responsible for making up missed work according to a schedule determined with the teacher.