ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until Friday, June 22.
POLICIES & TIPS FOR SUCCEEDING IN CLASS:
1. Come to class prepared and sit up front – Read the assigned readings BEFORE you come to class. This helps ensure you can participate and get the most out of lecture and discussion. You’ll feel more involved in class and retain more when you sit near the front, so don’t be shy.
2. Ethics: As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision. Students need to do original work and properly cite sources. For example, be aware of plagiarism—directly copying more than 3 or 4 words from another author without quoting (not just citing) the author is plagiarism. Further, course content will encourage the ethical practices and analysis of communication.
3. Late work & absences: Late work will not be accepted. Turn in your work in a timely manner by deadline. In addition, you will not have a chance to rewrite your work after it has been turned in. However, you are encouraged to meet with the professor in advance to discuss and ask questions about your assignments in progress. If you know you have an institutionally excused absence coming up, you must turn in your assignments in advance or by deadline. Any excused absence must be documented, and you must get this documentation to the professor if you want to receive credit for your work. Late work, again, will not be accepted.
4. Missed final exam: Make-ups for a missed exam will be allowed only in situations where the student has contacted the professor considerably in advance of the exam with a documented university-approved excused absence, which are limited to 1) illness documented by a physician, 2) death in the family with requisite documentation, 3) religious observance, and 4) University-sanctioned activity.
5. Attendance (which means being present AND prepared) is mandatory. You should expect to plan other events in your life at times other than class time. Because participation points make up a large portion of your grade, which you may not make up outside of class, you’ll want to come to class prepared each day. If you are absent, it is up to you to contact another student to catch up on information you missed that day.
6. Professional work quality: Work turned in should be polished. Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments turned in for a grade must be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, stapled, and must conform to standard rules of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Assignments that seriously depart from these rules (due to sloppiness and not deliberate and careful creative effort) or the required format described in the assignment will be returned un-graded and counted as a zero/F. APA style is required for all of your citations and reference list. For guides on how to use APA style, see http://www.stylewizard.com/apa/apawiz.html and http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/16/.
7. Email etiquette & responsibility: A good rule to follow when addressing all people via email in a professional context is to use a greeting and that person’s name or title to open your email message. Since you are not texting a buddy, it is respectful to begin one’s email with “Hi, Tema” or “Dear Dr. Milstein,” before going into your message itself. If you feel more comfortable addressing people by title, note that professors are not addressed as Ms. or Mr., but as Professor so-and-so or Dr. so-and-so. Here is a helpful short blog about how to write a professional (and specifically academic professional) email to your professors: https://medium.com/@lportwoodstacer/how-to-email-your-professor-without-being-annoying-af-cf64ae0e4087#.1b6bai82x. Check your UNM email account regularly, as I use this account to keep in touch with you about course requirements or updates. If you use another email address, please set up your UNM account to forward your UNM account email to that address.
8. In-class technology: Be respectful of each other’s learning by turning off cell phones and not using the internet, texting, or listening to music while in class or meetings with your professor. I will ask you to leave if you are engaging in such activities as they disrupt learning.
9. Grade appeals: I have a 24-7 policy, which means you must wait 24 hours after receiving a grade and appeal within 7 days. I will not discuss grades on the day a grade for an assignment is returned. If you receive a grade you feel is unfair, please provide me a written response either via email or on paper, no later than 7 days after the grade has been assigned (note: not the day you receive your grade), explaining how you feel the grade you received did not reflect your fulfillment of the assignment. I will then assess your written response and reassess your graded assignment.
10. Diversity: This course encourages different perspectives related to such factors as gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and other relevant cultural identities. The course seeks to foster understanding and inclusiveness related to such diverse perspectives and ways of communicating.
11. Students with learning or other disabilities: John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.