You have three unexcused, no-questions-asked absences throughout the semester.* Missing more than three classes will impact your participation grade, and more than five could result in failing the course. If you need to miss class for religious or academic/school sponsored extracurricular reasons, please inform me ahead of time. If prior notification is given, these absences will not count against the permitted number. In addition, absence due to illness will not count against the permitted number if a written doctor note is provided.
<aside> 🤔 Because the class is now hybrid, attendance is based on your contributions. That said, students who do not attend class typically do poorly as there are inclass activities which cannot be made up.
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Course grades are based on a 100-point scale. Final grades fall on the following ranges: A = 94-100, A- = 90-93, B+ = 87-89, B = 84-86, B- = 80-83, and so on. Assignment grades are standard letter to point: A+ = 98.5, A = 95, A- = 91.5, and so on. There is no curve. There are no individual extra-credit or re-take options.
Failing grades are given to students who fail to meet the expectations and requirements of an assignment, who have submitted plagiarized work (see below), who fail to complete much or all of the assigned work for the course, or who have missed more than five classes.
Any successful learning experience requires mutual respect on behalf of the student and the instructor. The instructor as well as fellow students should not be subjected to any student's behavior that is in any way disruptive, rude, or challenging to the instructor's authority in the classroom. The instructor has primary responsibility for control over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic integrity. The instructor can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct violating the general rules and regulations of the institution (see UT Dallas Title IX Initiatives).
Online participation requires the same atmosphere of respect. Name calling, harassing, flaming, trolling, etc. is antithetical to the course goals and will not be tolerated.
Content Warning: Our classroom provides an open space for the critical and civil exchange of ideas. Some readings and other content in this course will include topics that some students may find offensive and/or traumatizing. I aim to forewarn students about potentially disturbing content, and I ask all students to help create an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity.
I get that we are all addicted to our phones, but please plan to not use them during class. You can't participate and learn while on your phone (multitasking simply doesn't work). The same rules apply for laptops & tablets: use them to take notes or complete class assignments.
All online assignments are due prior to class on the date listed unless otherwise noted. All major paper assignments will be submitted through eLearning. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm submission of their work. Students cannot make up missed reading quizzes or other in-class work associated with participation.
In the event of inclement weather, all coursework is still due online by the posted times. Students are responsible for checking their email for instructions regarding activities that may be scheduled during the regular class meeting time.
Please send me a message on MS teams rather than email me. Email is slow - I’m much faster on Teams.
I don't have an office on campus, but I'm certainly available as needed before and after class on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you'd like to catch up, just send me an email and we'll schedule a time.