Academic Conduct —

I usually facilitate a casual class atmosphere, but we do deal with some serious and contentious issues, and I am responsible for maintaining a civil atmosphere that is conducive to learning. I try to do so by having fun while engaging each other. That does not mean the class is a free-for-all or that disrespectful behavior is acceptable. Disrespectful and disruptive behavior is not appropriate, and personal attacks or comments intended to harass someone will not be tolerated.  This includes the misuse of cell phones, text messaging, blackberries, iPods, or any other technological device both in Zoom and on Canvas.

Academic Honesty & Plagiarism — 

Please read the Academic Honesty & Netiquette Policies. Copying the work of another person, whether an essay or answers during a test, is considered plagiarism.  Anyone who plagiarizes in this class will receive an “F” on the assignment.  If repeated, the student will be subject to the college’s discipline policy, up to and including expulsion. Please refer to the "Student Code of Content" and the college's "Academic Honesty" policies located in the RCC Student Handbook.

Accommodations for Disabilities — UPDATED

Assistance is available for students with disabilities through the DSPS office in ADSS 105.  Students in online classes should follow the instructions for registering for accommodations on the DSPS web pages by clicking HERE. Registration & testing is voluntary, and recommended if you need accommodation. DRC has a minimum one (1) week notice; I cannot accommodate any requests made less than one week ahead of time. No provisions can be made except through that office. Please contact the DSPS office at ‎(909) 384-4443 for more info. 

Attendance: The "Life Happens" Situations —

To demonstrate "attendance" in 101, each student must submit at least one completed assignment each week on Canvas. View the Module for the week, and complete and submit the assignments that are listed there. These will vary by week, so be sure you are staying up to date and completing all work. To demonstrate "attendance" in ENG 086, each student must submit at least one completed DLA or other assigned task per class day (three per week). Any missing or late assignment and/or DLA will count as an absence. The Drop Policy will continue as stated below.

Life happens, and sometimes that requires our attention elsewhere instead of in class. I understand and want you to take care of the urgent situations that can come up in some people's lives. However, I am also responsible for making sure that students who have successfully completed this class meet the standards in the Student Learning Objectives, so I need your help.

The college's Absence/Drop policy is located in the SBVC College Catalog on the college website; make sure you familiarize yourself with it since it will apply in all of your classes. If something urgent comes up, take care of it, but make sure at the earliest convenience, that you notify the affected instructors--REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT MY CLASS; THIS IS YOUR CLASS, so attendance will impact you. 

MY POLICY is that you have two absences (for summer, that includes both 101 and 086, so treat it as two missing or late assignments).

If attendance looks like it is a problem that violates the stated policy, we need to chat.  If something that is so severe comes up that you can't complete work on time, email me to see what the best course of action is. Sometimes, dropping a class is needed, but  I recommend talking with the instructor before dropping a class; only the instructor knows whether this is the best option.

Recordings—

I will record our class Zoom sessions so students can review them afterward. However, recording any part of a class requires instructor approval.  If you wish to record our one-on-one discussions, email your request to me and receive approval before doing so.  Recordings are for class use ONLY; they are not to be posted by anyone on any website, chat, or social media. Violating this policy will result in student discipline by the college, up to and including expulsion, and if such recordings compromise anyone's privacy, such a violation could result in civil liability (think multi-million dollar lawsuits).

Anything else I might have missed:

There is always that one person who makes people gasp. Please DON'T BE THAT PERSON. Because we are typically working from home, please make sure you are appropriately dressed, fully. To prevent a repeat of some of the incidents that we have seen and heard about, I expect students to 1) behave in a professional way and 2) take measures to ensure that anyone you live with is also informed of the expectation so they don't do anything that could get us into trouble.  Also, make sure you keep private things private (think of the US Supreme Court toilet flushing incident); this will help ensure none of us are embarrassed or humiliated.

Safe Spaces—

In order for effective learning to take place, students must feel safe to share ideas and respected enough not to be attacked for any reason; this safety is for ALL students, not only for those who share your values and beliefs, race, or gender. For this reason, courtesy, thoughtfulness, and acceptance are essential in our discussions both in and out of the classroom.  Acceptance should not be confused with agreement; one need not agree with a person to listen, but one must listen well in order to disagree respectfully and in an informed manner.

Every student in this course has a voice; therefore, every student deserves the courtesy of attentive listening and the freedom to express diverse ideas. If, at any time, you feel that you are not receiving this courtesy from me or other students, please bring it to my attention.  

Professionalism has a substantial effect on student success in college and in their subsequent careers. Consider the rubric below. Where would you fit? What do you need to do to accomplish this?

Student Learning Outcomes

COURSE OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS: Every course has what is called the "Course Outline of Record" (COR) that tells anyone who reads it what the particular course is supposed to cover. While faculty have the academic freedom to cover material in the order they individually choose, including in most cases, the texts and materials a course will use, every section of that course will have the same Student Learning Objectives and Outcomes.

For your information, I have provided both the English 015 COR as well as the English 101 COR since 101 is usually where you are headed I have also attached the ENGLISH 086 COR because you could be more successful in 101 if you take it with the co-requisite (talk to me if you have questions about it). Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

For your work to be successful, it must strictly adhere to the following requirements, including MLA formatting. See me early if you have questions or want/need help.

Turning in Work—

All essays and homework unless otherwise noted, MUST be typed and properly formatted in MLA and submitted by the due date on Canvas.  Use the “Guidelines for MLA Format” handout under the Composition Packet tab for instructions. If you are unsure how to set up your computer for MLA format, please read the "Formatting for MLA" handout. In-class handwritten work must be legible; unreadable work will receive a 0.

DO NOT EMAIL PAPERS TO ME!!

Submit drafts on Canvas when they are due.

Essays that I don’t conference on must be submitted for my comments. The Graded Essays must be complete and meet all the requirements including format and length. Anyone having difficulty completing an assignment needs to speak to me and are advised to use the Writing Center tutors.

Late Work—

Either the homework is turned in, or it is not.  “Proving” that you did it doesn’t matter if I don’t receive it on time. 

Also, if you are "absent," remember that you are still responsible for all work that is due, and absentees are still required to turn in work on time. I will accept some late work, but it will be penalized 10% per class day that it is late. Once I start grading, I will not accept it at all.

Word of Advice: if you are experiencing difficulties, meet with me before due dates.  Zoom classes are meant to help students develop their writing and for them to ask questions, get feedback, and work through whatever difficulties they are having. If you aren’t doing this in class, then you are jeopardizing your success in this class and in college.

Returned Work —

Assignments will be returned when I get done grading them. Please do not email me asking when they will be back. My policy is that essay drafts will be returned prior to submitting the next essay draft.  My expectation is that the comments I make on the drafts will be applied to the drafts you are working on so that you are not repeating the same mistakes.

Peer Review Workshops —

With the shift to an online class, workshops will be done differently. You can access the Peer Review Workshops via the Calendar and the Discussion Board. Please note the due dates in the calendar and make sure you complete all parts of the peer review in the time allotted. 

 Workshops are important opportunities to get feedback on your essays. They are based on the premise that we are all intelligent readers, and as readers, we must not make assumptions, ask questions, and provide honest feedback without flattery. Because of this, workshops are an essential part of the writing process because writers receive valuable, honest feedback. WORKSHOPS ARE NOT OPTIONAL.

After each workshop, every participant must complete the “Workshop Reflection” under the “Discussion Board” on Canvas. These are worth 10 points, and the instructions are on the “Discussion Board” prompt. Well-written--include careful proofreading--earn full points.

RECOMMENDATION: Essays are greatly improved when writers hear their essays read aloud, which makes previously unrecognized errors more obvious (something every writer no matter how experienced or proficient needs). I recommend working with other classmates:

• • • • • You can email each other your essays and then record yourselves reading one of your group member's essays using the record function in the Discussion Board on  Canvas or on YouTube (I recommend creating a private account so your recording is not public).
        • Hearing the essay read aloud can be done with the video off.
        • If you choose not to use recording, you can also create a conference call using your smart phones, or use the smart phone to record the essay reading and then send it to the writer.

Please keep in mind, failure to participate in peer review workshops will result in a 10% penalty on the essay’s final grade. Previously workshopped or tutored essays will not count and will be penalized.