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The underlying principle of these policies is
that I expect you to behave like responsible adults and to accept responsibility
for the consequences of your actions. By the same token, you can expect me
to be professional and to treat you professionally and ethically. Click on any of the links below to see specific policies.
Academic Honesty
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Lateness: Lateness is disruptive and expresses a kind of disregard for the class. Habitual lateness (like habitual absence) will be taken as a sign of your lack of commitment to the class. The same applies to leaving class early. If you are consistently late, three occasions of lateness will be counted as one absence.
Assigned Work:
Work (both writing and reading assignments) is due at the start of class on the
date given on the syllabus. Written work should follow the guidelines on the
General Requirements for Papers handout. Late work (including work turned in
after I have collected the assignment) will not be accepted and will earn a zero,
although extensions may rarely be given when documented circumstances warrant.
If you would like an extension, you must ask for one before the due date.
Extensions will not be granted for situations like oversleeping, running out of
paper or printer ink, and the like, nor will they be granted on the day the
assignment is due. It is your responsibility to keep up with work during
any absences; if you are absent when written work is due, it is still your
responsibility to get that work to class in time. (Note that emailing me a paper
is not a substitute for showing up with your work, and that work emailed after
class begins on the due date is late and therefore will not be accepted.) It is also your
responsibility to ask me for help with assignments; I am glad to read and
comment on drafts you bring to my office hours. Remember that I can only
grade the work you turn in; therefore, it is important that you ensure that your
work follows the correct format and accurately represents your ideas.
Please keep a copy of all your papers on disk.
Grading:
Grades are based on the skills and knowledge demonstrated by a student’s work. For general grading standards, see
What Grades Mean. Each assignment
handout will include a list of necessary steps and a list of specific criteria
for that assignment; you should bear these in mind as you do your work.
Work not turned in on time will earn a zero (see
Assigned
Work). See also the
Grading
Scale, which gives numerical equivalents for letter grades.
Discussing Grades: If you have a question or concerns about your grades, you may come to my office to discuss your situation with me. (If you just want to know your current grade in the class, please use this form.) Please note the following policies for grade discussions:
1. You must wait at least 24 hours after
I return a graded assignment before you see me to discuss the grade.
2. When you come to discuss the grade,
you must bring the paper with my comments, the assignment sheet, the relevant grading
criteria, and any other pertinent
material with you. Without these things, we won’t be able to have
a discussion.
3. Remember that I am here to help
you. Personal attacks and hostility will be met with the suggestion
that we reschedule our discussion to a time when we can discuss it in a
civil manner.
4. Use conferences and grade discussions
to find out what could have been improved in the paper and how to prevent
making the same or similar mistakes in subsequent assignments. Do
not use these discussions to try to get your grade changed. If you
would like the grade to change, the paper itself must be revised.
5. FERPA (sometimes called the Buckley Amendment) means that,
by law, I am not at liberty to discuss your grades and progress with anyone
other than you. This means that if your parent(s) contact me, I cannot
discuss or release information about your attendance, progress, grades, etc.
Participation:
The primary mode of this class will be discussion: the more you talk in class,
the more you’ll learn. You are expected to read the given assignment thoroughly
for every class and to bring the appropriate text to class. If you have prepared
adequately, you should be able to contribute significantly to the class
discussion, and you are expected to do so in every class. Useful contributions
include not only insightful comments and responses to questions but also your
questions, comments, and responses (to me or to other students) that may turn
out to be off target (though they must be on topic!). The key is to demonstrate
that you are actively thinking about and engaging with the readings. Be aware
that your participation grade begins at zero and works its way up as you
contribute to class discussion (or works its way down if you are unprepared,
inappropriate, distracting, or disruptive). Your participation is one of
the key indicators of your attitude toward the class.
Note that a lack of
participation may lead to the institution of reading quizzes.
You should also comport yourself with courtesy and civility toward all in order
to create an intellectual environment where everyone will feel free to express
their ideas appropriately. Treat this class as a professional environment; for
instance, cell phones and other electronics must be turned off and put away.
Inappropriate classroom behavior will lower your grade, and disruptive or
distracting behavior will result in your being asked to leave.
Quizzes:
I generally give quizzes only when the level of
student participation indicates that many students are not reading.
Such quizzes will be unannounced. Quizzes will cover basic
factual information from the reading; if you do the reading, you should
have no trouble with the quizzes. Quizzes missed due to absence
or lateness may not be made up.
Academic
Honesty:
Plagiarism—presenting as your own the words or ideas of another—is cheating, and
as such is dishonest and wrong. All work you submit must be your own, and
all work you submit must be written for this class. Saving all your drafts
and notes is a good idea in case you need to show your writing process.
Remember, information does not have to be copied verbatim in order to constitute
plagiarism; by the same token, citing the source isn't always enough if you
present the source's exact words as if they were yours. For a more detailed
discussion with examples, see Dr. Chip Rogers's page
On Plagiarism. Academic
dishonesty is considered a gross violation of the university's academic and
disciplinary standards (for details, see the
Student Handbook, Part II B or
OP 34.12.3). Academic
dishonesty includes the following: copying of one person’s work by another
and claiming it as his or her own; false presentation of one’s self as the
author or creator of a work; falsely taking credit for another person’s unique
method of treatment or expression; falsely representing one’s self as the source
of ideas or expression; or the presentation of someone else’s ideas or works
without giving that person due credit. The bottom line is this:
plagiarism is a form of stealing and will be punished as such. It also
means you deny yourself the chance to learn something. If you are having
difficulty with an assignment, it is far better to see me for help than to
cheat: not only will you learn more, you will also avoid the penalties for
plagiarism. Plagiarism or other forms of cheating will result in an F for the
course and in a report of the incident to the Department Head, the Dean, and
Student Judicial Programs.
Ethics:
Ethical action is crucial to all elements of your participation in this course,
from your behavior in class discussions to your work outside of class. Please
familiarize yourself with the
English Department’s ethics guide for students. I will expect you to act
according to its principles of clarity, honesty, tolerance, respect,
objectivity, fairness, engagement, and responsibility, and I will strive to
uphold these principles myself.
Special
Accommodations:
TTU Resources for Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual
Violence
Any student who, because
of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course
requirements should contact the instructor as possible to make necessary
arrangements. Students must present appropriate verification from Student
Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note that
instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodation to a student
until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been
provided. For additional information, please contact Student Disability Services
office in 335 West Hall or call 806-742-2405.
Texas Tech University is committed to providing and strengthening an educational, working, and living environment
where students, faculty, staff, and visitors are free from gender and/or sex discrimination of any kind. Sexual assault,
discrimination, harassment, and other
Title IX violations are not tolerated by the University. Report any incidents to the
Office for Student Rights & Resolution, (806)-742-SAFE (7233) or file a report online at
titleix.ttu.edu/students. Faculty and staff members at TTU
are committed to connecting you to resources on campus. Some of
these available resources are:
TTU Student Counseling Center
(806-742-3674) Provides
confidential support on campus.
TTU Student Counseling Center 24-hour Helpline
(806-742-5555)
Assists students who are
experiencing a mental health or interpersonal violence crisis.
If you call the helpline, you will speak with a mental health
counselor.
Voice of Hope Lubbock Rape Crisis Center
(806-763-7273) 24-hour hotline that provides support for survivors of sexual
violence, including counseling and accompaniment to hospitals, law enforcement,
and court.
The Risk, Intervention, Safety and Education (RISE) Office
(806-742-2110) Provides
a range of resources and support options focused on prevention
education and student wellness.
Texas Tech Police Department
(806-742-3931) To report criminal activity that occurs on or near Texas Tech
campus.
Raider Red’s Food Pantry (806-742-1932) Available to all currently enrolled TTU students, providing nonperishable food items and information sheets with additional community resources, recipes, and/or information about healthy eating.