Policies

The management regrets to inform you . . .

Attendance and Late Work

  • THERE IS NO ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS COURSE. I respect students capacity to make their own decisions as well as to be aware of the repercussions of their own decisions. However, the social nature of learning in class can not be replicated by oneself in isolation. In class course work missed may only be made up from absences verified through NCSU’s Department of Academic and Student Affairs Academic Absence Verification process after which different assignment will be provided. All work is submitted digitally so one may not be present in class to submit work.
  • I can not stress enough how absolutely critical social environments are to learning and retention. While you made be asked to provide
  • I do not repeat class content for students who have missed. Please make sure to become friends with someone who takes notes in the class to find out what you have missed. In the era of multiple ongoing global pandemics, for God’s sake if you are sick stay home.
  • All late work will receive 60% unless arrangements are made well (a week or more) in advance and will not receive instructor feedback.
  • Late “Feedback” assignments will not be accepted. Our class will be run on an intensive write, review, revision, resubmit cycle. Drafts you submit are just as important to your reviewers learning as they are to you. As such, it really is quite impossible to submit a late “review” assignment because it disrupts your peer reviewers workflows. As such, I can not accept “submission” or “review” assignments submitted late.

Please make sure to post links well in advance of due date time due to technical issues. Double check by refreshing pages to make sure work has been submitted. Learning management systems are very bad at stopping an upload half way through so checking is a must. If you do not know how to, please familiarize yourself with how to share documents in Google Docs.

I will use e-mail to communicate important information about the class. The phone is a terrible way to try and contact me BECAUSE I AM NOT THERE. They make us put phone numbers but odds are if you call my phone, you’ll never get ahold of me. I’m usually pretty good at getting back to student’s quickly through email but I don’t check my work email on the weekend (and you wouldn’t either).

It is highly advised to bring a laptop or tablet PC to class. If you have a laptop, bring it to class as often as you can. Of course, there will be times where I’ll ask you to close your laptop and to pay attention to the face to face conversation, and obviously you shouldn’t use a laptop to goof off on Facebook, ESPN.com, etc.

All your work in this class is public. Please don’t write things you wish to remain private.

Technology breakdowns happen. Be flexible (don’t freak out if our learning management site goes down) and aware (use a cloud based composing platform) in order to keep our stress level as low as possible.

Prerequisites

Students must have graduate status to take this course.

Attendance

There is no attendance in this course, however a reliable internet connection is required to submit assignments and do the work of the course. Please make sure you have access to multiple internet connections to submit work.

Disability Statement

I am uncomfortable requiring documentation for disabilities. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the me at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. I have found that I can reasonably work with most folks for accommodations that work with their needs. If you need something, let me know and I will do my best to the best educational experiences I can for you.Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Resource Office on the third floor of Holmes Building (Suite 304). For more information on NC State’s policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.01). https://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01.

Electronically-hosted Course Components

Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via electronic tools like email or web postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to add value to the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact me.

Student Mental and Material Resources

Student Ombuds:
The Student Ombuds is a confidential resource (to the extent allowable by law), that provides a sounding board to discuss concerns related to your university experience – be they academic, personal or interpersonal, if it is important to you, it is an issue you can discuss with the Ombuds.  The Student Ombuds provides information, discusses university policies and procedures, and helps students navigate their time at NC State.  You can learn more about Student Ombuds Services and schedule an appointment by visiting ombuds.ncsu.edu/
Food & Housing Insecurity:
Any student who faces challenges securing food and/or housing or has other financial challenges and believes this may affect their performance in this course is encouraged to notify the professor if you are comfortable in doing so. Alternatively, you can learn more about the Pack Essentials program and available resources by visiting https://dasa.ncsu.edu/pack-essentials/

Academic Integrity

As the Council of Writing Program Administrators puts it, “Plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately passes off another’s words or ideas without acknowledging their source. For example, turning another’s work as your own is plagiarism.” Don’t do this. If you plagiarize in this class, you will likely fail the class and your case may be passed to the university for additional disciplinary action. (Taken from Steve Krause’s blog. See how easy that is?)

Violations of academic integrity, including but not limited to data falsification or plagiarism, will result in referral to the Office of Student Conduct with a recommendation of a failing grade for the assignment, and they will be reported to the department head.

Non-discrimination Policy

Don’t be a jerk.NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all students and employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work environment for all employees and an academic environment for all students that is free from all forms of discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Harassment of any person (either in the form of quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation also is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Retaliation against any person who complains about discrimination is also prohibited. NC State’s policies and regulations covering discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may be accessed at https://policies.ncsu.edu/category/campus-environment/ or https://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-04-25-05/. Any person who feels that he or she has been the subject of prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 515-3148.

Drop/Add Policy

A few important aspects to be aware of regarding the drop/add policy are the following:

  • All course drops or full semester withdrawals made after the 10th business day of the semester (Census Day) will be recorded on the transcript with a “W” grade.
  • Students may not drop a course after Census Day if it will result in a course load of less than 12 hours (shifting from full-time to part-time).
  • Students are now limited in the course drops permitted after Census Day. Students may drop individual courses without verified extenuating circumstances between Week 2 to Week 8 within a limit of 16 hours total throughout the entire undergraduate career at NC State.

Citation/Documentation Style:

We will be using APA style citation.

ON CLASSROOM/CAMPUS HEALTH & SAFETY

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, public health measures have been implemented across campus.  Students should stay current with these practices and expectations through the website (https://www.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/). The sections below provide expectations and conduct related to COVID-19 issues.

Health and Participation in Class

We are most concerned about your health and the health of your classmates and instructors/TAs.

  • If you test positive for COVID-19, or are told by a healthcare provider that you are presumed positive for the virus,  please do not attend any hybrid or F2F classes and work with your instructor on any adjustments necessary; also follow other university guidelines, including self reporting (Coronavirus Self Reporting):  Self-reporting is not only to help provide support to you, but also to assist in contact tracing for containing the spread of the virus.

  • If you feel unwell, even if you have not been knowingly exposed to COVID-19, please do not come to class.

  • If you are in quarantine, have been notified that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, or have a personal or family situation related to COVID-19 that prevents you from attending this course in person (or synchronously), please connect with your instructor to make alternative plans, as necessary.

  • If you need to make a request for an academic consideration related to COVID-19, such as a discussion about possible options for remote learning, please talk with your instructor for the appropriate process to make a COVID-19 request (a university-level form can be found here).

Health and Well-Being Resources

These are difficult times, and academic and personal stress are natural results. Everyone is encouraged to take care of themselves and their peers. If you need additional support, there are many resources on campus to help you:

  • Counseling Center (NCSU Counseling Center)

  • Health Center (Health Services | Student)

  • If the personal behavior of a classmate concerns or worries you, either for the classmate’s well-being or yours, we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State CARES team:  (Share a Concern).

  • If you or someone you know are experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, please see the Pack Essentials Program (Pack Essentials).

Community Standards related to COVID-19

We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our community.  Please see the community standards and Rule 04.21.01 regarding Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19  RUL 04.21.01 – Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19 – Policies, Regulations & Rules

Course Expectations Related to COVID-19:

  • Face Coverings: All members of the NC State academic community are required to follow all university guidelines for personal safety with face coverings, physical distancing, and sanitation.  Face coverings are required in class and in all NC State buildings. Face coverings should be worn to cover the nose and mouth and be close fitting to the face with minimal gaps on the sides. In addition, students are responsible for keeping their course/work area clean. Please follow the cleaning guidelines described by the university.

  • Course Attendance: NC State attendance policies can be found at:  REG 02.20.03 – Attendance Regulations – Policies, Regulations & Rules .  Please refer to the course’s attendance, absence, and deadline policies for additional details. If you are quarantined or otherwise need to miss class because you have been advised that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you should not be penalized regarding attendance or class participation. However, you will be expected to develop a plan to keep up with your coursework during any such absences.  If you become ill with COVID-19, you should follow the steps outlined in the health and participation section above. COVID 19-related absences will be considered excused; documentation need only involve communication with your instructor.

  • Course Meeting Schedule: Your course might not have a traditional meeting schedule in Spring 2021.  Be sure to pay attention to any updates to the course schedule as the information in this syllabus may have changed. Please discuss any questions you have with the instructor.

  • Classroom Seating:  To support efficient, effective contact tracing, please sit in the same seat when possible and take note of who is sitting around you; instructors may also assign seats for this purpose.

  • Technology Requirements:  This course may require particular technologies to complete coursework.  Be sure to review the syllabus for these expectations, and see the syllabus technical requirements for your course. If you need access to additional technological support, please contact  the Libraries’ Technology Lending Service:  (Technology Lending).

Grading/Scheduling Changing Options Related to COVID-19

If the delivery mode has a negative impact on your academic performance in this course, the university has provided tools to potentially reduce the impact:

In some cases, another option may be to request an incomplete in the course. Before using any of these tools, discuss the options with your instructor and your academic advisor. Be aware that if you use the enhanced S/U, you will still need to complete the course and receive at least a C- to pass the course.

Need Help?

If you find yourself in a place where you need help, academically or otherwise, please review this Step-by-Step Help Topics.

Other Important Resources