The policies listed below are offered as a suggestion. We will discuss them during the first week of class and reach consensus on final terms.
Attendance
This class is discussion-driven, and it relies on a sense of community built through consistent, repeated engagement. Further, your work and understanding of the course material will improve through regular interaction with the ideas and progress of your colleagues. As a result, attendance is critical for this class’s success.
Everyone is expected to attend all class sessions. The instructor will track attendance at each meeting, documenting it in Canvas. In my other previous classes, students who attended less than 80% of the class sessions consistently failed the class because they struggled to stay connected to the work and conversations about the material.
Participation
One cannot participate in a class one does not attend. Thus, attendance is a prerequisite for participation. If you will miss a class, do the following:
- Check the agenda slides to see what the class did and what homework was assigned. If any paperwork was distributed, check the Files tab in Canvas.
- Reach out to a colleague to learn what you missed from a students’ perspective.
- Connect with your working group and ensure they see your continued engagement with the course. Make your presence felt.
- Avoid emailing the instructor unless he needs to take a specific action as the result of your absence.
Grades
The overall grade for this course derives 50% from the quality of your participation in class activities/discussions and 50% from the quality of your major assignments. You and your colleagues will assess the quality of your participation at the end of each of the course’s major units. Additionally, you and the instructor will collaboratively assess the quality of your work throughout the semester, through feedback and conferences. Grade calculation is as follows:
- All major assignments must be successfully completed (i.e. passed with a C or above) to qualify to pass the class.
- The following assignments are required but will not receive evaluative grades:
- Blog posts (which prepare you to participate)
- Ethical Stance [Week 3]
- Value-Ethics Map [Week 4]
- Empowerment Brochure [Week 7]
- 30% participation evaluations
- 20% book report presentation
- 40% synthesis papers [Weeks 4, 7, 10, and 13]
- 10% final project
The following grading scale will be used:
- A = work that is sophisticated, confident, and impressive
- B = work that is competent and strong
- C = work that is satisfactory, meeting requirements
- D = work that falls short of expectations
- F = work that misses the mark or is incomplete
Blog Posts
Blog posts contribute to your ethos as a scholar and to how others view your participation. They also help prepare you for in-class discussion of our reading assignments. Completing blog entries before coming to class also helps you engage with the material through writing-to-learn practices.
Major Assignments
You will receive written feedback on each of your major assignments, indicating the instructor’s perception of the document’s quality and ways you can improve it through revision. If you want your work re-assessed, or if you want additional feedback for continued improvement, take advantage of the instructor’s office hours by making an appointment. Additionally, if formative assessment doesn’t meet your needs for grade-based feedback, you’re welcome to further discuss your performance during office hours.
Late Work
Major assignments must be completed on their due date. That way, your instructor can provide formative feedback in a timely fashion.
Any major assignments initially completed on-time can be revised and re-assessed. To get additional feedback, simply take advantage of the instructor’s office hours by making an appointment. Further, to upload a late assignment (and earn credit for it), you must arrange to meet with the instructor during office hours within a week of the deadline.