The class policies were created by members of their respective classes (Mon/Thu or Wednesday) and accepted by unanimous vote during the second week of the semester.
Mon/Thu Class
Respect
Come prepared to class, having read the assigned readings and completing the blog posts, so that you will be best equipped to participate in class discussions. During class discussions, we should not talk over one another or interrupt. We can disagree with others, but we should respect others’ opinions. Try to phrase your disagreement more positively, such as beginning your sentence with, “I find your statement thought-provoking. However, I disagree with…” When the Professor is talking, we should pay attention and not become too distracted. If you need to check on an emergency, you can step out briefly. Think about programming the ‘focus mode’ on your cellphones and other devices, so that emergency notifications can come through, but otherwise distracting notifications are silenced.
Attendance
Attending class on time is important. If you cannot attend:
- check with classmates, check blog posts and slides
- Extended absence: let professor know; consider keeping documentation for reference
- Frequent late arrivals are problematic; talk about in final conference
- If you need to leave early: let professor know before class starts.
The Try-fecta
Diligence – persistent effort
- Try your best!!!
- Lean on each other; we are a community now. Ask colleagues (including Friend) for help thinking through things.
Preparedness – a strong knowledge of the material
- Are you not sure about the material? That’s okay.
- Did you read it? You are prepared.
Participation – actively taking part/engaging in the course material
- Keyword: ACTIVE, including active listening.
- Being an active participant is NOT just yapping; it’s about being an active listener too!
- Nods, “mhms”, eye contact, etc.
- Push yourself to speak if you can (introverts, hiiii)
For all of this, keep in mind that it can be noted in your feedback. All of these lean on each other.
Late Work/Revision
Regarding late work, your assignments should be completed before Professor Friend grades, whether he grades on the day of the due date or after. If your essays and major assignments are not completed before Professor Friend grades, first complete your assignment, hand it in on Canvas, then discuss setting up an appointment for a meeting. Blog posts do not apply; they will be marked incomplete if not completed before Professor Friend grades.
Grading
Assignments: Incomplete/complete
If a document misses the mark, Friend will mark it incomplete. Come chat during office hours to discuss improvement. All major assignments should be complete by the end of the semester. You need to successfully complete all major assignments in order to pass the class.
Final grade for the semester will be discussed in a conference with the instructor.
Wednesday Class
Attendance
Attendance is expected, but if you are absent, it is your job to either buddy up with someone or schedule yourself for office hours in order to figure out what was missed. Start with a classmate, check the slides that are posted, and stay on top of your work.
Grading
Grades on assignments are based on successful completion. If you submit the assignment and complete the requirements and achieve the goal of the prompt, then you receive a pass. If you fail to submit the assignment and complete the requirements, then you fail the assignment.
Instead of a numerical grade, you will receive feedback to revise your work.
Final grade is determined by the student themselves through a one-on-one conference with Professor Friend.
Late Work & Revision
Deadlines provide students with a timeframe they may reference, however, they are not inflexible. That being said, all assignments are expected to be submitted before Professor Friend grades them. If they are not, they will receive a grade of incomplete. The late policy does not apply to any blog submissions, including revisions. The day of class, blogs should be uploaded by 4:29 p.m.
If a revision is required, schedule a meeting during office hours. Upload your revision to Canvas prior to the meeting, and be ready to discuss the changes you made. Your revision should be well-thought-out and demonstrate that you have considered any criticism.