Please review these policies carefully and thoroughly. Failure to comply with them will adversely affect your grade and, perhaps, result in either removal from or automatic failure of this course.
Attendance Policy
Your attendance is essential in any Speech course that requires performance, participation and evaluation. One of the most valuable learning tools in a course like this one is the experience of observing others’ presentations, evaluating them, and then applying what you have learned.
Absences are a very serious matter. By enrolling in this class, you are committing to attend promptly. Anything less than timely attendance (read: no tardies) will affect your participation grade and could result in removal from the class. Attendance will be taken first thing at every class meeting. Make-up exams and presentations will only be granted for verifiable excuses (e.g., a doctor’s note for an illness). If you are going to miss a class or know that you will be late, you must notify me as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to get yourself caught up.
Participation Policy
Because this class is an experience-based, skills-focused course, your participation is critical. Your participation grade includes being prepared and adding constructively to the class. You are expected not only to write and deliver your best work, but to be an intelligent and constructively critical discussion participant and audience member.
Specifically, any absence during the first two weeks of class will result in being dropped from the course. Each absence after the first that does not have a legitimate excuse (e.g., doctor’s note) will result in a loss of points from your participation grade in addition to the loss of points of any assignment due that day. Three absences will result in a loss of all participation points and possibly result in removal from class. More than two late arrivals will also result in a loss of participation points. Please do not ask if you can make up an assignment or turn one in late.
Participation includes, but is not limited to, the following:
· Active, constructive involvement in discussions, activities, and group work
· On time and thorough completion of your assignments
· Staying focused on your work and tasks at hand and asking questions
· Fulfilling your commitments to your fellow students and me
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Turning off all pagers and cell phones during class
time
Plagiarism and Cheating Policy
Simply stated: Don’t. Academic dishonesty and cheating in any way will not be tolerated. To deter plagiarism (claiming others’ ideas or words as one’s own), most assignments will be scanned by an anti-plagiarism software package. Cheating is grounds for automatic expulsion.
Requirements of All Written Work
All written work is to be typed, grammatically correct (please proof read) and stapled. No emails.