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Course PoliciesAttendance: This class meets three times a week, and I would like to see you at every class. It is courteous to let me know if you expect to miss a class, but I will not deduct points from your grade for missed classes, so the reason for your absence won’t matter to your grade. Having said that, here’s why you should try never to be absent. First, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Second, you cannot expect to miss class and still learn the material or get a good grade; it is unlikely that you can miss a lot of classes and still pass the course. Third, there are no make-ups for missed working papers, quizzes, or in-class writings. You can miss a few of those and it won’t hurt your grade, but after 10 missed points, your grade will begin to suffer. And fourth, if you hope to be excused from the in-class portion of the tests you cannot miss more than two classes for any reason during that unit of the class. Late papers: I expect all assignments, both reading and writing, to be completed by the date specified. If you will be handing in an assignment late, please see me beforehand; I will be much more willing then to grant an extension. If you do not talk with me about a late paper at least by the date it is due, I will deduct one letter grade for each day it is late (two for a weekend). How to reach me: My office hours, room number, and phone number are listed at the beginning of this document. I may be there at other times as well, and you are welcome to drop by, but to save yourself a trip, I recommend you call first. No matter how well you are doing in the course, or what you need to talk to me about, I want to talk with you, so don’t be shy. Plagiarism: Any time you use someone else’s ideas you must acknowledge the source, even if you translate those ideas into your own words. If you use someone else’s words as well, you must put quotation marks around them-- even if it’s only a brief phrase in the middle of your own sentence. Citing your sources is a good thing because it shows your reader that you understand the issue and have done some research. Not citing your sources is called "plagiarism" and is a serious offense. One case of plagiarism will most likely result in a zero for the paper (or test if it is part of an test) and sometimes a permanent note in your college record. A second case is grounds for failure in the course regardless of the other grades. Persistent plagiarism will almost certainly get you expelled from the university. If you have ANY questions about what plagiarism is or how to avoid it, see me. Most cases of plagiarism are due to misunderstanding, but that is no excuse. Also, please be aware that I don’t waste any more time than necessary with those who cheat; when I find a case of plagiarism (which happens every semester) I do not contact the student for an explanation; I simply assign a zero and move on to the next paper. Extra Credit: You may receive up to 6 extra-credit points (almost one letter grade) for memorizing and reciting poetry in class. For each passage of at least 14 lines you will receive up to 3 points. You get 1 point for reciting the passage accurately, 2 or 3 points for doing it in a way that really expresses the poem’s feeling. If you want to use this option, find a passage that you particularly like and come see me, or come see me and I’ll help you find a good passage. |
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This page was last updated on Monday, January 05, 2004 Please send comments and suggestions to Don Ulin at ulin@pitt.edu |