Special Accommodations:
If you are a student with a documented disability seeking academic accommodations that are disability related, you need to be registered with the Office of Specialized Services (OSS). This is a college policy. After you have registered with OSS, please make an appointment with me during the first three weeks of the semester to discuss any requests for accommodations that you may need.
Policy on Cheating:
Plagiarism, cheating, sabotage, and any other violations of academic or professional ethics will result in failure for the assignment and/or failure of the course.
Extra Credit:
There is no extra credit offered in my classes. If you are not doing well in the class, put extra effort into mastering the concepts rather than into an extra assignment.
Policy on writing:
In all graded, written assignments, I will
deduct up to 35 points for writing, meaning that an A could drop to as
low as a D. General writing problems can result in a loss of up to 15
points, lowering a 100 (A) to an 85 (B). Incorrect citations can result
in a loss of up to 10 more points, and the same with references,
potentially lowering the 85 (B) to a 65 (D). The good news is that,
though the content of answers may not be rewritten, writing and
reference or citation errors may be corrected & resubmitted for
restoration of up to a B (no rewrites for B or higher). This is still one grade lower than if the writing
was correct in the first place. Early in every semester, brief writing
assignments will be given. If a student exhibits a need for writing
assistance, s/he will be referred to The Writing Center (WC) at Ramapo
and asked to have the Center sign off on all future assignments;
assignments will only be accepted if signed appropriately, if the
student has done the appropriate number of sessions with the WC
(usually four), and if they
have the WC draft/working copy attached. The WC will only work with a
student on five pages at a time (or fewer at the end of terms), so
students who are required to have assignments signed must plan ahead
for multiple WC sessions. Inability to get to the WC will not be an acceptable excuse for late
paper submission.
There are two links below. The first one is for general writing, and
every writing rule to which I hold students is contained there. This is
a link to the writing book available on line, and though the print version is
available in the college book store, the online version is easier.
Specific topics can be looked up; example: if you are unsure of
when to use a comma, you can enter the word “comma” in the search box,
and all the rules about commas will then appear. The site also has exercises that I might assign to help students
correct persistent errors. For instance, I will be grading at least some of
your assignments using "Track Changes" (see link on WebCT course page),
and I may give you an exercise or refer you to a section of the book
rather than simply making the correction myself . This is a much better
way to learn. The guide also contains rules on paraphrasing and
quoting. If you do not give appropriate credit to an author, this is
considered plagiarism, and it will result in a severe drop in grade,
possibly an F. Obviously,
this is a VERY important section on the site!
The second link is to an alternative APA style site. Even though the Hacker site covers APA. I include this link because it has been very helpful and easy to follow for students in the past. However, there is some general APA information that the site does not give, so I am listing this information below.
APA Guidelines
The following points are not covered by the second link below:
1) APA requires writers to cite a source THE
FIRST TIME IN A PARAGRAPH that anything from the source is used,
whether it is an idea, paraphrase or quote.
a) Do NOT cite again in the same paragraph unless interrupted by
another citation
b) If quoting from a source later in a paragraph (after initial citation), just cite page number, i.e. (pg. 29).
2) Do NOT cite a page number unless referencing a direct quote (but ALWAYS give page # if quoting).
3) Cite concepts, not their application. For example:
Edelstein (2003) maintains that a toxic physical environment has psychological impacts on residents, which was clearly the case for my family.
NOT
My family's proximity to the toxic waste dump had a serious psychological impact on my family (Edelstein, 2003).
Enjoy!
Dr. Scotty
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
If you use these resources, you can expect to avoid points off for writing in your assignments.
Policy on lateness to class:
Being late to class is disruptive to the professor and to students. Therefore, consistent or excessive lateness in arriving for class will count as a cut, and I will lower students' grades, at my discretion.
Policy on late papers:
Late paper submissions will result in a drop of one half letter grade (A to A-) for every day late, unless arrangements are made in advance. Exceptions may be made in extreme circumstances, at my discretion.
Grading policy:
Grades for nearly all assignments will be numeric (0-100) and will be weighted and averaged according to specified percentages. Numeric grades will be converted to letter grades according to the following scale:
Grade Points Definition
A 93-100 Outstanding
A- 90-92 Excellent
B+ 87-89 Very Good
B 83-86 Good
B- 80-82 Well Above Average
C+ 77-79 Above Average
C 73-76 Average
C- 70-72 Below Average
D+ 67-69 Well Below Average
D 60-66 Poor
F 0-59 Fail
Attendance and Participation:
My classes follow a lecture-discussion-exercise format, and students are expected to complete the assigned readings before class and appropriately participate during class. Appropriate participation does not necessarily mean asking questions; it means asking questions that further not only your knowledge but also others' knowledge, not just speaking out, but speaking in ways that are sensitive to the needs of others in the class, and finally, participating in exercises in a positive manner. Class participation will be considered in the case of borderline grades.
Any missed class will affect your grade. If you miss three classes in courses that meet weekly or six classes in courses that meet twice per week, you will likely fail the course (I will consider circumstances).. In the case of fewer than three or six absences, respectively, I will decide how much to lower your grade. I may make exceptions, but it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to discuss your situation with me and how to make up lost time-otherwise, the policies stand as stated here.
If you miss a class:
1. You must contact at least two students before the start of the next class.
2. You are still responsible for handing in any assignment, and the late paper policy (above) applies.
