This section includes policies for all aspects of the classroom experience. Any student continuing past the third week of classes will be assumed to have read and understood these policies in their entirety. Please keep in mind that the policies written on the website are to be understood as policies written on my syllabi. I am simply putting them on the website as a carbon footprint saving device.
Classroom Environment

• I encourage the expression of thoughtful, well-considered views. This includes sharing personal experiences and opinions; however, students must strive for rigor, connecting these experiences to the ideas studied in the class.

• We will listen carefully and fairly to each other and treat others with respect. This means, for example, not expressing judgment of people--even if you disagree with their views, and not asking people to speak on behalf of their identity groups.

• As a member of this class, you are part of a community. As such, you have made a commitment to yourself, to me, and to the other students. If you come unprepared, are late to class discussion, or initiate side conversations, you disrupt our work together. Please show respect for yourself and others by coming to class prepared and on time. If you break these basic rules, I will ask you to leave the classroom, or, in extreme cases, ask you to drop the class.

General Expectations
You are expected to:

• Attend class

• Read and annotate assigned materials prior to class, along with page citations for textual evidence

• Find out from a classmate what you need to prepare for the next class if you were absent

• Take notes during class

• Participate in discussion

• Put your cell phone and other electronics away unless otherwise instructed

• Stay away from personal social media, etc. when you have been given permission to use your laptop

• Turn in assignments on time (penalty is a lowering of 1/3 of the overall grade for the assignment for each calendar day; I will not accept any work that's over five days late)

• Be prepared for tests

You may expect me to:

• Attend class, having read materials

• Facilitate discussion

• Prepare materials for upcoming discussions

• Explain requirements for written work, including exams

• Return all assignments in a timely fashion (between 1-2 weeks)

• Given oral and written feedback on your work

• Prepare fair tests to assess depth of comprehension of texts

• Be available for questions and/or discussion during office hours

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ATTENDANCE 
 

Reading, writing, and critical thinking are never separate processes; consequently, your efforts to attend class, do all required work, and behave in a manner consistent with building a learning community are important. Professionalism is a practice that I try to convey; it is therefore imperative that you conduct yourself in that manner. So, for example, if you were late to your job consistently, you would, without a doubt, be relieved of it. The easiest solution to all of this, of course, is just not to miss. I expect punctuality, alertness, and participation in class discussions and any other in-class activities. Being late is distracting for the rest of us and takes us away from the task at hand, so please show up on time. If you're habitually late (5 minutes or later), I will ask you to have a conference with me to discuss your progress and/or submit an academic progress report to the Dean's Office. Your overall grade will be jeopardized. Believe it or not, weddings, funerals, non-emergency illnesses (colds, flus, hangovers), missing a flight home from a weekend are not excusable absences. Make your holiday and summer plans once you have your syllabi with dates for tests and assignments. Other than in cases of ongoing issues, please don't e-mail me about missing a class. As odd as it sounds, be judicious and plan your absences. You should also exchange contact information with at least one of your classmates to find out what you've missed. 

Missing four classes = missing two weeks of classes = failing attendance with reduced points in participation at my discretion
Missing five classes = failing both attendance and participation
Missing six classes = missing three weeks of classes = failing the course (other than in extenuating circumstances, for which documentation is generally required; see below)

***You are responsible for keeping track of your attendance***

Long-term medical or emergency absences
The best way to deal with an unexpected illness or family situation, et cetera is to get in touch with me right away. I want to work with you to develop a plan that will ensure you don't fall far behind. However, in the event that you would miss more than three weeks of class, I will support your petition to drop the course. 

Of course, extenuating circumstances (such as death in the family, documented illness, but not break-ups, hangovers, weddings, stress, birthdays, holidays, etc.) will pardon you from some of these policies. But, please talk to me before you get yourself to a place from which you cannot recover grade-wise and knowledge-wise. 
Note: Neither attendance nor participation are open to negotiation, discussion, or debate. 

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PARTICIPATION

Participation is not to be confused with simply showing up and occupying the same space as your fellow students. Participation means coming to class ready to ask questions, discuss weekly reading assignments, and engage in thoughtful, respectful conversation with your peers (and the professor). In short, your participation grade is not a ‘freebie’. Participation points are based upon your ability to listen to your peers and instructor, to respond to comments by others, to come prepared with a question or comment daily, to express your well-considered views (opinions) thoughtfully, and to commit to being part of an intellectual community where all points of view are considered carefully. Just a note that no one is immune from this policy; I will call on people! One of the best parts of being part of this environment is that you’re encouraged to debate and discuss ideas with each other while being in a safe culture.
Included in participation grade

• in-class discussions

• in-class group work

• quizzes and other informal written work

• any other assignment I announce as belonging to participation

Rubric for Class Participation
Excellent (A): Contributions in class reflect exceptional preparation. Ideas offered are substantive and provide insights and direction for the class. Challenges are well substantiated and persuasively presented. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of discussion would be diminished markedly. 
Very Good (A- to B+): Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide good insights and sometimes direction for the class. Challenges are well substantiated and often persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of discussion would be diminished.
Adequate (B to B-): Contributions in class reflect satisfactory preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive, provide generally useful insights but seldom offer a new direction for the discussion. Challenges are sometimes presented, fairly well substantiated, and are sometimes persuasive. 
Inadequate (C+ or lower): Contributions in class reflect inadequate preparation. Ideas offered are seldom substantive and do not offer a constructive direction for the class. Integrative comments and effective challenges are absent. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of discussion would not be changed.

Download critical analysis and participation requirements/hints and rubric here

Note: Neither attendance nor participation grades are open to discussion, debate or negotiation. 

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GRADING
I use the University of Redlands grading criteria (see chart below), which may be found in the catalog. Informally, however, here is an example of how I differentiate between A and B papers: An A paper reflects excellence beyond course and instructor expectations. It demonstrates evidence of thoughtful and thought-provoking work. Written work is tightly argued, adheres to the conventions of writing for the humanities. The work of an A student often challenges assumptions made by the class, the texts and the instructor (!). An A paper is one that leaves me thinking about it well after I am finished grading it. A B paper takes our readings and class discussions and applies them to write a persuasive argument. It uses its evidence well and adheres to the conventions of writing for the humanities. I will hand out a rubric that will reflect better my expectations for written work. 

University of Redlands Grading Criteria (from the University Catalog)

Numerical GradeScale Letter Grade

93-100 4.0: A

90-92 3.7: A-

87-89 3.3 B+

83-86 3.0 B

80-82 2.7 B-

77-79 2.3 C+

73-76 2.0 C

70-72 1.7 C-

67-69 1.3 D+

63-66 1.0 D

60-62 0.7 D-

> 59 0.7 D-/F

 

GRADING: IMPORTANT NOTES & DISPUTES

Grading Appeals
You have the right to discuss your grades with me. If you have a question or concern about an assignment, essay or participation grade, please come see me during my office hours or talk with me before or after class to arrange a meeting. Because I am available to answer questions before assignments are due, I do not alter grades that I have already given. This includes all assignments and exams. If you would like to discuss your grade or to know what to do to improve your work in the future, I am happy to engage in such discussions at least 24 hours after you have received your work back. In the case of reviewing a graded paper, please come prepared to discuss my comments on the paper so our discussion stays focused. I will help you strategize for future assignments. If you receive a final grade for the course that is lower than your records, make an appointment to meet with me as soon as the following semester begins. To prepare for our meeting, you should bring your entire portfolio of the work you have done for the class and any other evidence that would justify the grade you believe is the one you deserve. Attendance and Participation are at my discretion (see the rubric under the section "Participation") and thus, non-negotiable. 

If you need to appeal your grade, follow the procedures below:
1. Make an appointment with the professor to discuss grade face-to-face. Arrive at the appointment with evidence of work that shows an error on the part of the professor.
2. If unsatisfied, you should contact the Chair of the department. In the event that the Chair and the professor are one and the same and the grade dispute in question has to do with an essay, another faculty member in the department may be asked to provide a second reading.
3. Contact the Assistant Dean of CAS, Sawa Kurotani. 
4. If the outcome is not what you expected, you have the right to appeal to the Academic Review Board. Either the Dean or the Chair of the department can direct you on how to do that. 

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ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND COMMUNICATION

Laptops, phones, and other electronic devices: From time to time, we will use laptops in class, so please feel free to bring them. However, you may not use them without prior consent from and/or if instructed. For the most part, we will take advantage of the “smart” classroom in which we are located. If you are caught using any device outside the parameters of what’s listed above, I will make note of it. When we do use laptops, please keep them half-way closed during class discussion other than to find key passages you wish to present as evidence. 
After three notes, the highest overall grade you can hope to get the course is a 2.0, even if you get 4.0s in all the assignments. 

If there is an instance where you need to have access to your phone, please speak with me before class. 

E-mail: please check your University of Redlands e-mail daily. Often, I will send out reminders or other material. Also, I e-mail if I am going to miss class. 
You do not need to e-mail me when you miss class, unless it is a matter of urgency. 

When it comes to discussing an upcoming assignment: please send me an e-mail ONLY to make a face-to-face appointment with me. Working together in person on your projects will yield a stronger product. Moreover, going back and forth on e-mail about the topic you wish to discuss can be handled much more efficiently with personal contact. 

I check e-mail twice: once, in the early morning and then again, in the late afternoon. I do not check e-mails during the evenings or weekends. I respond to e-mails as quickly as I can; however, if you haven’t heard from me within 48 hours, please re-send. 

Remember to follow proper professional protocol in writing me: always have a greeting (“Dear” “Dr.”) and end with a signature. Make sure to have proofread and corrected any errors before hitting “send.” If the conversation extends beyond an email and a response, it is no longer necessary to use a greeting. If you must precede my name with some sign, please make it Dr. or Professor, rather than “hey.” 

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ACADEMIC HONESTY

Plagiarism can be truly one of the grayest areas as well as one of the most important for you to understand for your continued success in college and in life. Keep in mind that plagiarism is stealing and cheating. Of course, we all get ideas from other people; however, we interpret their ideas in our own way and let them back out into the world with a new spin. Don’t be fooled: Plagiarism is easy to detect!

If you use another person's thoughts or words, either by quoting or paraphrasing, you must cite it in the document as well as in your "Works Cited" page. You may not copy a paragraph, a single sentence or any phrasing from another source and presenting it as your own. University of Redlands enforces strict standards with regards to academic honesty, and students may fail the assignment, fail the course, or be called up to the adjudicating machinery of the University. If you are confused about whether or not you’re plagiarizing, please talk to me before you turn in your paper. If you get confused about proper citation practices, please see me before turning in any work. 

Failure to credit ideas or words that are not your own through proper documentaion is a form of plagiarism and will result in an automatic failure for the course as well as other academic consequences decided by the Academic Review Board. I’d rather your paper begin in disarray rather than with another’s words. 

Before turning in your first assignment, you may be required to do an online plagiarism and MLA quiz. In the event that this is a listed assignment for the class, I will not accept work from any student until they have completed this assignment. 

Below are some links to help you avoid plagiarism:
University of Wisconsin Writing Center Page
OWL Purdue Website
Harvard University Page
MLA Plagiarism Handout (MLA, 8th edition, 2016)

You should talk to me if you have any questions or need clarification. Make sure to do it before you turn in any work!

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ACCOMMODATIONS
 

Your success in this class is important to me. If there are circumstances that may affect your performance in this class, please let me know as soon as possible so that we may work together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. I encourage students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, psychiatric care, and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, to discuss with me, after class or during my office hours, appropriate accommodations that might be helpful to you. The University of Redlands is committed to providing reasonable academic accommodations for all students with disabilities. If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs.  

Additionally, please contact Academic Success and Disability Services at 909-748-8108 to coordinate reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities. Once you have registered with this Office, I can then use the documentation to make any special arrangements you need.  

Click here to access their website.

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Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation

Revised 5/1/2015
Approved Board of Trustees, 05/16/2015

This University of Redlands (“University”) policy applies to all faculty, staff, students, student employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers, and visitors to any University campus, facility, and/or property and to University-sponsored activities and events, whether or not on University premises. Although this policy applies to students, the process for addressing student-on-student complaints is set forth in the applicable Code of Student Conduct.

I. Policy Statements

These policy statements support the University’s commitments to equality of opportunity and maintaining an academic environment and workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation. Each person to whom this policy applies shares a responsibility for upholding and enforcing this policy.

1. No Discrimination. The University prohibits and will not tolerate unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, color, race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, pregnancy, status as a complaining party of domestic violence, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion/creed, citizenship status (except to comply with legal requirements for employment), military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

2. No Harassment. The University prohibits and will not tolerate unlawful harassment on the basis of the characteristics identified in 1(A), above.

3. No Sexual Misconduct. The University prohibits and will not tolerate sexual misconduct.

4. No Retaliation. The University prohibits and will not tolerate any retaliation against any person who, in good faith, complains about discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct. Similarly, the University prohibits and will not tolerate any retaliation against any person who, in good faith, demonstrates opposition to, or participates in an investigation of, alleged discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct.

5. Reporting Obligation. With two exceptions, the University requires all University employees (faculty, staff, student employees, and administrators) to report to a Responsible Employee any discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, or retaliation that they witness or have a reasonable basis to suspect. This reporting obligation also applies to University contractors or volunteers who are responsible for the welfare of

Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct
Revised 5/1/2015 and Authorized by the Board of Trustees, 5/16/2015 Page 1 of 13

students. Students are strongly encouraged to report discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, or retaliation, even though they are not required to do so. Without robust student participation and engagement, the University’s commitment is more difficult to fulfill. The two exceptions to the University employee obligation to report are when the following professionals learn of the alleged policy violations during consultations when there is an expectation of confidentiality: (1) chaplains who work in the Office of the University Chaplain, and (2) licensed counselors/psychologists who work in the University Counseling Center. Professionals in these two organizational areas can maintain confidentiality and will only report if the person who seeks their assistance requests that a report be made or if the employee has a professional or legal obligation to do so.

1. Employment Compliance. The University complies with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment because of a legally- protected characteristic. All inquiries concerning prohibitions of employment discrimination and reports of employment-based complaints should be referred to theHuman Resources Department. This office can be contacted on the ground floor of the Armacost Library, by phone (909)748-8040, or via employees listed in Appendix A.

2. Title IX Compliance. The University complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), a Federal civil rights law. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. Under Title IX, prohibited sex discrimination includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. The University prohibits and will not tolerate such discrimination. All inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and sex-based complaints should be referred to the University’s campus-wide Title IX Coordinator. That person is currently the Director of Financial Operations/Controller, whose office is located in the Office of Business and Finance. This office can be contacted on the main floor of the Administration Building, by phone (909)748-8171, or via the Title IX Coordinators for Employees, the College of Arts & Sciences, or the Schools of Business and Education (see Appendix A: Title IX Coordinator List).