Attendance and Lateness:

Official ISP policy for all courses is:

• 3 absences (for whatever reason) equals a final course grade of ‘F’
• 3 late arrivals equals 1 absence
• Over 1⁄2 hour late equals 1 absence

• Students with a documented, ongoing serious health issue—which may affect their attendance—should speak with a member of the faculty and the program counselor.

Email and Blackboard use:

Because of the large volume of spam we both receive, Professors Thomas and Umbach will respond only to e-mails from John Jay e-mail accounts. We will not reply to e-mails from non-John Jay accounts.

YOU MUST CHECK YOUR JOHN JAY E-MAIL AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 24 HOURS DURING THE WEEK AND ONCE EVERY 36 HOURS ON THE WEEKEND.

We will only accept homework submitted through blackboard (see below).

Grading Practices:

WE DO NOT ACCEPT LATE HOMEWORKS.

ESSAYS CAN BE SUBMITTED LATE, BUT WITH A PENALTY: -5% FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS AND -20% FOR THE FIRST 48 HOURS. WE CAN NOT ACCEPT PAPERS MORE THAN 48 HOURS LATE. (essays are
clearly identified below)

All essays can be revised for a new grade with the three following conditions: (A) the essay must have been turned in on time (B) you must meet with one the writing mentors to go over our feedback on your essay and (C) you must submit the revision of the essay within 10 days of our having e-mailed out comments on your paper. Late revisions will not be accepted.

Official College Grading Policy

A, A-, B+ Excellent
B, B-, C+ Good
C, C-, D+ Satisfactory
D, D- Passing
F Failure/ Unsuccessful Completion of Course

Plagiarism:

Official college statement on plagiarism:

“Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the ideas or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source.
Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
It is the student’s responsibility to recognize the difference between statements that are common knowledge (which do not require documentation) and restatements of the ideas of others. Paraphrase, summary, and direct quotation are acceptable forms of restatement, as long as the source is cited.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The Library has free guides designed to help students with problems of documentation.”

What we will do if we suspect you have committed plagiarism: We hate being in a position to judge students. So, all cases of suspected plagiarism will be turned immediately over to the College’s Disciplinary Committee for that body’s judgment. Students found guilty of plagiarism by that committee will certainly receive no higher than a D- for this course and will also be subject to additional disciplinary action by the College.

In-class Behavior:

• Students are expected to participate in class discussion and treat their peers with respect in such discussions. That includes no private conversations at any time.
• Use of cell-phones in class—including texting—will constitute an absence for that day (and, accordingly, may trigger associated penalties. See attendance policies)
• Leaving for more than 20 minutes in the middle of class will constitute an absence
• Eating and drinking are permitted in class unless doing so proves to be disturbing to your fellow students. Sharing food with your professors is encouraged.

Quizzes : In addition to the one scheduled quiz, there will be frequent pop quizes at the start of class
This quizzes are all EXTRA-CREDIT; they can only help you and they can not hurt you.