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.