Fall 2005: ENC 1102: Classroom Rules and Policies
Attendance
ENC 1102 is a participation-oriented, skills-based writing course, which means that you will build your skills incrementally and systematically in each class throughout the semester. Consequently, the University Writing Program policy is that if you miss more than six periods, you will fail the entire course. Only absences involving university-sponsored events, such as athletics or band, and religious holidays will be excused. This policy is a program-wide policy of the UWP.
NOTE: This means that each absence over 3 takes off a whole letter grade, so 4 absences = a maximum grade of a B. Do the extra credit--do not hurt your grade like this.
Each class represents a greater portion of the course whole, and you are expected to attend all meetings of this class. In this section, you may, however, take three “free” absences this term without penalty EXCEPT that you will lose credit for whatever in-class work or quizzes you miss, and participation. (Advice: Conserve your free absences until you really need them—because you’re sick, need a long weekend, partied too hard, or must go to the beach!)
If you have a university-approved reason for missing class (i.e. varsity athletics or religious holidays), you must inform the instructor at the start of the term. Your first two absences will count as your allowed ones.
Preparation
You must be present for the quizzes and in-class writings to receive credit for them. You cannot make them up.
Assigned Work Deadlines
Any assigned work is due on the specified due date whether or not you are taking one of your allowed absences. It is your responsibility to get the work to me even if you will not be in class.
Tardiness and Classroom Disruptions
Obviously, you should arrive at class on time. If you must arrive late, come in as quietly as possible and begin work quickly. (After class, YOU must make sure that I change my attendance record to reflect that you attended after all.)
The instructor reserves the right to penalize participation grades for repeated or flagrant tardiness, instances of “significant classroom disruption,” or other significant classroom discourtesy. (Note that the instructor makes these determinations.)
Classsroom Courtesy
The class may discuss controversial or volatile topics at times, and college classrooms should always be “safe” places to discuss such issues. You may speak openly, but standard courtesy guidelines are appropriate. If you disagree with someone's opinion, please express your disagreement through intellectual rather than emotional responses.
Some of our classroom time will be allocated for in-class writing or other work. Therefore, your conduct should not interfere with the other class members' ability to work productively. You may leave your seat when appropriate, and you may converse quietly with others regarding the assignment (unless the instructor has expressly asked you not to do so.)
Respect anyone addressing the class (including me) by listening attentively and not having side conversations. Show respect for diverse opinions during class discussion and in assignments. Participate in class discussion in a responsible manner, presenting opinions but also permitting others to present their opinions. Harassing or attempting to harass other students or me, especially if the harassment is based on gender, race, sexual orientation, or similar biases, will absolutely not be tolerated.
Do not allow your cell phone or pager to ring in class (don't use it, either).
Students with Disabilities
The University of Florida complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodation should contact the Students with Disabilities Office, Peabody 202. That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.
If you have a learning disability, hardship, or other special dispensation that has been approved by the Office of Student Affairs, please meet with me to discuss your requirements as early in the term as possible.
Academic Honesty
As a University of Florida student, your performance is governed by the UF Honor Code, available in its full form at http://www.registratr.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/students.html. The Honor Code requires Florida students to neither give nor receive unauthorized aid in completing all assignments. Violations include cheating, plagiarism, bribery, and misrepresentation, all defined in detail at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.php.
Other forms of academic dishonesty will also result in a failing grade on the assignment as a minimum penalty. Examples are: cheating on a quiz or citing phony sources or making up quotations to include in your assignments.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious violation of the student academic honor code. You commit plagiarism when you present the ideas or words of someone else as your own. You commit plagiarism if you use without crediting the source:
- Any part of another person's essay, speech, or ideas
- Any part of an article in a magazine, journal, newspaper; any part of a book, encyclopedia, CD-ROM, online WWW page, etc.
- Any idea from another person or writer, even if you express that idea in your own words.
Important tip: There should never be a time when you copy and paste something from the Internet and don't provide the exact location from which it came.
All acts of plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment and may result in failure of the entire course. N.B. Plagiarism can occur even without any intention to deceive if the student fails to know and employ proper documentation techniques. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor for class group work, all work must be your own. Nothing written for another course will be accepted.
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of someone else’s ideas without citing the source; it is passing off someone else’s wording as your own (following the language too closely). Important tip: There should never be a time when you copy and paste something from the internet and don't provide the exact location from which it came or acknowledge it as a direct quotation.
Plagiarism is a serious offense and constitutes grounds for failure of the assignment and possibly the course. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor concerning class group work, all work must be your own.
If a student is found to have plagiarized all or any part of any assignment, the student will receive a failing grade on the assignment and may (at the instructor’s discretion) fail the course. This is a program-wide policy established by the University Writing Program and is supported by the University of Florida’s suggested penalties for academic dishonesty. Your work may be tested for its “originality” against a wide variety of databases by anti-plagiarism guardian sites to which the University subscribes, and negative reports constitute PROOF of plagiarism. You are responsible for understanding the definitions below for what is considered to constitute plagiarism.
Plagiarism consists of any or all of the following:
- Submitting all or part of someone else’s work as if it is your own.
- “Borrowing” all or portions of anything (books, song lyrics, poetry, movie scripts) without crediting the source.
- “Borrowing” verbatim text without enclosing in quotation marks and citing source.
- Duplicate submissions - that is, submitting work in one class that you also submit in another class (UNLESS you have permission of both instructors in advance and IN WRITING.)
- “Collaborating” or receiving substantive help in writing your assignment unless such collaboration is part of the given assignment. (However, general advice from writing lab or OWL staff is permitted.)
- Failure to cite sources, or citing them improperly.
The University of Florida considers plagiarism a form of “academic dishonesty” and a serious violation of University standards regarding academic honor. You should know that, in verifiable instances, plagiarism may result in your expulsion from the University. Make sure you understand UF standards. See the UF Academic Honesty Guidelines at: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/honestybrochure.htm.
Plagiarism explained more fully.
Gordon Rule Minimums
Since ENC 1102 is a 6000-word Gordon Rule class (per the Gordon Rule established by the Florida Legislature), you must meet the writing volume minimums in order to pass the course. Again, this requirement cannot be over-ridden by the instructor. Minimum length standards are included in EVERY assignment. See the clss intro for more on the Gordon Rule.
Networked Writing Environment Classroom Rules
The NWE prohibits food and drink in the networked classrooms.
The NWE system does not permit downloading of music, games, or
other non-academic files.
For security reasons, the NWE
may block your future access to the system if you forget to
log out before leaving the classroom, and you’ll find
that regaining your access requires annoyingly bureaucratic
complications for both you and your instructor. So please,
always remember to LOG OUT of the NWE before leaving
class.
Graded Materials
Students are responsible for maintaining duplicate copies of all work submitted in this course and retaining all returned, graded work until the semester is over. Should the need arise for a re-submission of papers or a review of graded papers, it is the student's responsibility to have and make available this material.
ENC1102 employs a percentage grading scale. You will earn points through a variety of assignments. (See Assignment Summary on the Projects page.)