Policies

The following policies are relevant to all of my courses and complement Northeastern’s Academic Policies and Procedures. More specific details might be found in your syllabus.

Expectations

In order for this to be a successful experience for all of us, you will have to meet high expectations. The energy and effort that you put into your assignments and participation will show. Put simply, none of us wants to read bad (i.e. lazy, hasty, or apathetic) papers, and nobody wants to sit in a classroom where no one has done the homework or has anything to say.

Respect

Respect means being prepared for class. It means showing consideration for every member of the class, regardless of their beliefs, appearance, or ability. It means paying attention to your classmates and offering them useful advice that will help to make them better communicators, and it means receiving criticism with an open mind. It means being honest and responsible. It means arriving on time and packing up your bags after the end of class. It means putting effort into your work in a manner that shows respect for the instructor, the class, and yourself. I will hold you to this expectation and you should ask the the same of me.

Academic Integrity

In short, come to class on time and with the readings and assignments completed; be respectful and willing to collaborate. There are no provisions for missed exams or late assignments. If you have an issue, such as needing accommodation—illness, disability, athletic event, or religious obligation—do not plead afterward. Instead, beforehand, offer proposals that show initiative and a willingness to work.

Academic Integrity is of utmost importance: “The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge.” Violations include cheating, plagiarism, and participating in or encouraging dishonesty. If you cheat on an exam, you will receive zero credit and be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. If you plagiarize seven or more words in a row or misuse AI-based tools, the same will follow.

AI tool usage

AI-based tools can help and hinder our education. They can tempt us to skip learning and misrepresent our work; this is academic misconduct. They can also be used well and honestly, which requires disclosure and careful effort—they can plagiarize and “hallucinate” facts and sources. Therefore, AI tools cannot be used for quizzes or exams; doing so is misconduct. For anything else, submitted work must substantively be your own; if not, this is misconduct.

All assignments submitted to Canvas must have an appendix with a link to your document’s version history (i.e., a link to itself). Versioning and history is native to GDocs and Pages; if you use MS Word you must use Northeastern’s Office 365 or keep it in your OneDrive/Sharepoint account. Ensure that your documents and their history are publicly accessible from the start. (In GDocs, you must share an editable version for me to see the history.) You might also be asked to demonstrate your work by discussing it with me.

If you use AI tools for improving your work (e.g., ChatGPT for feedback or GrammarlyGo and Quillbot for improving composition), include a note or appendix describing your use, including important prompts; failing to do so is misconduct.

Devices and professionalism

While we sometimes use devices in class as part of an activity, the default policy is for devices to be silenced and put away. (Interestingly, as noted in my tips for note-taking, handwritten notes can lead to better learning.) If you want to use a device during the course, email me a proposal with your intended usage (see this example). Note, device users might also be called upon you to perform tasks such as looking things up or taking collaborative notes. At any time, I might ask you to immediately send me your notes (especially if I think you are distracted) and I can also rescind device privileges.

If you want to use a device throughout the course, email me a device proposal with your intended usage. Device users might also be called upon to perform tasks such as looking things up or taking collaborative notes.

Deviations from classroom professionalism and respect may result in dismissal from class and demerits against your grade.

Collaboration

This class will involve serious collaborative learning. You will be provided with opportunities to respond to your peers as they also work through the communication process. I see my role as both your instructor and a facilitator and collaborator in this process. Thus you will learn to be a good reader and editor of your own work, and of the work of others – these are all skills that will help you be successful beyond the university.

Attendance

In short, come to class on time and with the readings and assignments completed; be respectful and willing to collaborate. There are no provisions for missed exams or late assignments. If you have an issue, such as needing accommodation—illness, disability, athletic event, or religious obligation—do not plead afterward. Instead, beforehand, offer proposals that show initiative and a willingness to work.

Participation

The participation gradeis not a “gimme.” Discussion is critical to the learning experience. Thus students will be assigned a grade based on the quality and quantity of their participation. Your engagement through your thoughtful contributions and respectful listening (in class or online) is crucial to your and everyone else’s success in this class. Not only do you need to show up on time and be prepared to think, you need to listen reflectively to your peers, offer constructive feedback, and make a conscious effort to respect and learn from difference. The failure to consistently and constructively participate will result in a poor participation grade. Moreover, if you arrive more than 10 minutes late you will be considered absent for that class period.

Late Work

I do not accept late work. In other words, turn in an assignment one minute after class ends you will get a 0. You may, however, turn work in early. So pay close attention to the class schedule in order that you remember due dates.

Grades

In my assessment philosophy a “B,” for example, is not a subtraction from an initial state of an “A,” but rather recognition of good and thorough work. A “C” is satisfactory. You are welcome to consult with me at any time during the semester about your grade. Please see my assessment rubric to learn more.