Attendance is necessary; much of the material will only be covered in our lectures. You are responsible for getting notes, and for all consequences of missed classes. Class participation will affect your grade, if it is conspicuously good, conspicuously lacking, or continually disruptive.
Class Cancellation Policy. Sometimes class will be cancelled between class meetings due to certain circumstances not related to school closings. In most cases, if a cancellation must occur, I will notify the class via email and the course website the night prior to class. In SOME cases, an emergency may occur directly before the start of class at which time someone from the History department will place a notice on the door and alert those already in the classroom about the class cancellation. Class will not be cancelled unless either of the above occurs (depending on circumstances).
In the event that the professor is late to class (or there is no prior notification), you must wait in the classroom for 20 minutes before you can pack up and leave. If this scenario ever does occur, I will send out notification after the class period to discuss make-up assignments, discussions, or schedule changes.
Classroom atmosphere. Courtesy and common sense, please. We are all adults; sometimes emergencies come up. If you have an emergency, feel free to step outside for phone use. However, talking to friends during lectures, wandering in and out, cell phones, and eating food are all badly distracting to everyone else. Have consideration and respect for your fellow students and instructor. Turn off all phones, tablets, computers, etc. in class**. Once class begins, there should be no talking while I am talking. Chronic chatterers and latecomers are disruptive and will be asked to leave.
**Laptops: Laptop computers are fine for use during class for note-taking only and in compliance with the following rules: (1) Students using laptops must sit in the front rows of the class. (2) All Internet connections, audio, and video components should be switched off.
Respectful Exchange of Ideas. History is often a matter of perspective. Discussion is encouraged—in fact, required. Be mindful however to be polite, courteous and respectful to your classmates.
Course Material. Students are responsible for all material covered in class (announcements, lectures, discussions) whether you are present or not. Take responsibility for your own success in the course by completing all assignments on time to the best of your own abilities, work in and outside of class to understand the material, and ask for help when needed. If you are having trouble, let me know immediately. Make an appointment with me to discuss your ideas or problems.
No email submissions of papers, except in special cases with my prior permission. Written work is due in hard copy in class or via WordPress on the due date. Papers will not be considered “on time” unless and until I confirm receipt.
Late work will be graded down five points per day and ten points over a weekend. Plan! Last-minute hard disk and printer failures are your problem, and do not constitute legitimate excuses. By the final exam, all missing work becomes F work. Should you miss an exam or quiz based on an emergency – i.e. death in the immediate family or hospitalization of yourself due to illness – a make-up exam can be taken. A make-up exam will not be given without proper documentation by the student concerning why he or she was absent on the day of the test.
English as a Second Language. If English is not your first language, I will be happy to help you do your best in the writing assignments–by reviewing papers, offering extra help, that sort of thing. However, the result must be written in good standard English.
Students with disabilities will be accommodated as required according to UMW policies. The Office of Disability Services has been designated by the University of Mary Washington as the primary office to guide, counsel, and assist students with disabilities. If you receive services through that office and require accommodations for this class, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your approved accommodations. I will hold any information you share with me in strictest confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.
If you have not made contact with the Office of Disability Services and have reasonable accommodation needs, I will be happy to help you contact them. The office will require appropriate documentation of a disability.
Religious holidays. I have planned this course according to the UMW calendar. If you observe a religious holiday that UMW does not, please let me know and I will make necessary accommodations for you (but not for the whole class).
Academic honesty is expected in all tests and writing. As a member of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. Under all circumstances, students are expected to be honest in their dealings with faculty, administrative staff, and fellow students. In speaking with any member of the college community, students must give an accurate representation of the facts at hand. Students are required to refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to academic work. In class assignments, students must submit work that fairly and accurately reflects their level of accomplishment. Any work that is not the product of the student’s own efforts is considered dishonest. Engaging in academic dishonesty can have serious consequences for the students. Students proven to have been dishonest in submitting or presenting their work in a class will receive a grade of F for the assignment and may be subject to further disciplinary action. Record of the incident will also be kept in the student’s file. If such an incident occurs and you would like to file a written appeal, you may do so with the academic director of the department. An explanation of what constitutes plagiarism can be found here: http://students.umw.edu/fredericksburghonorcouncil/citation-resources/.
Student Behavior. The University of Mary Washington expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity that are in harmony with the educational goals of the institution; to observe national, state, and local laws and University regulations; and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students’ ability to learn.
Other Resources If you are depressed or stressed out and finding it hard to cope with school, the people around you, or life in general, I recommend visiting the UMW Counseling and Psychological Services Center: the Center can be reached at (540) 654-1053 (M-F 8-5), or you can stop by Lee 106.
For events and announcements from the History Department, as well as useful pages on research and writing, see the Department’s News and Resources website: http://cas.umw.edu/historyamericanstudies/
*Please note this syllabus and its schedule are subject to revision at any time during the semester. Revisions will be announced via the student’s registered email and in class announcements.
