This material covers additional procedural details of my courses not discussed
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Students are expected to arrive on time for class. Students arriving late are expected to enter discreetly and quietly. If a lecture or presentation is in progress, they should take a seat on the side of the room closest to the door so as not to distract other students. In cases in which large numbers of students are habitually late, to the point that serious distraction from the class is occurring, I reserve the right to restrict or close off admission to the classroom once the roll has been called.
Although I do not have explicit grades for class attendance, attendance in class is regarded as one measure of a student's seriousness about the class and can be taken into account in deciding cases of "borderline" grades. It is especially important that students attend any sessions involving outside speakers or presentations by their peers.
Cell phones and beepers are part of our modern life. However, elementary courtesy dictates that all such devices be turned off during class. Repeated problems with such devices may result in the student being asked to cease bringing them to class. Exception: Students whose job necessitates immediate contact by their employer during class hours (e.g. police, EMT's) should notify me of their situation early in the semester and may set their phone or pager to vibrate or a very soft tone.
Use of MP3 players, radios, electronic game devices, and other such electronic entertainment devices in class is expressly prohibited.
As of Fall, 2002, Auburn University e-mail became an official communications medium. This means that all students are responsible for regularly monitoring their regular Auburn University e-mail account for messages. Furthermore, students in all my classes are required to regularly monitor the class Blackboard specific course matters.
It is the sole responsiblity of each student student to be sure he/she does so. If you have any trouble operating e-mail or accessing Blackboard, report this at once to the Office of Information Technology in the A.U. Library for resolution. Be sure you obtain the name of the person from whom you sought assistance in case of the need for further followup. If the person you talk to cannot solve your problem, then ask who he/she can refer you to see that person next. This needs to be done as soon as possible after any access problem arises. Telling me late in the class that you gave up in frustration because you talked to an unspecified "someone" in Information Technology who was unable to help you will not be seen as an acceptable excuse.
Tests for my classes are generated from a test file which includes questions from previous tests as well as questions not used on previous tests. Since questions are chosen for new tests on a random basis from that file, students should not expect that studying a previous test will give them more than a general idea of the types of questions offered on my tests. Studying the assigned readings and lecture notes for a particular course is strongly encouraged as the most effective way to prepare for tests.
All tests are to be on "blue books" purchased by the student.
In all senior-level and graduate courses, for the final exam only, standard AU "blue books" are to be purchased by the student and handed in, unmarked except for the student's name, no later than the class meeting before the exam. Students who fail to follow this procedure and show up at the final exam with their "blue books" will have them checked, and their exams issued, only after all other students have begun their exams.
Students are expected to show up on time for exams. Since I allow students to keep copies of their test questions when they leave the exam, no late students will be permitted to take the exam if they arrive after other students have left. Students feeling they have some valid reason for arriving late, e.g. a car accident, will be expected to submit proof of the reason for their delay and may be allowed to take a makeup exam at a later date (see below).
NOTE WELL: Any use or attempted use of a cell phone, PDA, or other wireless device during an exam will result in immediate confiscation of the student's blue book and an automatic grade of "0" on the exam.
Makeup exams will be given only for documented cases of illness, family illness/death, accidents, or authorized university activities and can be taken only after I have approved the student's reason for the makeup. The student requesting the makeup will need to furnish me a copy of appropriate documentation of the excuse, which I will file. Makeups can usually be given no earlier than one week after the excuse has been submitted.
Makeups for the mid-semester exam (or other, non-final exams, if any), will be administered at the standard Political Science Department makeup period, Fridays at 3:00 p.m. in HC 2316. Students taking makeups must bring their I.D. cards to the makeup. Makeups for the final exam, if any, will be arranged by consultation with me.
Some of my classes involve "pop tests." If so, the terms under which such tests will be conducted will be clearly stated in the course syllabus.
Normally, students absent on the day of a "pop test" will receive a grade of "0". However, that grade will be waived for students who are absent due to documented cases of illness, family illness/death, or authorized university activities. Students wishing such a waiver will need to furnish me a copy of appropriate documentation of the excuse, which I will file.
Although "pop tests" may count only a small percentage of a student's overall grade, students should be cautious about being indifferent to their impact. For example, if a student has an average of 80 (B-) in all components of a course except his/her pop test average, a pop test average of 30, if weighted as 10% of the total grade, will lower his/her final grade to 75 (C).
From time to time students inquire about taking the exam in my classes early, especially if the exam falls relatively late. In that regard, a memo sent by my dept. head to Political Science faculty speaks for itself. It's apparently a message forwarded by him from a higher source, most probably the Liberal Arts office.
Please remind your faculty that final exams are to be given at the university
designated time. Exams for the class are not to be rescheduled without clear
documentation and with the necessary approvals from the head, dean, and provost.
With regard to individual student requests, I am aware that some faculty
work directly with individual students.
However, the dean's office is only able to issue permits to reschedule finals
WHEN AN OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY EXCUSE EXISTS. We require documentation ......
examples of official reasons include student medical, immediate family medical,
university sanctioned travel, job or internship starting date, court appointments,
and the like.
The dean's office is NOT able to issue an official permit to reschedule
a final for a student who already has travel plans, airline tickets, etc.
Students know when they enroll in a course when the exam will be as the exam
schedule is contained in the schedule book.
One final thought. Some departments (such as math and some business courses)
have provost approval to offer one common exam for multi-sectioned courses.
However, this approval does NOT extend to students missing their regularly
scheduled class exam in order to take the common final in a special section.
The student should sit for the regularly scheduled final and the other department
with the special arrangement is obligated to administer a makeup. This arrangement
is part of the agreement with the provost's office in approving the special
common exam.
I am aware of some "pressures" that have been placed on liberal arts faculty
from these students so I wanted to clarify this situation.
Policies on handling of late assignments are the same as those discussed in my Guidelines for Research Papers. See the section on Deadlines.
The normal expectation is that students will complete all work in a class on time. That is, within the semester. However, some possibly valid reasons for requesting an incomplete are the following:
Undergraduate students have one semester in residence to make up an incomplete; graduate students, two semesters in residence. Students should contact me early during the semester they wish to make up the incomplete to be sure of my availability. NOTE WELL: Any materials submitted to make up an incomplete must be received at least 14 calendar days before the date of graduation in the semester for which the student wishes to make up the incomplete. Expeditious grading of such materials cannot be assured if this rule is not followed, and the student herself/himself will be responsible if it cannot be finished in time for grade submission before the end-of-the-semester deadline.
Students sometimes ask for reconsideration of their grade for an assignment, or even an entire course. Such requests usually involve concerns about the possibility of one of the following factors:
The A.U. Academic Affairs Committee has suggested that students be reminded in writing of the following:
The College of Liberal Arts has suggested that students be reminded in writing of the following:
Students, particularly those who have had coursework with me, often request recommendations for graduate school or employment. Here are some items you need to know and observe if you wish a recommendation:
For an effective recommendation, the student should have received no final grade lower than "C" in his/her coursework with me (preferably a "B" for students seeking recommendations for graduate study). If you wish a recommendation but cannot meet these requirements, please talk with me in person first before requesting a recommendation.
Please be candid in your self-assessment. I need any relevant information you can provide, flattering or less so. You should not fear that I'll simply retype your words and sign them. I will not.
However, over 20 years of doing recommendations, I've developed some techniques for writing what I call a "human" recommendation which presents a more well-rounded picture of you that will "sell" better with a graduate school or employer than what might be called a "super hero" recommendation which a few indviduals mindlessly grind out for everyone who asks. In fact, after awhile, some graduate schools/employers develop an equally robotic response to profs for whom every student is "the best student I've ever had"--a response called the "circular file!"
The Bureau of Fastidious Bureaucratic Trivia has suggested that
students be reminded in writing of the following:
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