Disrespect will not be tolerated.  While students are expected to express their own ideas and opinions in the discussion section of this course, students are also expected to use words that are appropriate for a classroom situation. No cursing, personal insults, or disrespectful language will be tolerated. Violation of this rule will result in the student being barred from using the discussion portion of the course, which will result in the loss of points for discussion contributions.

The discussion forums in this class provide a great opportunity for you to practice your technical writing style.  Proofread and spell-check your discussion posts, and check your posts and replies for clarity and accuracy.  Like emails, avoid using text-message style abbreviations.

Grade Determination

Grades will be based on the following system:  
                A             90-100= high achievement
                B             80-89= above average achievement
                C             70-79= satisfactory achievement
                D             60-69= unsatisfactory achievement
                F              0-59= unacceptable

Grade Percentages of Assignments

• 60% Assignments*
• 15% Quizzes
• 15% Discussions
• 10% Final Exam

*Note that 60% of your grade is the assignments. Within this category, some assignments will be worth more points than others. For instance, your analytical report, a lengthy assignment, will be worth 200 points while other smaller assignments will be worth 25, 50 or 100 points.

Final Exam: Your final exam must be proctored. It can be taken on the Amarillo College campus, either at the testing center on Washington Street or in the computer lab in Ordway. If you cannot take your exam on campus, you may arrange for a proctor to give you the test in your locale. If you choose the latter option, you'll need to post your proctor contact information. I will provide more details about this later in the course.

Assignment Criteria

I will provide a rubric for each writing assignment that will set forth the criteria for grading.

Tutoring

TUTORING:  You can use SMARTHINKING (click), online tutoring available through the AC website.  Be advised that the Smartthinking tutoring service has a 2-3 day turnaround, so you need to submit work well before the due date to be sure to receive timely feedback from a tutor.

If you are near the AC campus, you are welcome to visit the Writer's Corner (click) located in Ordway Hall to get help with your assignments. 

Also, feel free to call me or, if you are in Amarillo, make an appointment to stop by my office.

Late Work

Late work will not be accepted. Any assignment turned in after class time on the due date is late. I understand that technical problems occur and life issues sometimes interfere with assignments, but I am counting on your commitment to this class despite life's setbacks. Work on assignments ahead of their due dates. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email or call me. I may be lenient once.

Assignment Due Dates:   Exact due dates for assignments are not specified on this syllabus.  I will inform you of exact due dates.  Also, check the class calendar regularly, which is located in AC Online.

"Attendance" in an Online Course

Try to log in every day, no less than every other day. In an online course, participation is extremely important. Assignments are given and are due on a weekly basis, often due by Friday at 10 p.m.  Lack of participation and submission of assignments in a timely manner will be taken into account when the final grade is determined. You hurt yourself when you fall behind schedule.

Students are expected to participate actively in this online course. Participation means:

• Logging in to the course every day, at least to check mail and read announcements. I watch when students last logged in.
• Read chapters from Lannon when assigned.  You must read the textbook to pass quizzes and do well on assignments!
• Completing and submitting weekly assignments by due dates
• Reading and posting discussion messages as assigned
• Providing helpful, thoughtful feedback to classmates' rough drafts
• Taking online quizzes and final exam

Withdrawal

An online course can be demanding for students.  Since there is no set meeting time, you must discipline yourself to read the text, participate in discussions, and complete assignments on time.  I hope you are committed to this process.  If you are, you should succeed in this class.  That said, I also hope you know that a real person (that's me!) is here to grade your assignments, monitor your progress, adjust due dates and assignments accordingly, and answer any questions you may have.

If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan that protects your investment in this course and gives you an opportunity to complete it.  Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is November 20, 2013.

Withdrawing early from a class could affect scholarship or financial aid monies.  Check with a counselor or advisor before you withdraw from any class.