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 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.

• 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

To receive credit for English 0302, students must have a 70 average or above, according to the following scale:

• 60% =  Writing Assignments (paragraphs, essays, article analyses)
• 15% = Lab
• 15%=  Journal assignments and Discussions (online "participation")
• 10% = Final Exam

Lessons: Lessons are accessed by clicking on the "Lessons" link on the left of the course home page. A new lesson will be available each week. You will have new reading material and new assignments each week. Be prepared to participate in the lesson.

Writing Assignments: You will do a lot of writing in this class. These writing assignments will include four essays, two article analysis assignments, and numerous journal entires and discussion posts. Instructions for submitting these assignments are available in the course shell.

Lab: Along with your textbook, you purchased an access code for a supplmentary online program called My Skills Lab. You will be using this program in this course and you will receive credit for the exercises you complete. We will not begin using this program until the fourth week of classes, so DO NOT throw away your access code. I will email students more information about the Lab portion of their grade and about My Skills Lab after the first week of the course.

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. If you contact me before the due date about turning in a late assignment, I may accept your late work, but it will receive a penalty of 10% per day past the due date.

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 Blackboard. Lessons will be available before the Monday indicated,and most assignments will be due on Fridays by 10 P.M.

"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 pm.  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 textbook when assigned.  You must read the textbook to 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

Attendance Policy

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.

Withdrawal

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 April 24, 2014.

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