Policies

Student Expectations

Students are expected to attend all classes, complete assigned readings before the class period in which they are to be discussed, participate actively and thoughtfully in class discussions, complete required writing assignments, and follow university regulations regarding academic and behavioral integrity.

Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the University’s Academic Integrity Code.  By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code.  Violations of the Academic Integrity Code will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary actions will be taken should such violations occur.  Please contact me if you have any questions about the academic violations described in the Code in general or as they relate to particular requirements for this course.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  Using another’s ideas and/or words as your own constitutes plagiarism.  It is therefore critical that you cite all sources you discuss and consult.  As a rule of thumb all sources (texts, photographs, music, internet materials, interviews, etc.) that are directly quoted, paraphrased, or consulted need to have a proper citation.  If I suspect plagiarism, I will submit the case to the office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as required by the Academic Integrity Code.  The Dean’s office will then investigate the claim and determine the outcome.  The following websites should help you with regard to what constitutes plagiarism and how to cite sources properly.  The University Library’s “Information Literacy Tutorial” is helpful in conducting research.  You will complete this tutorial and have the library sent an email confirmation to me that you have completed it by class time on Tuesday, 24 January 2012. Please use MLA, Chicago, or Turabian citation formats.  Should you have any questions about how or when to cite, please ask me.  Should you have further questions about writing in general, feel free to ask me or contact the university’s Writing Center in Battelle-Tompkins 228 at 885.2991.  Citation software can be useful in documenting and formatting sources.  The university supports the use of Endnote, offering tutorials throughout the semester in the library.  Zotero is also a helpful, free web-based citation software system.  You can watch various Zotero tutorials to learn how to use Zotero and its variety of features.

Participation Guidelines

All announcements for the course will be posted via Google +.  If you have announcements for the class, email me, and I will post them.  If you are not registered on Google +, you will receive an email announcements.

Active participation is necessary for the success of the class.  Not only will you be expected to share your reactions, ideas, and questions, you are likewise expected to allow and encourage other students to share theirs.  Tact, politeness, and respect for other class members are critical.  Should you find errors of fact or logic, please point these out and share the sources that can correct them.  You will be allowed one absence without penalty; subsequent absences will result in a reduced participation/professionalism grade.  If you are experiencing an extreme situation that will force you to miss more than one class, please talk to me individually.

Late work will result in a reduced grade.  For each day an assignment is late, half a letter grade will be deducted from the assignment.  Extensions will occasionally be graded for extenuating circumstances with documentation.

If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, please don’t hesitate to consult with me. In addition to the resources of the department, a wide range of services is available to support you in your efforts to meet the course requirements.

Academic Support Center (x3360, MGC 243) offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities. Writing support is available in the ASC Writing Lab or in the Writing Center, Battelle-Tomkins 228.

Counseling Center (x3500, MGC 214) offers counseling and consultations regarding personal concerns, self-help information, and connections to off-campus mental health resources.

Disability Support Services (x3315, MGC 206) offers technical and practical support and assistance with accommodations for students with physical, medical, or psychological disabilities.

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please notify me in a timely manner with a letter from the Academic Support Center or Disability Support Services so that we can make arrangements to address your needs.

Assignments

All assignments will be submitted via the course website or Google Docs as indicated on the schedule.  Assignment due dates indicated on the schedule.

Course books: (other editions—including online/electronic—are fine)

Postman, Neil.  The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School.  New York: Vintage, 1996.

Computer Accounts

We will use several web-based media for this course.  Our primary course website can be found at http://www.adrealawrence.org/courses/edhistory/spring2012/.  You can access most of our course materials there.  All announcements will be posted using Google +.  If you have announcements for the class, please post them there.  Most of your work will be submitted via the course website or Google docs.

Students may acquire computer accounts providing access to the email system and campus wide network at AU (eaglesecure) through Computer Accounts in the Office of Information Technology.  All students MUST read their AU email, and are strongly encouraged to forward their AU email to the account they read most frequently.  All AU email accounts are issued free of charge and will expire when you graduate from AU (or shortly thereafter).

Green Teaching

This is a Certified Green Course. This means, for example, that I will not hand out any printed materials, but I will use the course website, Google +, and Google Docs extensively to post handouts, collect assignments, and provide you with feedback on assignments.

To help make our class as green as possible, I encourage you to buy used books, minimize paper use by submitting assignments electronically as instructed, and read course readings online rather than printing copies. If you choose to print, please print double-sided, and recycle the paper after the end of the semester.

Emergency Preparedness

In the event of a declared pandemic (influenza or other communicable disease), American University will implement a plan for meeting the needs of all members of the university community.  Should the university be required to close for a period of time, we are committed to ensuring that all aspects of our educational programs will be delivered to our students.  These may include altering and extending the duration of the traditional term schedule to complete essential instruction in the traditional format and/or use of distance instructional methods.  Specific strategies will vary from class to class, depending on the format of the course and the timing of the emergency.  Faculty will communicate class-specific information to students via AU e-mail and Blackboard, while students must inform their faculty immediately of any absence due to illness.  Students are responsible for checking their AU e-mail regularly and keeping themselves informed of emergencies.   In the event of a declared pandemic or other emergency, students should refer to the AU Web site (http://www.prepared.american.edu) and the AU information line at (202) 885-1100 for general university-wide information, as well as contact their faculty and/or respective dean’s office for course and school/ college-specific information.