I. Attendance...

...is mandatory every day class is held. I do not allow for a certain number of unexcused absences. If a student misses class, his/her class participation grade (or course grade in graduate courses) will reflect that. An absence is marked "A" on the attendance roll. Missing a significant announcement in class (such as changing the date of a quiz, exam, or other graded activity) or failing to turn in a written assignment (see "Late Work" Section III-F) because of an unexcused absence may have adverse consequences.

NOTE TO AUDITORS:

None of the rules regarding attendance or classwork, homework, quizzes or examinations apply to auditors. I do not accept any written work from auditors, including the final examination. Auditors are permitted to participate in class discussions only as time permits, in order to optimize participation by students enrolled for credit.

Tardiness

Habitual tardiness (more than 10 minutes late) will have negative effects on the class  participation grade.

Absences

When and by whom can they be excused?

• WHEN:  If they occur exceptionally and only due to circumstances beyond the student's control.
• BY WHOM:  As the course instructor, I am the only one who decides whether an absence is excusable or not.

I list below the only instances I consider to be "circumstances beyond the student's control."  I reserve the right to request proper documentation from an authorized source, such as parents, employers, health-care providers, etc.  Such documentation is held in the strictest confidence.

Missing class for "personal reasons" can never constitute an excuse.

Personal emergency:  serious illness (requiring bed confinement or hospital stay) or accident. Family emergency: death, serious illness, or accident affecting a parent, sibling, or close relative.  Having to appear in court in any official capacity. Being summoned for jury or other mandated civic duty. Being called to fulfill a military obligation. Having to attend a University-sponsored activity that bears directly on the student's continued enrollment, such as an athletic, band, or similar meet that is directly related to the student's scholarship or financial aid.  Having to be away on business that affects directly the student's livelihood or continuing enrollment at the University. Important family event, such as the wedding of a parent, sibling, close relative, close friend, or other similar function, in which the student's attendance or participation is necessary or expected. Religious holidays which are officially announced by the University. The student must furnish documentation to me. The attendance roll is then marked with an "X," to mean that the absence is excused.

Whether documented or not, activities that are not directly University-sponsored or mandated by employment, or other compelling necessity as stated above, do not qualify for excusing an absence.

PLEASE NOTE:

1. In courses with a class participation grade, for each unexcused absence, 5% will be deducted from the class participation grade. In courses without a class participation grade, for each unexcused absence, one one-hundredth of a point will be deducted from the course grade (before rounding). Even excused absences, if too numerous to be consistent with normal class functioning, will have a similar effect (I will decide each case on its own merits).

2. Also, please see my policy on withdrawals for non-attendance.

3. A student who has not attended at least 50% of classes, regardless of the reason for absence, will not be permited to take the final examination.

(back to top of page)

II. Academic honesty

All academic work must meet the standards contained in A Culture of Honesty (Office of the Vice President for Instruction's website).  Each student is responsible for informing him/herself about those standards before performing any academic work.

(back to top of page)

III. Et Alia...

(A) Course syllabi

I describe every course I teach at the University of Georgia in its own web page, accessible from my main web page (http://www.rom.uga.edu/mac/fassaf) by clicking the word "COURSES" and following the relevant links. That web page is a fundamental resource, as important to learning as are course textbooks and other learning materials.

Students are responsible for informing themselves about the course description, assignments, and syllabus.  They are strongly encouraged to refer regularly to the course web page as well as download and print out all relevant information.  I do not distribute photocopies or mimeographs of the course description and/or syllabus.

The following sentence is an integral part of each course description and syllabus: "The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary."

(B) Textbooks

The textbooks required for the course are listed on the course-description web page (see section A above).  Students are expected to obtain them as soon as possible.  Wilful failure to have the textbooks may result in adverse effects on the student's continued enrollment in the course.

(C) Communicating

I rely heavily on e-mail to communicate with my students, and I encourage them to communicate similarly with me.  The University of Georgia assigns each student a University e-mail address (an address ending with ...@uga.edu).  I use this address to communicate for all course-related matters.  Non-UGA addresses are not acceptable.  It is the students' responsibility to check their mailboxes regularly, to keep them clear so as to avoid being over their storage quota, and to address any other e-mail account problems promptly.  Assignments that are missed because of delivery errors due to an incorrect e-mail address furnished or to the account being over quota are forfeited and graded zero.

(D) My grading system and policy

Course grade distribution: I announce the grade distribution for every course on that particular course's web page.

 Grading basis: I grade all assigned coursework on the basis of 4.  Calculated grades are computed to the nearest one-thousandth of a point (.001), except for the grade for the entire course , which is rounded to the nearest single decimal.  If that grade computes for example to 3.683, it will be rounded up to 3.7 and reported as an "A-" "  If it computes to 3.212, it will be rounded down and reported as a "B+" (3.2)*

Unless the student can demonstrate a factual error in computing the grade, I do not change a grade once it has been assigned.

*Plus-minus grading: beginning Fall 2006, I shall be reporting grades on a plus-minus basis, in accordance with the newly-approved policy. This affects only the overall course grade.

Interim grade reports:  From time to time during the semester, I release an interim grade report to each student. That is only an indication of how the student is performing in the course at that particular point.  It does not in any way constitute on my part a promise, much less a guarantee, that the overall course grade will be the same, or even comparable. 

Scale of letter-grades vs. grades/4

letter grade	grade/4 range
A	3.8-4.0
A-	3.4-3.7
B+	3.1-3.3
B	2.8-3.0
B-	2.5-2.7
C+	2.2-2.4
C	1.9-2.1
C-	1.6-1.8
D	1.0-1.5
F	< 1.0

(E) Incompletes

The Department of Romance Languages' policy is to grant a grade of "Incomplete" ("I") only under the most pressing of circumstances, and never as a matter of personal convenience.  Students who know from the beginning of the course that they cannot take the final examination on the scheduled date should drop the course. To request the form for an "I" grade assignment, click here.

(F) Compliance with course assignments; turning in written work late

a) All assignments, whether written work, readings, or viewing of films, plays, etc. that are relevant to the course and required, are mandatory. Refusing, for any reason, to carry out such an assignment may result in the student being withdrawn from the course with a grade of "WF" at any time during the semester.

b) Written work must be turned in in person, in class, on the dates specified in the syllabus, unless I have granted in advance permission to do otherwise. I do not normally accept assignments presented, or oral work to be carried out, after the date specified on the syllabus or announced by me. Late work is graded zero. I do not allow for make-ups. Written work that is submitted by e-mail without my prior permission will be deleted and graded zero.

Exceptions: I shall accept written work other than stated above, or late work, only if the student is able to document as soon as possible that circumstances beyond his/her control prevented him or her from complying with the stipulations above.

(G) Missing a graded activity

It is the student's exclusive responsibility to ascertain the date and time of scheduled oral exposés, quizzes, and examinations, especially the final examination or any equivalent thereof , and to be there on time and at the right place. The finals' dates and times are listed in the University's Schedule of Classes for each semester. The place where the final is to be held is announced by me in class well in advance, with reminders as needed. Any graded activity that has been missed because of negligence, unexcused absence, oversleeping or forgetfulness, is forfeited, and assigned a grade of zero.  I do not allow for make-ups, except under circumstances listed in section F above.

(H) Extra work for extra credit

I no longer  allow it.

(I)  Classroom etiquette and behavior

• • During class time, all personal electronic devices must be turned off.
  • Sound recorders are permitted only for the purpose of recording lectures, and only after I have granted permission to use them.
  • Students are expected to be attentive to and engaged in the subject at hand for the entire class period. Doing something else, chatting with a seatmate, or daydreaming, defeats the purpose of being in class and is unacceptable.
• Feet must be kept off tables or chair seats, out of respect for other users. No eating, drinking or chewing gum. No pets. Mutilating or defacing University-owned furniture or equipment is a serious offense.  If I witness it, I will report it to University law enforcement authorities.
• All relating and communicating shall be conducted according to generally accepted standards of courtesy and civility.  I will not tolerate rude, insulting, or threatening speech or behavior, whether directed at another student or at me. I will, if need be, report it to the proper academic or law enforcement authorities.

(J) Provisions for the final examination:

• See Section G above. Any tardiness will be deducted from the total examination time.
  Students are responsible for providing their own examination materials (other than preprinted examination questionnaires): examination notebooks (if required), pens, pencils, scratch paper, dictionaries or other reference materials (if authorized). No borrowing from others.
  Students may not communicate with one another for any reason. Communicating with me during the examination is permitted only as an exception. Students may not leave their assigned seats without my express permission.
  All answers must be written legibly in ink. Illegible answers or writing in pencil will be discarded. Rough drafts are not acceptable.
  Only one student at a time may leave the examination room, and only if dictated by physical necessity.
  Once a student has finished the examination, he/she may not remain in the examination room, but must leave at once upon surrendering the answer sheet(s) and/or examination book(s).
• There is no grace period. Once the time has run out, the examination must be surrendered or forfeited.

 

•