Syllabus

San Antonio College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability with respect to access, employment programs or services.

1. Students are urged not to bring children to either a class or a lab. Minors under the age of twelve (12) must not be left unattended on campus
   
   
2. ADA Statement: "As per Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, if accommodation is needed contact the Office of DisABILITY Support Services, CAC 124C, Phone: (210) 486-0020.”
   
   
3. A Rapid Response Team responds to emergencies. If you have a disability that will require assistance in the event of a building evacuation, notify Disability Support Services, Chance Academic Center 124C, Phone: (210) 486-0020.
   
   
4. Academic Dishonesty:

1.       Students may be subject to disciplinary proceedings resulting in an academic penalty or disciplinary penalty for academic dishonesty.

2.       Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism and collusion. For additional information refer to the "Student Code of Conduct" in the San Antonio College Bulletin.

3.       Students found guilty of an act of collusion may be subject to an academic penalty, including one or more, if not inconsistent:

4.       A requirement to complete additional academic work not required of other students in the course

5.       A reduction in grade

6.       Assignment of a grade of "F"' in the course

Academic dishonesty (cheating on a test or other class work, plagiarism) and collusion (the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing college work offered for credit) are serious offenses. Credit will not be given to any work suspected of exhibiting evidence of either or both.

E.       Students are required to silence all electronic devices (e.g., pagers, cellular phones, etc.) when in classrooms, laboratories, and the library.

F.       San Antonio College Attendance Policy:

1. Regular and punctual attendance is required. A student absent for any reason is responsible for all work missed.

2. Absences are recorded from the first day of class. A student absent the equivalent of two weeks of instruction may be dropped by the instructor with a grade of "W."

3. Both tardiness and early departure from class are forms of absenteeism. The instructor establishes the policy with regard for each.

4. For an evening class meeting once a week, the students may be dropped upon their second absence.

5. For eight-week flex term or summer classes, students may be dropped upon their second absence.

6. For short summer classes, students may be dropped upon the third day of absence.

G.     Alamo Colleges DPS Emergency Phone Numbers:

Emergency Phone (210) 222-0911
General Phone (210) 485-0099
Weather Phone (210) 485-0189 (For information on college closures)

H.      Students must also abide by the policies, procedures, and rules set forth in the "Student Code of Conduct" and all other policies set forth in the San Antonio College Bulletin and e-Catalog. (http://mysaccatalog.alamo.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=594)

 

Instructor's Policies

Attendance

Attendance begins on the first day of class regardless of when you enroll. Attendance is taken only by your discussion board posts and responses. Students who do not complete the orientation and at least one learning module by the end of the equivalent of two weeks of class will be dropped from the class. (Keep in mind this means within one week during a flex or summer term and within the first day for Maymester.) Students who miss six posts (three weeks' worth of class) may be dropped from the class with a WN or will fail the class if the drop date has passed regardless of the total number of points they have earned.

Late Work

I do not accept late work. Discussion posts and responses have a one-hour grace period to account for differences in time and posting. If a true emergency arises, contact me privately. I am the sole determiner of whether a situation is an emergency, and each student gets only one emergency per term.

Discussion board posts may be put up late for attendance purposes only (meaning you will not be dropped but also will not earn points) within 24 hours of the due date. After that time, the threads will be locked.

Internet/Email Access

SAC students taking Internet courses must maintain access to their courses at all times by maintaining a good operating computer and reliable Internet Service Provided (ISP). As an Internet student, you are committed to having regular web access or, if your service is interrupted, to have alternate web access available. Realize that your instructor is NOT going to accept lack of access as an excuse for late work or missed exam/quiz access. Each student must have a backup plan in place and be ready to carry it out if web service is interrupted for any reason.

Each student must also have at least two email addresses. One of the two addresses must be the PALS account assigned by the college. The other may be any other email address that only the student can access and contains the student's name in the sender field. Federal privacy regulations require that any email address used for class purposes belong only to that student. Therefore, a family address or one shared with friends is not acceptable.

Extra Credit

There is no extra credit. Do your work on time to the best of your ability in order to do well in the class.

Academic Dishonesty

Students caught engaging in any form of academic dishonesty (including, but not limited to, plagiarism, collusion, and cheating on a test) will receive a grade of F in the class and be referred for disciplinary action. When in doubt, always cite your source and ask the professor for guidance. It may be tempting to present information from online sources as your own, but avoid this. Also do not present ideas from "study aids" such as Cliff's Notes, Sparks Notes, or Gale sources (or any free or bought research paper) as your own. Remember if you can find it or buy it, so can your professor. Do your own work; it's ultimately rewarding and will teach you far more than plagiarism.

Textbooks

Textbooks are required for the class and will be used on a regular basis. Students are responsible for purchasing their textbooks in a timely manner and keeping them until after the final examination period.

Quizzes

Quizzes open at 12:30 a.m. on the first day of each applicable unit. They close at midnight on the last day of each unit.

Quiz passwords are posted in a file on the front page of the course. You will have access to that file after completing the orientation successfully.

Working Ahead

You may always work ahead up to two units on your reading, discussion board posts, essay drafts, and responses during each half of the course (pre- and post-midterm). Quizzes will be open only during the time period specified for each module. Generally it is not a good idea to get too far ahead because then you miss out on class interactions and questions that might help you do better on assignments.

The Two Forbidden Questions

1. Have you finished grading yet?

I'll let everyone know when I have finished. A big announcement will be on the front page of the class. Every time I have to stop to read an email that asks me this, I could be grading your assignment! The person who asks gets moved to the end of the grading queue.

2. How am I doing in your class?

One of your responsibilities as a college student is to keep track of your own points and average. Blackboard Vista makes this easy for you with My Grades. Not only does it record your points for every assignment as each one gets graded, but I also have it set up to keep a running total of your points all semester long and also to give you your average automatically at midterm. Anytime you want to know how you are doing in the class, take the following steps:

1. Add up all the points you have earned to date.
2. Add up all the points possible to date.
3. Divide the first number by the second number (points earned by points possible).
4. Move the decimal point two places to the right. This will give you your average expressed as a percentage.

Keep in mind that the more points you have attempted, the more accurate your average will be. There is no need to freak out if you blow or miss a couple of quizzes or posts, for example, because they are worth a small percentage of your grade. However, if this is a consistent pattern, those issues can add up. Keeping track of your average as we go will allow you to know exactly how you are doing and where you need to focus your efforts to improve.

I am always happy, however, to discuss ways in which you can improve your writing, reading, or study habits with you.