Further details of the syllabus that relate to your individual course are seen by selecting the appropriate button at the top of this page. These are the plans that will guide our progress through the course, although they may be adjusted during the term. However, no changes will be made to the grading system after the first class meeting without the approval of a majority of the students in the course.
Frequently asked questions about course content may be answered on the Helpful Topics pages.
Click on a linked topic to read more information.
 | Attendance What if I have to miss a class? REQUIRED READING! |
| Cell phones. REQUIRED READING! |
| Children on campus Can I bring my child to school? |
| Computer requirements: What do I need? What if my computer beaks down? |
| CSU email Why do I have to check it regularly? REQUIRED READING! |
| Course policies and outcomes are explained on the detail page for your course [see links above] |
| Discrimination and harassment policies of the university [opens new page] |
| Due dates |
| Disabled students Where do I receive assistance? I can't read this type of document! |
| Expectations and Conduct What behavior is expected in our class? REQUIRED READING! |
| Email Dr. Kemp What is the address? Can I turn in homework this way? |
| Emails to class list |
| Go directly to WebCT |
| Grading Includes link to a page explaining "curving" and calculation of course grades. |
| Homework assignments are explained on the detail page for your course [see links above] |
| Judicial Affairs site Matters of academic honesty, etc. may end up here. [opens new page] REQUIRED READING! |
| Makeup policy What if I miss a deadline, a quiz, or a test? REQUIRED READING! |
| Mid-term advisory grades. Explanation. |
| Office hours are posted on my office door and on the home page of this site. |
| Office location: Arts and Sciences, 105-J |
| Other help: study methods, writing, how to format a paper, etc., etc. etc. [opens a new page] |
| Program Objectives |
| PowerPoints: What about them? |
| Plagiarism Warning REQUIRED READING! [opens a new page] |
| Problems Things aren't going the way I had hoped in this class. What should I do? |
|
Regent's Exam.
[revised] What
is this all about? [opens a new page] |
| Statements Required by the University |
| Special events [Opens a new page listing events that may be used for extra credit reports.] |
| Telephone 456/466-4806 |
| Textbook requirements are explained on the detail page for your course [see links above] |
| WebCT How do I use it? |
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Students must abide by policies posted in the |
The
content of this course syllabus correlates to education standards established by
national and state education governing agencies, accrediting agencies and
learned society or professional education associations. Please refer to the
course correlation matrices located at the following web site:
|
University policy now requires the posting of a mid-term advisory grade on the DUCK. To understand the meaning of this grade, you must take into account the fact that in most courses that I teach, a significant portion of your graded work is submitted after mid-term, although most classes will have completed about half of a set of relatively simple reading exercises and perhaps one other major assignment or exam. Because of this situation, the mid-term advisory grade will reflect less than half of your course work and may appear artificially high--or low. I will explain calculation of these mid-term grades to each class. All of your WebCT grades will be visible to you at the location where the work was originally submitted, but may or may not be visible in "My Grades." You should keep duplicate copies of all work submitted on paper, and make a record of the grades you receive on these items.
Because of many problems with its management, I have largely discontinued the use of WebCT's "My Grades" tool for the time being.
To further understand grades, you may wish to read a detailed explanation of the grade calculation process.
Grading for each course is explained on the detail page for that course [see links above]. Other links lead to the methods of curving grades or calculating grade points for the course and a statement of the Criteria for Grading Written Work.
My email address is kathrynkemp@clayton.edu. Please add your course name to the subject line and sign your message with your complete name..
I do not accept homework by email.
Keep up with your CSU email. You occasionally will receive importatn emails that I address to your entire class. It will have an address that ends with @lists.clayton.edu. To reply to me, start a new message because hitting "reply" will send your message to the entire class. Also, do not copy these addresses and use them to contact the class; this is against university rules.
If you are having problems with the course, come to see me right away. Students often make the mistake of waiting too long to ask for advice or help. Remember that after mid-term finding solutions may be much more difficult. I care. If I can't help to solve your problem, I might be able to refer you to another source of assistance.
Student responsibilities: Read your textbook on a regular schedule, keeping current with the lecture topics and supplemental materials on WebCT and elsewhere. Complete quizzes as promptly as possible, if your course uses them. (They are intended to be study aids.) Attend class on a regular basis and on time. Meet deadlines. Take quizzes and exams as scheduled. Participate. Think about the issues raised in class, not just about grades. See also the university polices with regard to undergraduate responsibilities.
Instructor responsibilities: Be prepared for class. Be respectful of student questions, comments, needs. Maintain order in the class so that learning can take place. Require a high standard of performance. Be fair. Explain low grades. Keep regular office hours. Answer email and telephone messages in a timely manner.
In order to preserve a good learning atmosphere, individuals should avoid distracting other class members or the instructor. Lack of consideration for other members of the class may result in a one-letter course grade penalty, regardless of grade point average. The following conduct is expected of all class members:
| Arrive on time. If you are late you will be considered absent. Submit a written explanation at the end of the class to have this absence excused. Do not leave early. If you have a conflict in your schedule, skip class entirely. |
| Stay seated. Do not walk in and out during lectures, unless an unavoidable physical necessity arises. |
| Turn off your phone. Checking for personal messages on electronic devices, text messaging, and similar activity is not permitted. You may use a PDA briefly for matters related to the class. |
| When class is in session, use laptops for course work, not for personal purposes. |
| Questions and comments are welcome--private conversations are not. |
| Tape recorders: May be used only with individual permission by persons with special needs. |
Regular, on-time attendance is essential to have the best outcome in any class. The University, the faculty in general, and myself in particular, want to encourage this good habit of work.
University
Attendance Policy
(from the Catalog)
Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.
Specific
policy for my classes.
| Students who accumulate a total of more than 20% of unexcused absences from class meetings may be dropped from the course. [9 three times a week or 6 twice a week classes] |
| Roll will be taken each day. |
| To be considered present, you must arrive on time. If you arrive late, follow the procedure for an excused absence. |
| To obtain an excuse, bring a written explanation for your absence to the next class you attend explaining clearly the circumstances that caused you to miss class. |
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for making arrangements to take the late exam. I will not keep track of this for you. If you do not make up an exam, there will be a zero averaged into your grades for the semester.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for turning in assignments on time. If your computer connections fail or other problems arise, you must make arrangements with me and verify that I have received and graded any late work that you have been given permission to submit. I do not accept homework by email; please do not send it.
See your WebCT calendar for the due dates on most assignments. These dates also will be evident in the area of WebCT where you submit the assignment. If dropbox assignments are in use, they may have a cut-off date after the deadline; late penalties may be assessed during this period. Nothing will be accepted after the cut-off date. If you are unable to turn in work on time, submit a written explanation as soon as possible, by email or in person.
Late penalties will be waived if the reason for your failing to meet the deadline seems unavoidable and the work is submitted before the cut-off date.
If you must miss an exam, request an excuse in advance in writing, or by email, unless this is physically impossible (e.g. a car wreck on the way to school on test day). Only excused exams may be made up. This will take place as soon as possible, during office hours. These make-ups may be different in form from the exam given to the class.
Changed dates for final exams require departmental approval. Please do not schedule personal appointments that wil conflict with the final,
No work will be accepted after the last day of classes for the semester.
The university requires that everyone have access to a laptop. Link to the university's official policy statement.
Some required readings and all handouts will be posted on WebCT. You should print out anything designated as a handout and add it to your class notes..
All homework, reports, papers, etc., will be submitted via WebCT Vista. At-home review quizzes are administered by WebCT Vista. In-class exams may be taken either via WebCT Vista or on paper.
You will need bring a laptop to exams if you are enrolled in an online course. If it is borrowed, be certain that you understand how to use it and that it is configured to connect to the CCSU server on campus. In other cases you can work from any computer that gives you access to the internet. If your machine breaks down, you loose power, or some similar problem arises, remember that there are places, such as public libraries, where you can work while you resolve your problem.
You must get in touch with me if a computer malfunction interferes with your completing any assignment or exam on time. If you use equipment at work be aware that some firms have firewalls that may interfere with your submitting work online. And of course, be certain that your employer approves of your using company assets, including your time, to do school assignments!
The bottom line: You must have access to a computer to do the work in any course I teach. You will not be required to bring a laptop to class, as a rule.
Every enrolled student has an email account that is activated through the DUCK. You must check this regularly. Class announcements may be mad through this means, and you are responsible to be aware of them. This is the only way that official online communication between the school and a student is likely to occur. Faculty can email important notices to an entire class, for example. Be sure to activate your account and check it every day.
If you receive a message addressed to your entire class (the word "list" will be in the address) remember that hitting <reply> to send and answer will message everyone on the list. Always address your reply to my individual email address to protect your privacy. According to university regulations, students are not allowed to use these class list addresses to send messages to the class.
Children
are not permitted in classrooms.
Faculty
will not allow children to be present in their classrooms. If a
student brings children to class, the student and children must be told to
leave the classroom.
Unattended
children will not be permitted on campus
(in hallways, the gym, the library,
outside of buildings, etc.).
Public Safety will be notified if unattended children are observed on campus. If faculty or staff observe unattended children on-campus, they are responsible for informing Public Safety. The campus police will take any unattended children to the classroom of the parent, and will get the parent out of class. The parent will not be permitted to bring such children into the classroom.
Parents are referred to Campus Life for information concerning childcare facilities off-campus
Handouts, readings, quizzes, a calendar and some other supplemental materials will be located on a WebCT account for the course you are taking. You can access WebCT from the CSU web. (Look for it in the CSU site map.)
Due dates for assignments posted in calendars indicate the last day to submit work without penalty. Early submission of homework in WebCT is always OK.
Tip: Once you get to the log-in page, add it to your "favorites" list so that you can get back to it conveniently.
If you are not familiar with WebCT, be assured that it isn't too difficult to manage, and plenty of help is available. We will use it for turning in all homework and may use it for testing as well.
Technical problems with WebCT (crashes, server failures, etc.) will not affect your grade adversely.
Worried about using
WebCT?
Check with the HUB for advice.
Most survey lectures will be enhanced with PowerPoint slides. You are responsible for the lecture material as it is presented in the lectures, not only for the material that appears on the PowerPoint screens. You are also responsible for all assigned readings. As a rule, PowerPoints shown with lectures will not be available on WebCT or elsewhere.
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Clayton State University Official Policy on Student Responsibility Students have responsibility for the development of their academic, social, and career goals. As part of their educational experiences at Clayton State, students are responsible and accountable for their academic choices and actions. They are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and abiding by the regulations, procedures, requirements, and deadlines described in official publications including the Catalog, the Student Handbook, Class Schedules, and applicable Departmental Student Handbooks. Click here to see details: Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities |
Disabled students
Special accommodation in connection with a class must be arranged through the Disability Services office.
|
The
content of this course syllabus correlates to education standards established by
national and state education governing agencies, accrediting agencies and
learned society/ professional education associations. Please refer to the
course correlation matrices located at the following web site: |
| New Georgia Encyclopedia | Virtual Vault - Georgia Archives | Valley of the Shadow | American Memory (Lib. Cong.) |
