Announcement posted June 5th,
All we have left is the final exam. I've sent you scores throughout the semester, so you should be able to total your scores and see where you stand heading into the final. Note that the final is worth 20 points, so put a good effort into it. I will send you confirmation that I have received your final shortly after you send it. It is crucial that you follow our course policies and contact me if you don't receive a reply within 48 hours. Realistically, I will send you a reply within 24 hours.
Here is some old information that is still important.
Note that I do not send "credit" scores for major postings until the following essay assessment.You receive "credit" for a full credit posting. Your credit on a "major"posting counts double. So for example, if you receive credit for a regular posting and then a major posting, you will have three credits. I will total all the credits available for the semester at the end of the year and then check your individual totals. If you have 100% of the credits you will receive the full 30 points for participation. If you have 90%, you will receive 27 points. I hope that makes sense, but feel free to send me an email if you would like more information.
I give scores for the essays which you should save and total up. As the syllabus shows, the total points you earn will determine your final grade in the class. While the essays don't receive a grade, the points you score approximate the following:
10-9 = A, 8 = B, 7 = C, 6 = D
Make sure to look over the "Remember" section of the course policies as guidelines while you work.
Course Policies
If you are struggling with the readings or writings, please take time to ask questions and give an update if you are not able to send in an assignment during the week. If you don't receive a reply from me on an assignment or question within 48 hours, please send a follow-up message. If you don't receive a reply to your follow-up e-mail, then definitely use my voice mail. This can be found on our syllabus. If you have not received a score, than assume that you have no credit for the assignment and make sure to take the initiative to find out why.
Plagiarism is a common problem in academics and seems especially so in on-line classes. Some students copy directly from Internet sites, other texts or even other students' papers and fail to include quotation marks and citation. I run into numerous incidents of this each semester and am becoming increasingly less tolerant of this problem. I will approach incidents of plagiarism on a case by case basis. However, at the minimum, expect a failing grade in the paper if plagiarism is found. Also expect that I will file an incident report with Citrus College's Dean of Students. At the maximum, you will also receive an F in the course. Any questions? If so, please send them via email so we can make sure this doesn't happen to you.
Remember:
- don't use outside sources for our papers. If you feel confused, use the discussion board or contact me directly.
- while it is okay to talk out ideas with friends and family, don't have them write any of the papers for you.
- only changing a few words from someone else's writing means you still have to include quotation marks and citation. I can help students with examples of that if you feel you need it.
Brian Waddington