Class conduct agreements

Attack the idea not the person
Be respectful
Wait for the person to finish their thoughts before speaking
Raise you hand
Be able to agree to disagree
Be mindful of others who haven’t talked and may be trying to speak
Be aware of how much you’re speaking
Respect privacy
Don’t switch the topic instantly, allow it to flow for a bit before changing it.

Absence Policy

Any student who misses more than 25% of the scheduled class sessions will receive an F for the course – any absences beyond 6 on a two-day/week schedule

Policy on Class Conduct

We have all come to clearly understand that both learning and teaching over zoom are challenging and difficult. We can make it easier for each other if we set default expectations. I have watched students lay in bed and fall asleep; I have seen students turn off their camera and then not be present to answer their name for the remainder of the session; I have watched students disengage in many ways – for example, grinning, laughing, and responding to something on social media while the class discussed the killing of Fred Hampton. This is not acceptable. For this class, the default expectations is that students participate respectfully, and present themselves visibly on the screen – similar to the examples in the image below:

Do’s and Dont’s:

DO: make sure your face is as well-lit as possible; DO: sit close enough to the camera that you are visible on the screen; DO: wear and use headphones if it helps you focus; DO: use a virtual background if it makes you more comfortable; DO: excuse yourself if you need to go the bathroom or exit temporarily for any reason; DO: use paper copies/books as much as possible – I would like to limit the use of the computer to a simple screen displaying the class and playing the audio;

DON’T: sit with your back to a window or a strong light, it will create a silhouette;  DON’T: lay in bed; DON’T: have conversations with other people in your room/passing through; DON’T: turn your camera off frequently** DON’T: have your cell phone nearby you, use your cell phone, have Facebook, etc open on your computer or engage in distracting communication software of any type. Over the past 3 semesters, I have become quite adept at reading concentration among students – I can tell when you are reading something on the screen or when you are trying to surreptitiously type a reply to someone.  ** If there you have any extenuating circumstance regarding the use of the screen, then please contact me and know that whatever we talk about is always fully confidential. if you are more comfortable talking to your advisor, SDS or anyone else and having them communicate with me, that is fine. In whatever way suits you, I need you to communicate with me responsibly about your needs.

Policy on Informal Curriculum Participation

The Seminar Informal Curriculum is a valuable addition to the classes and readings we will do this spring. It provides students with the opportunity to engage with texts through programming that helps to elucidate texts and references and gives guidance with, for example, difficult dialogues.

Students are expected to attend at least two events this semester. These events will be tied to feedback in the form of class brief oral reports and tracked using THIS FORM. We will discuss this requirement during the semester. The schedule of events begins during the first week of the semester, you should familiarize yourself with the Spring 2021 offerings, HERE and make a note of the events you prefer to attend.