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Course Policies, Expectations, and Guidelines for Dr. Krouse’s Literature Courses |
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Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. You cannot succeed if you do not attend every class and/or do not show up on time. That said, I recognize that throughout the course of a semester you may get sick, have car trouble, or have another good reason why you cannot make it to every class meeting. For this reason, and in order to be as fair as possible, I grant each person in the course a certain number of “free” absences, which you can use at your discretion. These absences equal one week of class meetings. v If our class meets three days a week, you can miss three classes without penalty. v If our class meets two days a week, you can miss two classes without penalty. v If our class meets one day a week, you can miss one class without penalty. Each absence beyond the maximum allotment of “free” absences will result in a penalty to your final participation grade. If you miss more than three weeks’ worth of course meetings, I will ask you to drop the course. In addition, chronic tardiness will not be tolerated in my courses and will result in a lowering of your participation grade. If you show up to class so late that you miss more than half of the class meeting (for example, if you show up at 9:35 for a class that meets from 9:00-10:00), you will be charged with an absence. If chronic tardiness is a substantial disruption to the course, I may ask you to drop the course if you cannot make it to class on time. Do not notify me if you will not be in class, since I count all absences equally, and there is no such thing as an “excused” or “unexcused” absence. It is your responsibility to find out from another student in the class what you missed during any absences. If you ask me what you missed, I will tell you to consult with one of your classmates. If you miss class on the day of a scheduled exam, presentation or other activity that constitutes a percentage of your grade, you will receive a zero for that assignment. In addition, if you miss class on the day that an out-of-class assignment (such as a paper) is due, you are still expected to submit that paper to me by the paper deadline and according to my paper submission requirements. Reading Assignments: The reading assignments on your syllabus are not optional, and they should be completed prior to the class meeting in which we will discuss them. Consult your syllabus for the schedule of readings. Depending upon the nature of the course, you may be quizzed on your reading. If we are scheduled to discuss a text in class, you should have that text in class with you for our class discussion so that you can mark relevant passages and take more effective notes. You will not be able to participate fully if you do not bring your reading for the day to class, and this will be reflected in your grade. Paper Guidelines: Academic Integrity: Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Plagiarism includes: 1. The direct copying of a source without the proper acknowledgement (if someone else said it or wrote it you must give him or her proper credit). 2. Copying any source with only minor changes in wording or syntax. 3. Submitting a paper or assignment that has been prepared by someone else. If you plagiarize or cheat, you may fail the assignment, fail the course, or face expulsion from NKU. If you have any further questions about your obligations in regard to academic honesty at NKU, consult the Student Honor Code. The Honor Code is a commitment by students of Northern Kentucky University, through their matriculation or continued enrollment at the University, to adhere to the highest degree of ethical integrity in academic conduct. It is a commitment individually and collectively that the students of Northern Kentucky University will not lie, cheat, or plagiarize to gain an academic advantage over fellow students or avoid academic requirements. Plagiarism does not include: 1. Working together outside of class. 2. Editing each other’s work. 3. Making/taking suggestions on how to improve a paper. I encourage you to do these things. Finally, if you plagiarize, you will most likely be caught. It is not difficult to discover if a student is submitting work that is not his or her own, whether that student plagiarizes from the Internet, another student, a book, or a magazine. Content of Papers: While it is true that the specific content of papers will be different from student to student, successful papers in my courses will have a number of common characteristics: 1. A strong, original thesis statement and argument. 2. A clear, persuasive writing style and structure. Successful papers will rely on the active voice, will have sentences that vary in length and structure, and will “flow” logically from one point to the next. 3. A use of specific evidence (i.e., quotations) to support your argument. Quotes should be introduced with a “tag phrase,” analyzed effectively, and cited correctly. Submission Guidelines for Papers (unless otherwise stated): 1. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and in an academic font and font size (for example, 12 point Times Roman or 12 point New Century Schoolbook). 2. All quoted and paraphrased material should be cited using MLA style, and bibliographies should conform to MLA style as well. 3. All papers should show evidence of careful proofreading and editing for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style. v If you submit a paper with more than three typos, your grade for the paper will automatically be lowered by one “notch.” For example, if you submit a paper for which you would have earned a C but there are more than three typos, you will receive a C-. 4. All papers should fulfill the requirements of the assignment in terms of both content and form.
v If I assign topics for papers, you should submit a paper on an assigned topic. If you do not do this, the best grade that you can receive on the paper is a “C.” v If I do not assign topics, or if I allow the option of creating your own topic, all topics must be approved by me by the deadline that I specify. If you do not do this, the best grade that you can receive on the paper is a “C.” v If I have specified an appropriate length for the paper, such as 4-6 pages, your paper should fall within that appropriate page range. If you submit a paper that does not meet the minimum page requirement (for example, your paper does not fill at least ¾ of the fourth page of text if there is a four-page minimum), the best grade that you can earn is a “C.” If you exceed the maximum page requirement, you may earn better than a “C” grade, but I cannot guarantee that I will read past the maximum page number. If you have any questions about the above policies on academic integrity, paper content, or paper submission, please consult your handbook from English 101, go to the writing center, or come visit me during my office hours. Revision Policy: Students in literature courses are expected to draft and revise their essays prior to submitting them to me for a grade. I encourage students to visit my office hours with drafts prior to paper deadlines for advice on how to improve their papers and for general comments about what works in them and what doesn’t. I will not read drafts and give detailed written comments on them, which would essentially amount to “pre-grading” your papers. For more intensive assistance with papers, I encourage students to visit the writing center. I reserve the right to assign you a grade of “R” on papers that do not meet my expectations for the assignment. In this case revision is required and if you do not complete the revision you will receive a zero the assignment. The highest grade you can receive on a paper on which you initially received an “R” is a C+. Deadlines: Ideally, you will submit your papers directly to me in class on the date listed on your syllabus. If for some reason you cannot submit the paper in class, you may submit the paper by 4:30 p.m., either to me in my office or to my department mailbox. If I am not in my office, you should ask a department secretary to initial the paper with the time that it is submitted and turn the paper in to my department mailbox so that you will not be penalized. v It is my preference to receive all papers in hard copy form. I will not print out and grade papers submitted via email. If because of an emergency you must submit a paper via email in order to meet the paper deadline (4:30 p.m. on the date listed on your syllabus), I will expect you to submit the paper to me in hard copy form, and only then will I grade the paper. It is your responsibility to take care of this without reminders from me. If you fail to submit the hard copy of the paper to me within one week of the original assignment deadline, you will receive a zero for the assignment. Deadlines are not negotiable, and if you miss a paper deadline, and I reserve the right to give you a zero for that assignment. It is your responsibility to get me any assignments that are due by the deadline, whether you attend class that day or not. Any flexibility in the deadline policy is up to my discretion. If I choose to accept a paper submitted after the paper deadline, you will be penalized by one letter grade for each calendar day that the paper is late. v For example: A paper is due in our class on a Thursday. You do not submit the paper to me until Monday. I agree to grade the paper. According to my policy, your grade will be lowered 4 letter grades for the four calendar days that the paper is late, which means that the best grade you can receive on the paper is an F, although you may receive some credit for submitting the assignment. The NKU Writing Center (FH 209) Throughout the semester, I may encourage you to make an appointment at the writing center for assistance with your writing. If I do so, it is not because I believe that you are a “bad writer.” Rather, this suggestion reflects my belief that all writers can benefit from getting feedback on their work. Also, if you are experiencing difficulty with a particular aspect of your writing, a visit to the writing center for one-on-one assistance can often help to alleviate the problem. The NKU Writing Center, certified by the College
Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), provides assistance and support
for students with any college writing assignment -- essays, reports,
research papers, etc. The Writing Center is staffed by skilled and
experienced student consultants who guide and advise student writers
through the writing process.
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