Attendance & Participation
- Be in class. Your attendance is required to succeed in this course. Attendance will be taken within the first fifteen minutes of class. These attendance records are definitive; you are responsible for signing attendance sheets and failing to do so will result in an absence even if you have materials/notes from the day in question. Each student will have four personal days during the semester to cover absences from class. When you miss class, you are responsible for acquiring information about what was discussed—such as notes from a classmate. Missing more than four classes will dramatically impact your final grade. For each absence after the initial four, your overall grade will be dropped 50 points (1/2 letter grade). You do not need to offer an explanation for your absences because I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences outside of extreme circumstances; however, if a student has an ongoing situation that requires special consideration, please discuss this with me at the beginning of the semester.
- Be attentive and engaged. I am a media scholar who cherishes most technological devices like children, and I am well-aware of how technological devices can function as educational and professional tools. However, technological devices often become distractions from our primary aim in the classroom: attentive learning and thinking. You can choose to use laptops or tablets to take notes in class but, to avoid distracting yourself and other students, I prohibit their use for any other purposes (email, Twitter, Facebook, completing work for other classes, etc.). Two caveats: 1) I expect you to turn off all devices during media screenings, and 2) I expect you to refrain from using cellphones during class without permission.
Assignments
- Read. All readings should be completed by the date listed on the syllabus.
- Watch. Screenings will be held in class as noted in the schedule. You are expected to attend all screenings, and you must acquire/view the content on your own if you are absent (most are available through streaming or rental services such as Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes).
- Submit. In-class assignments/quizzes cannot be completed late; no exceptions. Make-up exams are only offered with a legitimate/documented excuse (submitted at least one week in advance) or in the case of a documented, health-related emergency. Any written/typed assignments will include format guidelines and should be submitted on Blackboard before class begins (9:50am) on the day that they are due. Late submissions are lowered 10% (or 1 letter grade) per day.
- On Excuses. I am unable to ascertain the legitimacy of most justifications students provide for missing class or assignment/exam deadlines. To prevent penalties associated with absences or late submissions, assume: your computer will crash, get a virus, or explode; your USB key drive will be erased or eaten by the dog; your e-mail attachments will become inaccessible because Google discontinues G-Mail; you forget to upload your assignment to Blackboard; you did not know Information Technology Services provides assistance with Blackboard; you cannot provide a hardcopy assignment because every possible printer inkwell runs dry; your car will break down, the bus skips your stop, the train derails, or your eco-friendly car-pool group decides to drive their own cars to campus; any number of people meet their tragic, untimely death(s); and, finally, assume that you might be hung-over, sleep in, or otherwise miss class. Class will continue and deadlines will arrive regardless of any excuses you offer—real or imaginative. So, be prepared to arrive to campus early, finish and submit assignments early, or something of these sorts. This way, you can devote more time to punctual arrivals and can avoid wasting your creativity on excuses for the inability to meet assignment deadlines—for whatever reason.