General ideas and philosophy
You...are in charge.
{General}
This is college. Teachers present material, and good ones interest
you in it and present it in easy-to-grasp ways. But students are the
ones in charge of learning. If you don't learn, it's your fault. Sorry,
but that's how it is. Ask questions, seek other sources, go to the
library, do more problems, surf the net, discuss the teaching style,
form study groups, tell me what I'm doing wrong, do whatever you need to do
to learn.
I care...as much as you do.
{General}
Judgement calls are part of my job. Say your grade is
on the borderline, or I'm trying to decide how much time I can afford
to help you out with a problem. The more effort you put in, and the
more you appear to care about your education, the more likely I am
to make these calls in your favor. Hard work and plugging away can
make a high D turn into a low C.
Suck up? No. But show that you care. Here is how I interpret
your actions, in general.
| Demonstrates caring | Shows indifference |
|---|---|
| Coming to class | Frequent absence |
| Turning in assignments | Missing deadlines (especially extensions) |
| Making arrangements | Making excuses |
| Questions that show you're involved | Questions I publish answers to |
Help...is only an e-mail or office visit away.
{General}
Need help? Ask. I won't think you're dumb. I think a big part
of my job is taking individual time to help specific students out when
they need it. This applies to class issues and (being both an advisor
and a listener) non-class issues as well. But I will not inject myself
into your life.
Grades...are earned, not given.
{General}
My breakdowns for how important each part of the course is are clear
and public. I try to make grading standards clear and public as well.
You're responsible for meeting those standards, and the grade that you
get is the grade that you've earned.
Collaboration...is not the same as getting answers.
{General}
A fine line exists between collaboration and cheating. It's good
to learn from other students, and it's okay to ask questions with one
proviso:
Don't ask what, ask how. Getting help is good; getting answers is not.Cheating...is your ticket to fast food. {General}
Written work...really means typed.
{Specific}
Paperless office? No, not yet. The computer has, however, made it
easy to produce legible, well-spelled, attractive documents. Use it. I
expect all work turned in to have been produced with a computer tool unless
I specifically say you can write it by hand. Not only that, but I expect
the quality of the writing and the presentation to be high.
Late work...is better than never.
{Specific}
Late work will receive partial credit; in general, losing 20% the first
day, 20% pro-rated over the first week, and 20% more over the second week.
These rules change at the end of the semester to "no late work will be
accepted." I'll tell you when.
Extensions...are not hard to get.
{Specific}
I used to be incredibly flexible about extensions. This policy
has caused a lot of grief in the past and my heart has hardened somewhat.
If you have a legitimate reason for not being able to turn work in on time,
I am willing to work with you.
| Here are my general categories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Legitimate reasons | Not much sympathy | Sorry, but no |
| Illness or family matters | Work or athletic commitments | Procrastination |
| Crushing course workload | Clubs and social activities | Lack of motivation |
| Test on due date! | My disk crashed! | My dog ate it! |
Incompletes...are for special circumstances only.
{Specific}
I also used to be incredibly flexible about incompletes. But they
don't work. They cause me a lot more work, and many students don't follow
through. I
will not give incompletes so that you can raise your grade --
even from an F to a D, or a D to a C. If you have a prolonged problem
during the semester that causes you to miss weeks, then we can talk.
Absence...hurts you in a number of ways.
{Specific}
I bet you thought I was going to say "makes the heart grow
fonder". Just call me Mr. Obvious.
Grade reasons first. These aren't primary, but they're important.
In many classes I teach, a small portion of the grade is attendance and/or
participation. If you're not there, kiss that portion goodbye. And in-class
assignments and quizzes can't be made up. Finally,
you'll find that I interpret frequent absences as not
caring about the class. That's a really stupid perception to create.
People who care get the benefit of the doubt. People who don't, don't.
Better reasons now. If you're absent, it tends to make a habit of
not showing up. That's a bad habit. Not only does it hurt your grade
(see above), but it sabotages your mission of learning. Generally my
lectures don't just repeat the book (and tell me if they seem to). I
also make binding administrative announcements, like deadline changes
and assignments, in class. Miss a day, miss a lot.
Excused absences are fine; if you're sick, send me an e-mail
(preferably before class).
Readings...prepare you for lectures.
{Specific}
Reading is good for you, unless you read in the dark, in which
case my mom always said you'll strain your eyes. Do assigned readings
before class on the date they are marked for. The readings give you
a foundation to attach a lecture to. I often give quizzes based on readings.
Extra credit...is not available the last week.
{Specific}
I give several small extra credit opportunities throughout the
semester. Normally they're meant to give you both extra tidbits of
learning and a chance to boost your grade.
Don't wait until the end. No extra credit will be
accepted or given the last week of the semester. If you wait until the
last week (or worse, after the final) and realize you need a point to
get [insert desired grade here], that's lame. The requirements for the
course are posted all semester. The time to ask is well before the end.
Grading...is both an art and a science.
{Specific}
Some kinds of grading are easy to measure. "Each question is
worth two points." "Every misnamed variable is a point off." Some,
however, are not. Guidelines are used ("comment well", "use appropriate
code", "naming is important") but an overall grade is assigned, not
unlike an essay. Normally the second sort comes back with a fair number
of teacher comments.
The first is easy to measure but less flexible. The second probably
generates more accurate grades -- especially because errors will tend to
cancel themselves out across multiple assignments -- but is open to charges
of subjectivity. I use both systems, and prefer the second. I like
giving comments; the purpose of doing assignments is only partially to
give grades and measure learning. The other part is providing a chance
to learn more, by finding out what you're doing right or wrong.
My grading scale is generally in line with the 10-point grading system, but may fluctuate slightly depending on how people are doing. Plusses and minuses have definitely flunked out. Having three times as many grades creates one thing: three times as many chances for a student to complain. I will give grades A, B, C, D, and F. If someone is close to the borderline but definitely on the wrong side, I will give a plus or minus if appropriate. So if you get a C-, it means "Wow, I almost got a D. Thank goodness I turned in all the assignments."
Grade disputes...come in two categories.
{Specific}
Individual assignments are an excellent place to improve your grades.
Point-chiselling is an ancient and honorable tradition, and you should take
advantage of it. If I mark a question incorrectly, or you think you deserve
credit for an answer I did not give credit for, I would love to hear from
you. Chances are, one or both of us will learn something, and you need to
learn to argue coherently and stick up for yourself. Be sure to raise the
question soon, though, as the statute of limitations on changing grades is
one week after they are posted.
Course grades are final when assigned. Once I post the grades at the
end of the semester, please don't ask me "I got an 88.4, and I think
I deserve an A-." Or "I got a 58, and I need a D to stay eligible." Your
grade is earned through your performance across the entire semester.
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