CLONINGER: ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICIES Absences and Tardies Student absences during the semester are not expected to exceed the number of times the class meets in one week. (Example: For a 4-hour-credit class meeting twice a week, only two absences for the semester are excused. [For a 2-hour-credit class meeting once a week, only one absence for the half-semester is excused.]) Faculty cannot be placed in the position of determining which absences are excusable and which are not. Thus, the allotted absences are always excusable; the unallotted absences are always not excusable. No documentation for the allotted absences is required. No documentation for the unallotted absences will be accepted. (This includes surgeon's note, psychiatrist's note, mechanic's note, mortician's note, etc.) Students failing to attend the first day of class may be dropped from the class by the instructor. Tardiness is defined as being ten minutes late for class, or departing from class before it has been formally dismissed by the instructor. Two tardies are counted as one absence. These allotted absences are to accommodate routine illness, weddings, car trouble, etc. Doctor appointments, advisor conferences, trips to supply stores and labs, employment, etc., should not be scheduled to conflict with class. Using the allotted absences is considered average. All students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. Prolonged illness will require the student to withdraw from class. Notification of Attendance Problems Students whose attendance exceeds the allotted number of absences may receive written and/or verbal warning. It is advised that students also maintain a record of their absences. An absence or tardy accrued following what is allowed will result in the following: -- 1-3 absences OVER the allotted number of allowed absences will lower student's overall grade by -.1 to -.3 respectively (out of 4.0). [In the case of a 2-hour credit class, 1 absence OVER the allotted number of allowed absences will lower the student's overall grade by -.2 (out of 4.0).] -- At the 4th absence OVER the allotted number of allowed absences, the student will be dropped from the class. [In the case of two-hour-credit classes, at the 2nd absence OVER the allotted number of allowed absences, the student will be dropped from the class.] (If this happens before the official withdrawal deadline, the student's transcript will carry the word WITHDRAWAL. If it happens after the withdrawal deadline, the student will receive an F.) Preparation for and Behavior during Class Students are to be prepared at the start of each class with assigned work and supplies. Students who do not participate in class critiques or individual discussions with faculty when scheduled to do so should not expect private critiques with faculty at a later date. Many of the courses I teach require you to be actively online and on your computer during class. However, many activities during class will require you to be explicitly offline and off your computer during class. These activities include mockup and prototype critiques. I will often tell you to turn off your monitors during these non-computer-related activities so that you may direct your full attention to the critiques. It should go without saying, but just to be absolutely clear: you should never be working on projects for other classes during our class; you should never be online doing non-class related activities during our class; you should rarely if ever be on your smart phone during our class. Such activities are discourteous and unprofessional; They will adversely affect your final grade. Obtaining Missed Homework Students who miss lectures and class discussions due to absences must obtain notes for the classes missed and assignments from a responsible classmate prior to the next class period (get a classmate's email address). While faculty will be happy to clarify information for students who are confused, instructors cannot repeat lectures or elaborate on project descriptions on an individual basis. Students should make every attempt to obtain general information from classmates before discussing details with faculty. Eating in the Computer Labs Don't eat or drink in the computer labs, other than drinking water from a container with a lid. Grading Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Major assignments that are overdue but turned in within 24 hours will be deducted a full letter grade for lateness. An additional letter grade will be deducted per additional day late. This policy includes weekends, holidays, snow days, etc. A grade of A+, A, and A- is excellent. A grade of B+, B, and B- is above average. A grade of C+, C, and C- is average. A grade of D+, D, and D- is below average. A grade of F is failing. A grade of 0 indicates failure to complete the assignment. Regarding Academic Dishonestly Don't cheat or plagiarize. Don't help other people cheat or plagiarize. If you do, you could get an F for the entire course. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities University of North Carolina Asheville is committed to making courses accessible to people with documented disabilities. Students requiring reasonable accommodations must register with the Office of Accessibility by providing supporting documentation. All information provided will remain confidential. For more information please contact the Office of Accessibility at (828)232-5050 or academicaccess@unca.edu, visit them in the OneStop Student Services Center or at their website https://oaa.unca.edu/. Useful Information about My Own Autism I am autistic (technically, Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD], Level 1). My particular flavor of autism affects my teaching in all sorts of ways, but the following three ways benefit from some clarification >> 1) I have difficulty recognizing faces (prosopagnosia), which makes it difficult to connect names with faces. If I call on you by name without making immediate eye contact, please just begin answering. If I ask you to remind me of your name, please be patient with me. I will have a detailed, nuanced relationship with your projects and your papers; but you may have to remind me which project or paper is yours. It's not you; it's me. 2)I have difficulty making direct eye contact while I'm talking. Often, if I look you directly in the eyes while talking to you, I will badly lose my train of thought. 3) At any given time, I may not have a clear idea of the emotions that my facial expressions seem to convey. Likewise, I may not have a clear idea of the emotions that my vocal tones seem to convey. The words I say contain the meanings I wish to convey, often very directly. I will rarely (if ever) be angry, disgusted, or disappointed with you. My goal is to cause learning to occur. If I'm doing things right, I will inevitably wind up challenging you; but never by intentionally dissing you or shaming you. That's not how I ever intend to roll.