U.S. History to 1877

Announcements. I will on occasion make important announcements in class, which I will then post on the course blog.  If you miss class, it is your responsibility to check the blog for any announcements and bring any questions to my attention.

Email. I plan to respond to emails only twice a day (once in the morning and once in the afternoon), Monday-Saturday.  I may respond at other times, but it is your responsibility to avoid placing yourself in urgent situations that necessitate quick responses by keeping abreast of course requirements.  Never assume I received your email unless you receive my reply.

Assignment Submissions. Any assigned work submitted after the specified due date and time will incur a penalty of 10 percent (or 10 of 100 points) any time later in the day on the due date, with an additional 10 percent subtracted per subsequent day (including weekends and holidays).  It is your responsibility to inform me promptly of any development that necessitates your missing one of the exams.  Any make-up exam must be completed in consultation with me no more than 3 days after the specified exam time unless you can produce documentation stating why you need longer.

Attendance. If you anticipate being unable to be in class consistently, you should withdraw from the course.  I will take account of absences and may deduct 1/3 of a letter grade from your final average if you accumulate more than three unexcused absences.  Excused absences require notice via email or phone prior to the start of class (pending my approval) or appropriate written documentation thereafter (again, pending my approval).  Note that this policy does not require you to attend when you are ill.  If you are ill, I strongly urge you to stay at home until 24 hours after fever or other major symptoms subside.

Student Conduct. Unacceptable conduct includes but is not limited to: disruptive talking or noisemaking, arriving late or leaving early without appropriate notice, intimidating or threatening anyone in the classroom, sleeping, using personal electronic devices, doing other assignments, and “surfing” the Web during class time.

Academic Integrity. Using someone else’s ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness, is a serious offense known as plagiarism.  “Ideas or phrasing” includes written or spoken material ranging from whole papers and paragraphs to sentences and phrases.  “Someone else” can mean a professional source, such as a published writer or critic in a book, magazine, encyclopedia, or journal; an electronic resource such as material we discover on the Web; another student at CSU or elsewhere; and a paper-writing “service” (online or otherwise) which offers to sell written papers for a fee.  Source: Capitol Community College’s guide to plagiarism (based on the MLA style).  I will assign a grade of “0” on any plagiarized work and reserve the right to notify the University according to University procedures.

Writing Assistance. The Department of History offers a History Tutoring Center where you may seek assistance in preparing written work.  The Center is located in RT 1913, and may reached at (216) 687-3921.

Student Disabilities. If you have a disability, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of Disability Services at (216) 687-2015.  The Office is located in MC 147.  Accommodations need to be requested in advance and will not be granted retroactively.