The instructor will contact you within the first few weeks of classes to warn students whose classroom performance is unsatisfactory. An unsatisfactory mid-semester report will also be submitted for anyone with a grade of a D or below on work completed at that time. Writing assignments (except for blogging) will be marked down a full letter grade for each day they are late and will not be accepted after 48 hours. Students must produce a medical note to reschedule any presentations. Below is the grade breakdown:
- Class Participation–20%
- Class Preparedness–10%
- Class Discussion Facilitation–10%
- Virginia Digital Project–30%
- Research Proposal–10%
- Informal Presentation–20%
- Final Presentation–20%
- Final Website–50%
- Final Essay–30%
Grading Rationale:
Academic performance is rated according to the following system:
A 4.00 quality points—Excellent
A- 3.70 quality points
B+ 3.30 quality points
B 3.00 quality points—Commendable
B- 2.70 quality points
C+ 2.30 quality points
C 2.00 quality points—Acceptable
C- 1.70 quality points
D+ 1.30 quality points
D 1.00 quality points—Marginal
F 0.00 quality points—Failure
Honor Code: The instructor believes that the Honor Code is an essential, positive component of the Mary Washington experience. You should know that if you cheat or plagiarize in this class, you will be taken to the Honor Council. So, do not do it. On the other hand, I also believe that having friends or family read and comment on your writing can be extremely helpful and falls within the bounds of the Honor Code (assuming the writing itself remains yours). If you have questions about these issues, then you should talk to me as soon as possible.
AI Policy: Students can use generative AI programs (e.g. ChatGPT) to brainstorm for any assignments in this class. However, you should know that material generated by AI programs is often inaccurate, incomplete, and otherwise problematic.
AI generated content is also not your work. If you choose to include material generated by an AI program, then you need to submit the question(s) that you submitted to the software, a copy of the entire text that it created, and insert a citation into your writing acknowledging where you obtained the information. If you choose to use AI programs without following the above requirements, then I will send you to the Honor Council.
Accommodations: If a student receives services through the Office of Disability Resources and requires accommodations for this class, please make an appointment with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss one’s approved accommodation needs. Bring the accommodation letter with you to the appointment or email it to me (kmoon@umw.edu) directly. The instructor will hold any information the student shares in the strictest confidence unless the student gives the instructor permission to do otherwise. Accommodations will only go into effect after the student has submitted their letter and met with the faculty member to discuss it.
Title IX: Faculty at UMW are committed to supporting students and upholding the University’s Policy on Sexual and Gender Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence. Under this policy and Title IX, discrimination based on sex or gender is prohibited. If you experience an incident of sex or gender based discrimination, we encourage you to report it. While you may talk to me, please understand that as an employee of the University, I am required to report to UMW’s Title IX Coordinator what you share. If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, you may also seek assistance from the Talley Center or the Student Health Center. For additional resource, please contact UMW’s Title IX office.
Recordings: Students cannot make audio or video recordings of any course activity unless the student has an approved accommodation from the Office of Disability Resources permitting the recording of class meetings. In such cases, the accommodation letter must be presented to the instructor in advance of any recording being done and all students in the course will be notified whenever recording is taking place. Students who are permitted to record classes are not allowed to redistribute audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission is a violation of educational privacy law. This policy is consistent with UMW’s Policy on Recording Class and Distribution of Course Materials.