Course Policies
Personal Commitment to Equity in the Classroom
My teaching is committed to the principle that our community is richer when it includes a diverse range of individuals and their experiences. This course welcomes the presence, perspective, and experience of students of all races, genders, ethnicities, sexualities, abilities, ages, religious backgrounds, socio-economic classes, and national origins. Though our readings and discussions are intended to reflect a commitment to diversity, I’m always open to suggestions, and am interested in hearing your ideas for ways in which this course could be further improved for you or for other students or student groups. As a white-identifying and cis-gendered person, I am committed to recognizing the privilege of my positionality, and to a life-long journey of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something is said in class (by anyone) that makes you feel unwelcome, unseen, or at risk, please talk to me about it.
Late Work
I want you to be successful in this course. Each week (or most weeks) you will have some combination of the following: reading, discussion boards, and practice quizzes to complete. You will struggle on the exams and the homework if you put off studying or completing the coursework. So do your best to stay on schedule and on top of your course reading. However, I do understand that life happens, so please reach out if you fall behind.
Specifically, my policy is to accept late work within a section module up until the exam closes for that section. But please communicate with me about the situation so we can find ways of alleviating the root of the issue and get you back on schedule.
Attendance
This course has NO mandatory on-campus or Zoom meetings, however, I expect you to log in to the course on the first day of the class and to log in at least once a week thereafter. Students who fail to log in on the first day of the course risk being dropped from the course to make room for waitlisted students. If I do not hear from you and you miss an exam, you may be dropped as well. Please reach out!
Will you be dropped from the course?
I hope not! However, yes, students who fail to log in on the first day of the class or miss an exam (without contacting me) may be dropped. So please reach out if situations arise that prevent you from staying on top of these requirements. I will be flexible if you are accountable!
Please review the campus add/drop policyLinks to an external site.
NOTE: If you drop this class after the census date (see course calendar) you will receive a “W” on your transcript. Find out how to drop a courseLinks to an external site. All courses in which you earn a grade of “D”, “F”, “NP” and/or “W” are counted as “unsatisfactory” attempts to successfully complete the course. You are only allowed 3 attempts to repeat courses for which you receive an “unsatisfactory” grade. A “W” on your transcript will count as an “unsatisfactory” attempt to successfully complete the course
Make-up Exams
Again, I want you to be successful in this class and therefore, to make up exams you miss. If you miss an exam, you should contact me immediately with a full explanation as to why the exam was missed and a request for a make-up. However, I withhold the right to refuse a make-up.
Academic Honesty
Taking a research methods course can be difficult and stressful. Please understand that I am here to support you in any way I can. I believe you can achieve your academic goals. If you are struggling with learning the concepts in the course, please reach out to me before you decide to act dishonestly with the submission of your work. Some examples of dishonest actions:
- Sharing answers with another student to complete assignments or exams
- Submitting someone else files as your own
- Submitting either your assignments or another student’s files from a previous semester
- Helping someone or receiving help on an exam
- Getting someone else to take your exams
The plagiarism policy is one of most serious policies on the syllabus, and it’s because it concerns the integrity of your work. Plagiarism occurs whenever an individual uses (copies or paraphrases with very little alteration) the ideas or work of another person without giving that person credit. (This does not include certain common phrases.) Examples of plagiarism include:
- Submitting writing that has been wholly or partially completed by another person,
- Using ideas or language from a text without attributing them to the author,
- Copy-pasting any section of any text written by another person into your essay without the use of quotation marks,
- Or paraphrasing someone else’s words without giving that person credit.
In this course, you will learn the APA’s methods for appropriately incorporating and acknowledging the work of others in your writing through quotation and citation. If I suspect that the academic integrity policy has been violated, I will discuss the situation with you before determining a course of action. Often, honest misunderstandings or mistakes appear as academic dishonesty when that is not the case. After discussing the situation with you, if I determine that academic dishonesty did occur, I will follow the process in the Student Code of Conduct, which could include the student receiving a “0” for the assignment and will include a referral to the Office of the Vice President of Student Services and Support Programs. For more information, see the Student Code of Conduct in the General College Catalog.
Civility Requirements & Netiquette Suggestions
For the interactive portion of the course, it is important that you respect your classmates’ comments even if you disagree with their opinions; challenge the idea and not the person. Furthermore, in our discussions, please voice your opinions, yet be sensitive of others’ differences (race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.). Please be respectful of these differences and do not say things that could be hurtful to others. Here are some other netiquette suggestions to put into practice when posting to discussions online:
- Use respectful and appropriate language in your forum discussions.
- Emoticons are acceptable ways to show emotion.
- Avoid CAPS as they come across like YOU'RE SCREAMING.
- Read all forum posts.
- All messages are public, so be careful and courteous when you post.
- Make your posts thorough and your replies as well.
- Complete sentences and thoughts are mandatory for forum posts.
- Use a person's name when you reply to their post. (People really like this!)
Students with special needs or a disability
This course has been designed to be accessible to students with diverse learning needs. At Cuesta, we have the support of our Disabled Students Program & Services office (DSPS), a resource office that helps to make sure that students with diverse learning needs have the right tools to be successful in the classroom. A list of some services offered by DSPS Links to an external site.
If you think that you may qualify for assistance or accommodation, you can make a virtual appointment Links to an external site. to discuss your situation and needs with a DSPS counselor or contact the DSPS office at (805) 546-3148 or dspsinfo@cuesta.edu
I fully support the use of services and accommodations by student who need them! For students who wish to use their accommodations in this class, please complete the following step:
- If you qualify for services or accommodations that you would like to use in this class, make sure that I receive the electronic notification of your accommodations from DSPS Links to an external site.. (This usually takes the form of an electronic letter written by DSPS that you have the option to "send" if you decide you want to use accommodations in a particular class.)
Contact Expectations
You may email me at any time, I will respond as soon as possible (though please be advised that emails sent after 5pm may not reach me until the following day). Sometimes it may take me a full day to respond. Please allow for 48 hours before sending a follow up email. If you have questions about what we are doing each week, please consult the syllabus first. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! In addition to meeting with me in person, you are also welcome to schedule a one-on-one "office hours" conference with me any time over Zoom. When you’d like to schedule a meeting, first check my schedule on Student Connect (see our Canvas navigation) and if there is not a time that works for you there, send me an email and we’ll coordinate a time that works for both of us.
Authentication Policy
Authenticating student identity will be conducted through the use of the Learning Management System, Canvas. Canvas requires each student to log into the program using a secure login and password to access.
Regular and Effective Contact Policy
Regular and effective contact between the instructor and the students will be achieved by some of the following means: 1) Weekly online discussions with appropriate instructor participation; 2) Email, phone or messaging to individual students; 3) Weekly announcements to students; 4) Weekly constructive feedback on student work; 5) Instructor office hours will be available by individual appointment; and 6) Weekly Instructor prepared lectures.
General Campus Policies
Follow this link for General Campus Policies Links to an external site.(including: Withdrawal, Repeatability, Student Code of Conduct).
Cuesta Resources
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For quick access to pretty much all student information and resources designed to to support you in achieving your education, career preparation and personal development, visit the Student Services Hub The HUB also includes information about Cuesta activities and opportunities to connect virtually with students.
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Get information on virtual and in-person tutoring, check out these Tutoring SchedulesLinks to an external site.
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Get information on free, confidential, educational, mental and physical health care services, visit theStudent Health CenterLinks to an external site.
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Get information about Academic Success CoachesLinks to an external site. who support students individually and in small groups to develop strategies to become strong, independent, resource-aware learners who are well-prepared for the rigors of college.
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Students with a documented disability should get help arranging for accommodations to help them achieve their educational goals by contacting Disabled Student Programs & Services (DSPS)Links to an external site.
- If you are having difficulty accessing Canvas or any other technical difficulties, visit the Having Technical Issues? page for guidance