FAQ for Professor Watkins Composition I classes
Most of the questions you have about this class can be answered by navigating the class website: www.geocities.com/mycompprof. There you will find tons of helpful information including a class calendar, which has the due dates for major assignments and the reading schedule for the semester posted. You will also find links to each of the major writing assignments and to helpful sites for writers.
What if I have to miss a class?
Part of being a successful college student
simply involves showing up. Even the
most gifted of writers will not excel in this course with poor attendance. NOC instructors use
the administrative warn and drop system.
After three(3) absences, the I will issue a
warning and after six (6) accumulative absences, I may withdraw you from the
class. However, rather than dropping you
from the course, I may simply lower your total points for each absence beyond
your third. I will also reward those of
you with excellent attendance records.
An absence is an absence, whether the result of a doctor’s appointment
or oversleeping. You are absent if you arrive in class after I have taken roll.
With Your
total points earned will be
0-1 absences raised
three points
Absence #4 lowered
three points
5 or more absences lowered
two more points for each
I’m a quiet person. Do I have to
speak in class?
I believe you must play an active, rather than a passive, role in your education. Students are expected to participate in class. This participation includes promptness, politeness, and preparation. Please understand that class discussions are intended to inspire thought that precedes writing.
Because I firmly believe everyone can learn – and teach – by voicing ideas out loud, I will call on you, as often as possible, to speak in class. And because I still remember what it feels like to be called on, you will always have the option of saying “I pass.”
Can I leave my cell phone on?
Cell phones should be turned off and placed inside your backpacks – not placed on vibrate, but turned off – during class, unless permission has been given to you by the instructor due to a family emergency.
Can I get a drink? Can I use the restroom?
Students should be on time for each class meeting and remain in class until dismissed. If my kindergartner can make it 50 minutes without using the restroom, I have full confidence you can too. Exits for drinks, going to the bathroom, meeting roommates, reading newspapers, listening to Ipods, text messaging and other such behaviors are NOT acceptable. If you have a medical situation, please let me know and supply the proper documentation.
Since I submitted my
paper electronically, do I still need to bring a copy to class?
All major writing assignments will be submitted to
turnitin.com. We will walk through this
process together in the computer lab before the first essay is due. In addition to submitting your work
electronically, you will also bring a hard copy of the essay to class on the
day it is due.
What if I can’t meet
the deadline for an assignment?
I do not accept late daily work (ex: outlines, drafts,
quizzes, in-class writings). For a major
writing assignment, you will lose one letter grade per calendar day, NOT per
class period. So, an essay due on Friday
but not turned in until Monday starts at a 70%. If students miss the midterm exam, they will
have until the next class period to complete the missed exam. After that, if the exam has not been
completed, a zero will be recorded.
Can I make up absences
in the tutoring lab or do an extra credit project?
No. Since this is not
a computer assisted instruction course, you cannot do in the tutoring lab what
we have done in class. No, you may not
make me a shiny poster in an attempt to compensate for inadequate papers. However, if I see you working hard to meet
the requirements (coming to class, meeting all your deadlines, etc), I may
allow you to revise an essay to earn back some of the points you missed.
How do I find our class ID and my
initial password for turnitin.com?
Class
ID_______________________
Initial
password______________________
Log-in_________________________
Password_______________________