Course Policies

On this page you will find my general expectations for your conduct in this course as well as information about the University’s academic integrity policy. In the drop-down menu under “Policies” and via the below hyperlinks, you can access additional information regarding the course policies on:

Academic Integrity

Attendance

Assignments

Doing the Readings

Food and Technology

Grading

Office Hours

Other Resources

Workload Expectations

My Expectations

I ask that you bring your best self–your most open, inquisitive, respectful, honest, attentive, and prepared self–to each class. What I am asking is deceptively simple, and at times we as a class or as individuals will not accomplish this goal. Even so, we must strive to bring our best self to every part of this class, and I hope, our lives.

When you struggle to bring your best self, the most important thing to do is to be honest, humble, and clear with yourself, the instructor, groupmates, and other relevant parties. Below is a list of tips for possible (but not all) situations in which bringing your best self might be especially challenging:

  • If at any point in time you and/or other members of your group have difficulty respectfully and/or effectively negotiating group dynamics, you should reach out to the instructor immediately. Reaching out to the instructor is not a form of tattling or snitching or “throwing folks under the bus.” Reaching out to the instructor early on is a way of helping not just you but everyone in your group figure out how to navigate the issues and work towards a productive and successful group experience. 
  • If ever you are unable to clearly and/or respectfully address some aspect of the class discussion (e.g. a particular comment or some part of a particular text) that you find difficult intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, or otherwise, please reach out to me via email or office hours.
  • If you find yourself falling behind in any assignments (including the readings), please contact me ASAP. The sooner you reach out, the more likely our ability to navigate the issue smoothly.
  • If you find yourself bored, confused, or overwhelmed at any point in the semester, please contact me.
  • If you are a student with a documented disability seeking reasonable accommodations in this course, please contact Kathy Duggan, (617) 552-8093, at the Connors Family Learning Center regarding learning disabilities, or Paulette Durrett, (617) 552-3470, in the Disability Services Office regarding all other types of disabilities.

Academic Integrity

Please familiarize yourself with the BC policy on academic integrity, which you can find at: www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/stserv/academic/univcat/undergrad_catalog/policies_procedures.html#integrity

  • What Constitutes Plagiarism?
    • According to the University Statement on Academic Integrity, “Plagiarism is the deliberate act of taking the words, ideas, data, illustrations, or statements of another person or source, and presenting them as one’s own.  Each student is responsible for learning and using proper methods of paraphrasing and footnoting, quotation, and other forms of citation, to ensure that the original author, speaker, illustrator, or source of the material used is clearly acknowledged.”  
    • Using a term-paper “service” counts as plagiarism, as does “borrowing” from a friend’s paper or online source without attribution.  If you plagiarize, you will automatically fail the course, and the consequences may be worse than that. When in doubt, cite! And if at any time you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, or how to cite a source, please ask me and/or consult the Academic Development Center in O’Neill (2nd floor).  Please also review the university statement at www.bc.edu/integrity.
  • Acceptable Assistance
    • Working with a Connors Learning Center tutor does not count as plagiarism and is recommended–as long as you acknowledge each session, along with the tutor’s name, on your paper. It is best to book sessions a week in advance of when you think you will need them (2-0611). Note: while you may use a tutor’s assistance to prepare for an exam, you may not consult with or in any way use the assistance of a tutor during any in class or take home examination.