Course Policies

It is your responsibility to understand and follow all course and university policies. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Scheinfeldt. He will be happy to explain.

Website

This is the course website, which will be your main source for information about the course. At the top of the page you will find links to the syllabus/schedule (including readings for each class), course assessments (including how your final grade will be calculated), and course policies (including the late work and grading policies). Please make sure you visit the website regularly to stay abreast of any updates. It is your responsibility to keep up with any changes posted here. “I didn’t see it on the website!” is not an acceptable excuse.

Reading

You are responsible for all assigned readings. In addition to the readings appearing on the midterm and final exams, you will be expected to reference assigned readings in your classroom participation, debate arguments, and review essay. All of the sources for this course are freely available on the web or from the UConn library’s databases. If you have questions about the reading assignments or if you have trouble accessing sources online, please notify your instructors before the readings are due. We will not accept excuses for incomplete readings that are delivered to us after an assignment is due. If you have trouble finding anything at all, you can always ask a librarian.

Grading scale

All assignments for this course will be graded on a three-point scale. Outstanding work will be awarded three points. Average work will be awarded two points. Below average work will be awarded one point. Work that is incomplete will receive zero points in accordance with the late work policy below. Letter grades will be assigned at the end of the semester as a weighted average of your point totals on all course assignments according to the following scale:

[A] = 3
[B] = 2
[C] = 1
[F] = 0

Late work policy

Work turned in late will be assessed a penalty: one point if one day late and two points if 2-7 days late. Work more than seven days late will receive zero points. Extensions of up to three days may be granted, but only to students who contact Dr. Scheinfeldt or your teaching assistant several days in advance of a deadline—No extensions will be granted in the 48 hours before an assignment is due.

A note on technology: As much as technology makes life easier, at times it can also be difficult (computer crashes, deleted work, slow internet connection, etc.) Plan accordingly: “the computer ate my homework” or “the internet was down” are not acceptable reasons for missing a deadline or handing in incomplete work. It is in your best interest to leave extra time to ensure that technology does not get in the way of your work. See also, technical requirements and skills, below.

Writing Center

Assistance with writing assignments can be accessed through the Writing Center. The Writing Center is a welcoming space where students and tutors collaborate on writing projects. We believe all students are writers, and we invite them to bring in any type of writing—academic, civic, personal, and multimedia texts—at any stage in the composing process. Student-writers should arrive ready to engage with their own work while peer tutors ask questions, listen actively, respond to individual needs, and foster strategic revision. If you are struggling with your writing, please consider making an online appointment with the Writing Center.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Connecticut is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities and assuring that the learning environment is accessible.  If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. Students who require accommodations should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities, Wilbur Cross Building Room 204, (860) 486-2020 or http://csd.uconn.edu/.

Resources for Students Experiencing Distress

The University of Connecticut is committed to supporting students in their mental health, their psychological and social well-being, and their connection to their academic experience and overall wellness. The university believes that academic, personal, and professional development can flourish only when each member of our community is assured equitable access to mental health services. The university aims to make access to mental health attainable while fostering a community reflecting equity and diversity and understands that good mental health may lead to personal and professional growth, greater self-awareness, increased social engagement, enhanced academic success, and campus and community involvement. 

Students who feel they may benefit from speaking with a mental health professional can find support and resources through the Student Health and Wellness-Mental Health (SHaW-MH) office. Through SHaW-MH, students can make an appointment with a mental health professional and engage in confidential conversations or seek recommendations or referrals for any mental health or psychological concern. 

Mental health services are included as part of the university’s student health insurance plan and also partially funded through university fees. If you do not have UConn’s student health insurance plan, most major insurance plans are also accepted. Students can visit the Student Health and Wellness-Mental Health located in Storrs on the main campus in the Arjona Building, 4th Floor, or contact the office at (860) 486-4705, or https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/ for services or questions.

Accommodations for Illness or Extended Absences 

Please stay home if you are feeling ill and please go home if you are in class and start to feel ill.  If illness prevents you from attending class, it is your responsibility to notify your instructor as soon as possible. You do not need to disclose the nature of your illness, however, you will need to work with your instructor to determine how you will complete coursework during your absence.

If life circumstances are affecting your ability to focus on courses and your UConn experience, students can email the Dean of Students at dos@uconn.edu to request support.  Regional campus students should email the Student Services staff at their home campus to request support and faculty notification. 

COVID-19 Specific Information: People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and can include:

  • Fever, 
  • Cough,
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

Additional information including what to do if you test positive or you are informed through contract tracing that you were in contact with someone who tested positive, and answers to other important questions can be found here: https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/updates-events/coronavirus/

Student Responsibilities and Resources 

As a member of the University of Connecticut student community, you are held to certain standards and academic policies. In addition, there are numerous resources available to help you succeed in your academic work. Review these important standards, policies and resources, which include:

  • The Student Code
    • Academic Integrity
    • Resources on Avoiding Cheating and Plagiarism
  • Copyrighted Materials
  • Credit Hours and Workload
  • Netiquette and Communication
  • Adding or Dropping a Course
  • Academic Calendar
  • Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Inappropriate Romantic Relationships
  • Sexual Assault Reporting Policy

Technical Requirements and Privacy and Accessibility Information

The software/technical requirements for this course include:

For information on managing your privacy at the University of Connecticut, visit the University’s Privacy page.

Minimum Technical Skills

To be successful in this course, you will need the following technical skills:

  • Use electronic mail with attachments.
  • Use a web browser
  • Access commonly used commercial video streaming services.
  • Create and save files in commonly used word processing program formats.
  • Copy and paste text, graphics or hyperlinks.
  • Work within two or more browser windows simultaneously.
  • Open and access PDF files.
  • Operate a webcam and WebEx

In addition to these specific skills, University students are expected to demonstrate competency in Computer Technology. Explore the Computer Technology Competencies page for more information. 

Student Technology Training and Help

Technical and Academic Help provides a guide to technical and academic assistance for online and hybrid courses. Student technology training is now available in a new HuskyCT short course created by students for students. It will prepare you to use the IT systems and services that you will use throughout your time at UConn, whether learning online or on-campus.  It is available at https://lms.uconn.edu/ultra/courses/_80016_1/cl/outline.

Evaluation of Course Experience

Students will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on their course experience and instruction using the University’s standard procedures, which are administered by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE).

The University of Connecticut is dedicated to supporting and enhancing teaching effectiveness and student learning using a variety of methods. The Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) is just one tool used to help faculty enhance their teaching. The SET is used for both formative (self-improvement) and summative (evaluation) purposes.

Additional informal formative surveys and other feedback instruments may be administered within the course.