policies

accommodations

Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure that your needs are met in a timely manner with appropriate documentation.

attendance

Attendance at all class sessions is mandatory. If you will not be able to attend class, please contact me ahead of time.

deadlines

Assignments must be turned to the instructor no later than the end of class on the day they are due, or at some other specified time established by the professor. Late papers will not be accepted without prior arrangement. This includes technology problems.

cell phones and laptops

Please silence and put away your cell phones prior to class. Please do not text during class. Cell phones are not permitted in class, and need to be put away for the duration of our meetings. Laptops are allowed only for tasks related to this class. This does not include GroupMe or WhatsApp or other group messaging apps during class. Distracting use of technology (social media, surfing, etc.) causes problems not only for your own learning, but for those around you. Research shows that analog note-taking improves learning. Consider having paper with you. Based on the prevailing literature, hand note-taking– both while reading and in class– leads to substantially better educational outcomes. You are not required to have a laptop in class, so feel free to leave it at home. If, however, you have reason to use your laptop for note-taking, I won’t stop you from doing so.

drop-in hours

Students are strongly encouraged to speak with me outside of class.

Drop-In hours are my time set aside specifically for you. It’s very hard for students and professors to know each other in large classes like this. So, I set aside hours every week where we can meet one-on-one or in a small group to talk about any topic related to your studies, including questions about coursework, study skills, your experiences here at UTK, the future, the past, my areas of research, and more!

If you cannot come by during office hours, please contact me via email or phone and I will be happy to set up an appointment with you.

changes

I reserve the write to change this syllabus as the semester progresses. This is not a contract, but rather a document to guide expectations and clearly communicate weekly assignments. Please bring the syllabus with you to our class meetings. Or, keep up with it on the course website.