Course Policies
(please read them all)

ATTENDANCE: Because this course covers several hundred years in just one semester (and jumps around a great deal while we are covering those centuries), attendance is absolutely necessary if you want to keep up and grasp the essential points that I am making.  As a result, attendance is a requirement of this course. A significant portion of your grade is predicated on your participation in the discussions that take place in class (or on-line) and so if you are not in class you cannot participate. As a result, I count attendance into your grade for participation.

ADA:Any student who requires special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me to make necessary accommodations (before October 1 please). Students should present appropriate verification from Disabled Student Services, Dean of Students Office.

MEDICAL AND OTHER EXCUSES: Every semester someone is forced to miss either an examination or the due date for an assignment either as the result of an illness or a family emergency. If you find yourself in this situation, fairness to all students in the class requires the proper documentation, without which your excuses will not be accepted. If you need to know more about this process consult me as soon as the emergency is taken care of.

PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING: In my courses all students are responsible for adhering to a certain standard of behavior when it comes to honesty and plagiarism. I expect each individual to adhere to these standards so that every member of the class knows that his or her work is being held to an equal standard. If one student cheats, all students in the class suffer. Even worse, however, is the fact that the student who cheats is hurting him or herself. When you are cheating, you are not learning and the reason you are here is to learn.

In addition to my own high expectations when it comes to academic honesty, the University also expects students to demonstrate a high code of personal honor when it comes to academic work. Please read the Texas Tech University Catalogue, p. 71, if you have any questions about what is expected of you in this regard. Penalties for academic dishonesty are severe. If I have reason to believe you have cheated or plagiarized another person's work, I will discuss this matter with you. If our discussion does not result in proof that no cheating or plagiarism has occurred, you will receive a failing grade for that assignment or examination. If you have any questions about these policies, please come talk to me in my office.

FOOD, DRINK, TOBACCO: In my classes drink is permitted, but food and tobacco products of all kinds are prohibited. If you must chew, whether food or tobacco, do it before you arrive or after you leave.