Conversations About Writing: Eavesdropping, Inkshedding, and Joining In.  E. Sargent and C. Paraskevas.  Nelson.

The Brief Penguin Handbook, Canadian Edition.  L. Fagley, R. Graves, H. Graves. Pearson Longman.

A good college dictionary of your choice.

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Policies

Language:
Correct use of language is one of the criteria included in the evaluation of all written assignments. Students are also expected to make an effort to use language correctly in all non-graded written materials that they submit, including e-mails and discussion posts to the instructor and to the class.

Plagiarism and Cheating:
University regulations on plagiarism and cheating will be strictly enforced.  These regulations can be found under Academic Offenses in the Calendar. You are held responsible for informing yourself about the definition and the penalties outlined in the Calendar. In addition, I will explain to you in class what constitutes plagiarism and cheating, but if you have any doubts at all, you are required to consult with me before handing in any assignment or excuse. Also, please note the definitions of "Misrepresentation"  including: "Misrepresenting or involving others in misrepresenting one’s personal circumstances in order to obtain special consideration in one’s academic work" (Calendar 39).  Excuses for absences or late assignments that cannot be verified will be reported as misrepresentations of circumstances with the intent to obtain special consideration, and penalties will be assigned.

Attendance:
Academic regulations of this university state "Regular attendance is expected of students at all classes ....It is the prerogative of the instructor to determine when a student’s scholastic standing in any course is being affected adversely by absence. The instructor then, in consultation with the appropriate dean, will determine whether or not the student should be dismissed from the course. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of any justifiable reason that causes an absence from class" (Calendar 33). It is very important that you read the complete regulations on Class Attendance in the Calendar. Students will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to notify the instructor if they cannot come to class. Students will be held responsible for knowing what discussion topics or assignments were announced in class, whether they attended the class or not. If students are going to miss only one or two classes, all that is required is a voice mail or e-mail message notifying the instructor in order to avoid any penalties for missed class assignments. If students will be missing more than two classes in a row, they will be expected to provide appropriate documentation such as a doctor’s note to verify their absence and to excuse them from receiving a grade of 0 for any class work given during the period of absence.

Deadlines:
Late assignments will have one grade level deducted for every 24-hour period beyond the deadline. In other words, if an assignment is due on November 15 at 10:30 a.m. and it is handed in on November 15 at 5 p.m., the essay will have one grade level deducted from its mark; for example, an A- would turn into a B+, a B+ would turn into a B, and so on. Weekends will count the same as weekdays. Students who are not handing in assignments directly to me in class must ask a faculty member or secretary to sign their work and to include the date and time the assignment was brought in. Without this information, assignments will be considered to have been handed in whenever I happen to pick them up. Students who have a valid excuse for being late, which has been discussed with me before the deadline, and which is backed up if necessary by appropriate documentation such as a verifiable doctor’s note, will be exempted from the late penalty. In return for students meeting the assignment deadlines, the instructor will undertake to return all graded assignments within two weeks of receiving them. Any failure on the part of the instructor to meet this marking deadline will result in the postponement of the next assignment deadline. 

Workload:
Students should be aware that for every hour spent in class an average of two hours of preparation will be required outside of class. Please read Normal Course Load in the Calendar for a more complete explanation of the amount of outside preparation required on a sustained basis in a university course.

Consultations:
I will be pleased to discuss with students any concerns or ideas about the course work and to go over rough drafts of assignments or to review graded work, either during my posted office hours on a drop-in basis or at other specific times by previous appointment. I will also answer questions by e-mail or telephone, but I cannot guarantee immediate and 24-hour service – students should note that it may take up to two working days to receive an answer by e-mail or phone (although I usually am able to respond faster than that).

Cell phones, laptops, ipods, and other equipment:
All phones and and other electronic equipment must be adjusted so that they will not make any noise during class time. No recording equipment is allowed in class except by prior permission of the instructor.  Laptops are not allowed in class unless the need for one is discussed with the instructor in advance of the class.

Class cancellations:
If a class has to be cancelled for reasons other than general university closure, a message will be sent to the class cancellation line as soon as possible: 457-6566. A cancellation notice will also be posted on the course Moodle site.

Privacy and Moodle
This course uses a Moodle site to supplement the work done in class and as a means of communication between the instructor and students.  Students should be aware that any instructor who uses a Moodle site can check statistics on each student's use of the site, such as when the student last logged on.