I am providing this list of responsibilities and expectations to students in all my courses. I have found that it is helpful to be clear about these matters at the beginning of a course in order to avoid misunderstandings later on. If you have any questions about any of these points, I'd be happy to talk with you.

Attendance: Regular attendance is expected of all students enrolled in this course. I realize that you may have to miss a class now and then for illness or other reasons; but if I notice a pattern of repeated unexcused absences, it will be taken into account in determining your grade in the course.

Arrivals and Departures: Please arrive on time for class. If you are repeatedly late, I will ask you to withdraw from the course. If you have to leave class early for any reason other than an emergency (i. e. sudden illness), please let me know in advance that you will be leaving. Otherwise, I expect everyone to stay for the full time of the class meeting.

Grading: I do not grade on a "curve." In other words, I don't set a predetermined percentage of certain grades to give. But I think it is fair to say that the average grade for my courses is in the "B/B+" range and that usually about 30-35% of grades are in the "A" range (A and A-). My view of grading reflects the following definitions from the College's "Articles of Government" (Article VII, Section 1):

A: "conspicuous excellence in every demand which can fairly be made by the course";

B: "excellence. . .in not all, but some of the following: organization, accuracy, originality, understanding, insight";

C: "satisfactory familiarity with the content of the course" and "ability to use this knowledge in a satisfactory manner";

D: "a passing grade."

Credit/Non-Credit: I welcome students to take my courses credit/non. I think this is an excellent way to explore new areas of learning and to reduce some of the academic pressures that students feel. However, I expect students who take my course credit/non to attend class regularly and to make a reasonable effort on the assignments. I have denied credit to students whom I have felt did not do minimally satisfactory work. If there is a choice between a final examination and a final paper in this course, credit/non students must take the final exam.

Reading Assignments: It is my expectation that students will do all of the assigned reading unless I explicitly mention in class that a particular reading is no longer required. All of the assigned reading is "fair game" for exams, even if a particular reading is not discussed in class, although it is fair to assume that readings that are both assigned and discussed are particularly important.

Late Papers: Papers or other assignments handed in after the due date will be penalized as specified on the assignment instructions.

Cell Phones: PLEASE BE SURE TO TURN THEM OFF BEFORE YOU COME TO CLASS.

Plagiarism: Avoid plagiarism in completing your assignments. Be sure that you are familiar with and understand College expectations and rules concerning the proper use of sources; for further information, see the Wellesley College Articles of Government, Book II, ARTICLE XII. VIOLATION OF ACADEMIC PRINCIPLE. The Wellesley College General Judiciary Handbook also has an extensive explanation of source acknowledgment and plagiarism. Please pay particular attention to proper versus improper paraphrasing of material that you consult--even when you cite the source. If you have any questions about how to note or utilize your sources, please see me. I highly recommend the following book: Writing with Sources by Gordon Harvey (Hackett, 1998). Copies are available in Clapp/Knapp. It is also on-line at: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~expos/sources/. You might consider buying a copy (it's only $3.95) since I think you would find it useful throughout your college career.

It is my policy first to discuss a suspected violation of the academic provisions of the Honor Code with the student and then, if I still believe a violation has occurred, to refer the matter to General Judiciary. I also reserve the right to ask for notes, drafts, or disks to be submitted as part of any assignment (so be sure to keep those materials even after you have handed in the paper) and to make use of plagiarism detection programs such as Turnitin.com if necessary.