Course Policies                       Campus Resources 

AI tools are wonderful and are changing the world!  You should learn to use them well! And you can use them for anything you'd like in this class.  

That being said: learning to use AI tools well requires you to double-check information, clean up stilted or pretentious or awkward language, and find your own citations, among other things. I personally find Chat GPT helpful for brainstorming, drafting, and proofreading.  But even when I start with AI, I have to do some of my own writing and most of my own editing to end up with work that meets my standards. And people who help design these programs are the first to say they are not research tools. I wouldn't recommend them for research.

You're all welcome to be open about how you use this resource, especially if you find something helpful or interesting. We're all here to learn and build new skills.  

Traditionally my attendance policy has been fairly standard: once you’ve missed class three times, I reserve the right to lower your final grade by one-third of a grade for each class that you miss (i.e. A- to B+).  If you miss six classes, then I reserve the right to assign you a failing grade. Covid clearly calls for something different. Once you’ve missed four classes or meetings I reserve the right to lower your final grade, as described above. But if you have reasons to miss multiple classes just send me an email, and we’ll develop a workable plan that is appropriate for your specific circumstances.

Email is a good way to be in touch about simple things (i.e. asking a quick question or scheduling a meeting).  But if you would like to discuss a more serious matter (i.e. paper drafts, grades, or accommodations), please come to office hours or email to schedule a “face-to-face” meeting over Zoom. I do not consistently respond to emails after 5 PM or on the weekends, so please keep this in mind. This probably goes without saying, but you should check your email regularly for course updates.

This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than what appears on the class roster, please advise me. If we are online please make sure your Zoom name tag lists the name you would like to be called, and, if you like, your correct pronouns. I will do my very best to learn all of your names as quickly as possible, and I would be grateful for both your corrections and your patience.  

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Please also feel very encouraged to correct me if I am mispronouncing your name!

You’re always welcome to stop in to ask questions, to work through ideas, or to explore your interests.  My office hours are on Wednesdays from 2-4.

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I’ll add additional office hours during busy times in the semester, like before papers and projects are due. You’ll know when they are because in order to attend office hours you should sign up for a time slot. This is the best way for me to know when I need to make more time—and to keep people from having to wait in the Zoom waiting room for entirely too long. If you are unable to meet during office hours because of a reasonable conflict (i.e. class or lab), email me, and we’ll find a time to talk. And if you only need a few minutes, we can usually touch base after class.

The Honor Code applies to all of the work you do at Wake Forest. Do not cheat, and do not plagiarize!  Failure to document the words or ideas of others will result in a zero on the assignment—and, potentially, an “F” in the course. ZSR Library offers resources on this topic, and the English department recommends this plagiarism tutorial.  If you ever have questions, just ask before there’s a problem!   

Some of our course meetings—classes, small group discussions, and office hours—will happen here.

You’ll need a password, which I’ll provide on Canvas. I’ll also be using Zoom’s “waiting room” feature to provide us with an extra layer of security, so at the start of class I’ll let everyone in. If for some reason you leave our conversation in the middle of class (usually when a wifi connection drops) and I don’t see you to let you back in, please ask one of the people you exchange contact info with on the first day to let me know.

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Students are not permitted to make recordings of our class sessions. You can read the entirety of the Class Recording Policy here.

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Please have your camera on during our meetings when you have the bandwidth to do so. And please use your laptops instead of your cell phones. If there is a reason that you’d prefer to keep your camera off or that you need to temporarily use your phone and you didn’t raise it in your tech survey, feel free to email me. I am absolutely willing to make exceptions to this policy, but in general I think we'll have better conversations if people are on laptops with their cameras on.