SOME OF THIS INSTRUCTOR'S POLICIES
Instructor: Don C. Cathcart
e-mail: DCCATHCART@salisbury.edu
web: http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~dccathcart
Office: DH 136
Phone: (410)-677-5381 (If no answer, use e-mail as I seldom listen to my voice mail.)
Spring ‘08 Office Hours: 8:00 am - 9:00 am & 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm on Tues, Thurs; 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Wed. (Other hours by appointment.)
Attendence
It is expected that students will attend all class sessions and participate actively and constructively in class discussions and activities. The manner of instruction in this course is not strictly lecture format, and assumes active engagement on the part of students. The instructor hopes that each student will construct his/her own meanings and understandings from in-class activities and assignments. Class sessions and assignments are organized to assist students in developing new insights and connecting them with their previous learning. Broad concepts are presented in the context of examples and broken down into specific details and skills. Students are encouraged to ask questions, carry out experiments, create analogies, and formulate and articulate their own conjectures, generalizations and conclusions. Students who miss classes or do not participate in class by asking questions should not expect the instructor to re-teach concepts or provide tutoring during office hours.
Copies of notes, handouts, and in-class activities, may not be available to those missing classes. However, assignments, some handouts, and important announcements will be available to you via e-mail or the course web site. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the assigned due date. If you have a good reason for not turning in an assignment, state that fact in writing and give a note or send an e-mail to your instructor prior to the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Late assignments will not be accepted. A few missed classes, activities, quizzes, or assignments probably won't affect your grade. However, frequent absences will certainly lead to a lower grade. The concepts "excused absence" and "make-up test" do not apply in this course.
Decorum
Please do not wear a hat, use tobacco in any way, eat, or drink in the classroom. In general, conduct yourself in a manner consistent with proper classroom decorum. In particular, arrive on time prepared for productive participation, don't leave early, do pay attention, show respect and consideration for others, don't talk while your instructor or a fellow student is trying to communicate with the class, and turn off cell phones and pagers.
Web and E-Mail
Your student account on the campus Novel network must be activated as soon as you begin this class, and you will be expected to check your e-mail on a regular basis. (You may forward your e-mail from your student Novel Groupwise account to another e-mail account if you please.) Additional information about this class -- including assignments -- will be sent out on e-mail or posted on this courses' web site; so you should also use the resources available to you on the course web site. You may communicate with the instructor via e-mail. If you submit information or a request to the instructor via e-mail, print the instructor’s reply to your message and keep that reply as a receipt indicating your message was received.
Study Habits, Assignments, Preparation for the Course, and Course Notebook.
Each week, most students should spend a minimum of 4-6 hours out of class in preparation for a three-credit course (based on a 12 to 15 credit load and a 40 to 50 hour full time week). Expect homework assignments to take 3 to 5 hours to complete, and do not plan on doing the entire assignment at one sitting! You should carefully read for understanding the assigned sections in the text, and you should work all the assigned exercises - even those you are not asked to write up for evaluation. Keep all your written work related to this course (graded and non-graded exercises, class work, class notes, and tests) organized in a notebook. In those cases where answers or solutions are provided in the text, carefully check your work, and ask questions about any exercises you do not understand. In preparing your written work, carefully explain your thought process and provide justifications for your conjectures and conclusions. Identify the meanings of any variables you introduce. Clearly state your conclusions using complete sentences. In each case, be sure you have responded as expected to the challenge presented in the exercise. Neatness, correctness, and style will be considered in the evaluation of your papers. Although you are encouraged to work in small groups on your assignments, all work submitted under your name should represent your current understanding of the problems involved and should not be the copied work of another person.
Your instructor is available during office hours and other hours by
appointment. When you come to your
instructor for suggestions, help, or hints, bring your course notebook
containing your worked-out exercises and solution attempts with you.
Grading
Keep all graded assignments and tests that are returned to in your notebook
you so you may monitor your grade status in the course. Do not call or e-mail your instructor for
information concerning your final exam or final course grade. If you leave a
self-addressed, stamped postcard or envelope, your final exam score and course
grade will be sent to you. All discussions relative to grades, grading,
and significance of your grade status in this course must be conducted prior to
the last week of classes. Subsequent to the date of the final exam, if
you think your grade was calculated incorrectly, submit your case, along with
appropriate supporting evidence, in writing; and you will receive a
written response. All grade appeals
must be submitted within 30 days of the date grades are posted.
Remember that Friday, April 4 is the last day that you can withdraw from this class and receive a grade of "W."
Mark/Minimum Grade