Transcript COMM250 Introduction to Communication Inquiry

COMM250 Introduction to
Communication Inquiry
Syllabus, Resources,
Expectations, Regulations, and
Calendar of Class Activities
COMM250 Syllabus
• Location of Official Syllabus:
www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/250sy0111.html
• Contents
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Instructional Staff
Readings
Expectations
Regulations
Calendar of Class Activities
• This presentation does not summarize complete contents of the
COMM250 syllabus. Students are responsible for reading and
understanding all provisions of the COMM250 syllabus.
COMM250 Instructional Staff
• Instructor
Robert N. Gaines
Office: SKN 2106
Phone: 301.405.6526
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: MW 12:00-12:50pm
COMM250 Instructional Staff
• Graduate Teaching Assistants
Vanessa Boudewyns-Paquin (Make-Up Exam Proctor; Sect 0101, 0102, 0103)
Office: TLF 0125
Phone: 301.305.1639
Email: [email protected]
Hours: M 1:00-2:50p
Lindsey Fox (DSS Liaison; Sect 0104, 0105, 0106)
Office: SKN 0109
Phone: 301.405.0759
Email: [email protected]
Hours: MW 10:00-10:50a
Artesha Taylor (Sect 0107, 0108, 0109)
Office: SKN 0109
Phone: 301.405.0759
Email: [email protected]
Hours: MW 1:00-1:50p
COMM250 Readings
• Required readings for this course are available partly
through the University of Maryland Course Packet
Service and partly through Library Course Reserves.
 CPS readings are available through
www.dbs.umd.edu/webpackets/, where both electronic and hardcopy delivery options are available.
 LCR readings are available through Maryland's Enterprise
Learning Management System (elms.umd.edu). For help using
ELMS to obtain readings go to
www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/elmsinstr.html
COMM250 Expectations: General
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Attend class, closely study required readings, and prepare for exams
Read and understand all provisions of the course syllabus, with special
attention to class regulations, class schedule, and examination dates
Use electronic readings, lecture notes, and course review questions to
master course materials (username = COMM; password = )
Use class and office hours to ask questions about course
Come prepared for exams with #2 pencils and an effective eraser
Use ELMS to keep track of your grades on exams and set performance
goals
Keep your University directory email account maintained and check it often
for messages about COMM250
Participate in CourseEvalUM for this course
COMM250 Expectations: Classroom
Technology Etiquette
• Turn telephone ringers off during class sessions.
• Do not place or accept telephone calls or compose and send text
messages during class sessions.
• Use computers during class sessions only to take class notes and
conduct searches related to class proceedings.
• Computers and communication technology may not be used for
playing audio/video files, games, web surfing, reading, composing,
or sending email, and twittering.
• In general, computers and communication technology should never
be used in ways that distract the user or other students from course
proceedings.
COMM250 Regulations: Evaluation
(Grading)
• Course grades (CGr) are based on three exams: Intraterm Ex1 =
25%, Intraterm Ex2 = 25%, FinEx = 50%.
• Possible exam grades and numerical equivalents (NE): A+ = 4.3; A
= 4.0; A– = 3.7; B+ = 3.3; B = 3.0; B– = 2.7; C+ = 2.3; C = 2.0, C– =
1.7; D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0; D– = 0.7; F = 0.
• Course grade computation: (Ex1NE x .25) + (Ex2NE x .25) +
FinExNE x .50) = CGr
• Scale for CGr: A+ = 4.200 and above; A = 3.800–4.199; A– = 3.500–
3.799; B+ = 3.200–3.499; B = 2.800–3.199, B– = 2.500–2.799; C+ =
2.200–2.499; C = 1.800–2.199; C– = 1.500–1.799; D+ = 1.200–
1.499; D = 0.800–1.199; D– = 0.500–0.799, F = 0.499 and below.
• If you have a further questions about grading, consult the COMM250
syllabus and/or your teaching assistant.
COMM250 Regulations: Evaluation
(Non-Disclosure)
• The instructor of this course will not disclose student
educational records or other personally identifiable
information of any student except in compliance with the
Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(known as the Buckley Amendment) as implemented in
the University of Maryland Policy and Procedures on the
Disclosure of Student Educational Records (III-6.30(A)).
• Do not ask for disclosure without providing legally
required documentation of your wishes and contact
details of recipient (consult syllabus for details).
COMM250 Regulations: Normal
Attendance
• Students are expected to attend class regularly and promptly.
• Students cannot make up exams missed on account of absence
unless the absence is excused.
• Absence is excused only if it is caused by illness of the student, or
illness of a dependent as defined by Board of Regents policy on
family and medical leave; religious observance (where the nature
of the observance prevents the student from being present during
the class period); participation in university activities at the request
of University authorities; or compelling circumstance beyond the
student's control.
COMM250 Regulations: Attendance during
Inclement Weather or Emergency Conditions
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In inclement weather or other emergency conditions, UMCP will provide
information and direction for University community members at the following
address: http://www.umd.edu/emergencypreparedness
This course will meet if the University is open during the regularly scheduled
class time. If the University is closed during the regularly scheduled class
time, the course will not meet.
If a delayed opening or campus closure affects an examination, the
examination will be rescheduled during a class meeting when the University
is open.
During circumstances of inclement weather or other emergency conditions,
do not risk your life to attend this class. If prudence recommends nonattendance in class, even when an examination is scheduled, students
should claim excused absence based on circumstances beyond their
control.
COMM250 Regulations: Make-Up
Exams
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Students who wish to request a make-up examination in this course must do so using
the form entitled Request for Make-Up Examination or Assessment:
www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/mureqst.pdf.
Requests for make-up examinations must be submitted before or within five calendar
days of the student's return to school from the absence at stake in the request.
Make-up examination request forms must be submitted in the mailbox of the
COMM250 Make-Up Examination Proctor (Ms. Boudewyns-Paquin)
Where student requests for make-up examinations are approved, the formats of
make-up examinations may differ from those in regular examinations; however, the
make-up examinations will cover only the material for which the students were
originally responsible and will be at a comparable level of difficulty with the original
examination.
COMM250 Regulations: Examinations-Timing and Scope
• The intraterm examinations will be offered on
Wednesday, 23 February 2011, and Monday, 11 April
2011, during the regularly scheduled class periods. The
final examination will be offered on Saturday, 14 May
2011, during the regularly scheduled final examination
period (8:00-10:00 am). The dates of examinations will
not change except in emergency or extraordinary
circumstances.
• All examinations are cumulative. Examination items
will be drawn from readings and lectures/discussions.
COMM250 Regulations: Examinations-Procedure
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Students arriving late for an examination may not disrupt the examination.
Students must control of all personal property so that it does not assist or distract any person undertaking
the examination. In the case of telephones and other devices for creating visual images, "maintaining
control" means that the telephone or other device is not visible at any time in the classroom during the
session in which an examination is being administered.
Where seating arrangements are established by the proctor, students must conform to these
arrangements.
Students may not return to an examination room after leaving without advance permission from the
proctor.
Students must generally maintain silence during the examination period.
Students must place examination papers face down on the writing desk until the examination is started
by the proctor.
Students must keep examination papers flat on the writing desk at all times, insofar as possible.
Students must be prepared to show current University identification.
When students have finished work on an examination, they must remain seated until instructed to submit
their examination materials.
By the conclusion of the examination, each student must submit both his or her question list and his or
her answer sheet to the proctor. The student's name must be entered on both the question list and the
answer sheet.
COMM250 Regulations: Make-Up
Exams
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Students who wish to request a make-up examination in this course must do so using
the form entitled Request for Make-Up Examination or Assessment:
www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/mureqst.pdf.
Requests for make-up examinations must be submitted before or within five calendar
days of the student's return to school from the absence at stake in the request.
Make-up examination request forms must be submitted in the mailbox of the
COMM250 Make-Up Examination Proctor (Ms. Boudewyns-Paquin).
Where student requests for make-up examinations are approved, the formats of
make-up examinations may differ from those in regular examinations; however, the
make-up examinations will cover only the material for which the students were
originally responsible and will be at a comparable level of difficulty with the original
examination.
COMM250 Regulations: Exam Results
• Raw scores and letter grades on exams will be posted
on ELMS (for confidential consultation by students).
• Graded intraterm exams will be returned and questions
discussed in discussions sections on dates specified
in this course syllabus. These are the only dates on
which students will generally have the opportunity to
receive (a) feedback on individual items in intraterm
exams and (b) commentary regarding right and wrong
answers to items in the intraterm exams.
COMM250 Regulations: Exam Return
Make-up
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Students absent on a day of examination return and discussion may request
a make-up.
The procedure for requesting a make-up examination return is similar to the
procedure for requesting a make-up examination.
 Students must demonstrate that their absence from examination return was due
to excused absence.
 The means for such demonstration will be submission of the form entitled
Request for Make-Up Examination Return and Discussion:
www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/retreqst.pdf.
 Requests for make-up examination return must be submitted within five calendar
days of the student's return to school from the absence at stake in the request.
 Make-up examination return and discussion forms must be submitted in the
mailbox of your discussion section TA.
 Successful requests will result in a special intraterm exam return at a time
convenient to the student and your discussion section TA.
COMM250 Regulations: Academic
Integrity
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It is expected that each student will behave honorably throughout this
course. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating
academic dishonesty, and plagiarism, will not be tolerated.
During examinations the use of external assistance of any sort, e.g., books,
notes, and conversations, is strictly forbidden, unless students are informed
otherwise in advance by the instructor.
Honor Pledge. The University of Maryland, College Park, has established
the following Honor Pledge for use in all University classes: "I pledge on my
honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment/examination." In this course you will have the opportunity to
assert your compliance with the Honor Pledge in an un-graded multiplechoice question at the end of each examination.
COMM250 Regulations:
Incompletes
• In this course, the grade of "I" will be granted
only to a student who meets both of the following
criteria:
 (1) the student has satisfactorily completed a major
portion of the work of the course and
 (2) the student has been unable to complete some
small portion of the work of the course because of
illness or other circumstances beyond the student's
control.
COMM250 Regulations: Appropriate
Behavior
• During class, students should omit behaviors that are disruptive,
distractive, or discourteous to others, including
 Moving about the classroom
 Interfering with another student’s person, property, or seat
 Openly disregarding class activities or communicating with anyone in
any medium apart from class purposes
 Obstructing class with irrelevant or stale questions or comments
 Arriving in class more than ten minutes late or departing early
• Any student behavior, which--in the judgment of the instructor-requires correction or intervention during a class session will be
considered a disruption of class. Student disruption of classes is a
disciplinary offense, prohibited by Part 9(m) the Code of Student
Conduct.
COMM250 Regulations: Recording, Transmission, and
Reproduction of Lectures and Course Materials
• Unauthorized recording, transmission, or reproduction of class
lectures and course materials (including class notes, power point
presentations, outlines, review questions, examination items, and
similar materials) through any means or medium is an infringement
of federal copyright law. Students are permitted to take notes of
lectures and to employ course materials for their personal academic
use in this course. However students are not authorized to record,
transmit, or reproduce class lectures or course materials or make
any commercial use of them without prior and express written
consent from the instructor.
COMM250 Regulations: Academic Assignments
and Religious Observances
• Within this course, students will not be penalized
in any way for participation in religious
observances. Students will be allowed to make
up academic assignments that are missed due
to such absences. It is the student's
responsibility to make arrangements with the
Make-Up Examination Proctor regarding makeup examinations.
COMM250 Regulations: Documented
Disabilities
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Students who have documented disabilities and who wish to discuss
academic accommodations within this course should contact the
instructor before or as soon as possible after the beginning of the
course.
Students seeking testing accommodations to be supervised by the
Disability Support Services Testing Office must submit a DSS Test
Authorization Form at least five business days in advance of the
examination for which accommodations are requested.
 DSS Test Authorization Forms must be submitted in the mailbox of the
COMM250 DSS Liaison (Ms. Fox).
 Only in cases of legal necessity, emergency, or extraordinary circumstances
will a DSS Test Authorization Form be approved which requests that DSS
administer an examination on a date prior to the date on which the regular
examination is scheduled in class.
Continuation/Completion of Course in Case of an
Emergency that will Close the University for an Extended
Period
• If the University closes for an extended period due to an emergency,
but it does not cancel courses for the semester, and its internet and
other electronic services are not significantly disrupted, then
students can continue/complete their academic work in this course
consistent with the following plan.
 Students continue work on course assignments using all using online
readings, lecture notes, review questions.
 Students undertake examinations online according to calendar in the
course syllabus.
 Instructional staff will remain available for consultation through email.
• If all instructional staff are incapacitated by illness at the same time
for an extended period, the foregoing plan will be deployed, though
with revisions adapted to the circumstances.
COMM250: Calendar of Class Activities
• The calendar of class activities indicates reading
assignments due for each meeting of the course.
• The calendar of class activities also indicates
exam and exam return dates.
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Intraterm Ex1 = Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Ex1 Return = Friday, 4 March 2011
Intraterm Ex2 = Monday, 11 April 2011
Ex2 Return = Friday, 15 April 2011
Final Ex = Saturday, 14 May 2011