Workload and Submission Policies:
Rhetorical Arts at Loyola Marymount University is a reading and writing intensive course that provides interdisciplinary instruction in composition, communication, and information literacy. In addition to regular scheduled class time, students should expect a minimum of six hours of out‐of class work each week. This work may take the form of reading assigned texts, researching topics for writing, drafting written work, practicing speeches, contributing to group projects, and blogging, tweeting and other activities.
Work will be submitted on paper (when appropriate) in class and by email before class on the day it’s due. Late work will not be accepted. A missing assignment earns an F, severely impacting your final grade in this class and your chances of passing.
Attendance
Students are allowed 3 absences per semester for any reason. Each absence after 3 will lower a student’s grade by 1/3. Once a student has acquired 6 absences he/she will fail the course. Late arrivals and early departures will negatively impact a student’s grade for participation.
Expectations for Student Conduct:
Students are expected to represent themselves in a professional and respectful way in all interactions with their peers and their professor. A student’s conduct in and out of the classroom should be consistent with LMU’s Community Standards: http://www.lmu.edu/Assets/Student+Affairs+Division/Judicial+Affairs/Community+Standards+booklet.pdf. Insults or hateful language on the social media will be treated the same way as if you had yelled them out in class: as serious verbal abuse.
Technology in the Classroom:
While this course embraces technology and will explore its potential as a source of community activism, technology also brings with it pitfalls and temptations. You are welcome to bring your laptop to class and use it appropriately for taking notes and checking course-related information. However, I strongly urge you to turn off your email, Facebook, instant messaging programs, etcetera during class time. It is easy for your laptop to become a distraction to you and to those around you — please don’t let that happen. Inappropriate uses will be noted and will affect your participation grade. By the same token, please leave your mobile phone off and keep it put away during class. If you have an emergency and must leave your phone on to take a call or text, please let me know before that class begins.
It is the student’s responsibility to be available for e-mail communication via lion.lmu.edu address. Students should check their LMU email accounts regularly.
Academic Honesty: Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that can range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible to turn in any work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including Internet) without properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “LMU Honor Code and Process” which appears in the LMU Bulletin (see
http://bulletin.lmu.edu). Any instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Administrative Director of the University Core Curriculum and to the respective Dean of the student’s College.
Special Accommodations: Students with special needs who require reasonable modifications, special assistance or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to the Disability Support Services (DSS) Office. Any student who currently has a documented disability (ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning, Physical, or Psychiatric) needing academic accommodations should contact the DSS Office (Daum Hall 2nd floor, 310-338-4216) as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit www.lmu.edu/dss for additional information.
Emergency Preparedness: To report an emergency or suspicious activity, contact the LMU Department of Public Safety by phone (x222 or 310-338-2893) or at the nearest emergency call box. In the event of an evacuation, follow the evacuation signage throughout the building to the designated safe refuge area where you will receive further instruction from Public Safety or a Building Captain. For more safety information and preparedness tips, visit http://www.lmu.edu/emergency.
Tentative Nature of the Syllabus: This syllabus and its contents are subject to revision; students are responsible for any changes or modifications distributed in class, posted on the course website, or communicated via the student’s lion.lmu.edu email. Readings and assignment details are subject to change. Updates will be shared in class, on Twitter, and at the course blog; the online schedule will always be the most up to date. Note that readings and online tasks must be completed before the class date listed. Assignments must be turned in via email (in .pages, .doc, or .docx format) before class AND brought in hard copy to class, unless I tell you otherwise.
How to contact me: The most effective way to contact me outside of class and office hours is through email. When you do, put RHET in the subject line so I know the email is about the course. Use a friendly yet formal email style, starting your mail with “Dear” or “Hi,” and including enough information about your question or needs that I can answer you effectively. You should get a reply to me within 24 hours. If you don’t, assume I didn’t get your email and send it again.