Please be respectful of everyone in class by:

• Participating in discussions
• Coming to class ready to talk about the assigned readings
• Turning your cell phone off or to vibrate
• Arriving in class on time
• Avoiding distractions of the web during class (email, texting, IM, Facebook, etc.)
• Eating and drinking outside the classroom

Students with disabilities may be eligible for a reasonable accommodation to enable them to participate fully in courses at Baruch. If you feel you may be in need of an accommodation, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at (646) 312 4590.

I fully support Baruch College's policy on Academic Honesty, which states, in part:

Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college's educational mission and the students' personal and intellectual growth. Baruch students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned.

Unless I specifically ask you to collaborate with another member of the class, you should complete each class assignment on your own.

Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the assignment to an F in this course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students. Additional information and definitions can be found on the college website.

Much of what you will learn in this class will take place in classroom discussion and hands-on activities in the classroom. Attendance and class participation therefore count for 25% of your grade (attendance is 12.5% and participation is 12.5%). Speaking up in class (which includes asking pertinent questions as much as answering questions or voicing your insights) is absolutely essential to learning as well as part of how you will be assessed in each class session.  

Through January 30, I will take attendance at 2:50 pm; if you come after 2:50 pm, you will be marked as late and will receive fewer points for participation that day. After January 30, I will take attendance at 2:30 pm; anyone coming in late will lose participation points. Excessive lateness will lead to a significantly lower final grade.

You are expected to attend every class session. You are allowed only two absences for any reason as long as you notify me before the absence; points for attendance and participation will not be taken off as long as I am notified in advance. You can notify me in advance of your absence in any of these ways:

• Speaking to me before or after class
• Calling me or leaving me a voice mail message: 646-312-1620
• Emailing me: stephen.francoeur@baruch.cuny.edu or stephen.francoeur@gmail.com

If you do not notify me in advance, you will not receive any attendance or participation points regardless of the reason. You may be dropped from the class if you have four or more absences.