During the semester, I will give points on essays as follows:

A+ 100%; A 95%; A- 92%; B+ 88%; B 85%; B- 82%; 

C+ 78%; C 75%; C- 72%; D+ 68%; D 65%; D- 62%; F 50%; NC 0%

Final grades are computed on the standard percentage basis:

     90% + = A; 80 - 89.9% = B; 70% - 79.9 % = C; 

60%-69.9% = D, 59.9% and below = F

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Weekly Assignments: 

• Your weekly assignments will be linked to the Weekly Activities page throughout the semester and must be completed in a timely manner. 

•  In an online class, activities are due throughout the week and often on the weekends.  However, when you complete the work is flexible as long as you meet the due dates.  For example, if you do not wish to work on the course during the weekend, you can do most activities earlier in the week and simply post them on the week day before the due date.

Submitting Work:

    IMPORTANT: I USE MICROSOFT WORD NOT MICROSOFT WORKS, AND NOT WORD PERFECT.  I CANNOT OPEN MICROSOFT WORKS OR WORD PERFECT FILES.  IF YOU ARE NOT USING MICROSOFT WORD, SAVE FILES IN "RICH TEXT FORMAT" BEFORE ATTACHING.  I CAN OPEN FILES SAVED IN RICH TEXT FORMAT.

• Submit both exploratory papers  and essays to the Digital Drop Box in Blackboard. Use the Send, not the Add button.  Also copy and paste your essay into an email to me.  This will prevent your essay being docked as "late" if I cannot open the attachment for some reason.  I understand that the double submission is tedious, but trust me, it will save us both a lot of problems.  For essays submit final drafts and Works Cited page, as well as the Peer Review Record.  I will check your peer review efforts on the discussion board.  

• Name the files as follows:
      Your last name and the assignment title.  
      For example, if your name is Justin Brown, and you are submitting Essay One,  you would name the file brownessay1.  If you are submitting Exploratory paper #1, you would name the file brownexploratory1.  

Essay Assignments 600 points:  

• Where are they?
  Each detailed essay assignment will be posted on the website under the Essays link on the menu bar to the left of most course web pages.  I also always link the assignments to the relevant Weekly Activities pages for your convenience.

• Works Cited page and peer review record:
  All essays require a Works Cited page.  There is a sample research essay in the text that shows what a Works Cited page looks like.  This will be at the end of the essay.
  Also, all essays must be accompanied by a peer review record.

• Include a word count:
  A word count will be included at the end of the last page of essays and exploratory papers and should not include the heading of your paper or the documentation.  Most word processing programs have a word count function under the Tools menu.  Just highlight the text of the essay and click on Tools and Word Count.  Then, type the number at the end of your paper. As stated in the Course Objectives, above, to pass this course, you will write 6500 words. If each essay and journal entry does not meet the word count, there will be a major grade penalty that may cause you to fail the course.

• Formatting:
  I reserve the right to return ungraded any essays that do not follow these formatting requirements.  Late penalties will then apply.

   All essays must include this heading in the upper left-hand corner:

  Your name
  English 1B
  Jeanne Guerin
  Name of assignment (i.e. Essay One)
  Due Date

  All essays must have numbered paragraphs

  Paragraph numbering is important.  Paragraphs should be numbered from beginning to end, P1, P2, P3, etc.  This system makes it much easier for me to comment on your essays and for you to read and understand my comments.  

  Although MLA standards DO NOT call for extra spaces between paragraphs, in my online classes, I ask students to create an extra space between paragraphs.

• You must submit all essays in order to pass the course.

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Exploratory Papers 100 points:

• The four exploratory papers (25 points each) give you an opportunity to explore ideas and to practice applying literary terms to the readings you will use for your essays.
• You will post the exploratory papers on a designated discussion forum, and comment on each others'.
• I will also comment on these papers.
• Include a word count
• These are a new experiment this semester--they replace the 10 journals I used to assign.  They also replace formal rough drafts.  Still I expect you to practice the kind of style I expect on the final drafts.  (See Tips for Writing Literary Analysis Essays)

Readings and discussion  (forums) 100 points

• With the exception of the Introductions Board, which is located at http://jeanne.com/intro.mv? all other boards are located on Blackboard at the Discussion Board link.  Don't be overwhelmed by the number of boards.  Each unit of the course includes several discussion assignments, and it's just easier to keep track of individual discussion assignments this way.
  

• Be prepared for discussion assignments by completing all readings on the dates they are due.  We will discuss readings on the discussion boards. This is where we will communicate ideas throughout the semester.  Your cumulative discussion score is 100 points.  You will be assessed by your active, reflective participation as well as the originality of your ideas.  Only entries that reflect critical engagement with the readings will receive passing grades, and only truly superior entries will receive the top grade. If you miss discussion assignments or do not post thoughtful entries and responses, these points will disappear quickly, and they cannot be made up.  
  

• Please note: Do your own thinking.  When I read your discussion entries,  I can almost always tell if a student has not read the readings, but instead has read the discussion board entries and has tried to write an entry based on the discussion posts of students who have done the reading.  
  

• Discussion board logistics are a challenge.  Unless otherwise directed, you should reply at least to the two entry(ies) above yours and  below yours.  If you are on the top of the current thread, you should reply to the two entry(ies) below yours and the two entry(ies) at the bottom of the board.  If you are at the bottom of the board, you should reply to the two entry(ies) below yours and the two entry(ies) at the top of the board.  The problems arise when students either post their initial entries late or begin replying too early.  To avoid this, there will be a deadline for the initial entries, AFTER which you may begin replying.  

• Expect to log on to the discussion boards several times per week. 

• Only discussion entries posted by the deadline will be counted.  Details will be furnished in the Weekly Assignments area of the site.

• Many of you may be accustomed to the informal communication style of discussion boards on the internet, and I DO want our class discussion boards to be a place where you feel comfortable exchanging ideas on the assigned topics.  Still, keep in mind that you are enrolled in a college English course; you will want to be aware of your audience and avoid using slang, unless you are sure all of your classmates--some of whom may not use English as their first language--and I will understand the slang term.  Always be polite.  Profanity is inappropriate, even if the readings include profanity. 

• I also expect you to aim for correctness in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and remember that the discussion boards can serve as areas where you can practice writing skills as you participate. 

• Depending on the assignment, you may wish to write your entry in a word processing program and then copy and paste onto the board.

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Email Guidelines:

• Make sure your email address is correctly listed on Blackboard, or you will be missing important information.  
• Always sign your emails.   Always put your name and the specific email topic in the "Subject" area of your email.  This helps me keep track of the individual emails I reply to.   For example: Subject:  Justin Brown--Essay One Final Draft.
• Also, please use a greeting at the beginning of your emails, even if it is just "Professor Guerin."  I'm very comfortable with you using my first name, Jeanne, but if you prefer formality, Ms. Guerin is okay too.  
• Please keep emails to me and to each other brief and polite.  Remember that the communication cues we depend upon in face to face interaction such as physical gestures, tone of voice, facial expression are missing in online communication.  Often misunderstandings arise.  Sometimes feelings get hurt.  Don't assume the worst.  If you feel offended by the content of an email, give yourself some time to cool off, and then politely ask the sender for clarification.
• My emails to you might be lengthy at times, depending on the subject matter. 

Late Paper Policy: 

• There will be a grade penalty of one full grade for each calendar day an essay draft is late.  

• You are responsible for keeping a copy of your essay.  

• Technology related excuses are tiresome and typically avoidable.  Save all your work for the course on a disk, and don't wait until the last minute to post to the discussion board.   

• Leave yourself time to complete your work in a campus computer lab or on an alternate computer.

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Plagiarism: 

• Unfortunately, plagiarism has become a growing problem in the last few years.   The Sierra  College English Department faculty is committed to rigorous pursuit of detecting this unethical practice and imposing disciplinary sanctions on students who plagiarize.  

•  I have purchased a subscription to a service that runs essays through a search system that will detect cases of plagiarism electronically, by running your essays through a scan of internet pages and print databases.  I use this service.   It works very well and, unfortunately, I have caught students plagiarizing in the recent past. 

• Plagiarism includes using the ideas your classmates rather than your own on the discussion board.

• If you plagiarize, you will receive a grade of F on the plagiarized assignment and will quite probably fail the course.

Peer Reviews:  

• Because reading and writing go hand in hand, most writers do not work in isolation.  Instead, they test the effectiveness and clarity of their writing by asking others to read drafts.  

• No writer wants to submit a final draft for evaluation before he or she has tested its readability. When others read our work, they can help us discover areas that need clarification, connection, analysis, or better supporting detail.  

• Our class will practice this method of pre-evaluation.  You will help each other along by reading and commenting on Exploratory papers.  

• For each essay, you will fill out and submit a peer review record that asks questions about the reviews you did for classmates as well as the  reviews that were done for you.
  
• I will assess  reviews on the by reading the entries on the workshop forums.  Unsubstantial reviews will lower your final grade.

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Class Participation and Etiquette:  

Participation is an essential aspect of the course. You will be expected to take part in discussion as well as peer evaluation workshops. Be prepared to share your voices in the discussion board assignments. I am very interested in hearing your perspective on the literature we read throughout the semester and do assess points for your participation.

I also expect you to be respectful of me and of each other.  Email flaming, profanity, solicitation, and general nastiness will not be tolerated in this class.  Though you may not see them, remember, real people with real feelings are reading what you write.

Red Alert: Take care to meet each course requirement.  In order to pass the course and to meet the  6,500 word requirement for English 1B, all assignments must be completed and submitted for grading. 

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