GROUND RULES

Please NOTE WELL the following points:

1. Attendance at lecture isn't required. I do recommend it, because much of what I talk about is not in the text or is only covered sparingly therein.
2. Beginning in Fall 2008, I'm asking that all laptops be out of sight during the lecture. I find them to be a distraction, for me and, as far as I know, also for many students. Those students accustomed to taking notes on their laptops can tape the lecture and transcribe it later at their convenience.
3. Attendance at the tests is entirely the student's responsibility. If there is any change in scheduling of an hour test, the student is responsible for knowing about that change.
4. Any student arriving for a test or for the final examination after the first paper has been turned in will not be allowed to take that test or examination and will be considered absent. (See below).
5. Any student absent from a test without a valid excuse will receive a grade of zero (0) on that test. In that case the student must take the final exam; it is no longer optional for him or her. (It is still possible for a student to pass the course even with a zero grade.)
6. The term "valid excuse" refers to a situation outside the student's control, such as illness, death in the immediate family, last-minute car or bus breakdown, etc., that causes the student to be absent from a test or final. The student's reason for being absent should be submitted to me by email as soon as possible and no later than the end of the term. Acceptance of an excuse as valid is at my sole discretion. If the student has another commitment at the same time as a test (e. g., a medical appointment or an out-of-town intercollegiate athletic event in which the student is a participant), I would like to be consulted in advance regarding the excuse. Please be advised that oversleeping is not a valid excuse.
7. There are no make-up hour tests. If a student has missed a test with a valid excuse, she or he simply takes the final, which is then no longer optional.
8. In those cases in which a student has missed the final exam with a valid excuse, the make-up final will not be the original multiple-choice test but at my discretion will be either an essay/short-answer exam or an oral exam. It is possible in such a situation that the final might be given after the end of the term and that the grade might not be turned in until after final course grades have been submitted. In that case it is necessary to follow a procedure mandated by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in order for the student to receive an I (incomplete) grade. This procedure includes the requirement that final test be made up no later than the end of the following term (in this case, Spring).
9. I do not drop grades (e.g., the lower grade on the hour tests).
10. A student who cheats on any test or the final examination will be assigned a grade of E in the course unless that student has a prior honor violation, in which case the matter may be referred to the Honor Court. The University of Florida's academic honesty policy applies.
11. Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to me when requesting accommodation. In particular, if special arrangements must be made for tests, please remind me a week in advance so I can make those arrangements.

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