COMM250 Introduction to Communication

Inquiry

Syllabus, Resources, Expectations, Regulations,

and Calendar of Class Activities

COMM250 Syllabus

• Location of Official Syllabus:http://www.arsrhetorica.net/gaines/250sy0810.html

• Contents 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

• InstructorRobert N. GainesOffice: SKN 2106Phone: 301.405.6526Email: gaines@arsrhetorica.netOffice 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 0125Phone: 301.305.1639Email: vbp@umd.eduHours: M 1:00-2:50p

Lindsey Fox (DSS Liaison; Sect 0107, 0108, 0109)Office: SKN 0109Phone: 301.405.0759Email: lmfox@umd.eduHours: MW 10:00-10:50a

Artesha Taylor (Sect 0104, 0105, 0106)Office: SKN 0109Phone: 301.405.0759Email: ataylor1@umd.eduHours: MW 1:00-1:50p

COMM250 Readings

• All required readings for this course are available for free on-line in Library Course Reserves, which are available for COMM250 through Maryland's Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS).

• For help using ELMS to obtain readings go to http://arsrhetorica.net/gaines/elmsinstr.html

COMM250 Expectations: General

• 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

• 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 non-attendance in class, even when an examination is scheduled, students should claim excused absence based on circumstances beyond their control.

COMM250 Regulations: Make-Up Exams

• 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: http://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 Monday, 4 October 2010, and Wednesday, 10 November 2010, during the regularly scheduled class periods. The final examination will be offered on Wednesday, 15 December 2010, 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

• 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

• 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: http://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

• 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: http://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

• 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 multiple-choice 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 make-up examinations.

COMM250 Regulations: Documented Disabilities

• 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. Intraterm Ex1 = Monday, 4 October 2010 Ex1 Return = Friday, 15 October 2010 Intraterm Ex2 = Wednesday, 10 November

2010 Ex2 Return = Friday, 19 November 2010 Final Ex = Wednesday, 15 December 2010