Purpose of course policies
I want every student in my classes to reach the maximum level of success, both as a student and as a member of the workforce. Policies and instructions regarding punctuality, attendance, quality of work, etc. are modeled after workplace expectations so as to assist the student in being fully prepared to work in industry, not just after graduating this course but for many years to come.

Administrative information
At the beginning of the quarter, a student who does not attend the first 2 class sessions may be subject to administrative withdrawal. College attendance policy states that if a student misses 3 consecutive days without contacting the instructor, the student will be subject to administrative withdrawal from the class and/or program, utilizing the following steps:

Step 1: 1^st absence/tardy – Memo of record placed in student file
Step 2: 2^nd absence/tardy – Letter of Unsatisfactory Progress
Step 3: 3^rd absence/tardy – Notice of Probation
Step 4: 4^th absence/tardy while on probation – Dismissal from the class/program

Attendance
As attendance is worth 5% of your grade, attendance will be checked at the beginning of the class session. Due to the limited time frame for a class session, attendance will be taken at 9:00am. If you are not present during roll call, you will be considered late.

Appropriate and effective attendance involves not just being physically present at some point during the class session, but rather being physically and mentally engaged in all scheduled class sessions. Punctuality, active listening, and active participation will enable you to get the most out of each class session. To me, ‘on time’ does not mean being in the hallway or rushing into the classroom at or just after the designated time (scheduled start time, identified time for returning from break, etc.). ‘On time’ means being seated, organized, and ready to go at the designated time. It is very disruptive to those who are ‘on time’ for someone else to arrive late.

I also expect students to come to class prepared to actively participate in a variety of class activities demonstrating ability to apply concepts, not just to sit and expect to ‘learn by simple diffusion’. I operate under the assumption that all students come to class having read the required readings and are prepared to actively participate in each class session. Please understand that active participation in this class will not involve just reciting information from the textbook, but may also involve application of that information to varied environments.

If you are unable to come to class, you do need to let me know by e-mail. I would also encourage you to get class notes from other students, to be up-to-date on your online class assignments, and to figure out the application of concepts studied within the class readings. Please understand that repeated tardiness or attendance issues can make it difficult to meet the course objectives for CAH102.

Academic honesty & integrity
Honest assessment of student performance is critically important to all members of the CPTC community. Acts of academic dishonesty are unprofessional and unacceptable for a person desiring to advance in a high-integrity career field.

Acts that are considered violations of academic honesty and integrity are described in the CPTC Student Handbook. Per program and college student handbooks, consequences for academic integrity violations may range in severity from a verbal warning to dismissal from the course and referral to college administration for possible disciplinary action.

Communication
An open line of communication between student and instructor is critical to your success in this class and in this class’ effectiveness. Many issues and concerns can be resolved early if effective, timely communication occurs between you and me. I cannot help students effectively or make necessary changes if issues and concerns are not addressed with me or if discussion of issues and concerns does not happen until the very last second.

If you are not sure about something, please come and talk with me. If face-to-face context is not possible, please e-mail me. If your situation is a real emergency, please identify such in your e-mail. Emergency messages will be dealt with as quickly as possible. I will do my best to respond to regular e-mail messages within two business days. I do not usually check my e-mail during the weekends and night hours; as such, late-night or weekend messages will be responded to during regular business hours even if labeled as an emergency message.

Due to the increased number of hacked e-mail accounts and virus-contaminated e-mails from such accounts, responses to any e-mail sent from a student’s personal e-mail address will be sent to the student’s Canvas e-mail account.

There are times when an e-mail response from me is one that the whole class would benefit from the applicable information. In these cases, I do not respond to the individual student's e-mail, but rather provide a response in the form of an all-class e-mail or by taking time in class to provide the necessary information.

Use of electronics in class
CPTC classrooms are considered No Cell Phone Zones. Please put cell phones on vibrate (at the minimum) before entering the classroom.

Class sessions are being held in a computer lab. Computers should be utilized for note-taking purposes, but you should not be utilizing the computers while class activities are being carried out unless otherwise specified.

Use of earphones/headphones, iPods and MP3 players, smart phones/watches, and alternating between windows during lecture or exam time is not allowed. The system described in the Administrative Information section will also be used for use of electronics in class.

Extra credit
Students should not expect extra credit points or opportunities in this course, but should strive to succeed on the merits of work completed in the course’s assigned tasks.

In-class activities
In-class activities will be used during class sessions to emphasize or validate learning. These activities may be individual or group-focused. I do reserve the right to close the classroom door while an in-class activity is in session in order to reduce distraction and/or disturbance to active learning.

If you arrive late but within the time parameters of an in-class activity, you will still be allowed to participate in that activity. However, late arrival will reduce the amount of time you have to participate in an activity, and the activity (with any associated points) will not be available after the time parameters have passed. If you miss the activity, no make-up is possible.

In-class activities may occur at any time during the scheduled class time, and there could be multiple activities or parts of an activity in a single class session where the latter parts may depend on the results of the earlier components for full understanding.

Late work
All assignments should be turned in by the specified method and deadline. An assignment is considered late if submitted via the assigned method after the specified deadline. With the exception of excused absence during tests, no late allowances can be made for tests or quizzes, group projects, or assignments requiring feedback or input from other students. If an assignment qualifies for late submission allowances, it will be accepted within 48 hours after a specified deadline, minus a 10% penalty of possible points for the activity. Any allowed late assignments that are more than 48 hours late will not be accepted for grading consideration.

It may be better to submit a completed assignment late than to submit an incomplete assignment on time. If you cannot submit something by an identified deadline, you must contact me via e-mail to see if any accommodations can be made before the identified deadline passes. Any requests for accommodation submitted after a deadline cannot be granted.

Special needs accommodations
Accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities as recognized in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Sec. 504), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities or special challenges must contact Hope Stout, the disability specialist in the Office of Student Services, for information regarding accommodations. If you have official documentation from CPTC’s Office of Student Services that identifies an arranged accommodation, you should provide each of your instructors with a copy during the first week of each course or as soon as that accommodation is arranged with the Office of Student Services. These accommodations are only valid for one quarter at a time and must be renewed for use in future quarters.

Pursuant to RCW 28B.10.039, you are allowed up to two unofficial ‘holiday’ days for reason of faith or conscience per academic year. Faith/conscience days are not ‘free days’ to be used whenever you do not want to attend class. If you intend to be absent for a class or exam session for the purpose of one of these faith/conscience days, you must follow the college procedures for requesting a faith/conscience day, which can be found by inquiring at the office of the Vice President for Student Learning (Bldg 17, Rm 103).

If there is any question as to whether an accommodation can be given, please discuss the situation with me or with the Office of Student Services prior to the need for the accommodation. As a general rule, accommodations cannot be granted retroactively except in extreme medical/emergency situations (such as a child being born, a car accident, admission to the hospital, etc.). Please also understand that accommodations cannot be given for every requested situation, and also that additional documentation may be required to validate the need for accommodation.

Syllabus adjustment
I reserve the right to adjust the course syllabus as needed, either in part or whole. Any adjustment of the syllabus will be distributed to students via Canvas e-mail and discussed live in a class session prior to the adjustment being brought into effect.