Contacting Your Instructor: I want to get to know you, and I take seriously my role in supporting your learning. I strongly encourage you to contact me and visit during office hours (or make an appointment). And I expect you to keep me informed about your work, your progress, your questions, and your problems, preferably BEFORE your grade is the central concern. Do not hesitate to email me to ask questions or send me important reminders.

 Professional Courtesy: It’s essential that we are all courteous and considerate of each other at all times. As a group, we will represent diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, and gendered identities and abilities. We must all commit to honoring, respecting, and accounting for our differences. As your instructor, I am committed to this.

Online Meeting Expectations: Meeting as a group online is hard. The out-of-class distractions are higher and not everyone has the sort of space/resources that make meeting online feasible. To whatever extent possible, find some private/quiet space during meetings. I also ask that you please turn off all electronic devices that are not to be used during class time. Keep your “mute” button on if you’re not talking and, if possible, keep your video going so that we can see you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re worried about meeting online.

Participation: I care deeply about students being present and engaged in class, and I’ll do my best to make class meetings meaningful and useful. I ask that you come to class on time and prepared with all relevant readings or texts. I understand that everyone has different approaches to participation, so I welcome you to engage in class in a way that best fits you (by quietly but actively listening, writing in the chat, taking notes, asking questions, and/or offering comments). Everyone is required, however, to collaborate with peers during group work.

Language. Students are expected to take an active role in developing their writing and language. I recognize that students come from different educational, linguistic, and racial backgrounds and that it takes several years, not a semester, to develop English academic language uses, especially if English is a student’s additional (and not first) language. As your instructor, I am committed to adopting approaches deemed most effective by the fields of Second Language Writing and Composition and Rhetoric: I will provide ongoing feedback on your writing to highlight potential areas to revise/develop (including language uses), and I will refrain from penalizing you for your language.

The Writing Center: The CCNY Writing Center provides a supportive learning environment where students can have one-on-one tutoring sessions with experienced writing consultants. The Writing Center is available for virtual meetings. Students can schedule an appointment through the online booking system. This is a free resource available to all students and recommended for all writing assigned in this and other classes. Visit their website for more info http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/writing/ and to book an appointment.

 Academic Integrity: All writing submitted for this course is understood to be your original work. In cases where we detect academic dishonesty (the fraudulent submission of another’s work, in whole or part, as your own), you may be subject to a failing grade for the project or the course, and in the worst case, to academic probation or expulsion. For a more detailed description of the guidelines for adhering to academic integrity, see CCNY’s Policy on Academic Integrity on the college website: http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/current/upload/Academic-Integrity-Policy.pdf As part of this course, we will discuss responsible source use practices.

Special Needs and Accommodations: There are several Student Support Services available for CCNY students. Check this website for more information: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sssp. If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact CCNY’s AccessAbility Center (Student Disability Services), https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/accessability or call (212) 650-5913 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. I am committed to accessibility; please do not hesitate to reach out to me so that we can determine ways to make this course accessible to you.

CCNY Quick Links and Other Resources

• IT Service Desk (where you can get your CCNY username, set up your email and password, and get access to CUNY Portal, CUNYFirst, and Blackboard): go to https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/help, email, [email protected], or call 212-650-7878.
• The City College of New York website: http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/
• CUNYFirst: https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu/oam/Portal_Login1.html
• Blackboard: https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/cis/core-functions/cuny-blackboard/
• CCNY Writing Center: http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/writing/
• CCNY Library: http://ccny.cuny.edu/library
• CCNY online databases: http://library.ccny.cuny.edu/az.php
• List of computer labs (including those with printers) at CCNY: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/hours
• Free access to New York Times for CCNY students: https://myaccount.nytimes.com/verification/edupass
• Free software for CCNY students (including Word): https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/software_stu