The information below pertains across the board to all of my courses. Every course, however, has its own peculiarities, and students who want to show me their “A game” would do well to digest both these policies and those of their specific course syllabus. In this manner, you will be free to ask interesting questions about the course’s content and issues, rather than bogging down in procedures.

Grading

I grade assigned work on the standard 100 percentile scale with the letter grades breaking down as follows:

• A = 90-100
• B = 80-89
• C = 70-79
• D = 60-69
• F = anything 59 or lower

In accordance with Longwood's +/- calculations of student GPAs, my conversion of numerical grades to letters for courses works thus:

• 90 and higher = A
• 89.01 to 89.99 = A-
• 87.00 to 89.00 = B+
• 82.00 to 86.99 = B
• 80.00 to 81.99 = B-
• The same decimal divisions apply in the C and D ranges.

Quizzes are often graded on a ten-point scale which easily converts to the above systems.

I do not curve grades. Nor do I accept extra credit work.

Attendance

Ah, college, this weird environment where students are treated sometimes as adults, other times as infants who don’t understand why people keep putting them in diapers. Attendance is one of those parts of college that show both sides of this phenomenon. You will find that I generally do not take roll after the first few weeks (when I’m endeavoring to learn your names). This reflects my philosophy that students will act like adults if given the chance. You are expected to attend every meeting of our class because we cover valuable material in every session. This includes the days immediately before our various Breaks and holidays; travel plans bend around classes, not vice-versa. Make your plans accordingly; I do.

Of course, some students defy my expectations. I am telling you up front, however, that if you choose to skip class regularly, it will catch up with you. Firstly, in my assessment of your participation grade (in classes where this applies). Secondly, and usually with more severe consequences, it will affect your performance on quizzes, exams, even your written assignments—and not because I will arbitrarily subtract points from your score. You quite simply will not have the necessary means to show mastery of our material.

All in all, it's a Darwinian world, and students reap the consequences of their own choices in this area. However...

We are still struggling to find our footing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Students who have to deal with potential or real infection can expect grace from me, so long as they have appropriate documentation, have been in touch with the right university offices, and do me the professional courtesy of being quickly in contact (preferably in advance of class insofar as that is possible).

Make-up Policy

In general, I only allow make-up exams for medical reasons or for university-sanctioned absences (athletic meets, class field trips, etc.). For such conflicts, you need to inform me well in advance of the impending schedule conflict; we can then arrange an alternate exam and time. If your circumstances are medical in nature, you will need to provide evidence (severed limbs aren’t quite necessary!) of a visit to a physician’s office. I occasionally will accept post-exam requests, but you are better off to inform me of the problem before the actual absence. No one may miss the final; to miss it is to fail the course.

While I applaud the concern that many students show for their roommates, their crises rarely qualify as your excuse.

Last, but far from least in this category: some students assume that their travel plans are more important than our scheduled exams and quizzes. They aren’t. Your syllabus tells you when these events will take place, and you should plan to be present for them. Don’t waste my time asking to reschedule because you want to leave early. As a deluded curmudgeon who thinks education is actually the primary mission of college, I am inflexible on this point.

Honor Code

I do not make a big production of the Longwood Honor Code during class time. Do not, however, interpret this as a lack of fidelity to, or respect for, the Honor Code. All provisions of the Honor Code apply to each of my classes.

Plagiarism/AI

The crime of plagiarism is covered by the Honor Code, of course, but my students should know that anyone whose work is determined to be the product of plagiarism will not simply receive a grade of ‘0” on the offending assignment, they will automatically fail the entire course. This is not a negotiable policy. Worried about plagiarism? Follow the link to learn more.
In the same vein, the use of AI in a history course is the same as plagiarism: it’s the use of someone else's words as if they were your own. And so, the penalty is the same: an F for the entire course. Because of this new plague, students need to be ready to discuss in person any of their written/submitted work with the professor.  See the introductory course modules in Canvas if you want further explanation of this policy. 

Disruptions

A college classroom can be more an event than a place, given the interaction that hopefully takes place between students, professor, and the material under study. Students should respect that atmosphere by not disrupting it. In a nutshell, there is no room for:

• Language or argument that denigrates or gratuitously offends another
• Cell phones (either ringing or students using them to text)
• Excessive tardiness
• Random Strolling About (no, really, this is not cool!)

Incidents involving the first item will be referred to the appropriate university bodies. Each cell phone that I hear will result in 1 point being deducted from that student's final grade. Obviously, I'm serious about this. Likewise, texting in class results in deductions to the overall participation grade for the course. As to tardiness, I understand that students can’t always make it to class on time, but after ten minutes, respect the rest of us by not coming in. Students may have the finest motivation by coming, but it disrupts the class at that point. If you need to leave early, please inform the professor before class begins and have the decency to sit near the exit.

As for just getting up to go get a drink of water or whatever, I don't understand where this rudeness has come from. Your professors are not holograms to be blown off at will. Walking in front of them as they work is a stellar piece of selfishness on your part.

Late Work

I will accept late work, for up to 7 days (that includes Saturday and Sunday!) after it is originally due. The penalty, however, for late work is 7 points per day.