An excused absence is one that occurs as the result of a documented medical condition, legal proceeding, university- sanctioned event or death of an immediate family member (i.e. parent, sibling or child). All other absences are unexcused. You have the right to a certain number of unexcused absences without penalty each semester, depending on the level of the course and the number of times it meets each week. The following table shows how many unexcused absences are permitted and the penalty for exceeding that number. All penalties take the form of a reduction of the final grade that you earn based on quizzes, examinations, written assignments and class participation. If you feel that you have an extraordinary circumstance that merits special consideration, please make an appointment or speak to me during my office hours to discuss it before you plan to be absent. Requests for special consideration made after the unexcused absence has occurred will not be considered.

CHEATING/PLAGIARISM: Cheating is any act that "defrauds, deceives or employs trickery" in order to obtain credit for work which has not been completed. In my classes, this is most likely to occur when someone copies answers from another person's examination or quiz, brings unauthorized sources to an examination or commits plagiarization on a written assignment. Plagiarization is the act of "passing off the ideas of anoother as one's own work." The worst examples occur when someone copies material from another person's paper or web page and claims to have written it. The solution is to provide a reference note (either footnote or endnote) that contains enough information about where you found material so that I can verify the source and that you used it correctly. NOTE: Unless instructed otherwise, it is not acceptable to "cut and paste" from other sources to complete a written assignment, even if you provide a reference note. Written asignments in my class will require you to examine sources and other people's ideas, think about them yourself, and then compose your own thesis about your subject. In other words, at least part of every written assignment that you do for me must contain original material composed by you. Anyone who cheats or plagiarizes will receive a zero (i.e. a grade much lower than F) for that examination or assignment. Anyone who cheats twice will be referred to the University's judicial system for additional sanctions.