Participation in this course, and therefore attendance, are important. Let me
convince you of this with multiple approaches.
Let me start by appealing to your intelligence. Attendance is more important in this class than some others because of three facts. First, material on the exams will not all come from the readings. You are responsible for material from lecture. Second, exams require understanding beyond information, and notes only record information. Although some portion of the exams will test your mastery of information, a large portion of the exam will go beyond information to require that you are able to talk intelligently about the speeches you have studied. To do this, you must acquire an ear and a voice for speeches in historical moments. Written notes cannot capture nor communicate that. Third, the only way to master the analysis of discourse is to articulate your analysis and the class will provide you that opportunity. You will need to aggressively take advantage of it.
If you cannot be reached by intelligent reasoning on the need for attending and participating, let me address you more frankly. There is a culture at Maryland that values non-attendance based on: "I paid for it, so I can go or not, as I choose." This is dumb "consumerism." If you insist on a business metaphor for your education, the following variation governs: you have not paid for my performance; you have instead entered into a contract with me that says I will teach you about orality and leadership in the twentieth century if you will seek to learn. Part of your obligation in that contract is to attend. Of course, you may opt not to enter such a contract. You do so, by dropping this course today.
So, if you are in the "attendance optional" school of studenting, drop this course for another.
I will be taking attendance. My major purpose in doing so is to collect data that – along with test responses – help me identify problems mastering the class.
Of course, I spoke of participation, not just attendance. Being involved in the class, asking questions, and trying out your ideas is what participation in the class is about. You will master those aspects of the course that go beyond the acquisition of information with participation.
If I sound like your attendance is important to me, it is. I will put a great deal of effort into teaching this class and expect your effort in return. Other instructors may not care as much and may have developed methods of teaching that do not depend on attendance. Find those instructors if they fit your lifestyle better than mine.
The university has a set of defined procedures for absences designed to ensure fairness to all students. I abide by these procedures as adapted for the special circumstances of this course.
On normal class days no excused absences are required.
When you are absent on exam days, you will need to request an excused absence. University policy requires that you do so in writing and "provide documentary support for [your] assertion that absence resulted from one of the [approved] causes" (emphasis added). There are thus several obligations if you are going to be absent. (1) Notify me as soon as feasible of your upcoming or recent absence and provide documentation for the reason. I am serious about prompt notification. In general you should notify me before your absence. When that is not possible, you need to notify me as soon as you are near a telephone or email. I have voice mail and email that provides a time-stamped documentation of your notification. (2) You need to request the make-up (an excused absence) in writing specifying the reason for your absence. The university has a limited number of legitimate reasons for absence (see University of Maryland Undergraduate Catalog, ch. 4, p. 37) and these are the ones I accept. (3) You must document the validity of the reason you have provided for the absence. Such documentation must be signed by an person who testifies to the reason, and should contain information on contacting (phone or email) someone who can verify the reason. Medical excuses must be from licensed medical personnel, must contain contact information for that personnel, and must indicate that in their judgement your presence at the exam would be detrimental to your health or the health of others. Please note that it is now the policy of the University Health Center to no longer provide documentation of illness. Thus, if you are ill enough that you need to miss an exam or assignment due you will need to find medical personnel that will provide such documentation. Make-up exams will be a different exam and may have a different format but will comparable in difficulty and content.
Since the abstracts are primarily designed to assist in your preparation for discussion that by its nature cannot be made up after an absence, and since documenting absences as the University requires for make-up of these abstracts is too complicated for the value of the assignment, I will use an alternative: I will collect abstracts seven times during the semester (grading your best five). Abstracts not handed in when I collect them cannot be made up. If you prefer the documentation requirement to this method of make-up, please notify me within the first week of class.
When you are absent on the days that your group is responsible for discussion, there is no way to compensate. You may hand in your bibliography on the unit and take an "F" on the portion of the assignment requiring your contribution to class discussion, or we may be able to negotiate your participation on another unit requiring you to do a bibliography on the alternative unit. In the latter case all the procedures described under examination for documenting the reason for your absence are required.
The University of Maryland accommodates students whose academic work would be facilitated by disability support services and recognizes the rights of students to exercise their religious rites. I ask only that you notify me during the first week of classes if you have concerns in either of these areas and require that I accommodate your needs in any way including alteration in the due date or manor of completing assignments.
You should know and be familiar with what constitutes academic dishonesty: cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty or plagiarism. You are responsible for knowing the university's policy on academic integrity (see University of Maryland Undergraduate Catalog, ch. 4, pp. 46-48). The principles governing that policy are two-fold: (1) the work that I should mark as yours is material that you have authored, and (2) you have the responsibility to give recognition to others whose work you incorporate in your projects. You should review the university's policy and make certain that you implement these two principles.
In our society's unique mix of individuality and cooperation, learning how to walk the often fine line between work for which you have responsibility and work that is shared is vitally important. In our system of education you are graded on your own work, not that of others. At the same time, I encourage you to work with fellow students in studying the speeches and in reviewing for exams. A good study group can be invaluable in this course. So where do you draw the line?
Obviously things like handing in papers you have purchased from internet sources or "paper mills" violates principles of academic integrity. So does bringing information into exams in forms other than memories and judgments in your head. But there are other important things you need to know and develop a feel for such as when to cite the work of others in papers and when information can be used without being attributed. The guidelines of the university policy will assist with your mastering that. I will be more than happy to assist at any time during the semester. If any of these suggestions or the University's material is unclear, I urge you to ask me. The responsibility for understanding academic integrity is yours.
Please, please do not take this issue lightly. It is my obligation as a professor and my ethical obligation as an academic to report any cases directly to the Student Honor Council and I will not hesitate to do so.
I am not by nature a strict disciplinarian. But where I will be strict is when it comes to the learning and fairness to your fellow students. Since the opportunity to work in the classroom is so central to this course, I am concerned that everyone assume responsibility for enhancing the learning in the classroom. I prefer that you think of the necessary behavior as common courtesy -- behaving so that if others do the same, the classroom will be an environment for learning. Just in case, let me be more stern, however. Following are some basic rules designed to make certain that discussions are not distracted by erratic behavior:
No disruptive recording will be allowed, and any recording at all can occur only with my permission. That permission will be granted only for extraordinary circumstances. Recording is no substitute for attendance.