Attendance Policy: We meet as a class twice a week and the work will be a combination of lecture, class activity, and workshop. Bear in mind that attendance and participation are essential to the learning we do in this course. You are expected to attend class and participate actively. I will pass an attendance sheet around at the beginning of each class period. It is your responsibility to make sure that you sign the sheet to record your attendance—please don’t make the mistake of relying on my memory of where you were on any particular day.

Absences: In this course, there is no distinction between excused and unexcused absences—there are only absences. You can miss up to four classes—that is two weeks of class—with no negative impact to your grade other than the work you miss and the participation points. For each absence afterward, however, your final grade will be penalized one full letter grade. If you accumulate six or more absences, you will receive a failing grade for the course.

Missed Classwork: If you miss assignments due to absences, it is your responsibility to get those assignments from Blackboard. If you miss a lecture or an activity, it is up to you to get notes from a classmate—I do not post powerpoint lectures or notes to blackboard. If you miss a class activity or quiz because you are not in class, you will not be able to make up that work. Note that if you show up to class unable or unwilling to participate, you will not earn participation points, and will likely be considered absent.

Tardiness Policy: I would rather you come to class late than not at all. However, if you are more than fifteen minutes late, I will probably not allow you to sign the attendance sheet, in which case you will be counted absent for that session. If you are going to be habitually more than fifteen minutes late to class, this is probably not the right section for you.

If you think you have a situation that I should take into consideration regarding your class attendance, make sure that we talk.

Homework Policies: I will not accept work of any kind via email or tacked to my office door unless we have talked about it well beforehand. Unless directed otherwise, all assignments for this class must be typed or computer-printed. If your computer breaks or your printer runs out of toner, there are plenty of computers throughout the campus that you can use. Handwritten assignments will not be accepted except for in cases of dire circumstance. If you think that you have circumstances that should be considered dire, please see me. If for any reason, you know that you will not be in class the day that an assignment is due, see me before the assignment is due so that we can make arrangements for you to turn your work in prior to the due date. Should you miss a class, it is your responsibility to make sure you get the day’s handouts and readings. See the Course Overview for late homework policies.

Participation & Social Practices: Because we will be doing so much in class, participation does factor into your overall grade for a total of 200 points. If you are not present, you cannot participate. Repeated late arrivals and early departures will negatively impact your participation grade. Participation means that you come to class having read the materials and ready to take part in a discussion about the topic at hand that day. See the Policies page for more about grading Participation & Social Practices. Participation means that you take part in classroom activities and that you contribute to classroom discussions regularly. Sitting and being quiet will not net you participation points. If you are not comfortable talking in class, I understand—I was an undergraduate once too. But the workshop demands participation because it’s the conversation we will generate in each class that will provide us with the greatest opportunities to learn. Below is a brief explanation of grading expectations for participation and social practices.

• A: 200 points - The student has not missed class and is regularly on time for class, is active in class activities, and regularly contributes to class discussions in ways that consistently illuminates and pushes the class's interaction with course materials in ways that facilitates and inspires learning by fellow students.
• B: 175 points - The student has not missed class or has missed very few classes, and is regularly on time for class. The student is active in class activities and regularly contributes to class discussions in ways that work toward class goals. Most students fall into this category, generally speaking.
• C: 150 points - The student might have missed a few classes or might have been noticably late to class more than a few times. The student's activity in class activities and contributions to class discussions are generally good but might be inconsistent in terms of frequency and/or quality.
• D: 120 points - The student might have missed more than a few classes or might be habitually late to class. The student might rarely participate in class discussions or might only do so reluctantly. The student might not work well with fellow students or might only do so reluctantly.
• F: 100 points or less - The student has missed a lot of class or might be habitually late to class. The student might not participate in class discussions and activities or might only do so reluctantly. The student does not work well with fellow students or refuses to do so. Note that students who fall into this category are probably failing the course in other ways as well.

If you are shy or if you feel like participating in class is something that you don’t want to do, I understand—but your participation in discussions and in-class activities is crucial to success in this class. If you are shy or feel like your normal level of class participation isn't what it could be, talk to me and we'll work together to bring your level of participation up.

Important Dates:  Here are some important dates to note:

• January 13: Last Day to Add, Register, or Pay; 100% Tuition Refund Deadline (5pm)
• February 3: 75% Tuition Refund Deadline (5pm)
• March 4 - 11: Spring Break
• March 9: Drop Deadline – Grade W (5pm)
• April 26: Scheduled Final Exam Date (6-7:20pm) 

Class Cancellation:  Generally, I will be here in class during our assigned class times.  However, if an emergency arises, I will try and give you notice via email and have someone put a sign on the door telling you that class has been cancelled. If I do not arrive within 15-minutes of the time at which class is scheduled to begin, you can assume that class is cancelled and leave. If class is cancelled for any reason, please look to Blackboard to see how we will go about making up the class that was missed—we'll probably do some online work to make up. 

Cellular Phones & Electronic Devices: Please silence all electronic devices while in this class. There will be no text messaging or talking on cell phones allowed in this class. If you have extenuating circumstances that require you to be alerted by a communication device, you can set it to vibrate, but please leave the room before beginning any phone conversations. If you have any questions about this, please talk to me, and we will discuss your options.

Disability Resources: If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of any learning, physical, or other disability, please contact the Disabilities Support Services (DSS) Program in the Advising and Special Programs Unit at 616-331-3588. This unit supports student learning and ensures equal access to education. I am happy to provide any and all possible accommodations for students with disabilities. Please come talk to me.

Discrimination and Harassment: Grand Valley State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a veteran. This class adheres to those guidelines. Alternative viewpoints are welcome in the classroom. However, statements that are deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, classist, or otherwise discriminatory toward others in the class will not be tolerated.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is stealing. Whenever you borrow a phrase, sentence, paragraph—or even an idea stated in your own words—from any outside source (news writing, magazine, TV show, book, etc.) without giving credit to that source, you have plagiarized. Plagiarism is cheating yourself and someone else. Note that all writing for this class must be written for this class. Reusing a paper you wrote for another class, or back in high school, constitutes academic dishonesty. Academic integrity is expected of every individual in the University, and academic dishonesty will be considered a serious legal and ethical breach. You may receive a zero for a plagiarized assignment, or you might end up failing the course—note that according to Section 223 of the Student Code, I am required to report instances of academic dishonesty to the Dean of Students, the Dean of CLAS and the college of the offending student's major. If you have any questions about plagiarism or academic dishonesty, see me or look at the Student Code <http://www.gvsu.edu/studentcode/>.

The Public Nature of Writing and Discussion in the Classroom: Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be "public property." Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and the purpose of our classroom time is to come together as a writing community. Remember that you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible effect on others. 

Grading Expectations: I will be grading you not only on yiour creative writing in this course, but also on your activity as a student and your understanding of the principles behind the fiction you read and write. Click here for more information about grade breakdowns.

A Level Work: This work exceeds expectation. It is original and creative. The story demonstrates the writer's understanding of the principle elements of fiction and how to manipulate them successfully into a successful narrative structure. Generally speaking, it incorporates fully-developed characters, a credible world, believable action, and original images to create an artful, fully-realized story. The prose is tight, polished, and free of typographical or grammatic error.

B Level Work: This work is original and creative. The story demonstrates the writer's knowledge of the principle elements of fiction. Generally speaking, it incorporates formal devices, developed characters, a complete world, believable action, and concrete images into a complete story. The prose is sharp, clean, and generally free of typographical or grammatic error.

C Level Work: This work is creative, but might be rooted in some cliché. The story demonstrates the writer's familiarity with the principle elements of fiction. Generally speaking, the work adequately incorporates characters in a coherent world with concrete images and some original thought into a complete story. The prose is readable and understandable despite a few points at which mistakes in language, grammar, or typography might be a little unclear or confusing.

D Level Work: This work is somewhat creative, but with very little original idea. Generally speaking, the work features undeveloped characters, a flat world and some concrete images in a story that has a beginning, middle, and ending. The prose is readable and understandable, although the writing may contain many points at which the writing strays inexplicably from standard grammar and spelling.

F Level Work: This work lacks orignality and creativity. Generally speaking, it demonstrates the writers lack of understanding or the inexplicable ignoring of the principle elements of fiction. Also, it applies to late work—if your work is not on Blackboard on time for the workshop, you will get a failing grade on that piece.