Attendance Policy, Classroom Etiquette, and Other Useful Information Attendance: Your presence in the classroom is crucial to your

learning experience. Students who come to every class on time will be rewarded with participation bonus points: a.) classes that meet once a week: 25-on time, every time or 20-1 absent/late, 15- 2 lates. b.) classes that meet twice a week: 25-on time, every time, 20-1 absent/late, 15 2 absences/2 lates. Barring emergencies or prior engagements, leaving class early will be counted as an absence. Coming to class late will also take you out of the running for participation bonus points; both behaviors are rude and disrupt the atmosphere of learning. I consider someone late who comes after the official start time of class. So even if you come before I call role, but you come after the official start time, I will record you as late. If you come late, please exit/enter quietly from the back of the class. Also, for longer classes that have a break in between, coming late after breaks will be recorded as a late and will lessen your participation extra credit. If you are identified as being chronically late (tardy more than 3 times within a short span of time), I will sit down with you to help you to come up with a strategy that will hopefully get you to class on time. The next time you are late after that, you will be suspended for two classes. After that I will direct you to the Office of Student Discipline and you may possibly be withdrawn from the class. If you have a situation that prevents you from coming on time, please bring this to my attention at the start of the semester. Please note that taking two busses or living far away from campus are not legitimate reasons for being late. Think of this class as you would your job; would an employer accept either of those excuses? Test days: Do not miss test days, as make-up tests are given only for extenuating circumstances i.e. severe illness. Please be sure to call or email before (not five minutes after) missing to reserve the privilege of getting a retest. To qualify for a retest, be prepared to show evidence of illness. I emphasize, you must contact me prior to missing the exam to be considered for a retest. Only the most severe of illness/issues will prevent you from calling or emailing before the exam. Cheating and Plagiarism: LA Valley College students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and ethical behavior. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the student's own work. If you are caught cheating, that will result an immediate 0 on the assignment. You may also be referred to the Office of Student Discipline for possible expulsion from the class and other academic sanctions. Classroom etiquette: Raise your hand when you have a question or a comment and wait for me to call on you. This does not mean that you raise your hand and just start talking. Absolutely no texting, mobile phone or laptop use will be tolerated in this class. Please turn these devices off and put them away before coming to class. I do not want to see them out during class. We meet for one hour and a half. You can live without your device for that long. If you have an emergency that will require use of the device, let me know prior to class. If I catch you with a device, after 1 violation you will not qualify for the extra credit assignment. After two violations, you will not qualify for the participation bonus points. After three, you will be suspended for two classes and directed to the Office of Student Discipline. Violations of this policy will be dealt with swiftly and sternly. No chit-chatting amongst yourselves during class, especially not while I am lecturing. If you have a question about the material, raise your hand and ask me rather than a classmate. Email etiquette: most of the time, you can talk to me before or after class to address any questions or concerns that you might have. But there may be occasions where you may need to send me an email. For example, you may be sick and want to preserve your attendance extra credit; or there may be an exam and you have a legitimate extenuating circumstance that is preventing you from coming. When writing your email, please note that I prefer a formal business style; that means use greetings, titles, and keep the email professional and to the point. Some Campus Services: Writing Skills Center: (818) 947-2810, writingtutor@lavc.edu Disabilities: DSPS (818) 947-2681/ TTY (818) 947-2680, dsps@lavc.edu Financial Aid (818) 947-2412, www.lavc.edu/studentservwebsite/financial/index.html Veterans Services (818) 778-5627, veteransinfo@lavc.edu thank you for your service to our country! If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know.