Attendance, Participation, & Assignments

SUNY New Paltz Department of English, Writing & Rhetoric Program  

Policies on Attendance, Participation, & Assignments

Composition I (ENG160) and Writing & Rhetoric (ENG170) 

Students may only enroll in one course per semester. Students must complete the two-course sequence in consecutive semesters. ENG160 is a pre-requisite for ENG170, which fulfills General Education requirements; these courses are required for ALL students to graduate.

*Student placement by Admissions and Academic Advising will determine which course/s are needed in the first semester (160) or year (170) of matriculation.

 

 Coronavirus Information & Resources, including protocols for the semester for the term must be reviewed and followed. Our faculty will include this on all syllabi once the campus shares this information.

 

Attendance Policy 

Note: Faculty will make efforts to reasonably accommodate students with serious illness and coronavirus-related quarantine/isolation, and related issues. “Reasonable” accommodations are at the discretion of the instructor but can include: 

  • Webexing students into class  
  • Opportunities for students to catch up on classwork 
  • Extensions on assignments/discussion board entries 

*Please note: students must be actively involved in communications for these accommodations and respect the negotiated deadlines to receive credit for missed work. 

However, students who miss seven classes beyond the two allowed for illness/emergencies, and students who miss major assignments should speak to their advisor about withdrawal from the course as needed.  

The Writing & Rhetoric Program has a VERY STRICT attendance policy: 

Students are expected to attend every class; however, we do allow for two absences without consequence to cover illness and emergencies. Instructors will take attendance at the beginning of each class session. This roster is taken diligently, it is accurate and incontestable. Students who are not in the classroom when the roster is called are marked absent. If the student is LATE it is their responsibility to inform the professor AFTER the class and make sure they are signed in (tardy are monitored). If students do have to miss class, they should notify the instructor in advance via email whenever possible. This is to allow students to better prepare for the next class and make alternate arrangements for missed or late work as needed. 

Exceptions: 

  • Death &/or funeral in the family
  • Religious observances. Students need to notify instructors in advance via email if they choose to participate in observances in order to avoid being marked absent
  • Athletes: away games/matches, conferences etc. Athletes must bring official documentation to the instructor’s attention in advance.

Two absences in a three or two session/week course are acceptable without consequence. HOWEVER, missing more than those two classes will reduce the final grade in the class by 1/3 of a letter grade per absence through six absences as follows: 

Three absences will reduce the final grade by a third of a grade point 

Example: B+ will be reduced to a B 

Four absences will reduce the final grade by half a grade point 

Example: B+ will be reduced to a B- 

Five absences will reduce the final grade by a full grade point 

Example: B+ will be reduced to a C+ 

Six absences will reduce the final grade by one and a third grade points  

Example: B+ will be reduced to a C 

Seven or more absences results in an AUTOMATIC FAILING GRADE 

  

Tardy: Three late arrivals to class constitute one absence. Tardy is defined as arriving after the instructor has taken attendance based on the roster and begun class. Students are responsible for making sure they are marked present after the class has ended. (Attendance will be affected for any students who are constantly late to class. Those who are late to a session fifteen minutes or more will not be considered present based on the discretion of the instructor).  

If there are long-term situations resulting in prolonged absences, the instructor will address them on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Writing & Rhetoric Program Coordinator. It is the student’s responsibility to provide any necessary supporting medical documentation or other evidence of extenuating circumstances. Students may request a generic note from their healthcare provider to acknowledge a sickness or issue without a statement of diagnosis, which includes the number of days recommended for recovery. 

 *Students who miss seven classes beyond the two allowed for illness/emergencies, and students who miss major assignments should speak to their advisor about withdrawal from the course as needed.  

Participation Policy 

The particular assignments and verbal contributions required for the participation grade* (typically 5-10%) is at the discretion of the instructor and will be approved by our office.

Students are expected to be mentally present and engaged during class. 

  

Assignment Policies 

To prevent students from passing our courses without completing significant work or practicing essential skills, the following will be required of all students:  

  

ENG 160: Composition I 

Students must COMPLETE the following to PASS the course:  

  • All 4 of the main writing assignments 
  • ePortfolio 
  • Oral presentation 
  • Library module (P/F)

  

ENG 170: Writing & Rhetoric  

Students must COMPLETE the following to PASS the course:  

  • All 6 of the formal writing assignments 
  • ePortfolio 
  • Oral presentation  
  • Library session (P/F)
  • Assignment for Internal Assessment (Spring semester only)

 

 

Late Work Policy 

Students are expected to submit their work on the due date set by their instructor and to make sure assignments have been uploaded successfully and where possible, obtain a submission receipt from Brightspace. Instructors are responsible for clearly communicating their own late policies on their syllabus.  

All work must be completed by Common Final Day (though instructors are NOT obligated to accept work this late, or weeks after the original deadline). 

 

 

Academic Integrity 

  • All plagiarism cases must be documented and reported in writing to the Associate Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences and copied to the Chair of the English Department. The brief letter should include how the instructor will evaluate the original assignment, whether a revision will be required, and how the revised work will be evaluated. The letter should include to what extent the student’s grade for the assignment/course will be affected, depending on the severity of the case. 

 

Academic Integrity and Appropriate Use of Artificial Intelligence Programs Statement 

This course prohibits the use of ChatGPT or Generative AI tools when composing content for course assignments. Use of such will be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity policy. However, students may (and SHOULD) use standard spelling & grammar check software (for example, Microsoft Word’s version or Editor). 

 

Some AI technology is NOT acceptable in our classes (for example, Grammarly Plus or similar programs), while other AI software can be used for specific aspects of the writing process (for example HyperWrite for brainstorming ideas). Your instructor reserves the right to demonstrate the uses and limitations of these platforms and will provide exact guidelines for these purposes. Any student relying on AI to compose most of their writing or ideas has not engaged with the writing process to earn credit for their assignments. If relevant to an assignment or approved by the instructor, any use of AI as a source must be fact-checked and cited in text and on the Works Cited page.  

 

All plagiarism cases must be documented and reported in writing to the Associate Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences and copied to the Chair of the English Department. The brief letter should include how the instructor will evaluate the original assignment, whether a revision will be required, and how the revised work will be evaluated. The letter should include to what extent the student’s grade for the assignment/course will be affected, depending on the severity of the case.

 

For further information, please contact the Writing & Rhetoric Program: 

Nikki Wilson Clasby: Coordinator, Writing & Rhetoric Program (wilsoncn@newpaltz.edu)  

Joann K. Deiudicibus: Assistant, Writing & Rhetoric Program (deiudicj@newpaltz.edu) 

(845) 257-2727