Policies

Course Policies

RULES FOR PERFORMANCE ART  CLASS
Linda Montano’s:  Performance Art Rules for College Students

  • No blood
  • No urine
  • No cutting
  • No dangerous actions to self or others
  • No menstrual blood
  • No self-abuse or other-abuse
  • No masturbation
  • No sex
  • Make it safe, sacred, and short

Attendance

Punctual attendance is expected, with exceptions made at the discretion of the instructor (i.e. in the case of illness or emergency). Students do not accrue points for showing up to class, but they will lose them for failing to do so. Three late arrivals count as one absence. More than three unexcused absences will affect your grade (instead of a B, you’d get a B-), and over five unexcused absences may cause you to fail the course.

Course Blog & Email

Announcements regarding changes to the schedule, assignments, opportunities for extra credit, as well as other important course-related information will be posted on the course blog. Please check the course page regularly. You are responsible for all information posted there. In addition, I will be using the university email address that is on file with SUNY New Paltz to communicate with students, both individually and as a class. You will be responsible for any such communication; you must therefore check your university email account regularly (or configure it so that email is forwarded to another account that you do check regularly).

While we are on the subject of emails…let’s talk etiquette!

Why is email etiquette important?[1: Adapted from Purdue University Writing Lab and Professor Stoever’s Syllabus]

  • Your written expression is an extension of yourself.
  • When people see your writing they connect it to a personality.
  • The classroom setting is a professional setting (like a job), rather than a personal one (like Facebook).
  • There is no immediate feedback from emails and there are no non-verbal cues, so the chance for misunderstanding is higher.

Example 1: YES!

Dear Prof. Pabón,

     I hope you are having a nice day. I have a question about class today. Did you say that we need to turn in paper #1 on Feb. 15th? Sincerely, James

Example 2: NO!

Hey! when is our paper due? you confused me in class today because I thought it was due on 2/16 but now it is due on 2/15. Can you tell me soon?

The Basics:

The subject line.

  • Includes the course number
  • Give the recipient an idea about the message of your mail.
  • If the email is urgent or an emergency it should be indicated in the subject line, but do not overuse these phrases. 
Examples:
– WOM335: about my paper
– WOM335:: regarding the final
– WOM335:important, missing class 

 The salutation.

  • Every new mail must have a salutation—and “hey” or “hi” does not count.

Exception: When we are writing back and forth about one topic in a short period and the professor initiates it first. 

Examples
Dear Dr. Pabón,
Hello Professor Pabón Good morning/afternoon/evening  Dr. P, 

 The body.

  • Always capitalize and punctuate correctly, but do not use all capital letters for words you want to stress. It can feel offensive or aggressive to the reader.

Example: I REALLY need to talk with you soon. It is VERY important.

  • Make your mail short and to the point. If your mail is longer than one screen length, then you most likely need to speak with me in person.
  • Separate ideas in your mail with more space.
  • If you are sending an attachment, indicate in the body the name of the document and how it is saved.

Example: Tanisha B. Paper #1 Draft #1 Word File

Hint: It is a good idea to put your name in the title of your document.     

The closing: Always use a closing.

Examples:
Sincerely,
Thank you for your time,
Thank you,
Many thanks,
Thank you in advance,
Best,
I look forward to hearing from you,
Cordially,
I appreciate your help,
Take care,
Thanks again,
Best regards,

Other things to consider.

  • Grades should be discussed in person, not over email.
  • If you would like a response on the same day, do not send the mail after 5pm, or sometimes earlier, depending on the professor.
  • Answer emails in the same fashion that you would return a phone call.
  • As a student, it is your responsibility to check your university email account at least once a day.
  • If you wish to use an alternate email, it is your responsibility to make sure that your professor knows this AND to change it in the Blackboard system.

Writing Resources

Tutoring is available free of charge to all students, full and part-time, undergraduate and graduate, who are currently enrolled at SUNY New Paltz. In order to receive tutoring in a content area, the student must be currently enrolled in the course. Writing tutors may be assigned to assist students in all courses. The Tutoring and Writing Centers are located in room B106 in the basement of Old Main (OM.)

Campus-wide Policy Statements

Academic integrity policy statement: Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty in their college work. Cheating, forgery, and plagiarism are serious offenses, and students found guilty of any form of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action.

For your information, plagiarism is defined as follows:

Plagiarism is the representation, intentional or unintentional, of someone else’s words or ideas as one’s own… When using another person’s words in a paper, the student must place them within quotation marks or clearly set them off in the text and give them appropriate footnoting. When students use only the ideas and change the words, they must clearly identify the source of the ideas. Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, therefore is a violation of the property of the author plagiarized and of the implied assurance by the student when they hand in work that the work is their own. If the student has any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, it is the student’s responsibility to clarify the matter by conferring with the instructor.

Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported and recorded with the Department and College. Academic dishonesty will result in serious penalty (such as receiving a failing grade in the course) to be determined by the instructor. In addition, the Dean (or Dean’s designee) may review all pertinent documents and determine whether further disciplinary action is warranted. For more information, go to www.newpaltz.edu/ugc/policies_integrity.html.

 New Paltz’s policy on academic integrity is found at http://www.newpaltz.edu/ugc/policies/policies_integrity.html, and several excellent resources to help with avoiding plagiarism are available on the Sojourner Truth Library’s website: http://lib.newpaltz.edu/assistance/plag.html.

Reasonable accommodation of individuals with disabilities statement: Students needing classroom and/or testing accommodations related to a disability should contact the Disability Resource Center (Student Union, Room 210, 845-257-3020) as close as possible to the beginning of the semester. The DRC will then provide students’ instructors with an Accommodation Memo verifying the need for accommodations. Specific questions about services and accommodations may be directed to Deanna Knapp, Assistant Director (knappd@newpaltz.edu).

Veteran and Military Services statement: New Paltz’s Office of Veteran and Military Services (OVMS) is committed to serving the needs of veterans, service members and their dependents during their transition from military life to student life. Student veterans, service members or their dependents who need assistance while attending SUNY New Paltz may refer to www.newpaltz.edu/veterans; call 845-257-3120, -3124 or -3074; or stop by the Student Union, Room 100 South.

Computer and network policies statement: Users of New Paltz’s computer resources and network facilities are required to comply with the institutional policies outlined in the Acceptable Uses and Privacy Policy (https://sites.newpaltz.edu/csc/policies/acceptable-uses-and-privacy-policy/).

Incomplete Policy

Per University policy, a grade of Incomplete (I) will be considered only in the case where a student has completed at least 75 percent of the work for the course and a personal emergency prevents the student from completing the work of the semester. The student will be required to explain the circumstances necessitating an Incomplete, and may be asked to provide supporting documentation. If an Incomplete is granted, terms will be set at that time outlining remaining coursework and a timeline for its completion. Failure to fully meet these terms will automatically result in a failing grade. In all cases, Incompletes are granted solely at the instructor’s discretion.

Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI)

You are responsible for completing the Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) for this course and for all your courses with an enrollment of three or more students. I value your feedback and use it to improve my teaching and planning. Please complete the form online during the dates listed in the Academic Calendar.