Infrequently Asked Questions
Below are questions that I wish students would ask more frequently. If you are asking yourself any of these questions, please give yourself a pat on the back for doing so and look to the answers below. If you don't yet have any questions, I hope that this list will give you some ideas of what you should be thinking about as you go through the course.
How can I best deal with the readings for this class?
I've never heard of a team readiness assessment or a source analysis. What's the best way to approach such assignments?
To what extent can I share ideas with other students and still uphold academic honesty?
What format do you expect for written assignments? Are there any stylistic requirements particular to this class?
Do you care about errors in spelling, grammar, etc.?
What exactly is a "self-assessment"-- and why do I have to submit to it?
How strict are you about due dates? What do I do if I don't come to campus on a day a paper is due?
How am I suppose to interpret the lines, fancy vocabulary & shorthand abbreviations you write on my paper?
[Occasional statements throughout this document are derived, with permission, from a similar document written by my colleague Peter Fosl, Associate Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Transylvania University. Much of the wording of my statements regarding academic honesty is drawn—definitely with permission!--from Patricia Keith-Spiegel, “Syllabi Statements Regarding Academic Dishonesty: Rationale and Suggestions,” distributed by Ball State University’s Center for the Teaching of Integrity.]