Dr. Steve Spence

Important Deadlines – Fall 2025

• Classes begin on August 9, 2025. All students should complete the “Start Here” module in D2L before the end the week.
• The deadline for the “No Show” assignment is 5 p.m. on August 20, 2025. See below for details.
• The last day to withdraw without academic accountability is Friday, October 24, 2025. See below for details.

University Policies

Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook and the Basic Student Responsibilities,Code of Conduct

University Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The University reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.

Course Attendance Policy

On-Campus Classes

Attendance is expected for all class periods.  Students who miss class meetings should expect their grade to suffer as a result. Attendance is required for quiz and examination periods. Any absence must be accompanied by a written excuse from a doctor or other competent authority. Two instances of late arrival or early departure will be considered equivalent to one absence.

Online Classes

An online class is a cooperative process, and the regular participation of all students is essential. Active engagement with the course materials and assignments is required each week throughout the semester. Generally this will involve completing weekly assignments and quizzes using D2L.

Failure to complete a D2L module by its deadline is considered an absence, and excessive absences and/or extended periods of inactivity are sufficient cause for a failing grade and/or institutional withdrawal from the course. See the following section, “Administrative Withdrawal,” for further details.

Some assignments may by synchronous, requiring that students log in and participate at a particular time. For example, students may be required to participate in video conferences.

Technical difficulties are not a valid excuse for missing or incomplete work, so online students in particular are encouraged to complete all assignments well before the deadline.

Unless a class is designated 100 percent online, students also will be required to meet face-to-face on campus at several points during the semester. These meetings are mandatory.

Hybrid Classes

Students enrolled in hybrid classes are expected to attend all class meetings, including both face-to-face campus meetings and synchronous online meetings. (An example of the latter occurs with the class meets for a video conference.) In addition, students in hybrid classes must complete all online assignments in a timely fashion.

Students who miss 20 percent of these meetings and/or online assignments will be administratively dropped from the course.

No-Show Policy

It is imperative that students have a successful start of each semester by attending class during the first week and no later than the second week of the semester. A registered student who does not attend at least one (1) class session by the no-show deadline will be reported a “no show.” The consequences of being reported as a no show are significant: the student will be dropped from the class and may suffer significant financial hardship.

Students in online classes must complete an assignment before the no-show reporting period has ended. Simply logging into the course in D2L will not be considered online attendance. Each class’s “no-show assignment” is listed in its first Content module in D2L.

The no-show deadline for this semester is listed at the top of this page.

Administrative Withdrawal

Students who miss 20 percent of class meetings or their online equivalents—excluding absences due to documented medical emergencies or official university functions—will be administratively dropped from the class. Dropped students will earn a W or a WF in the course.

In online classes, six D2L modules is 20 percent of the course. In on-campus classes meeting twice a week, six classes is 20 percent of the course.

Missed Work

Without excuse, a grade of zero points will be assigned for the missed work.  If a valid excuse is provided, the following policies apply.

• Make-up quizzes will be given only if they are taken before the quiz is discussed in class. If the make-up quiz cannot be taken before this time, the missed quiz will not count in calculating the overall quiz grade. This means that other quizzes will be responsible for a greater weight in determining the course final grade.
• Make-up examinations will be given only if they are taken before graded examinations are returned to students.  In the event that a make-up examination cannot be taken before exams are returned to other students, a substitute examination or other assignment will replace it in determining the course final grade.
• The final examination must be completed.

Participation

When answering questions and offering your opinions during class discussions, your comments should direct us toward the central importance of the topic, as it relates to the subject and goals of this class. Your comments should draw out your classmates, encouraging them to develop the most important ideas and implications of the text. Energetic participation from you will make the class more enjoyable for everyone, so please read, write, and contribute thoughtfully and actively.

In on-campus classes, you should come to every class prepared to engage actively in discussions of the readings and other course materials. If you are naturally shy, you will need to make a special effort. Average (i.e. “C” level) performance in this area equates to the following:

• Absences from class make up no more than 5 percent of scheduled classes. Two instances of late arrival or early departure will be considered equivalent to one absence.
• Thorough preparation
• Frequent, engaged, and thoughtful responses to questions and comments by me and by other students

Midterm Progress Report

The midterm grade reflects approximately 40 percent of the entire course grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of “W.” Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, by midterm.

The last day to withdraw without academic accountability is listed at the top of this page.

Computer Requirement

Each CSU student is required to have “on demand access” to a laptop computer throughout the semester. Students will be required to sign a statement attesting to such access. For further information on CSU’s Computer Devices Policy, see the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook.

All CSU students are required to be in regular communication with their instructors via their CSU email account. Use only your CSU email account to communicate academic information to your instructor.

Dates that you will be required to bring your laptop to class will be listed on the Schedule page of the syllabus.

Computer Skill Prerequisites

• Able to use the Microsoft Windows operating system
• Able to use Microsoft Word word processing
• Able to send and receive email using Microsoft Outlook
• Able to attach and retrieve attached files via email
• Use only your CSU email account to communicate academic information to your instructor.
• Able to install and use a modern Web browser like Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
• Able to play video files in mp4 format and audio files in mp3 format.

Desire2Learn (D2L) Online Classroom

On-line activity will take place in Desire2Learn Brightspace (D2L), the virtual classroom for the course.  Posting of your work in D2L is a course requirement.

If the direct link to D2L does not work, you can gain access to D2L by signing on to the SWAN portal.  If you experience any difficulties in D2L, please email or call The HUB at TheHub@clayton.edu, (678) 466-4357, or via Teams. You will need to provide the date and time of the problem, your SWAN username, the name of the course that you are attempting to access, and your instructor’s name.

Disruption of the Learning Environment

Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not be tolerated.  While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior.  A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class.  A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal.  If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF.

More detailed descriptions of examples of disruptive behavior are provided in the Academic Conduct Regulations of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook.

Academic Dishonesty

Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, all work must be individual. Collusion (working with another student or tutor without authorization) or plagiarism (use of another’s ideas, data, statements, or other work without acknowledgment and/or extensive use of another’s ideas, data, statements, or other work with only minimal acknowledgment) will not be tolerated.

The use of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is permitted only when explicitly stated in the directions for individual assignments. If allowed, students must clearly disclose their use of these tools, including which aspects of their work were AI-generated (e.g., brainstorming ideas, drafting, or editing). Any use of AI tools without authorization will be considered academic misconduct. Students are responsible for ensuring that all AI-generated content adheres to proper academic standards and does not include fabricated sources or uncited material. When in doubt, ask me for clarification before using AI tools

Students who violate these policies may be formally charged with academic misconduct through the Office of Community Standards. The minimum penalty in such cases will be an F in the course. As university regulations stipulate, students guilty of academic misconduct may also be suspended or expelled. Judicial procedures are described in the section of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook titled, Adjudicating Alleged Academic Conduct Infractions.

Plagiarism Detection Software

Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You should submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is included.

Health and Safety

Health and Safety information is collected on a separate page.

Sexual Misconduct

Our school is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our school policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking — is also prohibited at our school. Our school encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our school can respond appropriately. If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, want more information about filing a report, or have questions about school policies and procedures, please contact our Title IX Coordinator, which can be found on our school’s website. Our school is legally obligated to investigate reports of sexual misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible. As a teacher, I am also required by our school to report incidents of sexual misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality. I must provide our Title IX coordinator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in the incident.

Complaints about the class

Complaints about separate assignments should be discussed with the instructor. Complaints about the final grade should be discussed with the instructor in at least one conference soon after the next term begins. If the conference on the final grade does not resolve the problem, the complaint should then be taken to the department chair of Film, Communication, and Performing Arts.