Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. You are allowed three absences (excused or unexcused). Each additional absence will take 20 points off your final grade. If you do miss class, it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what material was covered in class and what assignments were given. If you miss class on a day you are scheduled to give a speech, you will receive no credit for that assignment.

Tardiness: Arriving late or leaving early will count as one-third of an absence. If you are on a grade borderline, poor attendance and/or excessive tardiness will hurt your chances of getting the higher grade.

Preparation: Always bring APS and SCR to class with you. The syllabus states what you should read prior to each class and what homework assignments you should hand in each day.

Written Work: All work you turn in for this class must be typed. Use 12 point font and 1” margins, and put your name and my name on all assignments. Late assignments will not be accepted. Keep both an electronic and a paper copy of all of your work.  At the end of the semester, you will turn in a portfolio of all of the work you have done for this class. It should include copies of all your speeches and critiques, in both the original and revised versions (where applicable).

Assignments MUST BE STAPLED or they will not be accepted. I am not kidding.

Participation: This is a discussion course, not a lecture; therefore, extensive class participation on your part is expected. Participation includes asking and answering questions, coming to class prepared, and enthusiastically participating in impromptu speaking exercises. Coming to see me in office hours is also an important part of participating in this class. If you are on a grade borderline, showing good class participation in class and by coming to office hours can help your chances of getting the higher grade.

Plagiarism: I take plagiarism very seriously. Although I rarely have a problem with academic misconduct, if I discover that you have plagiarized any work for this class you will receive the maximum penalty possible under university policy. We will talk about exactly what is and is not appropriate use of sources in class. You should also note that the internet has a large number of student papers at websites such as freestudentessays.org and planetpapers.com. These sites are easy for both you and me to find. These type of sites are NOT legitimate research sources. If you are found to have taken ANY material from material on sites like these it will be considered plagiarism and you will receive the maximum penalty possible.

Class: Some things can distract me and, more importantly, your classmates during class. If they occur during someone's speech, it can hurt their grade, which is unfair to them. Never enter or leave the room while someone else is giving a speech because it is very distracting and you will disrupt their speech. If you are late on a speech day, listen at the door before entering. Also, please turn off the ringer on cell phones or pagers before coming to class. I'll warn you about distracting behavior once, and if it continues, you will be penalized points off of your final grade each time it occurs.

Final Exam: The final exam will be at 7:45 am on Friday, 17 May 2002. No make-up or early exams are given, and there are no exceptions. If you cannot make the exam dates, drop the class and take it next semester.

Responsibilities: I am responsible for helping you learn the material, making the assignments as clear as possible, giving you feedback on your performance in the class, and answering all student questions. You are responsible for coming to class prepared, enthusiastically participating, and completing the assignments as directed. If any part of any assignment is unclear, it is YOUR responsibility to ask for clarification, and to do so early enough that you will be able to act on the information (i.e., ask in the class before it is due rather than the day it is due). If you do not understand my comments on your speech or your grade, it is YOUR responsibility to come to my office hours and ask me for additional feedback so you can improve. Remember, I can't read your mind, so I don't know if something I say is not clear to you.

Switching Sections: If you are interested in adding or switching sections, email Jim Ferris at jvferris@facstaff.wisc.edu. He is the only person that can allow you into a sections--I have no input into the process.