Program Policies
Freshman English Program Policies for All Sections
In addition to the specific requirements in the syllabus you receive from your instructor, there are general policies for all sections of Freshman English:
1. Attendance and tardiness
All Freshman English courses are carefully sequenced so that most lessons are taught and modeled through in-class activities, not through a textbook or website. In order to succeed, you will therefore need to attend class and arrive on time. Repeated absences and chronic tardiness will affect the quality of your work and hence the grades you receive. If you miss more than four classes (in a section that meets twice a week) or more than six classes (in a section that meets three times a week), you will risk failing the course. If you need to miss more than two classes, you are required to contact your instructor.
2. Completion and timely submission of work
All students in Freshman English write 3 – 5 formal papers that are preceded by shorter, informal pieces of writing and followed by revisions. The course is a sequence of assignments that build upon each other, not a set of separate tasks. To succeed, you therefore need to keep up with the sequence. Your instructor may penalize or refuse to accept late work, in accordance with the policies in his/her syllabus. If you repeatedly miss deadlines or fail to complete assignments, it will affect the quality of your work to such a degree that you may end up failing the course.
3. Phones and code of conduct
Freshman English is a workshop and discussion course in which your active participation is required – without distractions to anyone. You will therefore need to silence your phone; texting in class is not permitted, and headphones must be removed. If you are disruptive, your instructor will ask you to leave the room. You are required to observe the student code of conduct (see http://www.umb.edu/life_on_campus/policies/code) and rules about plagiarism.
4. Withdrawal
If you are falling too far behind or have missed too much in-class work (due to tardiness or absence), your instructor will advise you to withdraw from the course.
