Learning Community
My goal is to build a strong learning community for all of my students. I expect everyone to treat your fellow classmates and professor with respect: listening attentively, not interrupting, and maintaining a civil discourse. It is my intent to create an environment that respects diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, religion, and culture, etc., and supports a wide array of thoughts, perspectives and experiences. To maintain this learning community, bullying or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Learn each other’s names and preferred pronouns, and always assume the best intentions in each other. If something was said in class (by anyone, including myself) that made you feel uncomfortable please talk to me about it either directly or through anonymous feedback forms that I will periodically administer in class.
More broadly, the University of Colorado Denver is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment. The University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, creed, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, political philosophy or political affiliation in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational programs and activities, working, and living environment. University policy prohibits sexual misconduct, including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or related retaliation. If you have experienced some sort of sexual misconduct or discrimination, please visit the Office of Equity/Title IX web site to understand the resources available to you or contact the Office of Equity/Title IX Coordinator (303-315-2567).
COVID-19
This class is taking place under extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My goal is to provide you with a valuable learning experience despite these circumstances, and I plan to teach with as much flexibility, resilience, and compassion as I can. I ask you to do the same with your classmates and professor as we navigate this semester together. To that end, please contact me over email if you are experiencing any unforeseen challenges (health, housing situation, family, food security, etc.) that will keep you from learning. I will do my best to work with you to meet those challenges.
Remote Learning
This is a remote course, which means that class will be conducted online during the regularly scheduled class time (also known as “synchronous” learning) primarily through Zoom. Please make sure that this application is installed and kept updated on the primary electronic device that you will be using for this class. You can join the Zoom meeting link and password posted to the Canvas landing page. In addition to Zoom, we will periodically be using a Slack workspace (http://sp21-dig-stud.slack.com/) as a backchannel for discussion and to share files, links, etc. Please join the Slack workspace using the invitation link.
Remote learning will help protect your own health and the health of our wider CU Denver community, but it does come with its own challenges. The first has to do with technology. I know that not everyone has the same access to the technology that is such a large component of remote learning (reliable high-speed internet, laptop, etc.). Please complete this survey so that I can assess where everyone is at and adapt the course accordingly to meet your needs. If your own circumstances change at all during the course of the semester, please notify me via email so that we can figure out a solution.
The second challenge has to do with online engagement and community. This course asks you to actively participate in discussion and other activities with your classmates so that you can engage more deeply with the course material and topics. This is difficult to do virtually. We will collectively brainstorm ideas, strategies, and a set of community guidelines that will help everyone stay connected to the course and to respectfully interact with one another online in a way that will help everyone learn more effectively.
Office Hours
I will be conducting office hours over Zoom on Tuesdays, from 10:00-11:30am unless otherwise stated. If that time does not work for your schedule, please contact me over Slack or email and we will find a different time to meet. Take advantage of office hours as an opportunity to talk with me about any aspect of the class: the week’s reading, ideas and strategies for upcoming assignments, feedback you have received, or difficult themes and concepts. Or, just drop by and let me know how the rest of your classes, work, etc. are going! I enjoy hearing about what my students are doing and look forward to getting to know each of you.
Late Assignments
If unforeseen circumstances come up during the semester and you need an extension on a particular assignment, please notify me via email or Slack. Otherwise you are expected to submit all assignments by the due date.
Health and Wellness
Every student should prioritize their physical, emotional, and mental health. Any student who is struggling to do so (lacking a safe and stable place to live, having difficulty affording sufficient food to eat every day, facing financial stresses, etc.) is urged to consult the resources listed here: https://www.ucdenver.edu/student/health-wellness, and in particular the University’s Counseling Center.
Reasonable Accommodation
I am committed to providing everyone the support and services needed to participate in this course. If you have a learning disability please contact Disability Resources and Services at 303-315-3510 or by e-mail at disabilityresources@ucdenver.edu and, if you are comfortable, notify me directly as well. If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, please reach out to Disability Resources and Services.
Students Called for Military Duty
Students in the military with the potential of being called to military service and/or training during the course of the semester are encouraged to notify their school/college Associate Dean or Advising Office.
CLAS Incomplete Policy
The faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences passed the following policy relating to the awarding of incomplete grades. Incomplete grades (IW or IF) are meant for students with special circumstances beyond their control that preclude them from attending class and completing graded assignments. They are not granted for low academic performance, and students must have completed a majority of the course’s assignments and classes in order to qualify. Incompletes cannot be awarded that stipulate: (1) a student may repeat the entire course, (2) repeat or replace existing grades, (3) allow the student an indeterminate period of time to complete a course, or (4) allow the student to repeat the course with a different instructor. The CLAS Course Completion Agreement is available from the CLAS Advising Office, NC 2024.
Religious Observances
If, because of religious obligations, you have conflicts with required assignments/attendance please email me directly as soon as possible at the beginning of the semester.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to know, understand, and comply with the ethical standards of the university, including rules against plagiarism, cheating, fabrication and falsification, multiple submissions, misuse of academic materials, and complicity in academic dishonesty.
Additional Resources
Please refer to this list of additional resources available to CU Denver students: https://clas.ucdenver.edu/faculty-staff/sites/default/files/attached-files/student_services_and_calendar.pdf.