Grades

To view your grades for the course, go to the Google Classroom and select the classwork page, then view my work near the top. This will display your overall grade and individual grades for assignments (with any feedback from me).

Grades are awarded on a scale of 100 total points for the course.

Midterm Grades: Faculty are required to submit midterm grades each term for all students in their first year and for any student who is not doing well in the course.
Grade Changes: Once course grades are submitted to the Registrar’s office, they cannot be changed without approval of the Academic Standing Committee except in the case of an Incomplete (I) grade.

Attendance & Participation

Your attendance and participation is very important for understanding the topics that we will be engaging throughout this course. I define “participation” broadly, meaning that there are participation opportunities for discussion, pair/group work and conversation, and written contributions like commenting on other students’ blog posts.

I also understand that life happens and that personal and family emergencies may take your attention away from the course. Please communicate with me about your needs so that we can make the best accommodations for you. Your wellbeing is most important, and my job is to provide the time, space, and resources you need to be most successful.

Late Assignments

Generally, if you submit a blog post (the only weekly assignment for the course) within 24 hours after it is due (Sunday by 11:59pm CT), you can still receive the full 5 points. For each week that the assignment is late, I will deduct one point per week. For larger assignments like the Film Review Essay and the Final Research Project, please communicate with me if you encounter any issues so that we can make arrangements for you to make up missed work.

Privacy

Your privacy and identity protection is a priority in this class. We will be engaging with online materials and platforms that may require the creation of a user account. When possible, I recommend “signing in with Google” to be able to use your secure Knox ID information. On certain platforms, like WordPress and Omeka, a username will be publicly displayed. The username will be the same as your Knox ID, but if you wish to use another username, please let me know of the change by email.

Please, never share your address, credit card information, Social Security Number, or any other personal information on a website that is unprotected or that you do not trust. You will not have to provide any of this information on the online platforms we use in this class.

Recordings

To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities without the express permission of the instructor. Authorized recordings (including accommodations through the Office of Disability Support Services) may only be used for the purposes of an student’s study in the course and not shared elsewhere.

Knox College Honor Code

Intellectual integrity is the underpinning for all educational, scholarly, and creative work at Knox College. The College community expects its members to demonstrate a high degree of ethical integrity in all their actions, including and especially academic work. At Knox, each individual is held responsible for ensuring that his or her academic work meets the institutional standards of honesty.

To learn more about the honor system and how to report a violation, visit: www.knox.edu/offices/academic-affairs/honor-code-and-procedures

Accessibility

My top priority is to provide a safe and supportive space for you to learn. I will honor all accommodations made by the Office of Disability Services to support your learning experience in this course.

For assistance with accommodations, please contact the Director of Disability Support Services:

Stephanie Grimes
Umbeck Science and Math Center E111 | Campus Box K183
340 South West Street
Phone: 309-341-7478
Email: sgrimes@knox.edu

Title IX, Reporting, and Support Services

If you or others are in immediate danger or are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. 

Knox College affirms its commitment to create and maintain an environment free from acts of Title IX Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct, and to foster within that environment respect for the dignity of all members of the community. Accordingly, Knox College will not tolerate any acts of Title IX Sexual Harassment or Sexual Misconduct.

All faculty, staff, teaching assistants, and research assistants at Knox are Responsible Reporters. If I learn of a Title IX situation, I must inform the Title IX office. These reports do not open a case, but rather present the opportunity for you to communicate about the incident. It is your decision whether you wish to speak to anyone regarding an incident. For more information, see the Title IX Resource Card.

Information on Seeking Medical Care

If you are involved in or witness an incident, you have the option to contact:

Jennie Hemingway, PhD
Director of Title IX & Civil Rights Compliance
Phone: 309-341-7751
Email: cultureofrespect@​knox.edu

Office of Campus Safety
2 East South Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7979
Email: campus-safety@​knox.edu

Additionally, there are two anonymous reporting options:

The Incident Report Form is for reporting general incidents to Knox College. This information will be submitted to the Associate Dean of the College, Dean of Students, Director of Campus Safety, Director of Human Resources, and Title IX Coordinator.

The Bias Report Form is for reporting incidents related to bias to the Bias Education and Support Team. This form can be completed by either the targets of bias-related incidents, witnesses, or those indirectly impacted by them (e.g. family and friends).

Confidential Support:

If you wish to speak to someone in a confidential setting, counseling services can be contacted via email: counseling@knox.edu or phone: 309-341-7492. Learn more about additional resources for confidential support.

Technology and Generative AI

The use of technology during class is allowed, but please use these items responsibly to support your learning, reading, and note-taking. I reserve the right to ask you to put away a device if it becomes a distraction to you or to other students.

Generative AI tools (from ChatGPT to Grammarly) can be useful for outlining, summarizing, and improving your writing. However, please be aware of the following:

• – These tools are designed to be assistive, not solutions.
• – The output of AI tools does NOT replace your original thinking. Using someone else’s ideas as your own (including generative AI output) is plagiarism.
• – Be cognizant of the limits and ethical considerations of AI tools like ChatGPT. Many AI tools are proprietary (ChatGPT is privately owned by Microsoft + a small group of wealthy people), has been trained on anything that can be scraped from the open web (and may reproduce harmful/toxic ideas and language), and comes with critical socio-economic and environmental costs.

In this course, I expect you to make careful and informed decisions about how to use assistive technology and to never try to pass off other ideas as your own. Nearly all of our assignments are reflective and I expect your honesty in all classwork.

YOU have great ideas and I want to hear/read about them!

Support for Success

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers holistic academic support services for all Knox College students. These services are free of charge and intended to assist students with virtually any aspect of their learning experience.

For drop-in tutoring and appointment scheduling, visit the CTL page or access CTL through my.knox.edu

Syllabus Changes

This syllabus is subject to change and adjustment during the semester as necessary to meet the goals and objectives of the course. Changes will be made in consultation with the students and communicated in a timely and clear manner.