Examples of Class Rules Included in Syllabi Distributed at the Beginning of the Semester

Eleven faculty members contributed portions of their syllabi. They appear below, each beginning with a Roman numeral. Some are long and detailed; some are two or three sentences.

1. To prevent unnecessary distractions for yourself and so as not to interfere with others’ opportunity to learn, laptops can be used only to take notes (that must be emailed to the instructor at the end of the class), no texting and no eating in the classroom. A violation of these rules may result in an absence for that class.

2. Class Deportment
   Previous experience has found that some students do not behave in a professional and considerate manner. These rules of behavior will be in effect during the class period:
   • No personal communicators will be permitted in class. (All cell phones, PDAs, beepers, etc will be turned off during the class. Bluetooth devices will be stowed away.)
   • No eating or drinking will be allowed in class.
   • During the class period, computers will only be used for class work. This means that students will not cruise the web, check E-mail, or use instant messaging communications unless directed or permitted to do so by the instructor.
   Students who violate these rules will be asked to leave the class room for the day. Students who need an exemption from these rules should contact the instructor.

3. I don’t establish specific rules in my syllabus, but do include the following statement among the criterion for receiving an A in the class. This allows me to address those students who are not contributing in such a way individually. Granted, I am working exclusively with graduate students:
   Participating in class discussion and learning experiences in a way that contributes to the learning of others as well as furthering your own learning.

4. Due Performance A student will have satisfied the Due Performance requirement if he or she has met all four of the following conditions:
   1. Taken all tests
   2. Attained an average score of at least 60% for the tests prior to the final
   3. Accumulated no more than THREE unexcused absences
   4. Submitted all WebAssign online homework
   No student can pass this course without meeting the Due Performance Requirement.

5. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT GROUND RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
   Professional behavior is imperative. Given the overwhelming likelihood that you will work in (and otherwise depend upon and participate in) organizations, it is important for you to establish habits that will enhance your career.
   1. Managers and professionals are required to show up on every scheduled work day to achieve organizational goals; likewise, you must attend class to learn.
      1. Attendance demonstrates your commitment, common sense, conscientiousness, and willingness to learn and contribute to classmates' learning. After the first week of classes, roll will be taken at the beginning of each non-testday class meeting. I will seat students in alphabetical order to expedite roll-taking. Just as employees are granted a fixed number of paid days off, you may accrue, on non-testdays during the semester, a total of four free absences for any reason. For each absence beyond these four free ones, however, three points will be deducted from your course grade. Be advised not to squander your free absences on frivolous pursuits, but, instead, to save them in case of illness, urgent medical/dental appointments that can be scheduled only during class, religious observances, job interviews, family gatherings, transportation troubles, or any other important and inevitable activities that could preclude your attendance.
      2. If you miss class for any reason you are responsible for borrowing a classmate's notes. After making a full-fledged effort to interpret your classmate's notes, you may seek my clarification. Anyone who asks me for a synopsis of what we covered in class during his or her absence or for my slides is, in fact, asking for special treatment. Under no circumstances will I honor such a request.
      3. You should not take this class if overwhelming professional and/or personal demands would interfere with your attendance and/or ability to focus on and fulfill course requirements. Likewise, if your demands swell to onerous, performance-inhibiting proportions during the semester you are advised to withdraw officially from the class in order to avoid earning a low grade.
   2. Managers and professionals need to be at their workplace and/or at business meetings on time and to be accountable as to their whereabouts; likewise, you are expected to avoid scheduling activities that would require your arriving late to or departing early from class and to take breaks only when truly necessary, rather than routinely.
      1. Lateness is distracting and signals sloppiness and/or arrogance. Allow ample time for transportation/ parking, food procurement, etc., so that you will be with us at the very beginning of class. If, despite your best efforts, you arrive late, please enter quietly to minimize the disruption to your classmates and check with me at the end of class to ensure that I mark you as late (rather than absent).
      2. Premature evacuation is disruptive and appears tacky. If, for any reason, you leave before the end of class, I will mark your early departure for that class.
      3. Note that every three marked latenesses and/or early departures count as one absence.
      4. A parade of exiting and reentering bodies is distracting. Unless you have a condition that requires you to exit and re-enter the classroom with frequency, you are expected to remain seated during class. Purchase refreshments before or after—not during—class.
   3. The misbehavior of a few organizational members can impede the performance of their entire group; likewise, students' disrespectful activities can interfere with their classmates' learning and my teaching.
      1. During class you will store and ignore your communication and electronic devices, newspapers/puzzle pages, and materials for other courses; close your laptop (Laptops distract (those using them and those sitting near them); students are not permitted to use them in my classroom.); refrain from conducting private conversations; and cover your yawns. If ever I should feel compelled to interrupt class upon observing a student sending/receiving/checking for messages, listening to music, reading the paper/doing a puzzle, studying for another class, conversing (with spoken or written words), snoring, etc., everyone involved will be dismissed and will be marked absent for the day.
      2. The grade you receive is the grade you have earned. Do not ask me to change your grade unless I have made a clerical error. If you ask me to raise your course grade for any other reason, you are, in fact, asking me to violate principles of fairness. I will respond to such a request by lowering your grade by as much as i am asked to raise it. If you need a certain grade in this class in order to maintain your scholarship, qualify for tuition reimbursement, or please or appease your parents, it is your responsibility to ensure that you earn that grade.

6. Assorted things:
   • Please be sure to turn off your cell phones. Do not just turn off the ringer and put it on vibrate mode. Every time I hear your phone ring or vibrate, you will lose one percentage point from your most recent exam grade. In addition, do not text message in class. Every time I see you text messaging, or even just checking your phone, you will lose one percentage point from your most recent exam grade.
   • You are responsible for coming to class on time. Coming into the classroom late disrupts the class and is disrespectful to the instructor and the rest of the class. Each student is allowed to be tardy twice without penalty. For each tardy after the second one, you will lose one percentage point from your most recent exam grade.
   • Attendance and class participation at all lectures is expected. You are responsible for getting copies of class notes, handouts, etc. that were presented on any day you were absent. Be prepared to ask and answer my questions, and engage in discussion. If you are absent please email me with a reason. Excessive absences may result in a lowering of your grade.
   • College level organization, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. are expected on all work. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition, for specific guidelines on referencing.
   • Refer to your student bulletin and schedule of classes for details about drop/add, course withdrawal policies and procedures, and any other general Hofstra academic policies.
   • The laws, regulations, and ethical codes of the country, the state, the University, and ASHA, about such things as discrimination, academic dishonesty, client confidentiality, and public accuracy, among others, apply to this class and will be observed.
   • I do my very best to understand points of view that differ from mine, to be considerate to the people who express those views, to explain my views considerately, and to change my views when change is warranted. I expect the same consideration and balance from you, both in your dealings with me and -- much more importantly -- in your dealings with each other.

7. PROFESSIONALISM
   Students are expected to perform professionally at all times when interacting with fellow students and the instructor. Unprofessional behavior will result in a penalty to the student's grade. The severity of the penalty is left to the discretion of the instructor.

8. To prevent unnecessary distractions for yourself and so as not to interfere with others’ opportunity to learn, laptops can be used only to take notes (that must be emailed to the instructor at the end of the class), no texting and no eating in the classroom. A violation of these rules may result in an absence for that class.

9. CLASS POLICIES AND INFO:
   1. Classmate Contacts: Exchange names, telephone numbers, cell phone numbers, and email addresses with several classmates so that you can get an update if you miss a class or need to consult about the class. Please do not email me just to ask for an assignment or for what you missed in a class. Contact your classmates, check the syllabus and the course Blackboard site. You also have the capability of communicating with other members of the class through the communication tool on the course Blackboard site. Missing class is not a valid excuse for not knowing what is going on in the course. 
   2. Electronic Stuff -- Blackboard Course Site & Email:
      Blackboard: Go to the Blackboard site for the course; access it through the portal on the Hofstra webpage. You will find syllabus, and other course documents there, as well as Turnitin links (under “Assignment”) for submitting any take-home quizzes at the time they are due.
      Email: If you do not intend to use your Hofstra assigned email address, make sure that you go to your Hofstra account and set it up so that email is forwarded to the account that you do use. You'll only have to do it once for the semester, unless you change your email address during the semester. Class announcements and so on will be made through Blackboard. Email messages to the class will be sent to your Hofstra email account. It is your responsibility to keep abreast of announcements, changes in class assignments, exam schedules, and so on.
      Electronic Readings: I have tried to give clear instructions and urls for accessing the readings. However, I am not a techno-whiz, so don’t email me if you have trouble, for example, using the library sources. Contact the library at the reference desk (516) 463-5962. For other electronic and computer problems, contact Student Computing Services, 516-463-3000. Do inform me:
      1. if a url that I gave you is inactive;
      2. if a link for a turnitin submission, quiz or test is missing or not working. The links are timed to become available shortly before the assignment is due and to become inactive again after the due date.
   3. Reading and Assignments: Bring the relevant text (book and/or article) to class. Read it before class; try to get a grasp of the main issues. Plan to re-read or at least review after material is done in class. You are responsible for all readings and assignments on the syllabus. Exams will assume familiarity with all of the reading. Most of the readings are short (30 pp. or less), but often difficult. What's required is serious thinking about what you're reading. Philosophy has been going on for 2500 years -- it's a conversation worth participating in!
   4. Attendance.
      Attendance means staying for the entire class period. If you must leave a particular class early, notify the professor at the beginning of class. This should be a rare event.  If you arrive more than 15 minutes late or leave class more than 15 minutes prior to the end of class, you will be marked absent. Exceptions will not be made for those who have made an appointment with another professor or an advisor during class period.
      Excessive absence (more than 6 classes over the semester) will be considered grounds for failure of the course. Late registration does not reduce the total permissible number of absences; nor does prior notification of professor. Sickness happens, accidents happen, bad weather happens, computer problems happen, over-sleeping happens, family crises happen, the bus never comes ... save your absences for these kinds of emergencies. If you're not in class, you are not doing the work of the course that occurs in class, you won't do well in the course and you won't be pulling your fair weight in making contributions to classroom discussion, group work and projects. Attentive listening will be considered participation for the most part. However, you will be expected to make an effort to contribute at least occasionally.
      Attendance: if you have up to 2 absences you get full credit for attendance (100 points). You will get partial credit for attendance along approximately the following schema (also note the comment below regarding sleeping, leaving early/late such that you attended only a part of a class period):
      • 3 absences 75 points;
      • 4 absences 50 points;
      • 5 absences 25 points;
      • 6 absences 0 points.
      • 6+ absences is grounds for failing the course.
      (If you have slept through a good portion of a class, if you have arrived late or left the class early or left during the class period for an extended amount of time, these have been recorded on the attendance sheet and will affect your attendance grade, for these events mean that you have, in effect, missed substantial class periods. Occasional minor latenesses, e.g., 5-10 minutes, while disruptive, will not normally affect the attendance component of your grade.)
   5. Please make every effort to come to class on time. Latecomers are disruptive to me and to your classmates. 
   6. ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
      Cell phones, beepers and pagers are to be turned off and put away when you enter the classroom. They are not to be left out on the desk. There are to be no rings or beeps of any kind while class is going on; nor is there to be any text messaging. We are here to focus on work. Cell phones, beepers, pagers should also be turned off when you come to an office hour.
      Laptops: I may ask you to not use your laptop during class. Please be prepared to take notes with pen and paper.
   7. Take-home assignments: No late work will be accepted. Any take-home assignments are to be submitted to the Turnitin links on the course Blackboard site, unless otherwise instructed. Turnitin records the date of submission; quizzes submitted late will not be graded. Assignments that are not turned in by the time the Turnitin link expires will not be accepted. Computer crashes or other electronic glitches at the last minute do not constitute an acceptable excuse for failing to turn in your work.
   8. In-class Work: There are no make-ups if you miss an in-class assignment, group work or quiz.
   9. Ground rules for exams:  Show up on time for the period in which the exam or quiz is being given. No cell phones, beepers, etc. Normally there are no make-ups.  If there is an extraordinary reason why you cannot make it to class for an exam, notify me beforehand. In no case may an exam be made up later than two weeks after the scheduled date, or if the exam has been handed back to the class. Consult the official class schedule for the rules governing final exams. Please take note that it is your responsibility to inform your instructor(s) in a timely fashion if you have more than two final exams scheduled for a single day or if you have a final exam conflict.
   10. There is no "extra credit" for individual students. If there is an event on campus that is relevant to the course, I may suggest it as an extra credit opportunity for all students, but there is otherwise no extra credit. The course is planned to give you plenty of opportunity to do well. 
       Ultimately, how well you do is up to you! Talk to me if there is a problem; ask if there's something you don't understand.In the end to do well, you have to work well and only you can do that.
   11. Incompletes: Permission of instructor is required for INC grades. Incompletes will be considered only in extenuating circumstances (serious illness or emergency), and only if at least 50% of the course work has been completed, and the attendance requirement for the course has been met. INC grades will not be assigned without prior consultation between student and professor.  Failure to show up at a final exam will not constitute grounds for the granting of an INC, if it has not been requested beforehand. If you have not completed all assignments for the course and you have not spoken with the instructor, you can expect to earn an "F" in the course.
   12. Plagiarism – It goes without saying that plagiarism will be penalized. You will fail the assignment and the incident will be reported. More than one incident in the course will be grounds for failing the course. Ditto, cheating.
       If you have any problems with attending, any emergencies or disability, or other difficulties you think may become an issue with your involvement in the course, please talk to me in a timely fashion. Do not wait until the end of the semester or until the course is over to raise issues or problems.

10. 2. Contribution to your team includes on-time attendance at all in-class and out-of-class team meetings. Anything less is unfair to your teammates and will impact your final course grade.
    6. As explained above, on-time attendance at all class sessions and team meetings is a necessity. Excessive tardiness or absences will result in a grade reduction, as will frequent early departures, or leaving and returning to the classroom during the class session, because such actions disrupt teaching and the classroom environment.
    13. Activities that disrupt the class and my ability to teach:
    • Talking when I'm talking
    • Eating in class (no food or drinks are allowed in computer-equipped classrooms)
    • Late arrivals
    • Leaving and returning to the classroom during class. (So please use the bathrooms, etc. before or after class and wait until the class has ended to respond to cell phone calls and messages)
    • Cell phones and other messaging devices (please turn them totally off during class)
    • Using the computers for non-class purposes
    HOW TO FAIL
    1. Be absent from many classes
    2. Be absent from many team meetings (in-class and out-of-class meetings)
    3. Do not submit written case analyses
    4. Be frequently unprepared or absent when called upon in classroom case discussions
    HOW TO GET A LOW GRADE
    1. Be absent from class often enough for the instructor to notice it
    2. Be late to class often enough for the instructor to notice it
    3. Leave the classroom during class often enough for the instructor to notice it
    4. Be absent from many of your team meetings (both in and outside of class)
    5. Use personal electronic devices (texting, phone, music, etc.) during class
    6. Use the classroom computers for non-class purposes during class-time
    7. Receive poor peer ratings from your teammates
    8. Do not participate in the in-class case discussions
    9. Do not submit several of the written case analyses

11. ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments/exams MUST be turned in/taken on time. An assignment submitted after the due date without previous clearance by the instructor (which will be granted only in exceptional circumstances) will have the grade reduced by 10 percent each day it is late.
    ALL assignments must be completed to pass the course, and students must be prepared to submit electronic copies, upon request by the instructor, of any assignment during the semester. Each assignment MUST be original work for this course that is NOT used to satisfy another academic requirement (past or present).
    ATTENDANCE: Attendance is a requirement, and students may not arrive late or leave early.
    GRADES: To successfully complete the course, you must demonstrate achievement of the course objectives. The professor reserves the right to adjust final grades upward or downward depending on improvement, contributions to course, etc. The course grading scale follows:

12. Mastery	A	>93
    	A-	90-92
    	Mastery of concepts. Can apply concepts to new situations.
    Excellence	B+	88-89
    	B	83-87
    	B-	80-82
    	Solid understanding of concepts. Strong foundation for future work.
    Proficiency	C+	78-79
    	C	73-77
    	C-	70-72
    	Acceptable understanding. Questionable foundation for future work.
    Marginal Proficiency	D+	68-69
    	D	63-67
    	Doubtful understanding. Weak foundation for future work.
    Failure	F	<63
    	Definitely failed to demonstrate understanding.