Course information
Learning Environment Expectations
Class will begin promptly; please be on time. If you are late please enter as quietly as possible. Material will not be repeated for late arrivals. Students are expected to know and comply with the general student conduct policies as printed in the Student Handbook. Intentional disruption of the orderly process and educational atmosphere in the classroom is not acceptable.
Students are encouraged to review and discuss labs and class activities collaboratively, study and work collaboratively on some activities and ask one another questions during group activities and outside of class as they see fit. Collaboration on lab assignments and homework are important, but each student will be individually responsible for all actual assignment content creation. Evidence to the contrary may result in severe grade reductions for the person or persons involved. No collaboration or discussion during tests or quizzes will be permitted. Any cheating will result in dismissal from class.
Telephones and pagers must be turned off or set to vibrate during class and lab time. If a your phone or pager rings audibly during class, please exit with as little disruption as possible.
Attendance, Grading and Make-up Policy
Each student is assumed to be a responsible adult aware of his or her best interests, but attendance to regular class meetings is essential for success in this class and is expected. If a regular scheduled class must be missed, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of the absence prior to class or as soon as possible after the missed period in the case of emergencies. It is also the student’s responsibility to acquire any material that is missed. Three unexcused absences is sufficient reason for failure of the class. Additionally, diligent study and completion of all assigned work will be critical to receiving a satisfactory grade. The instructor will be noting attendance and participation and will base a maximum of 5% of a student’s final grade on these factors.
In order that each student be aware of his or her standing in the class, grades and a grade distribution will be prepared after each major assignment, lab, or exam. To facilitate communication between the instructor and all students, each student should set up and use an email account.
The instructor reserves the right to alter or amend these policies on an individual basis due to extenuating circumstances.
In fairness to those who complete assignments conscientiously, late work will not be accepted without the prior approval of the instructor and only for extenuating circumstances. Vacations or missing class for non-emergency reasons do not merit special consideration for making up missed work.
Plagiarism Policy
According to Webster, to plagiarize is "to steal or pass off the ideas or words of another as one’s own…to use created productions without crediting the source…to commit literary theft…to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source."
Kirkwood Students are responsible for authenticating any assignment submitted to an instructor. If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you submit is actually your own work. Therefore, we recommend that you engage in a verifiable working process on assignments. Keep copies of all drafts of your work, make photocopies of research materials, write summaries of research materials, hang onto Writing Center receipts, keep logs or journals of your work on assignments and papers, learn to save drafts or versions of assignments under individual file names on computer or diskette, etc.
The inability to authenticate your work, should an instructor request it, is a sufficient ground for failing the assignment.
In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work, Kirkwood Community College instructors may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity – such as engaging in Internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work, requiring students to explain their work and/or process orally, etc.
Drop Date
Students dropping a class during the first two weeks of a term may receive a full or partial tuition refund. The details of the refund schedule are available from Enrollment Services in 216 Kirkwood Hall.
The last date to drop a class this term is Friday, July 16. An add/drop form may be obtained from any academic department office or from Enrollment Services. You must obtain the signature of the instructor or the academic dean of the department to drop a course. The form must be returned to Enrollment Services by the deadline. Students who drop a course will receive a "W" grade for the class. A grade of "W" has no effect on the student’s GPA.
Students who quit attending a class, but who do not drop, will receive either an "F" or and "FW" depending on the student’s last date of attendance. Both of these grades have a negative impact on the student’s GPA.
Students may also opt for a total withdrawal from all of their classes. A complete withdrawal requires the signature of a counselor. A grade of "W" will be assigned for all courses.
Americans With Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities who need accommodations to achieve course objectives should file an accommodation application with Learning Services, Linn Hall 133 as soon as possible.
School Cancellations
When Kirkwood classes are cancelled or delayed due to inclement weather, all classes at all locations are cancelled. The announcements will indicate whether the cancellations apply to day and/or evening classes.
The following broadcasters will be notified:
| AM Radio | FM Radio | Television |
|---|---|---|
| 600 WMT | 88.3 KCCK | 2 KGAN |
| 800 KXIC | 91.7 KSUI | 7 KWWL |
| 1450 KMRY | 94.1 KRNA | 9 KCRG |
| 1550 KCJJ | 98.1 KHAK | |
| 102.9 KZIA | ||
| 104.5 KDAT | ||
| 105.7 KOKZ | ||
| 107.9 KFMW |
Courses offered in area high schools will be cancelled when the school district in which the courses are being offered is closed.