STUDENT
OPPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS IN OUR
HIGH-DEMAND
HIGH -SUPPORT CLASSES
1. A course Contract is part of the syllabus and must be signed by each student. The Contract functions to encourage an awareness of the reciprocal nature of the learning environment.
2. Questions about course content and/or pedagogy are encouraged throughout.
3. Exams and graphic requirements are take-home[1] and open–sourced [e.g. assigned readings, class and office dialogue notes]. For additional opportunities in the examination process, see items 4-15, of this list.
4. Essay questions [e.g. first exam, second exam, and final exam] for the entire course are available at the beginning of the term.
5. Questions about understanding and approaching the essay questions are the basis of class sessions.
6. Generous office hours – at least 3 hours daily [for each of us].
7. Samples of prior student work are available in our office.
8. Assistance on in-progress work is available.
9. We will grade and/or provide feedback on in-progress work.
10. Exams are graded within one week and in-progress work is returned within 24 hours.
11. The criteria for grading examinations, reading, notes, and graphics are available.
12.
Students are encouraged to grade their own exams,
outlines, notes and readings against the provided criteria. This is to encourage the development of
student learning resourcefulness.
13.
Grading of exams is temporary for one week after
exams are returned. Students may use
this time to ask any questions about their performance and/or their grade.
14.
Poor performance on the first exam may be addressed
by rewriting the course Contract, so that the second exam would count for
double points.
15.
Overall, the grading philosophy is designed to
minimize penalties for poor performance in the early part of the course and
recognize improvement over time. An
average of “C” on the first two exams entitles the student to the “final
improvement of grade option”. For
example an average of 75 on the first two exams and a 90 on the final entitles
the student to the grade of “A” for the course.
16.
Course Contract can be amended by the student to
request grading at upper division level in addition to lower division
level. Although the grade for the course
would be the lower division grade, this option functions as anticipatory
socialization for students with focused transfer aspirations.
17. Diverse additional resources are on-reserve in the library.
18. Recommended course readings and web links – some pre-screened – are available.
19. Senior Peer tutor(s) available—former students with completed B.A.’s and/or graduate degrees.
20. Study groups are encouraged. We will meet with study groups upon request.
21.
‘Dear Incoming Student’ letters are available. At the end of each course we ask students to
write a ‘DIS’ letter. Each letter begins,
Dear Incoming Student, If you want to be
successful in this course, this is my advice to you…
Students may sign these ‘DIS’
letters—or not—as they wish. Students
may turn these in to us after grades
are turned in if they wish. We keep
several hundred of the letters in our office.
They are in their original form as they were turned in. As students who have taken more than one
class often anticipate this request, some letters are typed as these students
develop their letters at home.
[1] The Final Exam is taken in class if notes, readings, and outlines are not approved before the All Materials Due deadline.