I.  ATTENDANCE

A.  Students are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for class-work, homework, lecture notes, reading assignments, etc., whether present in class or not.

B.  Unless otherwise stated in the syllabus *** 

            In a 14-week term, students are allowed

                    6 absences for a class that meets 3 times per week, or

                    4 absences for a class that meets 2 times per week. 

 In a 12-week term, students are allowed

                    5 absences for a class that meets 3 times per week, or

                    3 absences for a class that meets 2 times per week.

            In a 10-week term, students are allowed

                    3 absences for a class that meets 3 times per week, or

                    2 absences for a class that meets 2 times per week.

            In a 7-or 5-week term, students are allowed 2 absences in any class.

In an online class, students are expected to participate in a regular basis through discussion boards, chat, projects, or other forms of interaction required by the instructor.

Students should read the course syllabus carefully for the instructor's explanation of required participation. This participation counts as attendance, and students who do not participate for a total of more than 2 weeks will be withdrawn from the course.

NOTE:  Some courses such as speech and foreign language courses may have different attendance policies to accommodate the nature of the course.  Students should refer to the course syllabus for specific information regarding attendance.

These absences, regardless of the reason, are CUTS.  Notes from doctors, employers, courts, etc. do not EXCUSE an absence; they merely explain to the instructor why you missed class.  On the first cut exceeding the limit, the instructor will officially drop you from the class.  Students should note that withdrawal by the instructor may not be within refund dates.  Students who wish to receive a tuition refund upon discontinued enrollment in a class should initiate the course withdrawal process themselves.  Additionally, changes in course load, including course withdrawal, can impact financial aid, veterans' benefits, and other enrollment-related assistance.  Students should investigate the consequences of a course withdrawal prior to taking any action.

C.  Students entering class 1-10 minutes late are considered TARDY.  Three tardies equals one absence.  Any student entering class more than 10 minutes late is considered ABSENT.  Students are expected to remain in class for the entire class period.

D.  Students arriving in class after the instructor has taken roll are responsible for checking with the instructor at the end of class THAT DAY to see that their attendance is amended appropriately.  Failure to do so can result in having an absence (instead of a tardy) recorded, and these will not be changed at a later date.  

II.  COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A.  Course grades are based on student performance on all assignments as specified by the instructor.  Penalties for late, incomplete, or missed assignments are at the discretion of the instructor.

B.  All students are expected to meet all course due dates. The instructor decides the policies and procedures regarding make-up of missed coursework.  Certain coursework such as class exercises and quizzes are considered "in-class" assignments and may not be made up.  

C.  Courteous, attentive behavior is expected at all times.  Tardiness to class, speaking out of turn (or when the instructor is speaking), sleeping in class, receiving calls on cell phones/pagers, etc. are behaviors that are disrespectful and disruptive to everyone in the class and cannot be tolerated.  Any student asked to leave the class because of disruptive behavior will be charged with an absence for that day.

III.  GRADING

A.  Instructors use a variety of methods to calculate grades.  Students should carefully study the grading policy and procedure stated in the syllabus for each course in which they are enrolled.  Questions or problems with grading should be discussed with the instructor as soon as possible.  If a student still has unresolved grading issues after talking with the instructor, then the student should contact the Humanities Department Chair or the Foreign Language/ESL coordinator, if appropriate. 

B.  Students who withdraw before midterm will receive a grade of W.  Students who withdraw after midterm will receive a grade based on their course average on the last day of attendance.  Specifically, a student who is passing the course at that time will receive a "W"; a student who is failing the course at that time will receive a "WF".  

This is why it is extremely important for students to submit a withdrawal form as soon as they decide to drop a course.  A student might accumulate several grades of "0" or "F" on missed assignments before actually exceeding the allowable number of absences for a class.  These grades might result in a student receiving a WF which can adversely affect GPA.

C.  Incompletes are awarded only under extenuating circumstances, such as hospitalization, and require the permission of the Humanities Department Chair.

IV.  ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

A.  The MTC Student Handbook states "all forms of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating on tests, plagiarism, collusion, and falsification of information will call for discipline."  One of the most common forms of cheating is plagiarism:

1.  Copying someone else's work (an article, book, classmate's paper, text from website, etc.) word for word in whole or in part.

2.  Paraphrasing someone else's ideas without documentation OR incorporating the ideas or structure of the ideas into your own paper without properly documenting the source.  When you submit an assignment to your instructor  for a grade, you are claiming the work as your own.  To include ideas or words from another source without crediting that source is STEALING.  Therefore, ANY use of outside sources of information should be documented.  Ignorance of the standards of documentation is NOT an excuse for plagiarism.  As a student, it is YOUR  responsibility to know how to appropriately annotate your work.  

3. Receiving unapproved assistance on work done outside of class. Approved assistance includes tutors in the Academic Success Center and note-takers and other assistants provided by the Counseling Department to accommodate students with disability. All other assistance must be approved by the instructor, including checking grammar and spelling.

B.  The Humanities Department does impose penalties for all forms of academic dishonesty.  In general, the penalty for the first offense is usually a grade of  0 on the assignment.  The Humanities Department Chair and the Director of Campus Life will be notified, in writing, of any instance of academic dishonesty.  Any subsequent offenses will result in more severe sanctions ranging from failure of the course, disciplinary probation, academic suspension, and expulsion from the College.

V.  STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If special classroom accommodations are needed for a student with disabilities, the student should contact Counseling Services for assistance.  Counseling Services will arrange with the student and instructor the accommodations appropriate to the student's needs.  Documentation regarding a specific disability is required, and confidentiality of all information is maintained.

These arrangements MUST be made through the Counseling Services office and include assistance such as note-takers, interpreters, and testing services.  These accommodations do not include exemption from course requirements and class attendance.