Either our class Slack channel or email is the best way to contact me if you have questions or concerns. If your questions are private, then definitely send me an email. If you have questions about assignments or the course more generally, it’s better to use Slack so that if anyone else has a similar question, they’ll see the question too.

Likewise, there may be instances when I will need to contact you by email. It is your responsibility to check your Emory-based email account at least once every 24 hours.

Generally, I will respond to all student email within 24 hours (although on weekends and holidays, it may take a little longer).

We will meet very frequently individually and in small groups over the course of the semester.  There will be times when I will ask the entire class to sign up to meet with me to discuss particular assignments, but you are also always free to request additional meetings with me whenever you’d like to do so. You can use this web form to sign up for a 30 minute appointment with me whenever is most convenient for you. If there isn’t anything available in a suitable time frame or if you have some specific need, don’t hesitate to send me an email and we can make separate arrangements.

Expect to meet with me at least two or three times outside of class over the course of the semester.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, some students might be sick or will need to go into isolation or quarantine. If you are sick, understand that I will be flexible about attendance. Please make sure to email me so that we can discuss your individual circumstances. For students in quarantine who are well, we have provided ways that you can keep up with your schoolwork, whether our class is delivered online or in person.  Please also contact me via email if you are in quarantine.

All of that said, our time together is important. The flexibility around absences due to the pandemic makes it even more important that you attend each and every synchronous class session when you can — honor the importance of what we do together by being present and engaged as much as is possible.

Readings are listed on the course schedule on the day they are due. Please come to class having carefully completed the assigned readings. If it becomes apparent that y’all as a class have not done the reading, or have not paid close attention to the reading, I will institute quizzes.

As you are reading or playing, think about how you can demonstrate that you have paid close attention to the text. What questions do you have after reading? What conclusions can you come to about the purpose of the text? How does the text reinforce, influence, or challenge what you think about the ideas we have been discussing in class? When you are assigned text readings, you should also annotate your text with your thoughts. Do not simply highlight. Instead, write down your understanding of what is happening on the page; underline passages that are important; write questions next to passages that you don’t understand or don’t agree with. If you don’t want to write in your book, write on sticky-notes to serve the same purpose. In-text note taking will be very valuable in writing your quests, as your ideas and thoughts are suddenly much easier to recall, find, and use in your writing.

Participation means more than simply being physically (or even virtually) present – it means coming to class with the assigned reading completed and being ready to contribute in a thoughtful and respectful manner to discussion, peer editing, or other in-class assignments. You should have whatever text we’re discussing that day and any other necessary materials with you in class to refer to during discussions.

To receive full credit for class participation you must contribute actively and regularly to class discussions in an informed and constructive manner. Participation also includes taking part in the asynchronous parts of the class by writing posts on your site, completing sketch assignments in a timely and thoughtful manner, commenting on your peers’ writing, taking an active part in collaborative writing tasks in Google docs or other writing spaces.

I expect students to take their work seriously, to come to class prepared and willing to participate, and to treat peers and their ideas with respect.

Since we are composing multimodally throughout the course, you are encouraged to bring to class and operate laptops, tablets, and/or smart phones. I encourage you to develop best practices for negotiating among virtual communities and the real time of the classroom — and we will spend time reading, thinking, and discussing how to deal mindfully with the distractions presented to us via our electronic tools.

Fundamentally, I will expect you to remain attentive to and respectful of your peers and me while at the same time engaging with digital resources.

The full Emory Writing Center staff of undergraduate tutors and graduate fellows is available remotely this fall to support Emory College students as they work on any type of writing assignment in any field: sciences, social sciences, or humanities. Tutors can assist with a range of projects, from traditional papers and presentations to websites and other multimedia projects. They work with students on concerns including idea development, structure, use of sources, grammar, and word choice. They do not proofread for students. Instead, they discuss strategies and resources students can use as they write, revise, and edit their own work. Tutors also support the literacy needs of English Language Learners; several tutors are ELL Specialists, who have received additional training.

The Writing Center opens for fall on August ??^st, with hours throughout the day to accommodate students in various time zones. Learn more and make an appointment at writingcenter.emory.edu. Please note that you need to make (and cancel) appointments at least 3 hours in advance to accommodate our remote staff. Please review our tutoring policies, including our updated policies and procedures for online appointments on our website before your visit.

As a student, you may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These challenges were present even before the global pandemic and now, with the current situation, it is even more likely that all of us will be dealing with these challenges and others. Mental health concerns and/or stressful events may diminish your academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities.

Free and confidential counseling services and support are available from the Emory Counseling Center (or by phone: (404) 727-7450). This can be an invaluable resource when stress makes your work more challenging than it ought to be. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle.

At the very first sign of not feeling well, stay at home and reach out for a health consultation. Please consult the campus FAQ for how to get the health consultation.  As you know, Emory does contact tracing if someone has been diagnosed with COVID-19.  A close contact is defined as someone you spend more than 15 minutes with, at a distance less than 6 feet, not wearing facial coverings.  This typically means your roommates, for example.