Syllabus

Summer Session Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. If you are a current UNE undergraduate taking online Summer Session courses, please continue to work with your Advisor and include them on your outreaches.

Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.

UNE Libraries

• Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
• Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

Further Assistance and Accommodations

Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.

To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.

If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.

If you are a current UNE undergrad, please continue to work with your coordinator at bcstudentaccess@une.edu and ensure any accommodations you have in place - are put in place for your online Summer Session course(s).

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Policies

Course Requirements: 

All major written assignments must be typed.  Work should also be proofread for spelling, capitalization, punctuation and usage.  Print quality must be clear and legible.  Assign page numbers, please.

System Requirements, Quite Space for Recording, and Equipment:

It’s critical that you have the proper software and hardware for the class.  After all, this is an online class. Your mind, your computer, access to the internet and equipment are the classroom.  If you have a new-ish computer, you should be fine.  If not, you will probably not be able to read the course materials, and you will not be able to pass the class.  It is your responsibility to make sure you are technologically prepared for this online format. 

SO IMPORTANT: You’ll need a computer camera or smartphone to record your speeches.  It would be ideal if you had a tripod or spent a little time securing (I’m thinking tape) your phone to capture the proper distance, ratio, and sound for the speeches.  In short, in order to provide feedback and evaluate your speeches, your peers and I NEED to see and hear you clearly.  I’ve included a resource HANDOUT—Youtube and Video Creation—in WEEK ONE that should be helpful, but you need to be motivated, innovative, and engaged with technology for the class to work.  Seriously, if you are not able to record a clear speech, set up a Youtube account, and send the link pretty easily, I would strongly suggest taking the “live” version of this course.  Make sense?

Please avoid recording your speeches in your car or in an environment with noise distractions. 

Find a quiet, well-lit spot, OK?

Psssst…I’m trying to make sure you are carefully reading this syllabus…send me an email with the subject line “WOWZA!  I’M SUPER JAZZED ABOUT THIS CLASS!” and in the body of the email write tell me in 2-3 sentences what you’re hoping to achieve in this class during the semester immediately after reading this and I’ll consider it your first quiz with a grade of 100.  I’ll only offer this during the first week of class.

Submitting Assignments:                                                                                                                      Please submit all written assignments as Word docs attachments—Google Docs can work here too.  (This will likely take the form of your outlines for each speech).

When you save your files, please include your last name and the title of the assignment:

Example:  RogerWatersOutline.doc

For speeches, post the final speech on Youtube unlisted and just submit the link.  Make sure to put FINAL SPEECH # (Whatever the speech is) as the title.

Additionally, it is advisable that you save all of your work on a USB drive.  Saving work on a USB drive helps to insure you will not lose your work should your computer have a malfunction.

Bottom line:  I’m a resource for you and I’m here to help, but to be fair with my time (as I intend to be fair with yours), please spend some time on your own trying to find a solution before emailing me. 

Grades:         

Citizenship Grade (Participation/attendance): 20%

Journals: 20%

Speeches:  60%

Being a Citizen of the Class:

A large portion of your grade (20%) in this class can be earned though your ability to demonstrate exceptional classroom citizenship.  This grade is MORE than just class participation, but a holistic performance as a member of our learning community this semester.  Your preparation, focus, willingness to do the work of the class, and attitude all shape this grade.

Late Work: 

In order to succeed in this class, and in order for this class to succeed, you will need to complete the coursework on time.  If you fail to turn in the assignment on time, your assignment grade will drop an entire letter, including MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS, e.g., a “B” becomes a “C” automatically.  Anything more than 4 days late becomes a zero given how fast we need to move here. If you are having difficulty meeting a deadline, please reach out to me as soon as possible and I’m sure we can figure something out.  I am happy to work with you to get things back on track if you are dedicated to the task.  I reserve the right to consider unusual and/or extenuating circumstances. 

Journals:

You will be tasked with writing roughly a dozen or so journal entries.  Treat the journals seriously and you will earn full credit.  Journals are either/or: Completed and sent on time satisfactorily (within reason) or not done.  Journal work, which is really GROWTH AND REFLECTIVE WORK, is done on time for full credit (FULL) or not at all (ZERO).  Journals will be posted for credit on our course site on time.  These entries could be a series of analytical questions or sometimes just an outline.  Entries should be 200ish words if not otherwise indicated.

The purpose of the journal is to spend time away from the “classroom” thinking and reflecting on class activity and performance.  These are very much writings for public consumption within this classroom and I will likely draw on your responses to share with the class from time to time.

Attendance and Participation:

Attendance and active participation are necessary to succeed in this class.  This course requires a significant amount of online writing and discussion.  You cannot succeed by just “popping in” the discussion boards at the end of the week.  This is a process-oriented course requiring significant amounts of scaffolding writing, group work, rehearsal, revision, and virtual discussion.  Robust participation in our discussions, which will take the form of discussion question posts, is how I’ll evaluate your participation.  There will be roughly 3 posts for discussion per week with a timeframe on the schedule for when/what/where things need to happen—these may vary week-to-week, so stay on your toes. You’ll earn points toward your final grade by satisfactorily completing these smaller assignment—instructions will be on the weekly schedule, which will always be posted by Sunday afternoon for the upcoming week. 

Please post MORE than “I agree/do not agree.” This will not be considered an adequate response. Why do you agree or disagree? Give specific details and examples which demonstrate your understanding of the topic. This response will be based on more than your personal opinion, it will demonstrate evaluation and analysis of the topic, and ideally, push the DISCUSSION forward. 

• For Non-speech posts: A good original response is roughly 3-4 sentences. A good response to your peers’ posts is roughly 3-4 sentences.  More than that isn’t necessarily better. 

• For Speech posts: Post the “dry-run” of your speech. A good response considers the rubric for that speech and responds.  Offer peer review for each member of your group in the following way: 2 things that are succeeding, and 1-2 things that could use improvement in terms of clarity, message, focus, body language, eye contact, presence, and energy. 3-4 full sentences is basically perfect.

While I won’t be scrutinizing these responses as carefully as, say, our formal speeches, it is always important to proofread your communications for grammar and spelling.  Too, textspeak/internet-y slang (e.g. “C u l8r” instead of “See you later” or, “its writin SZN!” instead of “it’s writing season!”) isn’t quite appropriate for our intellectual forum.  Plus, I’m 10,000 years old and need you to help me understand what you’re saying!

Be warned: It is likely you will not pass the class if you miss more than 3 of these posts.  

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE!: 

Because of the nature of this course, class attendance is required.  Participation CANNOT BE MADE UP, repeat, underscore, exclamation point!  You are responsible for keeping yourself on task and keeping up with the assignments.  I will not hound you for missing work/assignments.  You must be in control of your time and effort for this course to succeed.    

Speech Workshops and Revision:  

You will post a first draft (“dry-run”) of your major speeches online in the appropriate spot on our course site by the due date assigned for your peers to workshop.  You need to have facility with Youtube for this to work, so please follow the Youtube and Video Creation HANDOUT and get savvy immediately—in Week One Learning Materials.  If you delay, the course cannot wait for you to figure this particular element out.  After you have had a chance to revise/practice/rehearse your speech based on your peers’ feedback, you will re-record the speech and email me the link to the final version of the speech for a grade.  Use your peers—harness their thoughts and feedback during the workshop.  Dry-run speeches will not count as final speeches.

I will provide specific feedback using the rubric and email your evaluated speech back to you.  You’ll need to be on your toes and ready to receive my notes, so be vigilant with email.  I will send a voice memo with my feedback and filled out rubric.

Use of AI Text Generator/ChatGPT and Other Unauthorized Tools:

Unless otherwise indicated in a specific assignment’s guidelines, we will not be using AI Text Generator programs (for example, ChatGPT) to respond to reading responses questions, brainstorm ideas, or to draft or revise speeches.  Assignments in this course are designed and scaffolded to create opportunities for you to practice strategies for reading, writing, and communicating effectively, and develop your critical thinking skills—using your authentic, human intelligence.  Please review UNE’s policy on Academic Integrity to help guide you during the semester.

Other Concerns:

Throughout the semester we may be discussing some controversial social issues. I encourage you to think critically about these issues and to contribute positively by respecting others’ views.   If you cannot be respectful to your fellow classmates (and me!), you will not be welcome in my class.