GRADING: Your grade in this course will be based on your performance on the following assignments:

Grading is based on the following scale:

A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 - 79
D = 60 - 69
F = <60

EXAMS:

Exams will test your understanding of the business concepts covered in the text and in class. All exam questions are multiple choice.  The fourth exam is not comprehensive.  You must remain in the classroom until you complete an exam.  The use of a cell phone during exams will lead to immediate termination of the examination for that student.  The exam will subsequently be graded as-is. 

Exams can be missed only for extreme circumstances (Example: hospitalization). Make-up EXAMS may be given at the discretion of the instructor, but points may be subtracted.  Please contact me IN ADVANCE if you know you will miss one of the exams. 

ASSIGNMENTS:

Details of the homework assignments will be discussed in class and will be available at my website.  All homework assignments must be typed and stapled.  Poor grammar and spelling will adversely affect your homework grades.  The grade you earn on an assignment is in direct proportion to the effort you put into it.  Greater Effort = Higher Grade.  Minimum Effort = Minimum Grade. 

An assignment is considered late if it is not turned in during class on the date that it is due. Late assignments will carry a one letter grade penalty for each weekday they are late.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: 

Attendance is one of your most important assignments in this course.  You must view each class period as you would a day at work.  One of the most important skills that you can learn is to consistently show up on time for work and for meetings.  Ignoring the importance of this skill is a career limiting factor for many people.  All information that we will cover in class will help prepare you for exams and/or assignments.  Therefore, poor attendance will adversely affect your performance on exams and assignments.  

In addition, 10% of your grade will be awarded simply for excellent attendance and class participation. The nature of this class is that we will examine the fundamental concepts of business. To keep the class dynamic, I am hoping that each of you will participate actively in class discussions of these topics. This will make the class more fun and stimulating for all of us. Class participation points will be earned through constructive, polite and considerate participation in class discussions. Please feel free to ask questions any time.  There are no ‘dumb’ questions.  Class discussions benefit everyone. However, let’s have only one discussion going on, with one person talking at a time. Carrying on separate conversations distracts me and other students, makes learning and teaching more difficult, and will result in lost points.

Points will also be subtracted for any hours missed, for late arrival. early departure, your cell phone ringing or any other distracting behavior. In addition, a student is subject to dismissal by the instructor if the student misses 10% of the classes. In case of unavoidable absence, it is the student’s responsibility to get any assignments or missed material.  Absence is no excuse for late assignments, including when deadlines have been changed.

 Classes will start and end on time. Please turn off the sound to all communication and electronic devices before class begins. If you must arrive late or leave early, please minimize any disruption to your fellow students by sitting quietly close to the door.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Points will be deducted for disrupting class in any way.

Class Preparation :

All students are expected to read the chapters to be covered in class and familiarize themselves with the week’s assignments before class. In this way, you will obtain much better value from the class.

 Withdrawal:

It is the student’s responsibility to complete a Withdrawal Form in the Admissions Office if they wish to withdraw from this class.  The instructor may withdraw students from this class if their absences exceed 10% of the total number of class meetings.  The last date to withdraw for this semester is Monday April 24th, 2006.

 Incompletes :

A student may receive a temporary grade of “I” (Incomplete) at the end of the semester only if ALL of the following conditions are satisfied:

1. The student is unable to complete the course during the semester due to circumstances beyond their control.
2. The student must have earned at least half of the grade points needed for a “C” by the end of the semester.
3. The request for the grade must be made in person at the instructor’s office and necessary documents completed.
4. To remove an “I”, the student must complete the course by two weeks before the end of the following semester.  Failure to do so will result in the grade automatically reverting to an “F”.

Academic Integrity :

Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students should be the result of their thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework (see Online Student Handbook 2005-2006, at http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/policies4.htm, Section C).

 Students are responsible for observing the policy on academic integrity described in the Online Student Handbook 2005-2006, at http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/policies4.htm, Section C. 

For all individual assignments for this class, none of the following are allowed : copying someone else's work or copying from any source, allowing someone to copy, or doing someone else’s work for them. Please discuss this issue with me if you have any questions.

 If the instructor believes any form of academic dishonesty has occurred, points will be subtracted, and the Campus Dean of Student Services must be informed (Academic Dishonesty Process in Online Student Handbook 2005-2006, at http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/policies4.htm, Section J.).

 Students with Disabilities :

 Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester (Online Student Handbook 2005-2006, at http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/resource7.htm#services).

Test Center Policies : If you use the Test Center, you must be aware of the Testing Center policies which can be found at http://www2.austincc.edu/testctr/policies.htm.