CRASHING:  Adding a course taught by Dr. Ysursa Crashing continues to grow at SDSU, and it just isn't possible for me to accommodate all who request an add code.  I am committed to accept students up to the course limit.  If there is space, I will add students during the first two weeks of classes.  If a course is enrolled as full as shown on the school website, then no one* can be added.  There is no waiting list. How to add a course:  At the beginning of each class (during the first two weeks), I hold a lottery drawing--if there are open slots that day for that class.  The lottery system is the only route (no email adds, no crashers list, etc.)  Those who are there exactly when class begins, will receive a chance to be added.  You can plan accordingly by checking the school website: if the course is enrolled as full then no one can be added--there is no lottery that day. If enrolled in one section and you want to switch to another:  this cannot be done internally; to add another section you have to go through the process above. Note:  if already enrolled in a section and you wish to switch to another, you will have to take a place in line and go through the lottery system.  Transfers from one section to another are not done internally, nor from one specific student giving their place to another specific student. *Graduating senior exemption:  If you can demonstrate via a copy of your unofficial transcript (available from the school website) that you are a last semester graduating senior, then we are committed to give you a place in class.  This is the only exemption.  If this is the case, then bring along this paper to the first meeting of the class to be added. POSTING OF GRADES Pre-final exam posting.  During the course of the term, grades will be posted on Blackboard.  Prior to the final exam/final essay submission your grade so far will be posted there.  See Grades @ Blackboard Note that final grades are not emailed, nor posted on BlackBoard.  Instead please complete the course evaluation at SDSU WebPortal to be able to access your final course grade on WebPortal Post-final exam posting.  Your final course grade will be made available on WebPortal.  To view this you will need to complete the online course evaluation.  FINAL GRADES ARE NOT POSTED ON BLACKBOARD. REVIEW OF EXAM/PAPER/QUESTIONS/ There are three ways of getting in touch with me regarding course-related issues: 1. Speak to me before/after class 2. Email: jysursa@mail.sdsu.edu   3. Office hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays MAKE-UP POLICIES. Bluebook exams.  Make-up exams are possible if a student: Contacts the instructor within one-week of the scheduled exam (versus getting around to it when you want), and Provides the instructor with a valid reason why you were unable to take the exam on the assigned day.  Few savor the crunch-time of exams so your excuse needs to be extraordinary.  A "valid" reason requires something more than you were not prepared, you made a mistake following directions, you were feeling bad that day, you did not get enough sleep the night before, etc.  I may ask you for written verification because the instructor is a natural skeptic (history tool--skeptics require proof).  This would mean a note from a doctor, an obituary for a death in the family, etc.   Daily assignments (Furay/Salevouris reading & group discussions).   No make-ups are possible because these assess attendance.  Instead everyone gets one AND JUST ONE automatic drop from each category (one discussion and one chapter quiz of Furay/Salevouris). ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance does matter in this course.  One may not agree but for clarity:  you cannot be in two places at the same time; i.e, either you are in class or you are not.  It is really quite straight-forward.  There is a difference between intentions and actions.  Nevertheless many a student, somewhere, got the idea that not being in class should not be held against them.  For example a student declares:  "I wasn't able to make class because of rain and the roads were bad."  Their expectation thus is that through no fault of their own (because they fully intended to be in class) that they should be granted an exemption.  In effect, the request comes down to asking for extra points.  Think about it.  If this should not be held against you, then that means you should be evaluated by a different standard than other students (in this case a lower total point total for you).  But there is only one total point total for everyone, so requesting an exemption means you have to get extra points for what you did not earn to remain on the same basis as everyone else in the course.  Once again, there is only one total point standard for everyone.  Either you are in class (the whole time) or you are not and your action--not intention--will be evaluated. Finally, everyone will get one AND JUST ONE automatic drop.  Nevertheless, there will be the student who will ask for another make-up and I will then remind them of what was posted here and made known as the course began. INCOMPLETE POLICY This is not about deciding I fell too far behind and I can’t catch up in time. As you can probably imagine, almost every student undergoes this stress at the end of the term and the school could not be allowing incompletes for this reason. To qualify for an authorized incomplete the student has to have been doing “sufficient work …to permit an evaluation to be made.” That means there are no significant missed assignments, quizzes or exams missing; instead late in the term only “a portion of required coursework has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit.” An Incomplete shall not be assigned when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major portion of the class when it is next offered