Course specific policies

(See also the section that applies to all my courses.)

THERE will be individual and group work throughout the semester. Every student must belong to a project group which will work on a paper and a marketing plan. In addition, there will be case studies in written form and for in-class discussion. All case work is individual. Please read this section, and the section that applies to all my courses very carefully. You will have most, if not all, your questions that you may have after I submit your semester grades answered.

Punctuality

I do not accept late assignments. If you fail to turn in an assignment, group or individual, you will receive a zero for that work. Under extraordinary circumstances I may (note "may") allow you to submit your work later but will penalize you for being late. You can count on a 10% penalty as a rule-of-thumb.

Attendance

I may not take attendance at every meeting. This does not mean that you do not have to show up in class. I expect that you will attend all the classes prepared to participate in the learning process. I will notice your absence although I will not grade it directly. In an indirect manner, it may affect your participation grade. If you are not there, you cannot participate—and I do not mean that you simply say "yes" or "no", or report that you have read something without fully articulating its relation to the subject matter and your learning.

Responsibility to know

You are required to know the contents of the syllabus and responsible for fulfilling all the requirements which are detailed in the next section.

Group work

Working in groups may be more difficult than working alone. Be prepared to face the challenges of working with people, something you will do throughout your career, and avoid finger-pointing at the end of the semester. Allow me to provide assistance and guidance in the early stages of your project and organizing your group. Ask, and you will receive support.

Organize early and you will be rewarded! Select a team leader who can organize meetings, keep assignments on time, and make the administrative burden much lighter on everyone. Exchange telephone numbers and e-mail addresses with each other and make sure that I have a copy of this information for the entire team.

Schedule standing meetings when everyone will show-up as if it is an extra class meeting. Allow extra meeting time during the heavy load periods in case it becomes necessary. Remember, the only people responsible for an efficient team are the team members! If there are minor difficulties in scheduling, assignments, etc., at the beginning, I will be glad to lend a hand to organize the team. I am a member of every team!

All the members will receive the same grade for the team project. "Freeloaders" exist only if the team allows it. You will get a chance to grade their contribution (see below.) Do not complain at the end of the semester that a member of the team did not do his or her part. Let me know at the beginning of such tendencies.

Peer evaluation

Using peer-evaluation forms, every student will evaluate the contribution of other group members at the end of the semester. To some extent these evaluations will affect your grade.

Grading

Your semester grade will consist of several components. Some are directly under your control and others are not. Therefore, the better a group functions, the better the grade will be for each member. The following table shows the approximate weight of each component of your final grade. Your participation grade may very well be very low or even zero if you simply show up. I do not consider attendance as participation. In order to receive any grade for your participation, you must be actively involved in learning, and you must make me notice it. You begin with a zero for participation and build up to a higher level, at least I hope that you will do that. I do indeed give zero for participation if you have not made your active learning obvious to me, the onus is on you to do this. I should point out that this is the leading reason for receiving less than your expected grade.

GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Industry analysis	25%
Marketing plan	25%
Case studies	25%
Participation and presentation	25%
(Approximate weights)

Although mentioned elswhere on this Web, I would like to remind you the meaning of the letter grades as used at Providence College. Also note that I do not give minus grades.

MEANING OF GRADES
	A	Superior
	B+	Very good
	B	Good
	C+	Above average
	C	Average
	D+	High passing
	D	Passing
	F	Failure

Average work is the baseline and receives a grade of C not a B. It is work that anyone can produce with moderate effort. Let's keep the spirit of the grades. If you want a good grade you must produce good work, use additional resources, integrate readings in a meaningful way to your work. Not only will this likely get you a good grade but you will learn better. I challenge all of you to seek knowledge on your own and let us all benefit from it.

For whatever they are worth, take a look at the tips presented elsewhere on this site. Read them and do not discard the ideas as too trite or too strict. Try them and see if they work for you. If not, dump them and move on.