Incompletes
I strongly dislike granting incompletes, and they are generally very difficult to get. If you find that you simply cannot keep up with the work in this course, your best alternative is to officially withdraw before the deadline. In order to qualify for an Incomplete, you normally must complete three-quarters of the classwork. Also, you   cannot even apply for an Incomplete until after the last opportunity to withdraw from the class. Incompletes cannot be granted simply because you have fallen behind, or because of most personal, financial or computer difficulties. Incompletes, when granted, go to students who have been active in the class, but because of some unforeseen accident, personal illness or major personal or family emergency cannot complete the course in the current semester. This difficulty must have occurred in the last few weeks of class, after the last day to officially withdraw. Different schools have different policies, but my policy is that any incomplete granted must be resolved by the end of the next full semester at the absolute latest. Otherwise the grade reverts to an "F." Furthermore, I reserve the right to stipulate the conditions of completion, which may require a full or partial retake of the class.

If you fit the criteria above and you feel that you want to apply for an incomplete, you must have your faculty or academic advisor write me a letter (not email) stating your case. Incompletes that arrive prior to the last official withdrawal date will not be considered and will be discarded. Letters may be sent to me at the school address above.

Withdrawals (Drops)
Withdrawals or drops are your responsibility. To "drop" a class, you must do so in the first 15% of the semester.  These dates are published in the school course schedule. Check with Registration.

I cannot grant AWs or Administrative Withdrawals. I wouldn't if I could. You need to take responsibility for it yourself.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism is any instance in which one person passes off the work of another as his or her own, no matter how small. Any time you include in any work -- as little as 5 words of another person or from another source including a dictionary or encyclopedia -- without proper credit given to the original source, I will consider it plagiarism. Ignorance of what plagiarism entails is not excuse. Find out what it means.

Policies relating to plagiarism vary, but my policy is fairly strict: If I even suspect you of submitting work that has been plagiarized, that work will automatically be assigned a score of zero. Generally, the first offense warrants an "F" on the submitted assignment. A second offense warrants an "F" for the course, amounting to expulsion from the class. A third offense, which you would not be allowed in my classes, could earn expulsion from the school. Incidentsof plagiarism will be reported to the dean. Of course, individual circumstances can make the offense greater or lesser. In event, plagiarism cannot be tolerated. Ignorance of what plagiarism is does not amount to a defense in my eyes.

Some students claim that they did not understand what plagiarism is, or that they did not intend to plagiarize. This is not an acceptable excuse.

If you take material from an article or book or Internet source, always put it in quotation marks and provide a reference (for example: Sky & Telescope, June 2000, page 198). The reference should come immediately after the quoted material, and should also be included in the bibliography at the end of your work. Even paraphrase quotes should be so referenced. For examples of plagiarism and how to avoid it, there are many good references on the web.

While I am not a major stickler on the exact form of your references as long as they have sufficient information. (Unless the specific form is stipulated for the specific assignment.) You also can find plenty of information on making proper references on the web or in the library. For additional information and a more complete definition of what I consider plagiarism, see PLAGIARISM. Also check the student handbook.

Fabrication and other forms of dishonesty
Fabrication is when a student makes up data, observations or calculations that he or she did not in fact make, but passes them off as genuine. This frequently occurs with activities, for which a student makes up an observation to fit the known answer or result. Such fabrication usually leaves telltale signs. 

Other forms of unacceptable behavior include cheating on tests, or having someone else do your work.

Any instance of fabrication or other forms of academic dishonesty will be treated the same as plagiarism. Please consult the Student Handbook for a more complete discussion of fabrication and other forms of dishonesty.