Music 2115 Rules

Music 2115: Survey of Music from Antiquity to c. 1750

These are the laws of the Music 2115 Universe!

This page has been updated for Fall 2012.

Your name Your E-mail Personal Emergencies

Your student number Your Instructor Honor Code

Other

Your name:

Please use one form of your name consistently for all work handed in and all e-mail messages (not "Arthur Paul Snodgrass III" one time and "Boomer" the next, or Youngsung Kim one time and Charlie Kim the next). I always prefer first name first unless a specific form (like an opscan form) asks for last name first
Sign your email messages with your full name and email address. In fact it's a good idea to go ahead and set up an automatic signature that will appear on all your emails. And if you send a message from someone else's computer, identify yourself very clearly.
Asian students, you may use either the Asian form <familyname givenname> or the American form <givenname familyname>, but please use the same form consistently for all work, and it would be easier for me if you used the form used by the Registrar for gradesheets so I can find your name alphabetically.
Please print your name clearly on all work turned in, do not sign it in an unintelligible scribble.
Use the same form of your name when you sign up for the on line website, so I will not confuse you with someone else.

Your student number:

Please give me your full student number, printed clearly, on the Student Information Form so I can check it against my class roll. If the Registrar assigns you a new number, it will take effect immediately, as will any name change (for marriage, for example). Memorize your student number, because you'll need it for every class. There may be changes in the rules for using student numbers during the semester.
Please use your full student number on all Opscan forms used for Quizzes, and double check because if it isn't correct, the computer won't recognize you and may think you are someone else. Make sure the numbers are bubbled in correctly. The most common errors are mixing up zero and one.
Please use only the last 4 digits of your student number (along with your printed name) on all other work that is turned in.
If I e-mail the scores of Quizzes to the class, they will be identified only by the last 4 of your student number, but they will be listed in alphabetical order. It should not take long to learn how many screens down you need to go to find your scores. On rare occasions two students will have the same last 4; contact me to make sure you are checking the right entry. I will also send out individual personalized grade reports from time to time, but my MailMerge does not always work when I want it to.
Please note: I am quite aware that the Registrar does not want any part of your student number used for identification. However, the Registrar has not provided anything to take its place for identifying you as a unique individual, and the university DOES intend your student number to identify you as a unique individual. If anyone knows more than I do, I'd be delighted to learn more! I may experiment with assigning you each a unique Class Number, but I probably won't because that's the Registrar's job!

Your e-mail:

Activate your university e-mail account immediately (it's probably already active), and give me your e-mail address printed clearly on the Student Information Form. If you can't do that, e-mail me at John.Howell@vt.edu and give me your e-mail address no later than Monday of the second week of the semester. Check the address Tech has assigned to you every day, because emails must be sent through Scholar and that's the addresses that it has.
Always put " 2115 " (without the quotes) and nothing else on the "Subject" line so I can find class messages and answer them as quickly as possible. I will put 2115 and a short description on messages I send to the class, to help you sort them out. Most days I get well over 100 emails, some of it junk mail. I will answer as quickly as possible, but may not see your message before a class you are asking about.
Always include your full name either as part of your e-mail address or as a signature. If you don't have a signature block set up for your email, do it now. If I can't identify you, you've flunked Communication 101! And cute or obscure email addresses can't be identified without having your full name in them.
Please send e-mail messages as plain text only, not as html code, if you have a choice. HTML was not designed as a universal email format, and I'm not interested in getting pictures.

Your instructor:

I prefer to be called "John" if you can manage it. The two years I worked for Disney convinced me that a first-name basis is desirable. "Mr. Howell" was my father, and "Dr. Howell" is inaccurate because while I finished the Ph.D. courses I did not finish the degree. In fact "Dr. Howell" are my two daughters-in-law, both M.Ds, and my older daughter, who just completed her Ph.D in Math Education.
You can e-mail questions or problems to me 24 hours a day, but be aware that I may not be able to read late night, early morning or last-minute posts until after the class you're asking about.
I deliberately do not have posted office hours, which never fit studetts' schedules, but will arrange to meet with anyone who needs to see me in person at a mutually agreeable time. E-mail me and we'll work it out. Ninety percent of questions can be dealt with quickly and completely by email. And no, I do not Tweet, Text, or do Facebook!
It is always my intention to start class on time and end it on time. I don't want to waste your time and I don't want to waste mine. Announcements will always be the first thing in every class, and you're responsible for anything announced even if you're late to class.

Personal emergencies:

If you have a personal or family emergency and need to go home, go! You're excused. (A note from a doctor or other official-type person when you come back would be nice.) Try to let me know what's happening by e-mail or voicemail as soon as you can, but don't worry about it until you can. We'll worry about making up missed work later. I can be very flexible when people have REAL problems.
If you have to take someone else from the class along for physical or emotional support, do it! They're excused too.

Honor Code:

This class is taught under the provisions of the University Honor Code and Honor Court System.
Cheating, plagiarism, or any other violation of the Honor Code is unacceptable. That includes the use of PDAs, cellphones, text messaging or computers during quizzes or exams.
Violations of the Honor Code will be reported through the Honor System.
If you are not familiar with the Honor Code, you can find it online at <http://www.vt.edu/honorsystem/UgradHonor.html>. Read it!
Students observing cheating or other Honor Code violiations are responsible under the Honor Code for reporting those violations. However, first please speak with the student or students involved and tell them what you have observed. If you observe a repeat of the violation you should e-mail me privately. You do not need to identify yourself if you do not wish to, but should identify the individuals cheating. You may also report violations directly to the Honor Code office on the 3rd floor of Squires, without informing me. Look after one another, but don't accept cheating.
For all students, but especially for students who grew up in other cultures, there is a link on the 2115 Homepage to a site that explains what is considered plagiarism and cheating in written work in North American universities. I strongly recommend that you read it. Ignorance of these definitions of plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse for anyone.

Other:

Excused absenses (which allow you to make up work missed):
- Personal or family emergencies (supported by a note or other document)
- Official trips by a Music Department ensemble (if I am informed in advance)
- Trips for official University business (if I am informed in advance)
- Job interviews or other professional activities (if I am informed in advance)
- Official trips by University varsity or club sports teams (if I am informed in advance and receive a memo from your coach)
- Specific religious holidays (if I am informed in advance)
Unexcused absenses (don't even ask!):
- My ride is leaving early
- I overslept
- I had to study for another class
- My ride is leaving early
- I had to make up a test in another class
- My plane to Cancun is leaving early
- My ride is leaving early
- I didn't know we had a Quiz today
- The cat ate my CDs
- My CDs are on the plane to Cancun with my cat
Students with disabilities should speak with me about any special accomodations that might be needed. I will do everything I can to make this class user-friendly for you. Be sure to contact the Dean of Students' Office for official recognition of disabilities and special support programs.
Scores and grades will be e-mailed to the class in this form if possible, although at present it is not possible (subject to announced changes):
- Column 1: Student numbers (the last 4 digits, but in alphabetical order)
- Column 2: Your running grade as of that moment in time, as a grade percentage (scale of 0-100%), weighted according to the Grading Option you have chosen. Please note that everyone starts the semester with a grade of 70%. I'll explain.
- Columns 3 ... n: Your score, as a grade percentage, for the Quiz or assignment being reported on
- Note that this may change during the semester. You will be informed.
- Note also that last year I developed the ability to send out individualized score and Estimated Running Grade reports, and I will use those whenever possible.
Grading Options
- Find the list of Options under Evaluation and Grading on the Syllabus page
- Choose the Option that best fits your strengths and schedule
- Your choice is a contract between you, the University, the Department of Music, and me as your Instructor
- Email your choice to me by the second Monday of the semester, by 11:59:59 pm
- Anyone who does not otherwise inform me will be placed under Option 1
- You will have one opportunity to change your Option, within one week after the Unit Quiz 1 is taken. Email me if you want to make a change. No changes are permitted before or after that.

Your name	Your E-mail	Personal Emergencies
Your student number	Your Instructor	Honor Code
	Other