FAQs

Technical Issues

Course Content

Grading Questions

ANSWERS

You can find links and materials posted to our D2L course site at classes.pace.edu. Log in with your Pace credentials, select our course, and then click “Content” in the top blue navigation bar. In the left-hand column, the “Syllabus” tab contains the Syllabus, Calendar, Grading Contract, and Writing Center information. The “Table of Contents” tab contains modules for each week, and each module has links to the materials listed on the Calendar. The Week 1 module contains the Assignment Guidelines for the whole course.

D2L is not set up to automatically notify you when I post announcements. I will always post announcements to Slack (and likely this blog) as well as D2L for accessibility purposes, but refer to this guide if you want to set up push notifications from D2L.

The Calendar posted to D2L under the Content/Syllabus tab contains a week-by-week breakdown of the readings, prewriting activities, writing exercises, and submissions you’re responsible for. If I make any changes, I’ll announce it on Slack #general.

Each weekly module becomes available on the Friday of the previous week. So Week 2 (the week of 2/1) opens on Friday 1/29; Week 3 (the week of 2/8) opens on 2/5; and so on.

The invitation link to join our Slack workspace is on D2L under the Content/Table of Contents/Week 1 module. Follow the instructions to join, and then refer to the Tech Guide as needed to set up your Slack profile. You will use Slack for many of your writing exercises, and many workplaces also use Slack as a project platform, so make sure to familiarize yourself with it.

You’ll submit essay drafts to the assignment dropboxes on D2L. These dropboxes are available via the weekly modules under Content/Table of Contents, or by clicking “Activities/Assignments” in the top blue navigation bar. You’ll post other writing assignments, answers to discussion questions, reflections, and crowdsourced class notes to Slack. Refer to the Calendar to see which Slack channel to post your work in.

All you need to do is complete the Peer Review forms! I’ve set it up to automatically email PDFs to you (the reviewer), your peer (the writer you’re reviewing), and me. I’ll be able to see how many forms you completed (one for each of your workshop group) as well as your responses. Your answers should be thoughtful and substantive to receive credit.

Shit happens. If you find yourself needing an extension, please reach out to me and we can discuss alternate deadlines and ways to help you succeed. You don’t have to disclose anything to me you don’t want to. I am available via email, Slack DM, and Zoom appointment.

To schedule an appointment with me, please check the Syllabus for a link to an online scheduler called Calendly. You can click that link to see my available dates/times, and follow the prompts to set up a meeting.

Yes, feedback conferences are mandatory, whether you receive a ★ or a + score. This is your only chance to receive feedback from me as I don’t provide written comments on your Phase 1 drafts.

OK, real talk: I know y’all know students in our section and in other sections I teach, and when you’re confused it might be tempting to ask them for their interpretation of the instructions and accept that as Truth™. The reality is that if your friend misunderstands the directions too, you both end up having difficulties later on—for instance, if you tell me that you thought something wasn’t due because your friend said so, but it’s clearly listed on the calendar and blog posts, then it suggests to me you aren’t looking at the course materials. The best policy is to crowdsource this information in a place where I’m likely to see it as well—the Slack #help channel, for instance. You can always DM me as well but be aware I may not always respond right away.

All the details about labor-based grading are listed in our Grading Contract, posted here and on D2L.

You will not receive letter grades for each assignment. Instead, your grade for each assignment will be posted as a text score/symbol on D2L Grades, which you can find by clicking on Achievement/Grades in the top navigation bar. The Grading Contract lists the letters we’ll be using: ★, +, L, and M.

The Grading Contract lists the requirements for maintaining a B+ or obtaining an A. If you receive ★’s on all your assignments, you’re at least on track for a B+ grade.

You can always meet with me to discuss your grades! Grades are considered FERPA-protected data, so I can’t discuss your standing in the class over email. Please make an appointment by using the Calendly scheduling link in the Syllabus and Calendar on D2L. 15 minutes is usually enough.