Course Organization and Policies

Course Format and Attendance

This course supports both attendance in-person and over Zoom (see Canvas for the Zoom link). All in-person sessions will also be available via Zoom and recordings will be available via Canvas.

You are strongly encouraged to participate in the course by either attending the in-person meeting or by joining the live Zoom session.

If you are unable to attend live (either in person or via Zoom), then you can watch the recordings to access the lecture material.

Assignments and Grading

Your grade in this course will be determined based on two homework assignments (25%), a course project (60%), and scribing 1-2 lectures (15%). There will not be any exams. Please see the assignments page for details on the homework, course project, and scribing requirements, as well as the list of relevant deadlines.

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this class. Links to supplementary readings are available on the course syllabus.

Statement on Flexibility

In acknowledgement of COVID-19 and its impact on the University of Texas at Austin community, this course will reaffirm one of the core values here at UT Austin: responsibility. Our responsibility to ourselves and each other is to put our humanity in the forefront of our academic pursuits. With that being said, this semester I commit to being adaptable in this time of great need, which is reflected in the course policies below around attendance, grading, and assignments/exams.

If you experience any hardships such as illness, accident, family crisis please know that these policies may be amended and therefore you should communicate with me as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable discussing with me, please visit Student Emergency Services. For additional campus resources, please visit https://coronavirus.utexas.edu/students.

COVID-19 Guidance

To help preserve our in-person learning environment, the university recommends the following:

Adhere to the university mask guidance.
Vaccinations are widely available, free and not billed to health insurance. The vaccine will help protect against the transmission of the virus to others and reduce serious symptoms in those who are vaccinated.
Proactive Community Testing remains an important part of the university's efforts to protect our community. Tests are fast and free.
Visit Protect Texas Together for more information

Special Accommodations

Services for Students with Disabilities

The university is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive learning environment consistent with university policy and federal and state law. Please let me know if you experience any barriers to learning so I can work with you to ensure you have equal opportunity to participate fully in this course. If you are a student with a disability, or think you may have a disability, and need accommodations, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 512-471-6529 or ssd@austin.utexas.edu. If you are already registered with SSD, please deliver your Accommodation Letter to me as early as possible in the semester so we can discuss your approved accommodations and needs in this course.

Religious Holy Days

If you cannot meet an assignment deadline due to the observance of a religious holy day, you may submit the assignment up to 24 hours late without penalty, if proper notice of the planned absence has been given. Notice must be given at least 14 days prior to the classes which will be missed (or the assignment deadline). For religious holy days that fall within the first 2 weeks of the semester, notice should be given on the first day of the semester. Notices can be delivered via email and must be confirmed by the instructor.

Title IX Reporting

Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature, dating/domestic violence and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature occurs in our community, the university can:

Intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating.
Provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have become involved in a Title IX investigation.
Investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies.

Beginning January 1, 2020, Texas Senate Bill 212 requires all employees of Texas universities, including faculty, report any information to the Title IX Office regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking that is disclosed to them. Texas law requires that all employees who witness or receive any information of this type (including, but not limited to, writing assignments, class discussions, or one-on-one conversations) must be reported. I am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you would like to speak with someone who can provide support or remedies without making an official report to the university, please email advocate@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about reporting options and resources, visit http://www.titleix.utexas.edu/, contact the Title IX Office via email at titleix@austin.utexas.edu, or call 512-471-0419.

Although graduate teaching and research assistants are not subject to Texas Senate Bill 212, they are still mandatory reporters under Federal Title IX laws and are required to report a wide range of behaviors we refer to as unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature, including the types of conduct covered under Texas Senate Bill 212. The Title IX office has developed supportive ways to respond to a survivor and compiled campus resources to support survivors.