Instructor Policies for Grammar III
Karen Stanley
Any communication from a student by email or with other internet technology is the student's
responsibility. If the teacher does not receive the communication, it is considered not sent. If the teacher
does not reply to an email, the student should assume that it was not received by the teacher.
Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late to class or who leave 10 or more minutes early or who
leave class for more than 10 minutes during the class period are welcome to attend, but will be
counted absent for grading purposes. Students who miss 30% or more of class meetings (including
those classes in which more than 10 minutes of class time has been missed) will not be able to receive
a grade above a D.
A grade of A, B or C is required to continue to the next level.
LANGUAGE LAB - The language lab has many useful materials for practicing grammar. There are
computer programs, audio resources, books and a whole series of videos of Karen Stanley teaching many
of the things that we cover in this class. If you miss class or need to review what we have already
discussed in class, it is particularly useful to look at the videos. For additional practice exercises, the
workbook (with answers in the back for most exercises) that was designed to go with the Fundamentals of
English Grammar is very helpful. If you want more practice hearing and practicing out loud, some of the
more *advanced* lessons using the Side by Side audio cassettes and textbook are very helpful. The Focus
on Grammar CDs, both high intermediate and advanced, are also very good.
TEXTBOOK: We do not teach the entire book in Grammar III. Books are designed by their authors to fit
many different kinds of schools & programs. In the Grammar III book, Chapters 5, 6, and 11 provide a
reference for basic concepts, with some more advanced material added. Chapters 8 (some sections), 9, 10,
and 13 are taught at a more advanced level in Grammar IV, along with other concepts. These chapters are
useful for reference when you need to do something in another class (such as composition class) but haven't
learned how to do it in grammar class yet.
HOMEWORK: Homework does not receive a letter grade. It is counted as either done or not done. This
encourages students to do the work themselves, and it helps me see how well students really understand.
Students are asked to write complete sentences for all homework that is done on a separate sheet because
we learn and remember differently if we write complete sentences. Because the homework is designed to
give students regular practice of items we are learning in class, students will not receive credit for
homework which is more than one week late, although it will be corrected. In other words: NO
HOMEWORK IS ACCEPTED MORE THAN ONE WEEK LATE.
ABSENCE: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed and to make sure
that you are prepared for class. I will help as much as I can, but it is always a good idea to have at least 2
people in class who you can contact for information.
Note: Students who do not attend class for TWO consecutive weeks in a 16-week semester (12.5% of the
class for shorter term classes) will be reported as ‘Stopped Attending’. This information will be sent to
Financial/Veteran’s Aid. A ‘Stopped Attending’ report may have an impact upon student aid or Student
Visa status as well as place the student in jeopardy of earning a failing grade in the course. The student will
not be allowed to continue in the class unless the student presents formal documentation to excuse the
missed classes. The Instructor and/or Division Director will have the final decision to give permission to
the student to continue in the class.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you just stop coming to class without officially
withdrawing (dropping) in the registration area, you will receive a grade for the class. If you stopped
coming without doing a lot of the work, it is very likely that the grade you receive will be an F.
If you only miss one assignment, such as the last composition during finals week, you may be eligible to
receive an "I" (Incomplete). This means that you have successfully completed about 90% of the work for
the class. If you receive an I, you have 6 months to complete the work for the class. Once the work is
completed, the teacher changes the grade from an "I" to your regular grade. On your record, you will have
something that looks like: I/C. Any time you receive an "I" you should be sure that you understand very
clearly what you need to do. If you do not complete the work for the "I" within two semesters, the
computer automatically changes your grade to an "F".
You need to discuss the possibility of receiving an "I" with your instructor. You do not automatically
receive an "I".
The grades for your Academic ESL classes appear on your official transcript. If you transfer to another
school, these grades will be sent along with the grades for other curriculum courses.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you just stop coming to class without officially
withdrawing (dropping) in the registration area, you will receive a grade for the class. If you stopped
coming without doing a lot of the work, it is very likely that the grade you receive will be an F.
If you only miss one assignment, such as the last composition during finals week, you may be eligible to
receive an "I" (Incomplete). This means that you have successfully completed about 90% of the work for
the class. If you receive an I, you have 6 months to complete the work for the class. Once the work is
completed, the teacher changes the grade from an "I" to your regular grade. On your record, you will have
something that looks like: I/C. Any time you receive an "I" you should be sure that you understand very
clearly what you need to do. If you do not complete the work for the "I" within two semesters, the
computer automatically changes your grade to an "F".
You need to discuss the possibility of receiving an "I" with your instructor. You do not automatically
receive an "I".