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Frequently
Asked Questions
The English Department office is located in
G building, room 110,
on the Orchard Ridge Campus. The phone number of that office is 248.522.3576.
The secretary’s name is Mrs. Donna King. All English faculty have mailboxes
near this room; you can leave messages there, and some instructors allow you to leave
assignments there. Do not leave assignments or messages on or under instructor’s
doors (unless the instructor suggested you do so).
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In
general, the English department doesn’t approve add a seat forms in composition
courses (ENG 1055, 1060, 1510, 1520, 1350, 2110); the department chair doesn’t sign them
for full time faculty unless a full-time faculty member has signed the form first.
DON’T LEAVE FORMS under
the door or on the door. If you must leave one for the department chair or
another faculty member’s consideration, consult the secretaries in department office
in G 110 and if that office is closed, use the above email address to contact the
chair.
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What English course should I
register for?
That depends on your previous academic background and on the
results of placement tests you will be given before you register. You can
find out when placement tests are given by phoning admissions at 248.522.3495.
You should also make an appointment with an OCC counselor by phoning 248.522.3448.
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Are there
any prerequisites or placement tests for English classes?
A placement test is required before registering for a writing course.
Higher-level courses do have prerequisites. Consult the college catalog
for this information. Top
of Page
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How do I find
out who is teaching an English classWhen the printed schedule says “staff”?
Go to OCC’s main Web page (http://www.oaklandcc.edu),
click on the Orchard Ridge Campus link, then on the English department link.
On the English Department Web page, click on the link to courses for the current
semester. By scrolling through the list you can find the class/section you
are interested in, frequently the name of the instructor, the times, dates, and
room number of that class/section. You can also check with the department
secretary in G 110.
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How can
I get a sampling of a teacher’s requirements and syllabus before registering for
class?
Some instructors have their syllabi posted on the Web. To find
out if the instructor you are interested in has done this, go to OCC’s main Web
page (http://www.oaklandcc.edu),
click on the Orchard Ridge Campus link, then on the English department link.
On the English Department Web page, click on the link to either full time faculty
or adjunct instructors. If the instructor has a link to a personal Web page,
the name of that instructor will be underlined. Click on the instructor’s
name to go to that Web page. Otherwise, leave a
message for the instructor in the department office.
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What should I do if I think
my teacher is treating me unfairly?
OCC has a college-wide protocol for student/instructor
conflict. The first thing you must do is to talk with your
teacher about the problem (only problems of a very delicate nature can be
discussed with anyone other than the instructor if you have not talked to your instructor first). Arrange
some time outside of class to do this. Most teacher/student problems
are caused by poor communication and wrong interpretations of things that were done
or said. An open and frank conversation with the teacher
will frequently lead to a resolution of the problem. If conversations with
the teacher have not resolved the problem, you should next schedule an appointment
with the department chairperson (see above contact info). If you cannot directly
contact the chairperson, the secretary will assist you in setting up an appointment.
The chairperson, after listening to you, most often goes to the faculty member
to get his/her feedback, and then arranges a meeting among all three of you
to try to resolve the problem. If this doesn’t resolve the problem, the next step
would be to make an appointment with the dean (in “M” building, second
floor) to resolve the situation. Department chairs do not “fire” or
otherwise discipline full-time faculty, and they don’t change grades assigned
by other faculty members.
If you have not seen your instructor,
the chair will send you first to him/her, and if you have not talked to
the chair, the dean will send you back to him/her.
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What should I do if I think
my teacher is grading me unfairly?
The first thing you must do is to talk with your teacher about the
problem. Arrange some time outside of class to do this. Be prepared
to prove to the teacher that the grade was not fair. Explain the situation
calmly. Most teachers are reasonable and will correct or remedy errors in
grading student work. Teachers are the sole determiners of grades during the
semester. If the problem is a course grade for the whole semester and a conversation
with the teacher produces no satisfactory results, there exists another remedy,
an appeals board, consisting of a randomly chosen group of teachers and students
chaired by a dean. This is a formal procedure and should be only undertaken
if you have good evidence that your grade was unfair. If this step becomes
necessary, contact the dean for further information. Top of Page
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Who is
the current chairperson of the English dept. and how do I go about getting an appointment
to speak with him/her?
The current chair of the English Department is
Dr. David James (G205).
You can get an appointment by phoning him at
248.522.3685
and leaving
a message on his voice mail with the time and phone number(s) he can use to contact
you.
It is also easy to get
him to respond to email (dljames@oaklandcc.edu).
If you cannot get through using the contacts above, contact the department
secretary at 248.522.3576 for assistance.
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When is
the last day I can withdraw from a class?
The last day you can withdraw from a class is determined semester
by semester by the college. It is usually around the 12th week of a 15-week semester.
Check the Schedule of Classes to find the exact date for the semester in which
you are enrolled.
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What
happens if I want to withdraw after the last day for withdrawal?
That depends on your teacher’s grading policy. Teachers cannot
assign a W grade. They do have the option of assigning a WP or a WF
grade. You might also receive a grade based on course work completed or uncompleted
during the semester. Which of these options happens depends on the grading policy
of the individual teacher. Top of Page
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How
can I find out the email address of a teacher?
Go to OCC’s main Web page (http://www.oaklandcc.edu),
click on the Orchard Ridge Campus link, then on the English department link.
On the English Department Web page, click on the link to either full time faculty
or adjunct instructors. The instructor’s email address will be listed next
to the instructor’s name.
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Do part
time (adjunct) instructors also have email addresses?
Yes, part time instructors (adjunct instructors) also have email
voice mail addresses where you can leave a message. See previous answer on how to find out that address. Some
of these instructors actively utilize their email address. Others ignore it
completely. The only way to find out is to ask your adjunct instructor.
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How can
I contact a teacher outside of class time?
Full time instructors have posted office hours. These are usually
the best times to contact a teacher in the office. If the teacher is not in
the office, you can either email a teacher or leave a message on that teacher’s
voice mail. Part time teachers do not have offices or posted office hours.
Therefore you can either email a part time teacher or leave a message on that teacher’s
voice mail. If none of these options seem to work, call the department office
(248.522.3576) and leave a message With the department secretary asking for assistance.
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Where
can I find out a teacher’s home phone number?
Teachers’ home phone numbers are not readily available unless an
individual teacher gives a home phone number to students. Top of Page
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What
technology is available to help me write and revise my papers?
Introductory and mid level writing courses are usually taught in
classrooms that have computers and a printer. Higher-level courses are frequently
taught in a classroom without such tools. If this is the case in your class,
you can use the computers and printers in the Academic Support Center (ASC)
(Lower level K Building
248.522.3435 ) to write and edit your papers. Top of Page
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Where
can I get tutoring assistance writing papers for my English class?
Tutoring assistance is available at scheduled times in the
ASC.
Contact them for further information. (Lower level K Building 248.522.3435)
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Does the English
department have a policy on attendance?
All teachers expect you to be present for class sessions. What happens
if you miss a class depends on the policies of the individual instructor.
Some have an attendance grade, others do not. How you make up a missed class
also depends on the policies of individual instructors. Some instructors who
have multiple sections of a course will encourage you to attend a different section
to make up what you lost when absent. You cannot expect to succeed in any
class if you develop a habit missing classes or coming late for class. Consult
the syllabus of an individual instructor for specific requirements in these areas.
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Does
the English department have a policy on plagiarism?
The policy is that plagiarism (cheating in any way, including copying someone else’s work, and copying from books or the internet without giving proper
credit to original source) is not allowed. Penalties may vary from getting
no credit for an assignment to failing the course. Consult the syllabus of
the individual instructor. Top of Page
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How can I know
if classes have been cancelled because of bad weather?
Listen to your television news (channels 2,4,7). Listen to
the news stations on the AM radio dial (WWJ 760 AM orWJR 950 AM). The
college also has a snow phone number which will give a recorded message whenever
the college is closing. That number is 248.341.2298. Top of Page
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How Will I
know if a teacher cancels a class because of illness?
Sometimes the teacher will phone students or ask the secretary to
do so. If the illness is sudden or serious, there’s no time for this.
In such a case a message will be posted on the classroom door informing students
of the situation and what they are now expected to do. Top of Page
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I Will
be absent for several class sessions this semester? What should I do about
it?
Contact the instructor prior to the beginning of the semester, if
possible, to see what effect your absence will have on your success in the course
and your grade for the course. Depending on the number of absences involved
and when they occur, you may be told that things can be made up, or you may be advised
not to enroll in that class. Follow the advice of the instructor.
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