Policies
Table of contents
- The Pandemic and Absences / Late Assignments
- Honor Code and Academic Honesty
- Student Hours
- Gender Expression and Identity
- Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
- Accessibility
- External Resources
- Mandated Reporter
The Pandemic and Absences / Late Assignments
The coronavirus pandemic has upended our normal way of life since March 2020, and the disruptions that we’ve experienced since then will have lasting effects in various ways. As of January 2024, we are slated to be on campus and in person in Spring 2024 (yay!), but if the pandemic surges again or other one-off concerns arise, we have to be ready to shift online and conduct our class via Zoom and other online media.
Please rest assured that your health and safety and that of your family and friends will always come first, and I make it my mission to create a classroom environment that is supportive and safe as you navigate what’s happening in our world and deal with everything else that you have to deal with, in practical and emotional terms. If you have to miss class to take care of yourself or others, either physically or mentally, then do so and just let me know that you’ll be missing class via email before the class meeting in question. If you need extensions on assignments, ask for them. If you would like extra help outside of class time, don’t hesitate to let me know.
I reserve the right to penalize your semester grade by one full letter grade (e.g., from an A- to a B-) if you accrue three or more unexcused absences (i.e., you are absent from class and have not communicated with me about it up to 24 hours after the absence on three separate occasions). I recognize that emergencies may preclude you from communicating with me about an absence in a timely fashion; I simply ask that you reach out as soon as you can so that I can excuse the absence if necessary and so that we can make sure that you have the resources that you need to keep up with the class.
Needless to say, these are unprecedented times which call for extraordinary measures. Please don’t ever hesitate to email me, visit with me during student hours or non-preordained times via appointment, or leave a group or private message in the Discord server with any questions, issues, or concerns that you have. We’re all figuring it out as we go; the best we can do is to be here for each other with compassion and patience. And maybe an occasional fuzzy animal picture or meme.
Honor Code and Academic Honesty
You are expected to abide by Fairfield’s Honor Code and its tenets of Academic Honesty, posted here. Cheating on homework, assignments, quizzes, or exams (defined here as but not limited to reproducing answers from an answer key, referring to forbidden notes to help answer questions, or copying another student’s answers) may result in penalties ranging from a failure on the specific assignment to failure for the entire course.
Student Hours
Student hours are an opportunity for you to meet with me outside of class to discuss anything you’d like: questions about course material, clarifications about assignments, even simply shooting the breeze. My student hours are times that I am sure to be in my office, unless you’re notified otherwise, so I highly encourage you to take advantage of them! I’m also happy to make appointments outside of my regular student hours if they conflict with your availability; simply shoot me an email or a direct message on Discord with what times and dates work for you.
Gender Expression and Identity
I (Prof. Libatique) am a cisgender man and use he/him/his pronouns. Your first assignment will be to fill out a Google Form to let me know what I should call you, what pronouns you use if you opt to share them, and what you hope to learn from this class. My goal is to avoid dead-naming, as the name that you use may not match the legal name on my class roster.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
Studying the ancient Mediterranean world at Fairfield is one way to challenge a centuries-long tradition that reserved the study of the ancient world for a privileged elite. The challenge goes beyond simply welcoming students however they identify their race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religious or spiritual tradition, or socioeconomic background. As we work to see the multicultural world of the ancient Mediterranean through the original thoughts and language of the Romans, we reflect on and actively explore how this can help us recognize and respond to structures of power and privilege in our own lives.
This work is especially important today, when historically false images of the ancient world are being invoked to support particular political viewpoints. Studying the ancient Mediterranean helps us see through erroneous assertions about the “whiteness” of the ancient Mediterranean and reject claims that the Greco-Roman world is the special province of any ethnic or political group.
Accessibility
Any student who feels the need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility to discuss support services available. Students with disabilities can begin the accommodation request process by completing the online intake form through the “Accessibility and Accommodations” portal on my.fairfield or by contacting the Office of Accessibility at ooa@fairfield.edu. Contact information for the Office of Accessibility can be found here. You may also call 203-254-4000, x2615, or visit the Office on the main floor of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library in the Academic Commons.
If you are already registered with the Office of Accessibility, please be sure to get your accommodation letters and deliver them to me in a timely fashion. Instructors need 4-5 days advance notice to be able to facilitate the process of receiving testing accommodations.
External Resources
In addition to my email and student hours, there are resources outside myself, like the Office of Academic Support and Retention and the Writing Center that can help with assignments or your progress through the course in general. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question.
By the way, to test whether you’re reading the syllabus all the way through, please send me an email with a photo of your favorite ancient Roman monument by Wednesday, January 24, at 12pm, with the subject line “Caesar and Pompey were ARCH-enemies!” If you do so, you will receive five (5) extra credit points on your semester total (see Grading for the course grading structure).
Mandated Reporter
As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as your professor. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, any information that you disclose that addresses actual or suspected discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation based on sex requires my sharing that information with those on campus who are able to provide you with necessary resources.
If you would like to discuss the matter confidentially, this website lists confidential resources that are available to you under section 20.1.