If your current proficiency level of Japanese is found to be too high for the course you are enrolled in, you may be forced to withdraw from the course even after the add/drop period. For example, if you can already speak Japanese fairly fluently without much problems, you should NOT be taking JAPN 1001 (or other beginning level courses). The presence of such students is demoralizing for the beginners who are taking the course in earnest. Since the course focuses more on speaking and listening skills and little time is used in reading and writing, not being able to read and write at the beginning level cannot be the reason to take 1001. You can study reading and writing on your own outside of the course. We can provide you with the study material if you request. Also, consider the following facts:

• No lower level courses (JAPN 1001, 1002 and 2001) can be counted toward your major, minor or certificate in Japanese. If you are already good at speaking Japanese, taking these lower level courses might be waste of your time and money.
• You can take credit by exam. If you pass the final exam of the course, you will earn the credit for the course (S/U grade will be assigned) without taking the course. (Note: Consult your school policies before taking this option and make sure if S/U grade can be counted toward your graduation.)

If you are not sure about the level of your proficiency, please take the online placement test (http://japanese.gatech.edu/online/jpn-placement.html) or consult your instructor ASAP hopefully before the add/drop period ends.

Students in this class are expected to abide by the Georgia Tech Student Code of Conduct and Honor Code and avoid any instances of academic misconduct, including but not limited to:

1. Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or oral information in the preparation of a homework, term papers or exams.
2. Substitution of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another individual or individuals including homework. (Suspicious materials will be searched on the Web.)
3. False claims of performance or work that has been submitted by other students.

See http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/19b.php and http://honor.gatech.edu/plugins/content/index.php?id=9 for more information on academic misconduct and the Honor Code. We will take a strong action if we find any instance of academic misconduct and/or violation of GA Honor Code.

There will be a minimum of 20% reduction for late arrival of 15 minutes or more or a minimum of 10% reduction for early departure of 5 minutes or more. Technical difficulties cannot be used as an excuse for arriving late for classes or departing early. Also, if you do not respond in a timely manner whenever you are called upon during the class, your points may be deducted. During the class, you need to pay attention to each other's responses 100% of the time. Don't engage in activities that distract you such as doing your homework during the class, reading unrelated computer screens, chatting with other students on unrelated topics, and working on activities not related to the class. The instructor may randomly ask someone to repeat what the other person has just said to make sure you heard it. A typical conversational exchange goes like this. Note that your name will be often called at the END of each question as shown below.

Teacher: "What did you do last Sunday, Mr. Brown?"
Brown: "I went to the library to study Japanese."
Teacher: "Where did Mr. Brown study last Sunday, Ms. Smith?"
Smith: "He studied at the library."

The following illustrates someone who is not paying attention. If this kind of behavior happens frequently, you will be considered not paying attention.

Teacher: "What did you do last Sunday, Mr. Brown?"
(No answer...)
Teacher: "Mr. Brown, could you answer my question?"
Brown: "What was the question?" or "Which question are we on now?" or "I couldn't hear your question."

If you cannot respond to some questions, please ask your instructor for help rather than searching the course materials or flipping back your notes or consulting with someone who may be sitting next to you.

Online course students only: If you don't hear the instructor (or if you cannot be heard due to technical problems) or the Application Sharing window disappears during your online class, notify your instructor immediately. If technical problems persist, consult the Wimba tech support. If you neglect to fix your technical problems, your class performance grade will be affected accordingly. If you cannot fix the technical problems no matter what after honest attempts to solve them, I recommend you withdraw from this course as early as possible.

FYI: Some instructors may ban additional activities that are distracting such as the use of computers in a regular classroom (not in online classes obviously). Also, in intermediate to advanced classes, speaking in the language other than Japanese may be prohibited. Read the syllabus carefully.

Always connect to virtual classrooms where you can use a separate phone
to use Wimba's Simulcast option in case your regular audio connection fails.
Please select a quiet location to connect where you can be heard clearly.

Set up your own backup plan (Plan B) and be ready to go to Plan B whenever your computer fails or your network connection does not work. For example, you can pre-arrange someone else to let you use his/her computer in case of emergency. If you have time, you can contact Horizon-Wimba (http://www.horizonwimba.com/horizon/, or email to help@horizonwimba.com, or call 212-651-8060) for technical support. Your virtual class performance points between 5 and 10 will be given only when students participate orally. The instructor may ask you to use text chatting as a last resort in case of emergency, but text-chatting does not count as aural-oral performance.

If you can enter the Wimba Classroom but have no audio (cannot hear others or others cannot hear you), the following is your Plan B that is ALWAYS available. (Using text chat or just staying online with no response will receive 0 points for the live classroom session.) --- Click on the telephone icon in the Live Classroom and find the Simulcast phone number and your PIN. Call this number using a regular phone and enter your PIN. You will be added to Wimba Classroom without using the audio functions of your computer! (See Troubleshooting page of Online Course Support Center for more information). This is not a free call. If you call in, a long-distance charge will be applied to your phone bill.

Stalling and "selective audio difficulties": Stalling or pretending to have "audio problems" whenever you are unable to respond is not tolerated. If you cannot answer some questions, it is much more productive to say so and get immediate help instead of wasting your (and your classmates') valuable time.

False claims of technical difficulties for missing classes/requirements will not be tolerated.

Submitting wrong homework, not noticing homework deadlines in the schedule (In online classes, some homework may be due on the day when you have no virtual classes) cannot be used as an excuse. If you are required to upload your homework to T-Square, there are specific instructions (written elsewhere in this syllabus) on how to name the files and folders. It is your responsibility to follow the instructions. Do NOT mislabel or misplace the homework files within T-Square's dropbox. The instructor may rename or move some files or reorganize your dropbox if you do not follow the instructions. If the instructor cannot find your uploaded homework because you did not follow the instruction correctly, you may get a zero point for that homework.

Please check the image quality before and after you upload the homework (scanning quality, orientation, size, scanned area, pagination, etc.). Files may be damaged during the upload process. Make sure you can download and view the homework files again. If you can't download and view the files correctly, the instructor can't do it either. If the instructor can't view the homework correctly, some points may be taken off.

Exam proctors are those who are in a responsible position to oversee your exam. Typically, he/she is your academic advisor, supervisor on the job, or facilitator your instructor agrees to have the exam administered for you. Proctors cannot be your friends, roommates, family members and relatives. They are required to sign the Proctor Confirmation Form and follow the instructions for the exam. You need to provide your instructor with the proctor's background information such as their full name, title, organization, email address, phone number, address, etc. If necessary, the instructor may check the background of the proctor you choose.

It is your responsibility to contact your proctor and arrange for the date, time and location for the exams. Make sure they are capable of conducting all that are required such as printing the exam and, if necessary, prepare the Internet-connected computer and install necessary software such as Flash Player, Quicktime, Skype, etc. They are also required to return the exam by the specified date and method (e.g., emailing scanned exams, faxing, hardcopy mailing, etc.).

If you are taking this course on the Audit basis because you might not be able to devote your time fully to this course, this course is not recommended for you. Audit students are fully expected to submit all of the homework and take the tests and exams AND participate fully in the live group sessions. If the performance of audit students interferes with normal progress of the class, the instructor may decide not to call on the audit students. So, keep up with the class even if you are just auditing the class.