GradesOn Grades & Criticism
Part of my job is to evaluate your performance. Francis O’Walsh once said that some people find fault as if it were a buried treasure. I take no pleasure in finding fault in your work. Indeed, I would be a lot happier and a lot more popu-
lar if I simply lied to you, and gave you an “A” for inferior work.
I will keep you apprised of your grades and give you feedback on-line. That presents a problem, because it’s hard to take criticism, and it’s especially hard to take—or give—criticism on-line. The nature of the medium makes it sound very cold, very fast. Don’t take it personally! However it sounds, I am criticizing your work, not you. I’m trying to equip you for the world you will face after graduation.
If you’re unhappy with a grade, please e-mail me, and I will arrange a time when we can discuss the matter. At your request, I will be happy to re-evaluate your work, but be aware that this may result in your grade going up or down.
Sometimes students spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out what teachers want. I assure you that I hate tricks and pretentious nonsense as much or more than you do!
PapersOn Papers
In brief, you will lose points because:
  1. you didn’t do what was asked;
  2. you turned the work in late;
  3. your research was shallow;
  4. you failed to document your sources;
  5. your analysis was weak;
  6. you had significant writing problems; and/or,
  7. you violated the class’s standards of academic integrity, as mentioned earlier.
 Conduct Meaningful Research
You will be expected to use both traditional and electronic media to locate in-
formation and to evaluate that information in terms of its sufficiency, currency, validity, accuracy, and authenticity.
Limiting your research to just a few sources is shallow and lazy. Locate and compare many sources. When an assignment suggests Web sites, con-
sider that the beginning—not the end—of your research. One more thing: It’s not necessarily true just because you saw it on the Internet.
 Document Your Sources
Failing to attribute the intellectual contribution of others is sloppy at best, and plagiarism at worst. It is never appropriate—never—to pass off the work of others as your own.
Citations are not limited to direct quotations or copyrighted material. Docu-
ment each intellectual contribution others make to your paper. Simply listing “Works cited” is not sufficient. Paraphrasing a paragraph, a sentence, or even an important phrase from someone else does not relieve you of this duty. Citations clarify authorship, and they allow the reader to assess the currency and authenticity of information.
There are many ways to cite sources, but there is only one wrong way, and that wrong way is to leave ambiguity in the reader’s mind about authorship. Cite your sources in accordance with an established authority, such as:

Which should you use? For this course, I don’t care which you use—as long as you use one! Whatever your style:
  • Be accurate.
  • Be thorough.
  • Be consistent.

Here are some helpful links:
 Analyze Facts, Don’t Merely Report Them
In your professional life, you will be expected to apply your analytical skills and experience to analyze facts, not merely report them. No one cares about your unsubstantiated opinions! Support your statements with facts, figures, quotations from authoritative sources, business theories and other evidence as you build a cohesive, logical case for your point-of-view.
 Work on Your Writing
Clear, concise, flawless writing is important for every student. The quality of your ideas is no better than your ability to express them. Writing is the essen-
tial skill of a college-educated professional! The most common writing issues include:
  • Grammar: Imagine receiving a formal letter from your boss full of mis-
    spellings and grammatical errors. What would you think? The medium, as McLuhan said, is the message—or, at least part of it. What message are you sending?
  • Structural errors: Serious errors, such as sentence fragments, run-together sentences, and convoluted phrasing, confound understanding and seriously undermine your work.
  • Proofreading: If you proofread from a screen, you are likely to miss a lot of errors.
  • Paper length: in real life, no one will ever tell you to write a “seven-page paper.” How long is a paper in real life? As long as necessary and as short as possible. So it is in this class: your paper should be as long as necessary and as short as possible. How short is too short? Use the guidelines for each assignment, remembering the rule of thumb that one page of business writing is approximately 600 to 650 words. If you turn in a paper of less than 1,200 words when the assignment asked for a “two-page paper,” it had better be an exceptional paper!
Contact Wayne SpiesHow to Contact Me
Mail:

Wayne Thomas Spies
127 Santa Fe Avenue
Hamden, CT 06517
Phone: I am available at (203) 230-9288, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9:00 A.M.-noon (Eastern US). Do not call at any other number or any other time. If you can’t call during those hours, set up an appointment via e-mail. Due to my sched-
ule, I cannot return messages left at this number.
E-Mail: spies@aya.yale.edu. I will reply in four business-hours or less.
SupportSupport
1.My job is to help you thrive in this course, in this program, and in your career.
2. I am available for on-line and per-
sonal consultations. To set up an appointment, e-mail me.
3. Do you have special needs? A dis-
ability or medical condition? Lan-
guage or cultural issues? Child care or other family responsibili-
ties? The extent to which these fac-
tors require special accommoda-
tion may not be obvious! If you have special needs, discuss the matter with me at your earliest conven-
ience, and I will be happy to work with you to avoid and/or address any problems.
4. I provide information at this Web site for your convenience. Nothing posted on this Web site should be construed as a contract, implied or expressed, between the student and me and/or the University.
Bad weatherBad Weather & Emergencies
1. See the official Sacred Heart Web site: www.sacredheart.edu\weather.cfm.
2. Check this Web site.
3.
Listen to local radio stations.
WICC  600 AM
WTIC 1080 AM
WGCH 1490 AM
WEBE 108 FM
4. Call 365-SNOW (365-7669).
al radio stations.
WICC  600 AM
WTIC 1080 AM
WGCH 1490 AM
WEBE 108 FM
4. Call 365-SNOW (365-7669).