Honor is what's inside not necessarily recognized.

Texas A&M's honor code makes teaching here unique. Living under a code of conduct is never easy if you're tempted to break the code, but for the majority who already live by those simple rules, it is a statement of pride.

Below are my words of wisdom to all my students and my classroom policies.

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Advice, Suggestions, and Observations.
 
After spending five years here at Texas A&M University, I would like to offer my students a few tidbits of wisdom. Time; Literacy; Interaction are the three categories I have organized my thoughts.
 
 
1. Rule of thumb on TIME. For every hour of lecture, you should anticipate 2-3 hours of study time outside of class. Therefore, a three unit lecture implies an average commitment of over ten hours a week. This is why 12 units are traditionally called full time because it occupies one’s work week. Obviously, certain weeks require more or less time than others, but you should be spending a minimum of 1-2 hours reviewing notes and maps each week. Then of course, you need to plan for much more time when tests and due dates come around.
 
• Many students claim to study a lot, but do they? You probably shouldn’t claim you study enough if you aren’t committing 5 hours, and don’t claim you study hard if you’re not putting in over 10 hours a week. The real question is what sort of learning strategy works for you? Only you can determine what is enough study time for you to have effective results.
 
• Study hard but balance your time with those things that make you happy, healthy, and/or proud to be an Aggie. There are numerous activities to occupy your time—both university excused and pure distraction. Yet, at the end of the semester, I do not judge your spirit; I only evaluate your academic performance in my class.
 
• Time Management: make schedules, set priorities, and take responsibility for using your time wisely.
 
 
2. The essence of an educated person is LITERACY. University studies require a high level of reading and writing. Unfortunately, we cannot read just for pleasure, we need to read difficult things with complicated ideas and technical nuances.  Reading a textbook is a rite of passage—yes they are boring and fact laden—deal with it.
 
• Read, read, and read. Not all material can be covered and elaborated on during lecture; textbooks and readings are an essential component of higher education. On occasion, students ask me about how to do better on the next test, and when asked, they confess they did not read or read effectively the textbook. There is no excuse for not reading at an university.
 
• Texas A&M is a top-notch university! A colleague of mine likes to say, A&M is the big leagues. The value of a university degree is related to how difficult it is to obtain; TAMU is a special place with high standards. Not everyone can get here nor can every person succeed here. You are already here, so succeed!
 
3. Student—Faculty & Student INTERACTIONS. The atmosphere on our campus is generally very good: friendly, safe, and pleasant. Nevertheless, students should be aware of how academic rank and distinguished titles work when they interact with faculty. Also a word on student—student relations as they apply in class.
 
• Titles: “Doctor” is appropriate for anyone with a Ph.D. as well as M.D. (it is an honorary title that comes with the highest educational degree). Not all instructors have PhD’s but most everyone at TAMU does, so error on the side of using Dr. instead of Mr./Mrs./Ms. etc. “Professor” is a title associated with an appointed position (at a University and usually exclusive to having a doctorate). Some prefer professor over doctor. Know who you are addressing and don’t mistakenly insult them.
 
• Competition: even though students are evaluated against each other, there is no need to work against one another. By the same token, working together is strongly encouraged as long as it doesn’t cross the line. Two situations concern me. The first situation is when only one student really does the work and the others claim it as their own (falls under TAMU plagiarism). The second is taking advantage of another student for course notes (borderline harassment). Never loan your notes, instead offer to let them be photocopied after class, etc.
 
• Communication: contacting professors about class should be face-to-face unless he/she announces otherwise. In my opinion, phone and email are good for leaving messages, but they are no substitute or excuse for attendance and office hours. Moreover, I cannot discuss grades over the phone or via e-mail.
 
• Salutations: “Howdy” is a common and friendly greeting in Aggieland. Not all professors are howdy people, but I personally like it and use it. When emailing or calling me, Howdy Dr. Prout is a perfect salutation.
 
 

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Classroom Policies:

I have high expectations of my students because we are in a learning environment and we truly learn best with high standards and lofty goals. In return I commit myself to equally high standards especially when it comes to reasonable expectations for students to discuss content knowledge as well as evaluations/grades.
Here are a few key points.
 
• Conducive learning environment is foremost: late arrivals and early departures should be extreme situations; disruptive behavior of any sort is wrong. Food & drink are okay, but smells, crunches, and wrappers are not (pack your trash out of the room including newspapers). You must minimize the distractions especially unnecessary noise because it interferes with others ability to hear me. Discretely let me know if the screen is out of focus or if my voice is too low. I will try to project my voice and I will pester those who waste our class time. Cell phones and audio devices must be turned off before entering the lecture hall.
 
• Academic Integrity Statement:
   I will not tolerate any form of dishonesty (personal and academic). The Aggie Honor Code is:
"An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do."
  Please refer to the Aggie Honor Code and Honor Council Rules and Procedures on the web at  http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor .
   Simply put, do not do it! On evaluation days, bring ID card and only what is necessary. Instead of devising ways to cheat or plagiarize, devote that time to studying. If you have questions concerning integrity, honesty, and plagiarism, ask someone.
   Plagiarism, as commonly defined, consists of passing off as one's own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated
 
• Questions: YES, ask questions. Be inquisitive. The best questions start with why, where, or who. If you are curious or unsure, probably others in class are thinking the same thing. I will respond. Please communicate with me; I realize this is a very large lecture section so if you are hesitant to ask questions in front of everyone, at least ask after class or during office hours.
 
• Communication/Office Hours: I try to return phone calls and emails in a timely manner and I do my best to keep office hours. When emailing me, please write out your name and exact course inside the message as well as filling in the subject line. Remember, serious communication should be in person.
 
• ADA Statement:  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.  If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at Cain Hall, room B118. The phone number is 845-1637.
 
• Copyrights: All course materials are copyrighted. Taping and reproducing of course material for other than personal use will be regarded as copyright infringement and referred to the University lawyers for action. Before tape recording, ask me first. Professional note-takers must be enrolled in this course (university policy) and receive my permission prior to any commercial transaction involving course notes (state law).