Academics

Registration

You will receive assistance with registration once you arrive to campus and attend New Student Orientation.  You will meet with an academic advisor who will interpret your Math and English Placement Test results and help you to select appropriate classes.  Academic advisors are also able to  help you to structure your courses so that you can complete the requirements for your degree. 

Class Expectations

Your instructors will usually give you a course syllabus at your first class meeting. This syllabus contains all the information relevant to your course- expectations, required texts, suggested texts, assignments, exam dates, and additional course requirements.  This syllabus is considered to be a kind of  “contract” – by enrolling in the course, you are agreeing to abide by the rules and accept the schedule as outlined on the syllabus.   Most instructors tend to follow the schedule printed in the syllabus, so generally you can count on the assignment dates and test dates listed on your syllabus.

Class attendance is usually required and often affects your final grade.  It is important that you know that instructors may drop you from classes for excessive absences, so you should make every effort to attend class as required.  When you cannot, try to obtain any notes and handouts that were missed during your absence.  It may also be a good idea to meet with your professor during his or her office hours after an absence for any material you missed during your absence.

Class participation is strongly encouraged and is mandatory for some courses.  Adequate class preparation ensures that you can participate actively and productively in class on a voluntary or compulsory basis.  Your professors should be addressed as “Professor,” “Doctor,” “Mr.” or “Mrs.” (“Ms.”) followed by their last name (family name), unless they inform you otherwise. Though lively debate is sometimes the norm in classes that involve considerable class discussions, interrupting someone else while he or she is talking is considered rude, especially if the person you interrupt is your instructor.  Looking someone in the eye when you speak to them or when they speak to you is important- avoiding eye contact makes others uncomfortable and gives the impression of indifference or dishonesty.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is defined as copying someone else’s work and submitting it as your own.  If you allow others to copy assignments, papers, or answers on test or exam papers, you will be subject to academic sanction that could include expulsion from Georgia Perimeter College.  If you fail to properly cite another person’s work (in a research paper, for example), this is also plagiarism.  You will likely face expulsion or course failure if you commit plagiarism, so be sure that the work you complete is always your own, and be sure to ask about proper citations and footnotes if you do not understand how to use them when writing a research paper.