The classroom is a public, shared, and professional workspace, not your home or the cafeteria. You are expected to act in a serious, attentive, and considerate manner at all times, both there and in any other spaces we go to individually or as a group. Anything you do that is not part of the class activity both takes your attention away and distracts others. Acting as if you don’t care about what’s happening may seriously affect your grade.
EATING in class is not appropriate — it makes a mess, it’s impossible to take notes or discuss anything with your mouth full, and it distracts others. (Exception: if you bring enough cookies for everyone.)

CELL PHONES: Turn off your phone during class. Do not read, call, answer, or text. The same goes for all public performances and events. The arts require sustained attention, not just dropping in and out. Even “just” checking your messages creates a glare that distracts your neighbors. If your phone goes off, you lose 1/3 of a letter grade off your final average.

COMPUTER: Most students bring their laptops to class, in order to take notes, see videos we may examine, and other class activities. It is simply forbidden to do anything not class-related on your computer during class. If random surfing, Facebook chat, or pornography are more important and interesting to you than class activities, you should seriously consider whether college is the right place for you at this time. One-third of a grade off for each infraction.

PRIVATE CONVERSATION: Class discussion is discussion by a whole class. If you’re not interested and must talk to someone separately from the group, leave the room rather than distract others by competing noise.