Yes, this is college, and yes, this is business school– but I approach my classes with a commitment to transparency and flexibility. My goal is to ensure all assignments clearly tie back to our learning objectives so your time is always well spent, and I try to share the why behind how my assignments are designed so you can succeed.

I recognize that the demands of all your courses often converge at once– frequently alongside work and family commitments. I work hard to build real rapport with students so you see that professors are human beings, too. In return, I hope you’ll mutually extend the same courtesies to me so we can keep the course valuable and engaging for everyone.

To help set clear expectations, here are a few key policy principles I’ve developed over the years:

• Focus on learning, not points: The points you earn are an assessment of what you’ve learned. I prefer to focus our conversations on understanding concepts and mastering skills rather than negotiating over individual points.
• Responsibility for missed content: If you miss class– especially sessions involving teamwork or in-class engagement– it is your responsibility to proactively demonstrate that you’ve engaged with the material. It is not my responsibility to modify assignment structures, extend individual deadlines, or create alternative tasks to make up points.
• Proactive, not reactive, communication: Please do not wait until the end of the semester to communicate challenges you’re facing with completing coursework. I know talking with professors can seem scary and anxiety-inducing, but I’d like to hope that I’m easy to talk with so that it’s easier to keep lines of communication open. Counterintuitively, staying silent not only adds unnecessary stress to your mental health as work piles on, but it can inadvertently appear like my course isn’t a priority. Make it a habit to check Canvas deadlines regularly and sync them with your calendar. I am always happy to work with a courtesy heads-up in advance– but not after a deadline has passed.
• Classroom Environment: No devices, no earbuds, and no GenAI tools (see specific details below).

I’m dedicated to making this course accessible to everyone. I welcome individual conversations about how we can improve personal accessibility or implement accommodations effectively, as well as ideas for making the course more universally accessible overall.

If you require formal, accessibility-related accommodations, please register with Disability Services (located at University Crossing, Suite 300; 978-934-6800; or email disability@uml.edu) so they can officially notify me of your accommodation eligibility.

College life can be challenging. As a student, you may encounter obstacles that create barriers to your learning—such as strained relationships, anxiety, elevated stress, family responsibilities, loss of motivation, or feeling overwhelmed.

The Wellness Center is available to support you through these challenges. Seeking support is a smart and courageous choice—for your own health and for those who care about you. The Wellness Center is located on the third floor of University Crossing.

While I am your professor, I strongly believe human empathy should be standard practice and welcome open communication regarding how you’re doing. As one of the Manning School of Business Faculty Mental Health Advocates, I am not a clinical mental health professional, but I am always open to candidly discussing my own experiences as an encouragement to you.

In business and academia alike, ALL work that is paraphrased or taken verbatim from an outside source must be properly attributed. Failing to do so can lead to serious professional and legal consequences (such as cases involving former government ministers, high-profile journalists, or even plagiarized Call of Duty game assets).

I take academic dishonesty very seriously. Any instance of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade (“F”) for the course and will be formally reported to the Office of the Provost. Academic dishonesty includes copying assignments, plagiarism, or failing to reference internet material. If you ever have questions about citation styles, please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) or ask me directly. A subset of this policy with respect to “AI” follows below.

My Academic Integrity Policy on Generative AI and LLM Tools, Revised Spring 2026

“…education is more than qualification (Biesta 2021). It is about preparing students to become capable and active members of society.” (Guest et al. 2025)

Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs)–such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot, as well as embedded tools in Canva, Meta, or Adobe– generate content from databases of prior human data.

Evidence is consistently mounting that GenAI erodes creativity and cognition, including eroding critical thinking skills. The purpose of university coursework for you as students is to build your individual critical and analytical thinking skills– whether for the job market or otherwise. GenAI presents three core challenges that counter this goal:

• Lack of Originality: Outputs are aggregated from existing work without proper citation capability (and can invent them!).
• Embedded Biases: Models reproduce and amplify systemic biases from their training datasets, reproducing biases and errors, rather than critically questioning them.
• Absence of Critical Reasoning: Platforms lack authentic evaluative judgment, reflection, and the abductive reasoning required to navigate incomplete information.

I recognize that some professors may push GenAI use in their classes; that is their prerogative. However, in my courses, Generative AI use is not permitted. As I recognize that AI “detectors” are often unreliable, I reserve the right to evaluate your work based on at least a decade of professional expertise as a scholar and faculty member before GenAI’s existence. If it is evident that GenAI has been used (including for initial search, ideation, or content creation), I reserve the right to adjust evaluation assessment accordingly– up to and including disqualifying the assignment and/or requiring an oral defense.

The purpose of my class is to assess what you learn and what you create– not the “learning” or output of an algorithm.

Courses run best when everyone is present and actively contributing. At the same time, life happens—illness, family care commitments, personal emergencies, or university-sanctioned events arise.

While I appreciate the courtesy of an advance notification, I don’t take formal roll-call attendance other than learning names and faces.

However, your consistent presence directly impacts your overall Course Engagement mark, which is usually a substantive portion of my course grades. In cases of excessive, unexcused absences, I reserve the right to adjust engagement scores beyond what is outlined in course requirements. If you face extended life-altering circumstances, please consult the Manning Advising Center promptly regarding course options.

Unless specified otherwise, assignments are due at the beginning of class on their listed due date. Submissions via email are not accepted unless explicitly requested. Unexcused late submissions will receive an automatic zero. If valid reasons prevent you from submitting on time, notify me in advance— advance communication goes a long way toward finding a fair solution.

Recommended Reading: “What You Miss When You Take Notes on Your Laptop” (Harvard Business Review)

While technology is central to daily business, research consistently shows that open screens and active multitasking diminish critical thinking and classroom presence. Studies indicate that the mere presence of a smartphone on a desk reduces available cognitive capacity, while taking longhand notes significantly improves conceptual retention compared to typing. Open screens also create passive visual distractions for your peers.

1. Response times: Canvas messaging is the primary channel for course communications. I aim to reply within 48 hours when a response is needed. Out of respect for my family, I generally do not reply to messages after 9:00 PM.
2. Early intervention: If you feel you are falling behind, please reach out right away. I am very understanding when complex personal situations occur, but I need to know so we can plan accordingly. Communicating early is always better than trying to resolve an issue after grades are finalized.
3. Student privacy (FERPA): Federal regulations prevent me from discussing academic standing, grades, or performance with third parties– including parents, spouses, or employers. All communications and grade discussions must occur directly between you and me.
4. Technical preparation and backups: System-wide outages aside, local computer issues, printer failures, or file glitches are not accepted as excuses for late work. Protect your work by keeping auto-save enabled and maintaining backups on Google Drive, Dropbox, or UML’s provided 1TB Microsoft OneDrive storage.