If active communication with the professor and with other students were not important, there would be no such thing as universities; we could all sit at home and watch PBS and read library books. Because so much of what we learn is based on communication with others, participation in class discussion and activities is essential to a successful college education. With this in mind, participation is a key component in Professor Gaughan's classes.

Successful participation looks like this:

The student provides evidence that s/he has done the reading for the course by referring to specific passages in the text, which the student has in hand.

The student provides evidence that s/he has thought about the reading by making an argument based on the specific evidence.

The student provides evidence that s/he has been listening to her/his classmates by referring to arguments brought up by them, or by asking questions of them.

Note: If speaking in class is a fate worse than death, the professor will find alternative options for individual students. This will only be true if the student contacts the professor during the first two weeks of classes to express her or his anxiety.