Policies

Use of the CIRCLE is open to any currently enrolled Downtown Campus Georgia State students, as well as faculty and staff who are interested in learning another language or expanding their cultural knowledge.  Preferential access to resources is given to students currently enrolled in language classes in the Department of World Languages and Cultures and Applied Linguistics (IEP).

All patrons must check in at the front desk with their Panther Card.

• No eating or drinking is allowed in the CIRCLE. The first warning for a student will consist of asking them to either put their items away or throw them away. The second warning will consist of asking the student to leave the lab.
• Turn off / silence your cell phone upon entry to the CIRCLE. Talking on a cell phone while in the CIRCLE will not be tolerated as it disturbs others.
• All CIRCLE materials are for in-lab use only. Students may check out lab materials for use in the lab but may not remove them from the lab.
• Patrons are responsible for CIRCLE materials checked out in their name. Materials must be returned in the same condition in which they were checked out. Otherwise, the patron is responsible for the replacement cost.
• Students of a language course will have priority over students of non-language enrollment. If you are not actively engaged in a language or cultural activity, you may be asked to leave the CIRCLE in order to make room for students who need to complete assigned work.
• Please speak softly and be considerate of other patrons, just as you would in a library. Please remember that this is an educational environment.
• Please clean up after yourself. When you leave the CIRCLE, please do not leave trash on the workstation or table.

Because CIRCLE offers walk-in tutoring for multiple languages at no additional charge, some policies and guidelines were established to ensure fair and equitable access to all.

• Private tutoring may be limited at the discretion of the tutor. Some tutors may be working with multiple students at one time. During peak times (right before a large exam), students may only have access to a tutor for 15 – 20 minutes. The following practices will help make the most of your available time.
• Come prepared to show the tutor the specific items or concepts that you’d like to cover. Plan ahead for the assistance you need.
• Do not wait until the last minute to come for assistance. Most of the language courses have common exams given on the same day. As a result, the CIRCLE becomes very crowded on those days and tutoring becomes more limited. If you have questions after your language class, please visit the CIRCLE at the next possible opportunity to have them addressed. Not only is this the best way to learn, but it also ensures that you have the answers you need before the big test.
• Tutors will not proofread, correct or edit compositions for you. Please see the proofreading policy for more information on how to work with the tutor on writing assignments.

The emphasis of the tutoring services at the CIRCLE is on helping you become a better writer and speaker of your target language through additional, focused instruction in grammar and vocabulary use. Tutors can’t proofread, edit, or correct the composition for you. That would make us better editors, but it would not make you a better writer. However, we will help you learn how to be a better proofreader and writer in the context of your language studies. Therefore, keep in mind that CIRCLE tutoring is not a proofreading or error-correction service, so you can’t expect the tutor to correct your mistakes for you. You are responsible for the content, the language and the correctness of your paper. You and the tutor must make decisions together about what changes are necessary.

We recommend that you come to us early in the semester and that you give yourself sufficient time between the first draft of your composition and the due date. There is not much we can do to help you if you come to us with a first draft one hour before it is due.

Equipment Rules

The Center for International Resources and Collaborative Language Engagement (CIRCLE) maintains an inventory of certain electronic equipment that is available for loan to qualified GSU Students in accordance with these Equipment Rules.

General Policies:

1. Eligibility: Only active GSU language students (currently enrolled in any of the classes offered by the Department of World Languages & Cultures) can borrow equipment from CIRCLE.
2. Identification: To borrow equipment, you must present your PantherCard and a copy of an official document proving your current enrollment in a language class provided by the Department of World Languages & Cultures.
3. Borrowing Limits: Only one of each item type can be borrowed at the same time.
4. Loan Periods: Loan periods vary by item. Overdue fines for first-come, first-serve equipment are $5 per day for items with one-week loan periods and $5 per hour for items with an eight-hour loan period. Overdue fines for reservable equipment are specified in the item details description below.
5. Responsibility: The borrower is responsible for any damage, loss, or theft of equipment checked out to them. Damage fees are equal to the repair cost, and replacement fees are equal to the current retail cost.
6. Inspection: CIRCLE has 5 business days after receipt of returned equipment to inspect the returned equipment and notify the borrower of any damage. The borrower will have 5 business days after receipt of notice of damage to reimburse CIRCLE for the cost of repair or replacement, as specified in such notice from CIRCLE.
7. Reporting Missing Equipment: If the equipment is stolen or islost while in your possession, you must notify us immediately ([email protected] | 404-413-____). If you notify CIRCLE of the missing equipment after it was due to be returned, you will also incur late fines calculated through the date that CIRCLE is notified of the missing equipment in addition to the replacement cost of the lost equipment.
8. Reservations: Reservations of particular items of equipment may be made by completing this form at least 2 days in advance of the date you wish to pick up the reserved equipment. Reservations will automatically expire if the reserved equipment is not picked up by the borrower within 2 days of the date specified in the reservation form.
9. Area Limitation: No equipment borrowed from CIRCLE may be taken outside the State of Georgia for any reason.
10. Collection Policies: [NOTE: Describe here how GSU allows the charges owed by a borrower to be added to their GSU student account. Follow GSU policy on this language.]

Laptop and iPad Loan Policies:

1. Limitation: Borrowers are limited to borrowing 1 laptop or 1 iPad at a time.
2. Maximum Loan Term: Laptops and iPads can be borrowed for a maximum of period of 7 days. Such 7-day period can be extended for 1 additional 7-day period with proper notice to CIRCLE. If you elect to extend your equipment loan for an additional 7 days, you must provide written notice to CIRCLE prior to the expiration of the initial 7-day loan period. Exceptions: No loaned laptop or iPad can be renewed if you cease being enrolled in a course provided by the Department of World Languages & Cultures.
3. Return of Laptops and iPads: All borrowed laptops and iPads, and all accessories that are a part of such loan, must be returned to CIRCLE before the expiration of the applicable loan term.
4. Missing Pieces and Accessories: Equipment returned with missing pieces or accessories will accrue overdue fines until all pieces and accessories are also returned to CIRCLE.
5. Overdue Fines: Laptops or iPads (or pieces or accessories loaned with the laptop or iPad) which are returned late will incur $5 per hour in overdue fines up to a maximum charge of $300.
6. Lost or Stolen Laptops: A lost or stolen laptop will incur a replacement fee of $1,540 (includes laptop, charger, and bag).This fee represents the current replacement cost of laptops in the CIRCLE inventory but is subject to increase if replacement costs for laptops increase for any reason.
7. Lost or Stolen iPads: A lost or stolen iPad will incur a replacement fee of $____ (includes iPad, charger, and bag or case). This fee represents the current replacement cost of iPadsin the CIRCLE inventory but is subject to increase if replacement costs for iPads increase for any reason.
8. Repair Fees: Damage repair fees will be [To be discussed.]

Headphone Loan Policies:

1. Limitation: Borrowers are limited to 1 set of headphones at a time.
2. Maximum Loan Term: Headphones can be borrowed for a maximum of 7 days. Loans of headphones are not eligible for renewals or extensions.
3. Return: Borrowers must return borrowed headphones to CIRCLE in person.
4. Overdue Fines: Borrowers who return headphones late are charged $25 per day in overdue fines up to a maximum charge of $100.
5. Replacement Fees: Lost/Stolen/Damaged fee for headphones is $30. This fee may increase from time to time if the cost of headphones in the CIRCLE inventory increases for any reason.

 

A copy of these Equipment Rules will be attached to the form to be signed by the student borrower when borrowing equipment from CIRCLE and such form and these Equipment Rules will be a part of the contract between CIRCLE and the borrowing student governing the loan of the equipment to the student, the care of the equipment by the student, and the return of the equipment to CIRCLE in good condition and a timely manner.