COURSE REQUIREMENTS
It is critical that you attend classes regularly. You
can miss two classes without penalty, but in addition to these, no further
excuses will be granted (including medical excuses, sports related excuses,
etc.) Each additional absence will cost you one percent of your total score. If
you have more than 5 absences, you receive automatically an F in the class,
independent of your grades. As a class
based on discussion, the quality of the class depends on your participation. To
enable you to participate productively, it is necessary that you read the
assignments carefully before the class period in which they will be discussed.
I will evaluate participation on the basis of:
·
Correctly answering factual questions
·
Attempting to answer conceptual
questions
·
Challenging (respectfully) the opinions
of others in the class (including the instructor)
·
Providing critical insights
·
Volunteering in tasks such as individual
or group presentations, debates, etc.
·
Sincerity and
Self-reflection
Quizzes will be given randomly.
Journal entries covering the readings are due once a
week. Each journal entry must clearly state the title and author(s) of the
readings, and the date on which it is turned in. All journal entries must be
numbered sequentially. Failure to comply might result in journals not being
accepted. You can choose the day you turn in the journal. However, your journal
entry must cover the readings assigned for the day you turn in your journal. A
journal entry is a roughly 300 word essay summarizing or reflecting on the
readings that are assigned for a particular class period. The objective is for
you to engage with the readings. Once you read it and write about it, you will
be able to think about the issues more clearly. The format of this assignment
is open. Your essay can consist of a summary of the main points of the
article/s, which will be handy once you study for exams, it can consist of a
number of questions about the readings; it can be a critique of the readings,
if you feel that it is biased or misrepresents the facts, or it can be an essay
about thoughts the readings sparked in you. I will collect the journal entries
at the beginning of the class. Keep all your journal entries (word-processed
whenever possible) after they have been returned to you. These graded journal
entries will be collected at the end of the semester.
In addition to the journal entries, there will be
three short writing assignments.
Make sure to retain a copy (hard copy or digital) of
all the materials that you are producing for this class. This will allow you to
review your homework for the exams and the final paper. Also, in case something
gets lost, you will then be able to prove that you actually did the work.
If you are not in class at the time I am taking
roll, you will not get credit for your attendance that day. Please make every
effort to be on time.
Some videos or video clips will be shown in class.
The majority however will be shown outside of class. You will be able to watch
those videos through Clarkson TV if you are living on campus, or at any of some
specifically designated lounges. Details will be provided in class.
Deadlines
In order to assure fairness to all students, the
deadlines for the given assignments are binding. If not stated otherwise, the
papers have to be turned in at the beginning of the class period for the day
that they are due. Turning an assignment in late will lower your respective
score by 10% for each day it is late, unless accompanied by a valid excuse and
verifying documentation.
Plagiarism is on the increase. It is a serious
offense with far-reaching repercussions. Plagiarizing is defined as appropriating
or imitating the language, ideas and thoughts of another author and
representation of them as one's original work. To make sure that you don't
plagiarize unknowingly, familiarize yourself with the conventions of how to use
proper quotes and citations in a scholarly paper. Documentation will be made
available throughout the course.
Any student who has been found to be plagiarizing or
found to be abetting someone in the act of plagiarism will face disciplinary
proceedings. In mild cases it might result in an F in the class, in more
serious cases it can lead to the expulsion from the University. There will be
no warnings! In mild cases it might result in an F in the class, in more
serious cases it can lead to the expulsion from the University. There will be
no warnings
|
Quizzes |
10% |
|
Attendance |
10% |
|
Class
Participation |
10%
|
|
Journal
Entries (10 total) |
10%
|
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
|
Final |
25%
|
|
Assignment
1-2 (5% each) |
10%
|
|
Group
Presentation |
5% |
|
Total |
100%
|
|
Extra
Credit Assignments (class presentation or Reaction papers to videos shown
outside of class) |
|
|
91-100%
= A |
|
86-90%
= B+ |
|
80-85%
= B |
|
76-79%
= C+ |
|
71-75%
= C |
|
65-70%
= D+ |
|
61-64%
= D |
|
0
- 60 = F |
Support
Writing Support: The
Accommodations for Disability
If you need any help because of a disability, please let me know so that
we can ensure that you get the assistance you need.