COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and
Participation
·
It is critical that you attend classes
regularly.
·
You will get two unexcused absences.
After that each absence (including medical, sports, etc.) will cost 1% of your
total score.
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Tardiness will hurt your attendance
grade: two tardies constitute an absence.
·
More than five absences might lead to
automatic failure in the course.
·
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. To make
sure you know what is due at any given period, please consult the course
syllabus.
·
An addition to in-class discussion, your
participation will also be based on participation in the online forum at
turnitin.com, to which I expect you to contribute weekly.
I
will evaluate participation on the basis of:
·
Correctly answering factual questions
·
Attempting to answer conceptual questions
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Challenging (respectfully) the opinions
of others in the class (including the instructor)
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Providing critical insights
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Volunteering in tasks such as individual
or group presentations, debates, etc.
Quizzes, Homework, and Other Writing Assignments
· Quizzes covering the readings will be given randomly. There will be approximately 10 quizzes. There is no make-up for quizzes, but the lowest quiz score will be dropped.
· One homework assignment of about 300 words is due each week. You decide whether you want to do the homework-essay on the readings and study questions assigned for Tuesday (and turn it in that Tuesday) or Thursday (and turn it in that Thursday). Study questions will be posted on the website's "Schedule of Assignment"
· I often will have specific study questions, from which I want you to choose one for your homework essay.
· If I do not assign any specific question for the readings, the default homework assignment is to write a one-page essay on a quote, theme, character, or paragraph of the reading due the day the homework is turned in.
·
In addition to the readings discussed in
class, I expect you to scan several major newspaper for news about the
· Always use a word processor to do your homework and papers and keep a digital as well as a hard copy of your work.
· The homework will be graded on the basis of how accurately and insightful the questions are answered.
· Keep all class materials together in a folder as reference materials for your papers.
· This weekly homework essay serves several purposes:
o By making small writing assignments a weekly exercise, you will develop greater ease in "thinking on paper," and feel more comfortable in composing essays.
o Having read the materials and then written an essay assures that you will have already reflected on the writings and therefore will be able to make more use of and contribute more to our class discussions.
o These homework assignments serve as building blocks for your longer essays: you have the freedom here to explore ideas and further develop them and you can then use the ideas developed there in your longer essays.
Papers
· There will be three formal papers of 3 pages in length (about 900 words), each paper is worth 20% of your total grade.
· I encourage you to show me a draft before you turn it in.
· In addition, you will have the opportunity to do a revision on either the first or the second paper. If you decide to revise a paper after it has been graded, you will have to sign up for a conference with me during which we will go over your paper and discuss strategies to improve it. In order to receive a better grade that substitutes the previous grade, you will have to demonstrate substantial improvement.
· All papers need to be entered as electronic files to Turnitin.com at the time they are due!
· Without a conference you will not be eligible for a rewrite.
· Also, note that mere editorial changes of your paper are not enough to get an improved grade!
Videos
Videos are a critical element of the class and subject to homework, class discussions and quizzes. They will generally be shown outside of class, over the Clarkson Cable Channel 67. If you live off campus, you can see the videos in the publicly accessible lounges. Further info will be provided.
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 on the day they are due. Turning an assignment in late will lower your respective score by 10%
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!·
Grading Criteria
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Note: Since the papers constitute only 60%, much of your grade depends on attendance, class participation, quizzes and homework. Completing homework assignments on time and being prepared for class are essential to receiving a decent grade in the course. If you are shy and don't feel comfortable talking in public, make it a point to practice public speaking. Make sure you keep up good work habits.
Grading Scale
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91-100% = A |
75-70% = C |
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86-90% = B+ |
65-69% = D+ |
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80-85% = B |
60-64% = D |
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76-79% = C+ |
0 - 59% = F |