Courses Taught
Grading/Evaluation/Expectations

Attendance

• Attendance is taken each meeting and is part of the required coursework.  Participation--possible only through preparation and regular attendance--constitutes a major part of your grade.
• If you are late, you are interrupting the class.  Please organize your schedule so that you arrive on time.
• Given unforeseen events, you may find yourself unable to attend class.  You are allowed three absences without grade reduction; use them wisely.  I don't inquire why you are absent, so you needn't tell me. That means that any problems with your work, car, family, health, personal life, or with the weather are not my concern; three absences will cover emergencies without jeopardizing your grade.  If you have any more than three, then you should rethink the logic of taking or staying in this course.  Please remember that it is your responsibility to obtain notes and assignments and to catch up on any reading. You may only make up ONE response or presentation and must do so within a week of your absence. If you miss two responses, the second one will be considered a failure.
• Continued attendance in this course constitutes acceptance of the syllabus and course policies.

Coursework and Conduct

• Participation: Participation is required.  Because we are tackling a broad subject, we need to use our time strategically.  Please bring the relevant texts, take notes, and be prepared for presentations, responses, and discussion.
• Conduct:  Be respectful: turn off cell phones and beepers; do not eat food or nap in class. Please be considerate of your classmates, especially when they are presenting.
• No sharing of texts; buy your own or use the library copies.  You should write in your texts or use post-its--this will help you retain information.  Failure to bring materials to class lowers your credibility as a student and may, accordingly, lower your participation grade.
• Preparation: For each class, expect to spend about 3 hours in preparation for discussion and for success in your written work.  If you read slowly, allow more time, especially for those days of heavy reading.  It is a good idea to read difficult assignments twice--once for the general idea, and once for your own analysis.
• Written Assignments: Be prepared to spend hours using a computer. 
• Active Reading: Active Reading means, among other things, writing in your books.  Your use of active reading is the core of understanding, and full engagement with the texts will certainly enhance your grade. The basic techniques involve:
  1) Using the margins to take notes, ask questions, draw diagrams.
  2) Underlining important or striking passages.
  3) Boxing new terms, characters, or repetition of ideas.
  4) Jotting down words or references you need to search.

Drawing from the Library

• Notebooks: Please keep a notebook devoted to this class.  Classes will sometimes begin with ten to twenty minutes of writing in your notebooks about the given reading.  This time is exclusively for focusing thoughts and for expressing them before class discussion.  Include the following (neatly organized) sections:
• Presentations: Each student will prepare a 7-8 minute oral presentation based on an analysis of a given text or section of a text.  The presentation has five stages:
  1) Sign up for a date and subject. Failure to present on your chosen date will reduce your presentation grade by one letter.
  2) Compose your presentation (2/3 of a page, single spaced, Times New Roman font) based on the following elements:
  I. Overview (brief); II. Analysis (1-2 paragraphs); III. Two text-based questions.
  3) Email me the presentation at least two days before you are scheduled to deliver it.  Please do not email me late and expect instant feedback. If you include an attachment, send it in Microsoft Word or RTF.Make any changes I require.
  4) Present your ideas in class on the assigned date and bring a copy of the presentation for everyone (DO NOT LEAVE COPYING YOUR PRESENTATION FOR THE LAST MINUTE).
  5) Submit to me two copies of your presentation: one for a grade, one for my record. You will be graded on preparation, delivery, and analysis.
• Technology: We will frequently use technology in this course as a means of communication.
  1) You are required to check your e-mail. You are required to submit some work electronically.
  2) Failure to consult with the online syllabus will adversely affect your participation grade (changes are posted on the web)

Grading
Final letter grades indicate the following

A=Excelling in performance, both written and oral; demonstrating a sense of intellectual curiosity.
B= Going beyond the requirements and expectations of the course; contributing consistently.
C=Completing all of the assignments satisfactorily and meeting the expectations of the course.
D=Completing some of the assignments and/or doing poorly on them; excessive absences.
F=Completing few of the assignments and/or doing poorly on them; excessive absences.

The final grade will be determined according to:

• Daily class participation    30%
  (Attendance, In-class writing, Contributions to discussion, Note taking, Active reading, Communication, Presentation, Peer Critiques)
• Mid-term Examination
• Final Examination
• THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT.
• MAKE UP WORK MUST BE COMPLETED ONE WEEK AFTER ABSENCE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Panic policy: you must wait two days after I return your work before asking me about a grade. This will give you time to consider your questions. Once you have formulated a relevant case based on logic, you may certainly ask about your grade.

Scholastic Responsibility

• Make sure that you have plenty of time to complete assignments.
• Plagiarizing (submitting work that is not your own or failing to document other people's analyses or using their words) or any other form of scholastic dishonesty (cheating--either using someone else's answers or allowing someone to cheat off of your work) will result in a zero in the assignment and possible failure of the course.  I report all such cases to my Department Chair and, if necessary, to the Dean.
• Plagiarism happens frequently when students are not prepared, when they are confused or rushed, or when they assume that the professor will not know. But this is a poor assumption.

Format and Saving of Work

• Word-process your work with a computer; use a spell check in all written communication.
• Double space all hard copies; use 12 point, Times New Roman font, and 1-inch margins all around.
• Use the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style to document outside sources in a Works Cited; include any references to web pages.
• Include the following information on all work:
  
  Your Name
  The Date
  Instructor name
  Class name
  Title/Assignment

• You need to back-up your documents. Misplacing or losing files can be frustrating and it does happen with frequency.  Moreover, computers freeze and power outages are a possibility.  However, file problems or any other kind of computer and printing problems will not excuse late work.  Print drafts as a safety measure and save a copy on a NEW disk.

Special Needs
If you have special needs or concerns, please see me at the beginning of the quarter. These concerns might include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities; sight or hearing impairments; dyslexia. Personal issues should be directed to me DURING OFFICE HOURS or VIA EMAIL. Please see me or write to me about any problems that arise during the term.