Nuts and Bolts Issues:
Course Behavior
I trust you know how to take responsibility for your education: Attendance. Timely
and thorough completion of assignments. Active participation in class discussion.
If you are not willing to complete the reading, written and film assignments (anticipate
working at least 3-4 per class), and participate actively in discussion, you
will have little success in this class.
I do not offer extensions on the research paper without serious penalty. Consider
this before you even ask. Reaction papers will not be accepted late for any reason.
Graded Assignments (Calculation of Final Grade in Course)
1. Class participation 25% [If you sit quietly or idly most of the semester,
this will awarded zero... and I am very serious about this.]
2. Two mid-term exams 25% [These are already scheduled for October 14 and November
25. Warning: The second exam is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. Make your
travel plans accordingly. Under no circumstances will I give make-up exams or reschedule
this. Do not bother to tell me your mother already bought you a non-refundable ticket,
or that your “ride” is leaving early. If you miss this exam your grade is zero.]
3. Reaction papers 25% [See description below.]
4. Research paper 25% [Of which 20% for the proposal/preliminary bibliography, 40%
first draft, 40% final expanded version.]
Reaction Papers
For each reading assignment annotated by an asterisk you will post a “reaction paper”
to me (ordinarily the equivalent of two pages in length) by e-mail (fsciacca).
I must receive it by 9 AM the day the reading is to be discussed in class.
This will give me time in the morning to look through them at least briefly before
class. For obvious reasons these papers will not be accepted late. What do I mean
by a reaction paper? They can vary in format and direction, depending on how you
respond to a given reading assignment. In general, these papers could be a considered
response to/reflection on the issues raised by the reading. What about the
reading struck you? Are you able to link this reading with earlier ones thematically
or structurally? What do you want to know more about? Perhaps something will inspire
you to do a bit of research. Your findings could be summarized in your paper. Unless
you are an unthinking stone you will frequently feel inspired to make very personal
(yet reasoned) observations based on the readings. On some occasions I will ask a
specific question or provide a mini-project. Anything is acceptable, as long as the
essay demonstrates that you have read the text carefully and have thought about it.
Each reaction paper must end with a discussion question that you are willing to propose
in class the next day. Your essay could in fact be an outline of your response
to that question...or the question could be a request for clarification of something
you didn’t understand in the text. I hope that over the semester the kinds of essays
you write, and questions you pose, will vary in type and manner of inquiry. By the
end of the course you will have compiled an extensive and hopefully thought-provoking
personal commentary.
You must make a copy of the paper and bring it to class. I will often ask you to
present your discussion questions.
On occasion the Reaction Paper will be an in-class (surprise) writing assignment,
usually based on the reading for the day.
These essays will not be formally graded (I will comment on most of them and
give check-plus-plus, check-plus, check, check-minus), but they will play a significant
role in determining your final grade. A reaction that is basically sound, but betrays
no particularly incisive commentary or profound contemplation gets a check
(consider this a grade of about C, that is, “okay-good,” meets minimum expectations).
To earn higher grades, you must demonstrate that you have contemplated the materials
well and are ready to made original contributions in a discussion
Summary
You must attend all classes. I expect to be informed by e-mail or phone-mail before
class if you are unable to attend for some pressing reason or dire illness. Any unexcused
absences will impact negatively on your final grade.
You must read all assigned materials. You must THINK about the readings so that you
can make useful contributions in class. You must participate in class discussion--and
with substantial contributions!
Many of the course readings are on reserve in Burke Library and on WWW sites. You
must get into the habit of taking notes of such readings, otherwise you will not
be able to contribute intelligently in class discussions.