Coursework
Required work for the course includes careful reading of all assigned material and active participation in class discussions. Please come to class prepared with questions and comments about the assigned reading for each day—the success of the course depends on your involvement.
Quizzes (15%)
There will be somewhere between 10-20 unannounced reading quizzes throughout the semester. The point of the quizzes is to make sure you keep up with the class reading. I will drop your two lowest quiz grades.
Discussion Leader Papers (15%)
For about half the days that we have class readings or films, 3-4 students will serve as discussion leaders. Each student will serve as a discussion leader twice during the semester. On your discussion leader days, you will turn in a short paper that details your response to the reading and raises 3 questions for the class to consider.
Exams (60%)
The course includes two during-the-semester exams and a final exam. Each exam will include objective questions, short answer questions, and one longer essay question. The exams will require that you analyze and synthesize material we’ve discussed in class.
Grading
Your final grade will be determined according to these percentages:
10% Participation; Class Citizenship
15% Reading Quizzes
15% Discussion Leader paper
20% Exam 1
20% Exam 2
20% Final Exam
Attendance
Regular attendance and participation are requirements to pass the course. I understand that sometimes you may become ill or have to miss class for some other reason. If that’s the case, it’s your responsibility to make up any missed work. But please remember that excessive absences will seriously harm your grade. For each absence over 3, I will subtract 3 points from your final course grade. If you become seriously ill or have some other kind of emergency, please let me know and we’ll discuss your specific circumstances.
Late Work
You may not make up any reading quizzes you miss. That’s why I drop two quiz grades at the end of the semester. Late discussion leader papers do the class no good and will not be accepted. Exams may not be made up except in cases of severe illness or emergency.
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Incorporating others’ words or ideas in your own work without proper acknowledgment, or any other form of academic dishonesty, including the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), including ChatGPT and similar automated writing tools, even when properly cited, will be considered plagiarism and a violation of the CofC Honor Code.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The college will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students should apply for services at the Center for Disability Services/SNAP. Students approved for accommodations are responsible for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week before accommodation is needed.
General Education Humanities Outcomes
This course counts as a general education humanities credit. Such courses share the following student learning outcomes:
- Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture.
- Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the humanities area under study and interpret the material in writing assignments (or alternatives that require equally coherent and sustained analysis).
These outcomes will be assessed using the essay question from Exam 2.