Course Requirements [subject to change]
Attendance:______________________________________________
Attending class regularly shows respect not only for your professor, but for your peers and for the very mission of the course. Perhaps more importantly, if you do not attend class regularly, you will not do well. I will give regular quizzes and writing activities in class, and our class discussions and lectures will contain crucial information to help you succeed on the the midterm and final exams. Class participation and engagement are also an important part of your grade.
I will take attendance daily. After three absences–whether unexcused or excused–I will lower your grade by a single increment–from a B to a B-, for example–for each additional absence. Beware the slippery slope: excessive absence both lowers your grade automatically and in almost every case results in poor performance in other areas of the class (missed quizzes, docked participation points, poor test performance, etc.).
Excessive tardiness will be viewed as absence. I will commit to starting class precisely on time–particularly important for a 50-minute session–and I expect you to do the same. If you walk in during the middle of a quiz, I reserve the right to withhold credit for that day’s portion of participation, quizzes, and in-class writing. And any pattern of tardiness will translate quickly into an absence. In short: arrive on time, and be ready to discuss that day’s assigned reading.
Technology in the Classroom: No texting! Please silence phones. Laptops are welcome, but if I catch you using social media or engaging in online activities unrelated to class, I will consider you absent on that day. If you do bring a laptop, please sit towards the front of the class.
Assignments and Grades_______________________________________
Your grade in this course will reflect your performance in five broad categories as described below. You can earn a maximum of 1000 points in this course. Please see the “Assignments” tab for more detailed descriptions of the various assignments.
- Presence—100 points / 10%: measured by random quizzes and other low-stakes in-class writing assignments (50%) and class engagement (which includes completing course/instructor evaluations at the end of the semester). I do not have a precise amount of your grade set aside for “class participation” because it is such an elemental part of the course: it is expected. Thus, while you will not earn points each time you contribute to our conversations, consistently not participating will negatively impact your grade in the same way that excessive absences might. If you ever have a question about how the “Presence” portion of your grade is shaping up, just ask me and I’ll let you know where you stand.
- The Pre-American Blog—400 points / 40%: Over the course of the semester, each of you will compose 6 blog posts relating to our work in this course. Two of those posts will be worth extra points due t their length). I expect your posts to be polished, free of errors, properly formatted, and they should, at times, incorporate various forms of media and external reference (images, video embeds, links to other sites or posts, and so on).
- Midterm–200 points / 20%: The midterm exam will involve a combination of author IDs, short-answer questions, and one longer essay question that I will tell you in advance so you can prepare. I will set aside time in class for review before spring break.
- Archival Project–300 points / 30%: After Spring Break, we will shift our focus from colonial literatures of North America more broadly to concentrate on colonial South Carolina in particular. This project will involve our individual contributions to an online anthology of South Carolina archival materials that we recover from various area archival collections. You will be responsible for recovering, editing, and contextualizing an artifact to add to an ongoing anthology project.
Figuring your Grade: I will add up all the points you’ve earned in the course and give grades based on the following table:
- A-Range: 970-1000 = A+, 930-969 = A, 900-929 = A-
- B-Range: 870-899 = B+, 830-869 = B, 800-829 = B-
- C-Range: 770-799 = C+, 730-769 = C, 700-729 = C-
- D-Range: 670-699 = D+, 630-669 = D, 600-629 = D-
- <600 = F
COURCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:___________________________
Dual Submission Policy: The same paper may not be submitted for a grade in more than one class.
Plagiarism and the Honor Code: What follows is quoted verbatim, and reflects official CofC policy:
Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.
Incidents where the instructor determines the student’s actions are related more to a misunderstanding will handled by the instructor. A written intervention designed to help prevent the student from repeating the error will be given to the student. The intervention, submitted by form and signed both by the instructor and the student, will be forwarded to the Dean of Students and placed in the student’s file.
Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course, indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on the student’s transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the X to be expunged. The student may also be placed on disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the College by the Honor Board.
Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration–working together without permission– is a form of cheating. Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information via a cell phone or computer), copying from others’ exams, fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance.
Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor.
Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook.
