Grade Scale:

90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
0-60 = F

Grading Breakdown:

Exam #1- 20%
Exam #2- 20%
Exam #3- 20%
Reading Responses/Activities/Quizzes: 30%
Attendance & Participation: 10%

Graded Assignments:

Exam 1: 20%

Exam 1 will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions derived from assigned readings, related lectures, and in-class discussions. No scantron required.

Exam 2: 20%

Exam 2 will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions derived from assigned readings, related lectures, and in-class discussions. No scantron required.

Exam 3:

Exam 3 will be cumulative and consist of multiple choice and short answer questions derived from chapters 1-12, related lectures, and in-class discussions. No scantron required.

Reading Responses/Activities/Quizzes: 30%

Students are required to submit a total of 5 reading responses over the course of the semester. You are free to submit your responses at any time, however, you may not submit more than one response a week (this prevents everyone from handing in all five responses on the last day of class). You should plan your submissions accordingly.

Responses must be submitted in person (sorry, no email) at the beginning of the corresponding class session(s). Submissions must be typed and, if more than one page in length, stapled.

Responses may take many forms. You may submit written chapter summaries, questions about the readings, challenges to particular theories or points covered in the text, drawings, photographs, poems, videos, or songs. I’m open to almost anything. That said, the response must be original (i.e. you made it yourself), be created specifically for this class (don’t give me a picture you snapped for last semester’s photography seminar), and relate to the assigned subject matter (e.g. don’t turn in a sonnet about your dog’s eyes when we are reading about effective listening). If you choose a “non-traditional” response, such as a photo, poem, video, etc., it should be accompanied by a brief written account (one or two paragraphs in length) detailing how the response relates to the class material. If you choose to submit a “traditional” written response, it should be between one and two pages in length; a single paragraph is not sufficient to earn credit for completing the assignment.

Submissions must meet commonly accepted professional and collegiate standards with regard to spelling, grammar, and composition. Responses that fail to meet these requirements will be returned without credit. Written portions should be typed, double spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Spelling and grammar will be graded and factual correctness is required. All responses should be in your own words. I know what the book says; I want to read your thoughts.

Reading responses are graded on a 0, check minus, check, check plus scale.

In-class activities will be incorporated into our program of study and may not be made up if missed. Accordingly, attendance is strongly encouraged. In-class activities will not require additional materials or preparation; however, you will need to complete the required reading assignments if you hope to do well.

As your instructor, I reserve the right to administer “pop quizzes” at my discretion. If deemed necessary, quizzes will be given during regular class sessions and may not be made-up if missed. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice, true or false, and short answer questions. They are designed to reward students who keep up with assigned readings. Thus, questions will not require highly detailed responses. If you have read the material, you should be fine.

Assignments will be discussed in further detail as the semester progresses. That said, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

Attendance & Participation: 10%

Attendance is crucial if you hope to do well. What’s more, merely showing up and tuning out does little to further your education. As a result, students are expected to participate actively in the classroom experience. I want students to be engaged. I encourage everyone to take part in classroom discussions and activities. But what if you don’t like to speak in class? If you are not into small group communication? Fret not! You may participate in other ways. You may earn participation points by emailing me with discussion points, YouTube videos, social media posts, etc. that relate to topics covered in our readings. These often serve as terrific catalysts for in-class discussions. Bottom line, you don’t have to speak in class but I do expect you to demonstrate that you are engaging with the material.

Students are allowed 2 unexcused absences. Additional absences will have a negative impact on your grade.

Calculating Your Grade: No online grade book is used for this course. Thus, students are encouraged to keep all graded assignments and keep track of their own grades. In the event that a student would like to estimate where they stand in the course, they should use those grades and adjust them to the percentages noted in this syllabus.