Fall 2007 Course Requirements and Policies
Three exams (75% of final grade). Each exam will be half objective, half essay. Please bring a blue book on exam days (the bookstore has these--you should buy several at the beginning of the semester so you don't have to scramble to get them minutes before the exam begins).
11 Weekly Reading Responses (25% of final grade). Your lowest response grade will be dropped. Responses are not due on exam weeks.
These responses should be a minimum of 250 words, and they should reflect a meaningful contemplation of and analysis of the readings. Go here for instructions and grading criteria. Please submit your reading response in hard copy (word processed) on either Monday or Wednesday of each week we don't have an exam (excluding the first week of classes, but including holiday weeks). Your best ten grades will be combined to count for one-fourth of your grade--so your lowest grade will be dropped (or you can skip one week). Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances, including illness (you can e-mail your reading response to me if you are ill or must miss class for some reason--but this is the only circumstance under which you can submit your reading response electronically, and please bring a hard copy on the next day you are able to attend class). Your response should attend to readings we have not yet discussed in class. E.g., if we discuss Iliad 9 on Wednesday, your response to Iliad 9 should be submitted in class on Wednesday, not the following Monday (after we've already discussed Iliad 9 in class). A paraphrase of the text is not acceptable, and will not receive a passing grade --you should use the study questions, or your own thoughts and responses, as a point-of-departure for a meaningful analysis of the text that is supported by quotations and specific examples. Please consult the reading response instructions before you begin, and you may find some useful suggestions on how to write about literature among my handouts. Please conclude your responses with the Longwood Honor Pledge followed by your name. These responses should not require you to consult outside sources, but if you find it necessary to do so, cite your material using MLA format. If you consult outside sources, do not use them as a substitute for your own ideas. Please read the course policy on plagiarism before you consult outside sources--especially Internet sources. Please keep electronic copies of all your responses.
Final grades will be based on the following thresholds: 360 points = A, 320 points = B, 280 points = C, 240 points = D, below 239 = F.
POLICY MATTERS
This course requires a substantial amount of reading, most of it in verse. The material we will cover also requires a different kind of reading than you may be accustomed to. Unlike newspaper and magazine articles, or the textbooks you use in social science or business classes, poetry and other works of literature need to be read in a careful, reflective, and active manner. As you plan your study schedule, leave extra time for contemplation and note taking. Keep in mind that college students are generally expected to spend a minimum of two to three hours preparing for each hour of classroom instruction—you should expect to spend a minimum of six to nine hours per week preparing for this class. On quizzes and exams, you should be prepared to identify and comment on important characters, episodes, complications, and conflicts in the works we read. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for class is to keep a reading journal in which you record notes on characters, outlines of plots, and your own responses to these works. You may also find it useful to keep a comparative list of Greek and Roman deities with notes on the numerous variants on their names (e.g., Aphrodite = Venus, Cytherea). Feel free to visit me in my office at any time during the semester if you are having difficulty with the readings, lectures, or discussions.
Please arrive on time, and be prepared to listen, think, and contribute. Please turn off wireless phones, pagers, headphones, molecular phase inverters, and other electronic devices that might disrupt class. If your cell phone goes off during class, Minos will relegate you to the place in Dante's Hell reserved for the "violent against neighbors." Please treat other students and your instructor in a civil and respectful manner. Note that classroom disruption is a violation of Longwood University's honor code.
Please keep electronic versions of all work you submit for this class until after you have received your final grade. In case of inclement weather, continue to read the daily assignments, continue to submit reading responses, and check the course web page for announcements.
The Longwood University attendance policy in the 2004-2005 Undergraduate Catalog will be the attendance policy for this course. You will receive an F on work missed because of unexcused absences. Your grade will be lowered by one letter grade if you miss 10 percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences. You will receive an F if you miss a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting times. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain notes from a classmate (as well as announcements about syllabus changes or other matters). Exams can be made up only under the most grave circumstances, and with documentation from an MD or a Longwood University official. If you foresee a conflict, I expect you to discuss it with me beforehand. Written assignments handed in late will lose one letter grade for each class day late.
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability should contact me privately. If you have not already done so, please contact the Office for
PLAGIARISM AND HONOR CODE
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will result in an F for the course and referral to the Longwood University Judicial system.
Please read the Course Plagiarism Policy and take this Plagiarism Self Assessment until you get 100% of the answers correct. Then e-mail the instructor, and indicate that you have read the Course Plagiarism Policy and have taken the Plagiarism Self Assessment.