In the First-Year Seminar component of HUMA 1600, Readings from Western Cultures, we will focus on understanding and interpreting the texts for the course, on thinking critically and creatively about those texts and the issues they raise, and on presenting ideas orally and in short, exploratory essays.
I have a web site for the course at http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/huma/. This will include the syllabus, a schedule of presentations, information about required work, and some information and links related to the texts for the course. There is also a Blackboard site for the course, but I'm not sure yet how much use I'll make of it.
REQUIRED WORK
Papers. You will write a two-page paper every week. “2 pages” means two pages double-spaced with one-inch margins and a 10- or 12-point font that's not outrageously large. Anything between 1.5 and 2.5 pages is OK; less than 1.5 is too short and more than 2.5 is too long. I would like to receive all papers electronically. The easiest way to do this is just to attach the paper to an email message. You don't need to turn in a hard copy, but you may if you wish. In the very unlikely event of email or network problems, you can give me the paper on a floppy or CD, or print it and give me a hard copy and send the electronic version later when the problems are resolved. One way or another, I should receive the paper prior to the beginning of class every Friday, beginning Friday, September 9. Papers must be turned in on time to receive credit. For more information about the papers, see http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/huma/papers.html. I also have a checklist of characteristics you should make sure your paper has at http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/huma/paper_checklist.html.
Presentations. After a few days to get adjusted to the course, we will begin having two students give oral presentations every class session. On Wednesdays, the presentations will give students a chance to present a proposal for their paper for that week and get feedback from the rest of the class; on Fridays, the presentations will present the main argument of the paper the students hand in that day. Each presentation, including some discussion, should take approximately ten to fifteen minutes; this will leave twenty minutes or so for me to propose topics for discussion, present background information, or offer my own interpretive ideas for your criticism. There will be a schedule of presentations at http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/huma/presentationsF05.html.
PEER TUTOR
Our peer tutor for the Seminar
portion of HUMA 1600 will be Stefanie Frisby. Stefanie will contribute to class
discussions, and will be available to discuss the texts with you and to comment
on drafts of your papers for the seminar.
PARTICIPATION
Class participation counts as 15% of the seminar portion of the final grade. Participation includes not only formal presentations, but also your contributions to discussion. This is a small, discussion-oriented class; except in extreme and unusual circumstances, I expect every student to attend every class session. Excessive absences will lower your entire grade, not just the 15% portion specifically devoted to participation.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Everyone should be familiar with the University’s Honor Code. Detailed information about this is available on the Honor Code web site. A list of violations of the policy can be found here. Like most faculty at Trinity, I take academic integrity very seriously. Remember that any use of material you did not write yourself, either word-for-word or in close paraphrase, is plagiarism. This is true even if the passage is only a sentence or two long, and no matter where the material came from, including web sites, discussion groups, or the papers of other students. I will strictly follow the Honor Code policy by reporting any suspected violation of the policy to the Honor Council. I have had some students suggest that their plagiarism is “not a big deal.” You should be aware that I do regard it as a big deal. Other students have told me they were not aware that what they were doing was a violation of academic integrity. If you have any uncertainty about the policy, or about whether the specific use of other sources you are considering is acceptable, come and talk with me. I’ll be happy to clarify what is acceptable and what is not. Finally, I have heard from some students that they resorted to plagiarism because they were overwhelmed by an assignment and saw no way of completing it successfully without resorting to cheating. Ironically, if these students had worked as hard at writing a paper as they did at plagiarizing, they could certainly have written an acceptable paper. If you are having trouble getting started on a paper, please come and talk with me or with Stefanie.