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I. STUDENTS:
1. Attendance:
A. All are obliged to be on time (excessive lateness -- more than
15 minutes -- will result in counting as absence).
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B. All are obliged to attend all classes, several exceptions
apply:
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illness;
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observance of religious holidays; you must notify me if you plan
to miss a class due to holidays
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very serious personal reasons (for instance, death in family).
Students are allowed a maximum of four unexcused absences (more than four
unexcused absences will result in:
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lower grade (1/3 for 5-7 absences; 2/3 for 7-9 absences)
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being dropped from the course for 10+ absences.
2. Reading and participation
Because the success of this course is dependent on the students’ participation
in the classroom, and the participation is only possible when given texts
have been read:
A. students are obliged to come prepared into the classroom, having
read the texts required for each class;
B. students are expected to participate in the discussion (class participation
will be counted toward your final grade).
3. Writing:
A. To assure preparation for the classroom discussion, the students
will write short (1-2 page) response papers, or prepare a list of questions
for each class. These daily assignments will be handed to the instructor
at the beginning of each class; however, just as the students are allowed
four unexcused absences, so are they allowed a maximum of four missed
daily assignments. If you do not miss any responses, theses response
papers, or questions and your class participation will count toward the
final grade, by increasing your final grade by 1/3 of a grade. Missing
more than four assignments, on the other hand, will affect the final grade
in a negative way, similar to that of absences. Remember, even though they
will not be graded, they will affect your final grade.
B. Beyond daily short response papers or questions, there will
be two longer (6-8 pp) assignments that appear in the syllabus.
Each assignment is broken into two stages: 1. Drafts 2. Final Version.
The final version will constitute 35% of the grade, while the first stage
will count as 15%.
Deadlines: The deadlines are firm and are
marked on the syllabus. Missing the deadline will result in lowering
the grade for the assignment by 1 grade per day.
4. Grades for papers:
A. When writing papers make sure that you state your thesis clearly
at the beginning of your essay, then in the body of the paper provide evidence
and arguments to support your claim. The final section should be
devoted to conclusions. Pay attention to spelling (do not rely on
spell-checks) and grammar. When grading exams and papers, I will
take into account:
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clarity of writing;
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evidence provided to support the claim;
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insight;
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argument;
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spelling and punctuation
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proper use of sources (footnotes, proper acknowledgement of ideas and sources
in FULL footnotes, e.g. G. Scholem Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
(New York: Schocken, 1974), p. 25.)
Please talk to me if you have questions or need help - I am available during
my office hours and by appointment
B. The final grade:
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The final grade will be an average of the four grades received during the
whole semester (two papers and the stages preceding each paper).
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Class participation, response papers and attendancemay influence the final
grade (see above). I will keep records of participation and responses
as meticulously as possible.
6. Students’ Rights:
A. In the classroom:
The students have the right to express their ideas freely.
While free expression of ideas is strongly encouraged, both the students
and the instructor are obliged to be respectful of other students.
B. Beyond the classroom:
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Students have the right to meet with me during the office hours
to discuss issues related to the course or students’ performance in the
classroom. Visits during my office hours are regarded as part of
class participation. In case of schedule problems, students
have the right to make a special arrangement to meet outside of regular
office hours.
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Students have the right to contact
the instructor at any time.
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Students have the right to know their grade at any give time during
the semester.
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Students have the right to give me feedback throughout the duration
of the semester.
II. INSTRUCTOR:
1. The instructor is obliged to be in class on time.
2. If in case of emergency, I am not able to come to class,
I will:
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notify History Department office and will make an effort to notify
the students before-hand
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arrange an additional session to make up for the missed session;
3. In the classroom I will make every effort to foster atmosphere
conducive to independent thinking and will encourage free expression of
ideas related to the discussed text and subject.
4. Beyond the classroom:
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I am obliged to hold regular office hours.
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I am obliged to check my email at least once daily Monday-Friday
and respond promptly to students’ questions and concerns.
5. Students’ written assignments: I will return all
the assignments within two class sessions of their receipt.
III. PROBLEMS:
All work in the course is done under the Honor Code.
1. Plagiarism is one of the most serious academic offences a
student can commit at Wesleyan.
Instances of plagiarism:
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submitting essays or portions of essays written by other people
as one’s own;
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failing to acknowledge, through footnotes and bibliographical entries,
the source of ideas that are essentially not one’s own;
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failing to indicate paraphrases or ideas or verbatim expressions
not one’s own through proper use of quotations and footnotes;
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submitting an essay written for one course to a second course without
having sought prior permission from both instructors
I will not tolerate any breach of the Honor Code and will refer
suspicious cases to the Honor Board. I will also make every effort
to encourage independent work and prevent unpleasant cases of plagiarism
and academic dishonesty. I reserve the right to use tools detecting
plagiarism available, such as devices which allow detection of internet
based plagiarism.
2. Personal problems:
If you have problems that affect your performance in this class, you
may talk to me directly, or you may schedule an appointment with a counselor
at the Health Services. |
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