As the due date for each
assignment draws near, I will circulate detailed assignment sheets
in class (and on the course website), outlining the nature of the
assignment, sources, methods, goals, etc. It is critical that you
also enter a valid e-mail address in your “MyConcordia” account in
order to receive important messages.
The assignment sheets will also be posted in the
table below: the title of the assignment will become an active
hyperlink pointing to a PDF document.
The list of assignments, and their respective proportion of the overall grade,
are as follows:
Please Note the
following Class Policies:
Most due dates are on days when class is scheduled—you are strongly
advised not to miss class to work on your assignments, as this will
impede your work for subsequent assignments and reduce your
participation grade.
Mid-term exam
papers will be accepted after the due date only with the
presentation of a medical note that clearly indicates the period of
the sickness.
All other late
papers will receive a 5% deduction for each day late, including
weekends and holidays.
Where extensions for assignments are
not negotiated in advance
(“my hard drive was wiped clean” and “my computer is in for repairs”
are not acceptable reasons), only medical certification will
be accepted as a valid reason for delayed submission of assignments.
Otherwise, 5% of the particular grade for that assignment
will be deducted on each day (weekends included) that the assignment
is late. No supplemental work will be afforded to students receiving
failing grades purely from a lack of course participation and the
timely submission of work.
Arrangements for
Late Completion should be negotiated and arranged with the
instructor before final grades are due. Only the most
compelling reasons, with convincing documentation, can be
considered. Please keep in mind that the instructor will most
likely not accept requests for late completion
There will be no
supplemental work.
Do not call
the main office for course-related inquiries.
Please avoid coming to class
late as other students have regularly complained about the
disruptions that this can cause, especially when it is a regular
occurrence and students enter the room at all times. As a rule, if
you are more than 15 minutes late for class, please do not enter.
Recommended Resources
FOR THE RESEARCH ESSAY
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Journal Databases, Periodicals
Websites, News
Resources for
Writing Essays, Citing and Referencing Sources [return to
top]
Please take the
time to review and use the following resources which will be of benefit
to your work:
-
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Almanacs
-
How to Write a Research Paper, see also
The Sundance Reader.
-
Concordia
Academic
Integrity Website--keep in mind that since
these policy documents are being made available, you will not be able to
plead ignorance of the regulations.
-
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM--please read this.
-
Penalties for plagiarism
-
For the purposes of our course, we will use
this citation guide. Please ensure
that you follow this document especially when writing your references
and preparing your bibliographies--please use the parenthetical
reference + reference list option as explained and demonstrated
in the
guide.
How Student Work is Evaluated in this Course
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top]
For all work done in this
course you will receive a numerical grade which will be converted to
a letter grade when final grades are processed. To translate numbers
into letter grades, please consult the following chart, which is
copied from a faculty handbook in the Department of Sociology &
Anthropology. It is vital that you understand that the
characterizations below (i.e., “excellent”) are central in guiding
the instructor’s evaluation of the quality of a paper. In other
words, students who feel they deserve an “A” are burdened with
explaining why they think their work is “excellent.”
A paper that covers all of the basics, in a reasonably competent
fashion, without major flaws, is deemed “satisfactory.” One that has
few flaws, and shows an advanced understanding, writing and
analytical ability is deemed “very good.” A paper that leaves
virtually no room for improvement, demonstrating that the student
has taken considerable initiative, showing sophisticated
understanding and ability, is deemed “excellent.”
In general,
student work is assessed
in the following manner. Student assignments are evaluated in
comparison with each other, normally done by the instructor
assembling a random sample and highlighting the best elements of
each paper, which then forms the template by which papers are
judged. The paper(s) that come(s) closest to achieving the highest
standards for student work will receive the highest grades. Students
are evaluated on the extent and depth to which they have utilized
assigned readings (when applicable). Students are also evaluated on
their ability to successfully apply key course concepts to their own
writing. Analytical and conceptual clarity (the argument does not
contradict itself repeatedly, the writer stays focused, any concepts
used are defined, concepts are related to one another when
applicable, pros and cons are considered, assertions are supported
with evidence or logic), are vital elements of a paper deemed to be
“very good” or better. Structure, logical organization, and
effective writing are of substantial importance. In the case of
research papers, students that demonstrate having taken initiative
by covering a reasonably wide and diverse range of sources will be
appropriately rewarded.
Academic
Regulations
Section 16
(Academic Information: Definitions and Regulations) of the Undergraduate
Calendar will be strictly administered – particularly on deadlines, Failing
Grades, Administrative Notations, Late Completions=‘INCompletes’
(Grade/INC), ‘Failed No Supplementals’ (FNS), ‘Did Not Writes’ (Grade/DNW).
Make sure you get a copy of the undergraduate calendar, also available online at
http://registrar.concordia.ca/calendar/calendar.html, and read that
material.
