Requirements

 

How your final grade is calculated

Midterm

20%

Final exam

20%

First set of take-home essays

15%

Second set of take-home essays

15%

Third set of take-home essays

15%

Class attendance and participation

15%

 

Special note

Academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities who are registered with the Office of Disability and Support Services. Students in need of disability accommodations should schedule an appointment with me early in the semester to discuss any accommodations for this course which have been approved by Office of Disability and Support Services, as indicated in your DSS accommodation letter.

 

Attendance and participation

Attendance in class is mandatory. Missing more than two classes will affect your final grade.
Participation involves finishing the readings by the day they are assigned; posting your reading responses on Blackboard discussion boards before class; and joining in classroom discussions.
Not everyone always feels comfortable speaking in class when they are unsure about the material or have opinions they fear are unpopular. For this reason, my job is to prepare a safe classroom environment where you can ask for clarification, make mistakes, and debate ideas, so please take advantage of this and participate. I appreciate comments about how I can improve the classroom environment.

 

Exams

A midterm and a final will be given in class, covering concepts and theories found in the readings and discussed in class. These exams are designed to make sure you understand the ideas and debates presented in the readings.

 

Take-home essays

Three pairs of essays will be due throughout the semester. In 4-6 total pages, you will answer two questions that require original analysis and empirical applications of the course ideas and debates. Since the questions will be available well before the due date, I encourage you to begin writing essays as soon as we have covered the relevant course materials.

Click here for essay questions.

 

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