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Course Requirements, Grading, Exams, and Attendance
Course Requirements Four Short Essays Final Take-Home Essay Exam Participation & Other Written Work Blackboard Discussion Group Participation
Grading: Total 200 Points
Final semester grades for this course will be based on several criteria, including short essays, final take-home essay exam, other written work/classroom participation, and participation in Blackboard discussion groups. Throughout the semester, we will assign grades on a numerical basis. Only in determining the final semester grade will the numerical grades be translated to letter grades. The total possible points is 200, distributed as follows:
Four Short Essays 60 Points 30% of grade Final Take-Home Essay Exam 60 Points 30% of grade Participation & Other Written Work 40 Points 20% of grade Blackboard Discussion Group Participation 40 Points 20% of grade TOTAL 200 Points
In translating numerical grades to letter grades, we will begin by automatically considering the A/B/C/D cutoff points to be 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60% of the numerical total. That is, any student accumulating at least 90% of the 200-point total (i.e., 180 points) will receive an A grade. Similarly, 80% (160 points) is the guaranteed highest B cutoff, 70% (140 points) the guaranteed highest C cutoff, and 60% (120 points) the guaranteed highest D cutoff. Based on the final distribution of the numerical grades, we will either leave the letter grade cutoffs at those percentages, or curve them downward. In no event will the percentage cutoffs be raised.
Paper Assignments
All submitted assignments in the course must be typed or printed on a laser-quality printer. The course requires the completion of four short (1-2 page) essays. The essays will be on the following assigned topics:
Eugenics (Sept 23) Of Mice and Men/Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (Oct 14) Euthanasia (Nov 6) Abortion (Nov 20)
The short papers will be graded for writing quality, including grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling, as well as substantive quality. Each paper must be typed and may not exceed a designated page length. Each essay is worth 15 points, making these essays worth 60 points, 30% of your semester grade.
Exams
The course includes a take-home final essay exam. The exam will consist of a set of essay questions handed out during the final week of class. You will be asked to answer one or two questions. Your answer(s) should be prepared with the same care you would take in writing a term paper. We will grade the final exams on the basis of grammatical quality (sentence structure, punctuation, spelling), as well as substantive quality. We will also implement a strict page limit. You will have approximately one week to complete the exam. All final exam answers must be typed. The final exam is worth 60 points, 30% of your semester grade.
Participation & Other Written Work
While class attendance will not be taken per se, we will note participation or a lack thereof on a daily basis. Students must come prepared to discuss the course readings, and should expect to be called on to participate in the class discussions. Part of the participation component is the completion of irregular “Other Written Work” assignments. These may include short essay assignments, unannounced quizzes, or the completion of a set of questions handed out in one class and due the next, or to be answered in-class by students in groups. Missed assignments of this nature may not be made up. This Participation/Other Written Work component of the course counts for 40 points, 20% of your course grade.
Blackboard Discussion Group Participation
The final grade-based requirement for the course is participation in Blackboard (Internet) small group discussions. All students will be assigned to a small group for Blackboard discussion purposes. You will be expected to use the Blackboard discussion feature to discuss the assigned readings with your group members in between class meetings. Participation in such Blackboard discussions is a critical aspect of class preparation. In addition, periodically throughout the semester you will be given special assignments to complete fully outside of class using the Blackboard discussion format. This Blackboard Discussion Group component of the course counts for 40 points, 20% of your course grade.
Schedule for Papers & Exams First Short Essay (Eugenics): Tuesday, Sept 23 (Start of Week 5) Second Short Essay (Of Mice and Men/Tarasoff): Tuesday, Oct 14 (Start of Week 8) Third Short Essay (Euthanasia): Thursday, Nov 6 (End of Week 11) Fourth Short Essay (Abortion): Thursday, Nov 20 (End of Week 13) Final Take-Home Essay Exam: Due Thursday, December 18
Due Date Policy
Paper assignments and the final take-home essay exam must be handed in by the deadlines. Late papers and exams will be accepted only for good cause and, if accepted, will be down-graded as follows: 1 day late: Minus 3 points Each additional day late: Minus an additional point In calculating points to be subtracted for late papers or exams, all days count, including weekends and holidays.
Academic Honesty
It is the policy of both the Departments of Philosophy and Biological Sciences to refer all instances of suspected academic dishonesty to the Student Judicial Council. Any student in this course who submits for credit plagiarized material will receive an F for the semester. |
