Syllabus and Policies

Instructor Information

Required Texts

• The New Humanities Reader
• Digital Keys (located on The New Humanities Reader Companion CD)
• NOTE: If your reader does not have a maroon title banner, or did not come bundled with a CD-ROM, then you have the wrong version.

Course Requirements

• 6 papers, totalling at least 27 pages, each with a rough and final draft. Papers should be submitted to me via email, in Microsoft Word or RTF format (see Tech Help for instructions on RTF files).
• 1 final exam, pass/fail, in essay format. The final exam must be taken in person. Information on how we can make that happen for all of you will be given near exam time.

Policies and Expectations

• You must electronically sign the student work permission form, which will be distributed shortly before the first paper is due. This form asks you to decide whether or not the Writing Program can use your work anonymously or with your name for instructional purposes. You have the right to refuse to have your work used and will not be penalized in any way for this refusal.
• You should go through the "Reading, Writing, Thinking" portion of The New Humanities Reader Companion CD. This is a recommendation, not a requirement. The tutorials in this section will give you a good grounding for the work you're expected to do in this class, so it's in your best interest to take the time to work through them.
• You should spend time at the Writing Program's 101 Course Homepage (http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/101/). There are a number of resources for you there, including week-by-week tutorials in the Tutorama and an in-depth explanation of grading in the Gradatorium. Again, this is a recommendation, but using these resources can only help you improve your performance in this class.
• Your final grade will be based on the level of achievement you're able to sustain by the end of the semester. It will not be based on the average of your grades. See the 101 Course Homepage and the "Reading, Writing, Thinking" portion of your CD-ROM for more information on grading in the Writing Program.
• One half a letter grade will be deducted for late rough drafts; one full later grade will be deducted for late final drafts. Grades are deducted per class that work is late. Virtually speaking, this class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• After four absences, you risk failing the course. This is Writing Program policy. These four absences include sickness and documented emergencies. For the purposes of this class, attendance will be correlated to timely completion of assignments and postings in the class forum. I'll be flexible on this absence policy for now, but only until everyone gets into class and up to speed.
• You are expected to review and abide by the University's policy on plagiarism. Please see the 101 Course Homepage for a statement of this policy, as well as an explanation of it and a general discussion of how you can avoid plagiarism.
• ALL GRADES SUBJECT TO DEPARTMENTAL REVIEW