Course Requirements

1) Attendance and Class Participation—Participation includes having completed all of the reading and being prepared to discuss it in class. If for some reason you have to miss a session it is your responsibility to contact the instructor as soon as possible and before the next class in order to get assignments and discuss what took place in class. Opportunity to make up assignments will only be allowed when there is a legitimate reason for absence such that there was no opportunity to complete the work before the next class.

2) Short Assignments-These assignments, given throughout the course, will be designed to give you practiceutilizing the concepts covered in class or to better prepare you for class discussion. As such they will be the most important part of the course. Assignments will usually be given weekly and may include pop quizzes on the reading.

3) Two Papers of 4-5 pages using a minimum of three sources other than your textbook. Each paper will analyze an issue or problem in a manner which demonstrates good critical thinking skills. The first paper should be on one of the topics found in pages 192-198 of Ruggiero. The second paper will be on one of the topics covered in Schick.

Please note: Each paper should be divided into two parts. The first half of each paper should present arguments for one side of the issue. The second half of each paper should then turn around and argue for the opposite viewpoint. The purpose is to produce a paper which analyzes both sides of an issue equally in a logical, well reasoned manner. If you want, you can give your conclusion as to which side is correct. However the paper will be graded, not on the basis of your conclusion, but on how well you logically present the arguments. A term paper guide will be handed out the second week of class.

4) A 1-2 page review/analysis of a classmate's paper. This will provide an opportunity for students to interact and help each other while developing their own reasoning skills.

Grades will be determined as follows:

Note: It shouldn't have to be stated, but no student will receive a passing grade for the course without turning in both papers and doing the review as well as the short assignments.

Last Updated Sept. 28, 1997
Kenneth J. Banner
banner@jupiter.rowan.edu

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