Landscapes of the Mind: City and Countryside in Russian Literature and Art Fall 2007

My evaluation of your work for this course will be based on several criteria:

Attendance and Participation 15%

A weekly e-mail reading journa l 20%

Three 4-5 page papers 60%

Attendance. Life being full of surprises and human nature being what it is, you are allowed up to three absences. Any more, for no matter what reason, may affect your final grade. Good attendance is crucial because discussion, argument, and the thought that comes from these activities can only take place during our meetings. Absence also disrupts the continuity that is so important for the success of a course [See University Guidelines Concerning Attendance].
Class participation. I start with the premise that there are no irrelevant or overly simple questions, provided they have something to do with the material we are discussing and assuming that they are posed in a spirit of mutual learning. You should never fear that your question or comment will be thought by everyone else to be self-evident. If you have a question, ask it; chances are other students are wondering the same thing, or haven't yet thought of it and should have. Questions can also arise because I am not making myself clear. Never hesitate to ask me to clarify a point I am making--I won't hesitate to ask you the same! Please let me know if you disagree with me or have another way to understand an issue. Don't hesitate to disagree or agree with a fellow student. I will try as much as I can to foster an environment where discussion is open, lively and productive.
Attention and Behavior. Although it may seem obvious, and although this is a major university after all, given my long years of teaching experience it may still be necessary to remind some of you that you are in class to think about and work together on the literature related to this course. This means that reading newspapers or magazines, doing homework for another class, general fooling around, passing notes, demonstrably admiring your recent manicure, and any other disruptive or inappropriate behavior is totally unacceptable and won't be tolerated. Teaching a class requires my full attention and I am easily distracted by behavior that has nothing to do with the discussion. Taking a class demands equal attention and other students are distracted by poor behavior.

Writing

The weekly e-mail reading journal: Every Friday, I will expect to receive a short essay attached as a Word file with your impressions of the week’s work. It can contain questions you might have, general observations, aspects of the assignment you found good or bad. The message should be about ½ page long, single spaced. YOU MUST CONSISTENTLY USE THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT HEADER OR THE JOURNAL ENTRY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED [your last name] date Landscapes. For example "Pirog 914 Landscapes." The Word file should have your last name and date as a file name. For example Pirog_914_landscapes.

Paper Guidelines

See University Guidelines concerning Academic Integrity


			Home Syllabus Grade Guidelines Academic Integrity Links
		My evaluation of your work for this course will be based on several criteria: Attendance and Participation 15% A weekly e-mail reading journa l 20% Three 4-5 page papers 60% Attendance. Life being full of surprises and human nature being what it is, you are allowed up to three absences. Any more, for no matter what reason, may affect your final grade. Good attendance is crucial because discussion, argument, and the thought that comes from these activities can only take place during our meetings. Absence also disrupts the continuity that is so important for the success of a course [See University Guidelines Concerning Attendance]. Class participation. I start with the premise that there are no irrelevant or overly simple questions, provided they have something to do with the material we are discussing and assuming that they are posed in a spirit of mutual learning. You should never fear that your question or comment will be thought by everyone else to be self-evident. If you have a question, ask it; chances are other students are wondering the same thing, or haven't yet thought of it and should have. Questions can also arise because I am not making myself clear. Never hesitate to ask me to clarify a point I am making--I won't hesitate to ask you the same! Please let me know if you disagree with me or have another way to understand an issue. Don't hesitate to disagree or agree with a fellow student. I will try as much as I can to foster an environment where discussion is open, lively and productive. Attention and Behavior. Although it may seem obvious, and although this is a major university after all, given my long years of teaching experience it may still be necessary to remind some of you that you are in class to think about and work together on the literature related to this course. This means that reading newspapers or magazines, doing homework for another class, general fooling around, passing notes, demonstrably admiring your recent manicure, and any other disruptive or inappropriate behavior is totally unacceptable and won't be tolerated. Teaching a class requires my full attention and I am easily distracted by behavior that has nothing to do with the discussion. Taking a class demands equal attention and other students are distracted by poor behavior. Writing The weekly e-mail reading journal: Every Friday, I will expect to receive a short essay attached as a Word file with your impressions of the week’s work. It can contain questions you might have, general observations, aspects of the assignment you found good or bad. The message should be about ½ page long, single spaced. YOU MUST CONSISTENTLY USE THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT HEADER OR THE JOURNAL ENTRY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED [your last name] date Landscapes. For example "Pirog 914 Landscapes." The Word file should have your last name and date as a file name. For example Pirog_914_landscapes. Paper Guidelines See University Guidelines concerning Academic Integrity