CLASS PARTICIPATION GRADE IN FRESHMAN SEMINAR

GNST 1200 -- FALL (I) 2001

Bob Corbett, instructor

Meets: 10 AM -- NOON.

This is a reading / discussion course and not a lecture course. Students are expected to read the assigned texts with care and read further materia as needed to understand the assigned texts. However, it is expected that students will participate vigorously in class in a way that demonstrates some serious thinking about texts that have obviously been read with care. "Shooting from the hip" that is, talking without thinking and without the benefit of having read the texts is not as much welcomed in class discussion.

10% of the class grade will be given for class discussion. This has nothing to do with class ATTENDANCE, which is another matter all together. Rather, the expectation is that you not merely attend class and do the written assignments, but that you contribute to the class discussion.

The grades will be given on the following basis:

• A grade of "A" will mean that the student regularly contributes to the class in a manner that demonstrates a close familiarity with the assigned texts and indicates some serious thinking about the text and argument. The student also shows full respect for other members of the class in carrying on discussion. Disagreement with one another and with the professor is not onloy acceptable, but highly encouraged. However, not showing respect for the other's views is not acceptable.
• A grade of "B" will mean that the student participated as described above, but did so with less regularity, or contributed often, but in ways that suggested the student had not carefully read the texts or thought the material through, or that the student, while generally contributing to class discussion did not show adequate respect for the views of others.
• A grade of "C" will mean that the student did participate in some regular fashion, but either not very often, or without the quality or tolerance suggested above.
• A greade of "D" will mean the student simply didn't participate with any degree of regularity, or did so in a consistently unprepared manner or with consistent disrespect for the views of others, or some combination of these difficulties.
• A grade of "F" would mean virtually no participation or some very serious failures in either the quality of the content or the nature of mutual respect for other students and/or the professor.

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