California State University, Fresno Department of History HIST 100: The Age of the Medici Policies

Course Policies:

I realize that most of you are taking several classes and are probably working as well. However, enrolling in this course means that you and I have a contractual obligation to one another: I am obligated to teach to the best of my ability, to be available during office hours, and to answer your questions whenever possible; you are obligated to attend class, to complete the readings and writing assignments in a timely manner, and to participate actively in the process of learning. The course policies were designed with this in mind, and include:

Attendance:

Attendance in this course is mandatory, especially because class will actually meet only 11 times. Since you are required to implement into your final paper all material discussed, missing class will surely lead to a failing grade in the course. You are allowed only one (1) absence without penalty. After that, your final grade will decrease by 5 percentage points with every absence. For example, if you miss two classes during the semester and your cumulative grade was an 84, you will receive a C (79) for your final grade.

Note, attendance will be taken both at the beginning of class and after the break. If you fail to make both parts of any particular class, you will be marked as absent for the whole period, unless you have cleared an early departure with me.

Participation:

This course is comprised of both lectures and discussion sessions. This is for both our benefits, as class will be more interesting than if I simply lectured the whole time! However, this means that your participation is necessary to the success of this course. Therefore, you are expected to ‘chip in’ as much as possible. You must have read and critically thought about ALL the assigned material, and must complete all assignments on time. Also, you must be willing to participate in class discussion. Shyness is not an excuse; learning to share your ideas is part of the exercise! Note: if you are not prepared for class (i.e. if you have not done the readings or completed your project assignments), you will be asked to leave the room, and will still be held responsible for any material you might have missed.

Exams and Assignments:

There are no exams in this class. However, you must complete eight critical assignments. Full descriptions and detailed instructions for each assignment will be handed out in class and made available through the course’s website (listed above).

Your performance in class will be evaluated as follows:

Assignment	Possible Points	Final Grade Percentage
Diagnostics Test	N/A	5%
Research Topics List	100	5%
Period Guide	100	10%
Review of Reviews	100	10%
Thesis Page	100	10%
Annotated Bibliography	100	10%
Historiographical Review	100	15%
Final Research Paper	100	35%

Late papers and missed exams:

All assignments must be submitted on time. I will NOT accept late assignments, and you will earn a zero on any missed assignments.

Only a serious and unavoidable cause, such as a documented medical condition or family emergency, will be accepted as an excuse for failing to turn in an assignment or take an exam on time. In these cases, a new due-date will be assigned.

Office hours:

I will be available for consultation during regular office hours, as listed above. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions, ask for clarifications, or just to chat: using office hours will allow you to get a better feel for the class and will give you the opportunity to make sure what I expect from you and what you understand I expect from you are the same thing!

University Policies:

This class will follow University guidelines as described in the University Catalog.

Academic honesty:

Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses that could have extremely serious consequences such as probation, suspension, or expulsion from the University. At the very least, cheating in this class will result in an immediate F for the assignment, and such cases will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

As defined in University’s Policies webpage (http://www-catalog.admin.csufresno.edu/current/policies.html), “cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving a grade or obtaining course credit. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. It is the intent of this definition that the term cheating not be limited to examinations situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means.” Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism. This is “a specific form of cheating that consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material so used as one's own work.”

Remember: Using someone else’s work without giving them credit (that is, annotating) is plagiarism. This includes downloading information from the Internet and presenting it as your own, as well as getting someone else to write a paper or assignment for you.

Students with Disabilities:

Upon identifying themselves to me and to the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in Madden Library 1049 (278-2811).

Disruptive Behavior:

You are expected to be respectful of the professor and your classmates. Pagers, cellular phones, and personal stereo systems must be turned off and put away prior to the beginning of class. Talking to your classmates while I am trying to lecture is unacceptable. Reading the newspaper or any material not related to class is also unacceptable. The use of any tobacco products is prohibited by law, and smoking or chewing tobacco are not allowed in the classroom. If you do not comply with the regulations above, you will be asked to leave the room and will be held responsible for any material you might have missed. For further information on what is considered disruptive behavior in the classroom, see the University Policy on Disruptive Classroom Behavior (APM 419).

Computers:

In this course I will be asking you to look for sources on the internet and to work on projects that require a computer. You should regard this in much the same way as you would regard an assignment which required you to use the library, i.e. as a necessary part of your education. “At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all of the recommended software….In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24 hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communications links to the University’s information resources.” (From the University Catalog)

Copyright policy:

Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright we page.