Instructor: Dr. John Dalbey	Office: 14-203
Phone: 756-2921	Email:
CSc Dept: 756-2824	Office Hours:  MW 1000  Tu 1300

There will be regular required reading assignments from the textbook and supplemental articles. Class discussions usually go into depth on a small number of issues from the text or current issues related to topics in the text. Much of the material in the text is not presented or discussed explicitly in class, so you need to do the readings in advance so you understand the concepts behind the issues we will discuss in class.  There will be occassional short quizzes on the textbook material to test your comprehension of the readings.

There will be frequent written homework assignments that involve responding to questions about the readings or investigating some topic presented in class. You may discuss the homework with other students, but you must create and submit your own work. Responses to questions must be typewritten (refer to these guidelines).  Please include at the top of your submission your name, the course and section number, and the assignment number.

About two-thirds of the assignments will be graded credit/no credit.  The remaining third will be randomly selected to receive a numeric score.  The average score on the graded assignments will be the score assigned for all your submissions.
Here's the formula:  (Average graded homework score / 10) * (number completed / number assigned)

INDIVIDUAL TOPIC PRESENTATIONS

Each student will give an oral presentation to the class. Read the Oral Presentation Requirements.

WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

There will be two in-class written examinations. The questions will be a combination of short answer and essay questions.  The exam will cover the material from lectures, readings, student presentations, and class discussions. Exam rules:  no torn spiral bound paper, no headsets, no cell phones (or other digital devices), restricted bathroom breaks. 

EXTRA CREDIT

Consult with the instructor about extra credit opportunities.  Possibilites include keeping a journal or writing a term paper. There will also be opportunities to give a "mini-report."  Frequently during class discussions questions of fact will arise about which no one in class has accurate information. The instructor will ask for a volunteer to investigate the question and report the results at the next class meeting.

Letter grades are assigned on a straight percentage basis: A = 91-100%, B = 81% - 90%, C = 71% - 80%, D = 61% - 70%, F = < 61% .  Borderline scores may receive a Plus/Minus grade.

ALTERNATE GRADING SCHEMES
If you feel the above grading scheme will not provide the best assessment of your learning in the course, you may negotiate with the instructor for an alternate scheme. You must agree to an alternate scheme before the end of the second week of classes.

ATTENDANCE

Missed classes can not be "made up." If you are absent on the day you are scheduled to give a presentation, you get a zero  for that presentation.  You may obtain permission to be excused from class for valid academic or medical reasons, but it is your responsibility to secure permission from the instructor BEFORE the date you will be absent. The instructor may request appropriate documentation of your excuse.  The midterm and final examinations may only be taken during the scheduled exam period.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS and GRADING SYMBOLS

Follow these guidelines for written work.
 

LATE HOMEWORK

Late homework receives a 50% penalty. Homework assignments are due when class begins. "Late" means after the official class starting time. In general, electronic submission of assignments is not accepted. Frequently you will be discussing your homework solutions with your peers during class so you will be physically submitting your work to the instructor at the end of the class period. However, it is still due at the start of class.

Equally important to managing your time, is that professionals are expected to behave responsibly. You can demonstrate responsible behavior in the following manner: If you anticipate illness, other academic burdens, or other emergency will prevent you from submitting your assignment before the deadline, you may request an extension. Simply leave a message for me before class time asking for an extension of the due date. You may leave a message for me electronically, by voice mail, or in the department office. (Limit: 2 extensions).

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

In this course, homework assignments, topic presentations, and exams are individual efforts. You may verbally discuss the homework topics with other students unless specifically prohibited. However, any written work which you submit must be entirely your own. You may not "work together" on individual assignments.  Assignments which appear to be the result of a "group effort", or which appear to have been copied from another student, will be considered plagiarized. Similarly, you must explain your homework solutions using your own words, not copying the answers from the textbook. Violations of this policy may result in being failed from the course. See the campus statement on Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and Plagiarism (C.A.M. 684)

COMPUTING POLICIES

A number of important class documents will be made available in electronic form. They can be accessed via a WWW browser through the 302 link from the instructor's home page. These files should be considered as evolving documents, as they will be refined and updated as the course proceeds. Each document will have a version date so that you can determine if you are reading the most recent version. It is your responsibility to be sure that you are working from the most current document.

Occasionally the instructor will mail announcements to the entire class by using an alias which sends mail to your OpenMail account. If you don't use OpenMail regularly, you should setup your OpenMail account to forward your mail to your regular email account.

The instructor will not read email whose "Sender" field is not an actual student name. Don't use nicknames in mail you send to the instructor or it will be returned to you unread.

Students are expected to learn and abide by the Campus computing and Communication Policies, Calif. state laws (see Penal Code Section 502), and federal laws.

You may access documents on the course web site only via hyperlinks.  You are not authorized to view other documents that may exist but have no hyperlink to them.

CLASSROOM CLIMATE
The topics in this course are potentially controversial and students often hold diverse views.  It is a core value of academic discourse to be tolerant of views different than our own and to treat others with respect. 

In addition, an atmosphere conducive to learning can be fostered by minimizing distractions for others who are trying to  concentrate.  Common courtesies include:

• Arrive on time.  If you arrive late please enter quietly and take a seat in the row nearest the door.
• Don't use cell phones or pagers in class;  turn off any audible alarms.
• Only one person speaks at a time during discussions; no side conversations.
• Wait until class has been dismissed before packing up.

The use of audio-visual recording devices of any kind (camera, tape recorder, etc) are not allowed without the instructor's permission.

DROP/WITHDRAWAL POLICY

You may use CAPTURE to drop this course any time during the first two weeks of class. Please carefully evaluate your schedule and determine if you will remain in the class before the end of the add/drop period. After the drop date, the only way out of the course is called "withdrawing" from the course; this requires a "serious and compelling" reason, such as a medical emergency. You may not withdraw simply because you are earning a bad grade or you forgot to drop through CAPTURE. Withdrawal requires you to document that some desperate situation has arisen after the drop day that you could not have reasonably anticipated. 

Document History
 

Date	Author	Change
1/3/06	JD	Revised for Winter 2006
9/21/05	JD	Revised for Fall 2005
1/3/04	JD	Revised for Wtr 2005
9/19/04	JD	Document Released
10/4/04	JD	Updated Topic Presentation