Course Requirements Attendance Policy:   If you miss more than two classes without an acceptable written explanation, you will fail this class.  If you must miss a session, please e-mail me (Susan_Gallagher@uml.edu) immediately before or after that session.  Do not call.   Additional Requirements: Some assignments will be updated or announced via e-mail; therefore, you must provide me with a valid e-mail address. You will not be excused if you fail to keep up with the work because you cannot be reached by e-mail. In your e-mail, please provide your full name and the name of this course. At mid semester, you will be given a take-home examination consisting of several essay questions. Your responses to these questions must be typed, thoughtfully argued, and designed to display college-level writing skills. If your midterm exam indicates that you have writing problems, you will be required to visit the Writing Center in order to work on your essays with one of the tutors there. Near the end of the semester, you must also submit a first draft and a corrected version of a brief term paper (5-7 pages). Paper topics will be suggested throughout the semester. Since your first draft will be graded according to your ability to write a college-level paper, you should turn in highly polished work the first time around. If you know that you need to improve your writing skills, be sure to get help with your work before you submit your first draft. If you do well on the midterm, you can choose to make a web page rather than writing a final paper.  In order to help you with this option, we will meet in the computer center two or three times.  Also, I will provide you with software if needed.  If you are not familiar with web pages, it would be a mistake to choose this alternative.  In any case, if you decide to make a web page, you must provide me with a coherent description of your project well in advance.    Class Participation: You will sometimes be asked to summarize readings for the rest of the class.  Since this contribution to class discussion will count as a substantial part of your grade, prepare yourself by bringing in thoughtful notes on every assignment. Presentations: Near the end of the semester, you will be required to lead a class discussion on the research that you have conducted for your final paper.  Since your goal in your presentation should be to promote a useful exchange of ideas, the best way to prepare is to come to class with thoughtful notes on your thesis and an outline of the main points that you plan to convey in your paper. Students who choose to create web pages will present their work in the computer center during the last two weeks of the semester. Cheating: If you hand in someone else's work as your own, you will fail this class. Also, before you submit any work, you must use the Term Paper Checklist. Grade Formula: Midterm = 25% of grade Class participation = 25% of grade Final paper/Presentation = 50% of grade