FYS-X 102: Engaging the World

Course Requirements and Grading

 

Effort

Your grade will not be determined on the basis of your effort, but this is where your grade starts.  In other words, if you don't put a lot of effort into this class (and all your classes, for that matter), your grade will reflect that.  Conversely, if you put your best effort into this class you are sure to get your best grade out of it.  Your writing can be improved with effort.

 

Attendance

Your attendance in class is critical, and this is not an overstatement.  The success of the class, both for the individual and for the class as a whole, depends on every student being in class every class period.  Therefore, the attendance policy is meant to encourage you to make every effort to attend class.
Each student is allowed to miss two classes without penalty for any reason the student deems necessary.  For each absence beyond the two allowed, there will be a twenty (20) point deduction from the participation grade.  There are no exceptions to this.  There are no "excused absences" (except for outside participation in previously approved University activities that require the student to miss class).   It is, therefore, in the best interest of the student to reserve those "free" absences for severe illness or family emergencies.
In any case, students are responsible for all class material covered as well as assignments due whether in class or not.
Tardiness is not tolerated.  Two tardies will equal one absence.
Students may not leave class until dismissed.

 

Assignments

There is a lot of reading to do for this class.  If you don't do the reading, you cannot participate in class discussion, at least not from an informed position.  On the other hand, if you do the reading carefully and thoughtfully you will be able engage in class discussions that will enhance the class and yourself.   The bottom line is: do the reading BEFORE you come to class for the week the reading is assigned.  There is no reading for the first week of class, so you should begin reading for the second week right away.  You will be expected to have read the reading for the second week when you come to class Tuesday of that week.
In addition to doing the reading and coming to each class, you will be required to participate in class discussion.  Your ability to express your views vocally during the class in relation to the required reading will form part of your participation grade (see below).
You will have various writing assignments throughout the semester.   Each week, beginning the second week of class, each student will be required to choose some current event from a newspaper or online news source and write a short essay based on this event.  More will be said about this in class, but the essay should be between one and two pages, typed, double-spaced, with appropriate margins (one inch on all sides) and font size (between 10 and 12 point using CG Times or Times New Roman).  The essay will be composed of two parts. The first part will be a summary of some aspect of the event, and the second part will be your personal reaction to this event.   These essays will be combined to form a part of your participation grade. There should be no proofreading mistakes in your current events papers.  If your current events paper has any proofreading mistakes (such as misspelling, leaving out or adding words or spaces, etc.) you will not get credit for doing that paper.  Make sure you carefully proofread your papers. Current events papers will account for half of your participation grade for a total of five percent of your final grade.
Over the course of the semester there will be certain events held on and off campus that you will be required to attend.  Instead of writing on a current event from the news, you will write a similar essay on the event attended.
The major part of your grade will be based on four essays, three of which will be four to five full pages in length each.  One of the essays will be an eight to ten page research paper.  The topics of the essays will vary and will be assigned as we progress through the semester.  More will be said about the papers as we progress.  Each of the three shorter essays will be worth 15% of your final grade.  The research paper will be worth 25% of your final grade.  Papers that are late will incur a ten (10) point grade reduction for each 24 hour period that they are late, including weekends, beginning five (5) minutes after class begins on the day they are due.  Proofreading mistakes will cost you three points for each mistake I catch.
Students who receive a failing grade on any assignment should contact the professor to discuss that assignment.

 

Tutoring

As with FYS-X 101, students will be required to tutor at Burke Elementary for ten weekly sessions with a student.  You are strongly encouraged to maintain the same relationship with the student you had in the fall.  If there is a reason you need to switch, please see your FYS instructor.  Students must complete the tutoring assignment to receive a grade in the course.  Students who do not complete the tutoring assignment will receive an Incomplete for the course that will turn to a grade of "F" if the assignment is not completed by the end of the following fall semester.
More will be said about tutoring in class.

 

Grading Specifics

Grading scale
91-100 A
88-90 B+
81-87 B
78-80 C+
71-77 C
61-70 D
0-60 F

 

Assignment values
Participation 10%
Essay 1 15%
Essay 2 15%
Essay 3 25%
Essay 4 15%
Final Exam 20%

 

Please note:  Regardless of the average of your grade going into the final, IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE FINAL EXAM, YOU WILL NOT PASS THE COURSE.  The final exam will consist of your writing an essay, assigned at the time of the exam.   You must demonstrate advanced composition skills in this essay, such as writing an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis, composing cohesive, coherent body paragraphs that support your thesis with appropriate transitions from one paragraph to the next, and writing a concluding paragraph in which you bring the essay to a point for your reader.

If you have any questions, please contact me in the various ways accessible to you.