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Online Attendance: You should check for email messages nearly every day.  If you fall behind or miss important messages, you may never get back on track.  Most weeks you will post to the course Message Board at least two or three days a week. Answers to the questions on the readings should be posted by the evening of the day they are due. (See the Course Schedule for due dates.  It's fine to post them a day or two before the due date, of course.)  As the Syllabus indicates, a day or two later, after you've had time to read what others have said, you'll also discuss others' responses, quoting from at least two of your classmates.

Keeping Up with the Reading: Most of the readings are interesting and enjoyable. You may find some of them pretty challenging, though -- especially Kafka's strange stories and Roy's novel The God of Small Things.  So plan plenty of time for the reading.  Let me know beforehand if you're having trouble keeping up with any of it.  If you anticipate that illness, accident, or family or work difficulties will prevent you from keeping up with discussion due dates, contact me as soon as possible to discuss what we can do.

Communication: If anything on the course website isn’t clear to you, let me know. If during the course any messages or announcements aren't clear -- or if you have a question about anything -- just post your question on the Message Board, using the "Question Box."  If your question is too personal to post publicly, then send me an email message & I'll reply.  If necessary, we can also arrange a phone conference to discuss more complicated matters at length.

Discussion Required: This is a discussion-oriented, participatory online class.   Students who have not kept up with the class discussion will not be able to pass the course.

Paper Format: Papers should be carefully edited and proofread and then submitted via Campus Cruiser's Submission feature in "My Assignments."

Late Work: Papers should be sent when due.  If you expect to be busy when work is due, make alternative arrangements with me prior to the due date. If you are having a problem with an assignment, consult with me before it becomes a real problem.

In-Person Exams: You will take an Online Midterm Exam as well as a Final Exam in person, as listed in the Syllabus.  I'll consider adapting the times if there is a better time when everyone can make it.  In any case, you cannot pass this course without taking the Exam.

Grading:  The Papers will be graded based primarily on the strength of their interpretation and understanding of the novel, story, or articles interpreting the work.  Certainly a paper that shows detailed analysis and an ability to make significant connections will get a higher grade than one that does little more than retell the story.  In the first paper, which requires some research, a student's ability to find and appropriately use strong sources will also be part of the evaluation.  Other factors that can raise or lower the grade: the paper's clarity, organization, use of examples and details, phrasing, and thoughtfulness.  Of course, I will reward a paper that is particularly articulate or cleverly phrased or one that is lively & engaging, but a paper that is insightful and persuasive is what I value most.  The Exam will test your familiarity with and comprehension of the assigned works but also your ability to interpret them. 

Final Course Grades:

• Papers : 25% each.  Exams (Midterm & Final): 25%.  Course Participation: 25%.

The participation grade will be based primarily on how reliably and helpfully you post to the class discussion of the readings.  In general, if you submit all the required posts on time and show some thought & engagement, you should expect at least a "B" for this part of the grade.

Plagiarism Warning!  You will need to attribute all ideas not your own to your sources, and to put quotation marks around any words you have taken from a source. If you have not learned how to avoid partial or "patchwork" plagiarism, see the links on the Tools page.  When in doubt, ask me for help.  We all know that the Internet is filled with student papers, essays, canned discussions, etc.  If you panic and decide to hand in a paper that is not completely your own writing, you will be risking not just an "F" on the paper but an "F" in the course and the possibility of suspension from the College.