Critical Essay (Two essays of 20% each– total 40%):

            The majority of your grade for this course will be earned through writing two critical essays. Each of these essays should be 3-5 type-written pages and follow a formal essay style. Outlines and notes are unacceptable as completed essays. See comment on writing for more specific information. Several weeks before the paper is due, I will provide a written assignment. These assignments are designed to challenge you to think critically about readings and the world around you. Each assignment will draw on readings as well as some external information. We will talk more about essays when the specific topics are distributed.

Group Research Project (20%):

            The group project will be an opportunity for you to conduct research about a topic of particular interest. You will be assigned to a group based on topic of interest. Each group will chose a topic, research articles and books which inform the topic, write a 2-3 page description of findings and present the research to the class. These summaries will be presented to the class during the last week of class. Creativity is highly encouraged. Your grade for this part of the class will be calculated though a combination of instructor’s, group member’s and personal assessment.

Conferences & Self-Assessment (5%):

            Each student will meet with me a minimum of three times during the semester. While I’ll provide specific appointment times, it is your responsibility to keep the appointment. At the midterm and final conferences, you are required to calculate (based on the percentages below) your grade in the course. You are also required to calculate what grade you think you deserve. The grades you give to yourself will be calculated as part of your final grade.

Extra Credit:

            Throughout the semester there will be several opportunities to earn extra credit by attending campus lectures and events and writing brief 1-2 reaction papers. All of the approved lectures and events will be announced in class. If you are aware of an event on campus which you think should count toward extra credit, please bring it to my attention. Reaction papers need to provide evidence that you attended the event as well as discuss an issue that the event brought to your attention. Each of these reaction papers will replace a missing or low homework/class project grade.

Grades:

            Critical Essays (20 % each)                40%

            Group Research Project                      20%

            Homework/ In-Class Projects             20%

            Attendance and Participation              15%

            Conferences & Self-Assessment         5%

Special Needs:

            If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. Students requiring emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information, go to the following web site: http://www.ehs.sunysb.edu/fire/disabilities/asp.

Comment on writing:

            One of the goals of this class is to facilitate students’ development of writing and communication skills. All papers must be typewritten, double-spaced, proof-read and spell-checked. Cited material must include full citations, including page references and date of publication. A good reference for citation styles as well as grammatical information is the Manual of Style (Manual of Style. 1993. 14^th edition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press). I do not have a citation preference for your work, but you must be consistent.

There are many resources for developing your writing skills. There are writing manuals such as Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style (2000. 4^th edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon) and the aforementioned Chicago Manual of Style. A selection of such manuals should be available at the library. Additionally, please take advantage of the on-campus writing center. Information about their location and hours as well as additional resources may be found at their web page: http://naples.cc.stonybrook.edu/CAS/writingcenter1.nsf/. Finally, I am willing to look at rough drafts of essays provided I receive them at least three classes in advance of the assignment due date and students schedule a meeting to receive feedback in person.

Academic Honesty:

            All work you submit must be your own. By behaving in an dishonest fashion you do yourself, the true author, the class and instructor a disservice. I encourage you to incorporate outside sources in your work as you see fit but will not tolerate plagiarism or cheating. You must use proper citations for any direct ideas, quotes or data you include in your work. If you have some doubt as to what is acceptable please contact me or review the University guidelines found on the web at: http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/CAS/ajc.nsf/pages/info.

Comment on Courtesy:

            This will be a discussion oriented class. In order for that to work effectively, all students must honor the requirements of basic courtesy. I expect you to:

–         Arrive at class on time and stay the entire class period.

‒          If you need to leave early or arrive late, inform me in advance if possible and leave during a break in discussion keeping noise to a minimum.

–         Turn off all cellphones before the beginning of class.

–         Wait until there is a pause in the conversation before trying to add your thoughts. You should raise your hand and wait for me to call on you. You will be given time to share your idea but do not interrupt me or one of your classmates.

–         Respect that everyone has ideas and opinions and not try to dominate the conversation.

–          When you are in class, you need to only do class work. Do not play with palm pilots, cell phones or video games. Do not read material for other classes.

Readings and Assignment Due Dates:

The following course outline will provide you with many of the important dates you need. The first several weeks of the course have readings assigned. The last few weeks are not yet assigned. This is so we can be flexible and move at a pace that works for this unique class. I will distribute an updated syllabus in the middle of the semester which will provide specific readings for those remaining weeks.

Tueday 8/31: Course Introduction - Syllabus As Contract

Assignment:   Bring copy of schedule to submit on Thurs.

Read “Understanding Your Prof’s Expectations”

Enter all important dates in planner (exams, paper due dates, extra credit lectures...)

Thursday 9/1: Introduction to Inequality

                        “Understanding Your Prof’s Expectations”

                        Ehrenreich “Getting Ready”

Domestic Inequality:

Tuesday 9/7:  Ehrenreich “Serving In Florida”

Assignment: 1-2 page essay. How does reading apply to game in class

Thursday 9/9: Ehrenreich “Scrubbing In Maine”

                         Distribute Group Project Research Assignment

                         Form groups for Research Project Individual Conferences

Tuesday 9/14: Library Trip

“Getting the Most From Computers”

Thursday 9/16 - Rosh Hashanah (No Class)