Exams: Exams for this class are designed to measure your attainment of the objectives of the course, particularly those regarding mastery of concepts, theories, and facts about society and the sociological perspective. The exams will be composed of multiple choice and true-false questions. Questions on the exams will be based on your reading assignments for that section of the course as well as material covered in class. The schedule for exams and readings is found at the end of this syllabus. The final exam is an optional comprehensive final, covering material from the entire course, in the same format and length as the other exams. If you take the final exam and you have a total of five exam scores, I will drop the lowest exam score. There are no make-ups for exams, so if you must miss an exam you will want to use the final exam as a substitute for the one you miss. The final exam will be given during Finals Week according to the final exam schedule. Each exam is worth 100 points.
Reflective Essay: In order to earn an "A" for this course, you will need to write a reflective essay on a topic to be assigned midway through the semester. It is possible to pass the course without writing the Reflective Essay. A student could, theoretically, earn as high as a "B" without writing the paper. S/he would have to get 100 points on all four exams, however--a nearly impossible task. The Reflective Essay is worth 100 points. Details on this assignment will be available in a separate handout later in the semester.
"Good Student" Policy: There will be no specific points for "extra credit" in this course. Good students, however, will have the benefit of the doubt when final grades are calculated. A good student who has a borderline grade (within a couple percentage points of the next higher grade) will receive the higher grade. How do I know you are a "good student?" You can show me you are a good student in the following ways:
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| Grade Scale: | |
| 450-500 pts (90-100%) | A |
| 400-449 pts (80-89%) | B |
| 350-399 pts (70-79%) | C |
| 240-349 pts (60-69%) | D |
| < 240 pts (< 60%) | F |
Read your assignments--it's good exercise!
“To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem. It requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object.” Henry David Thoreau