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Reading (level CLC) Students can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social, professional or academic life, identifying finer points of detail, including attitudes and implied as well as stated opinions. Course format The course will be conducted in seminar format, which means that class attendance of at least 80% is mandatory and students are expected to participate actively during class sessions. In case of illness, or other legitimate reasons for absence, students are to notify the instructor in advance.
Students who miss more than the allowed number of classes will not be awarded credits for the course. N. B. All written communication will proceed through Nester and Ruggeri. Students are expected to check the Nester site and their Ruggeri accounts at least three times a week. Plagiarism Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct in which an individual submits or presents the work of another person as his or her own. Scholarship quite properly rests upon examining and referring to thoughts and writings of others.
However, doing so without proper acknowledgement is dishonest and a form of fraud. Therefore: 1 . Whenever you use any idea derived substantially and directly from a published work, from a fellow student, or from any other source, you must explicitly acknowledge the nature and extent of your indebtedness. 2. Whenever you borrow three or more consecutive words, an original term, or a distinctive turn of phrase from a published work, from a fellow student, or from any other source, you must enclose the borrowed element in quotation marks and explicitly acknowledge your indebtedness.
Please note that the American Studies Department uses plagiarism detection software and that students will be asked to submit electronic copies of their written assignments for automatic screening. Plagiarism may have serious consequences for All instances of plagiarism will be referred to the Exam Board. It is important for students to remember that unauthorized collaboration�working together without permission�is a form of cheating. Unless a professor specifies that students can work together on an assignment and/or test, no collaboration is permitted.
Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (such as a PDA), copying from another’s exam, fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance. Also note that research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the professor. Students are referred to the American Studies ORE for further details about plagiarism and the department’s Honor Code. Credit value The credit load of this course is 10 SECTS, which equals 280 hours of work (and averages approximately 10 hours of self-study per week).
This includes class time, preparation, and completion of the research essay at the end of the course. Assessment Grades for this course are awarded on the basis of continuous assessment. Provided that students have participated actively in class and that their writing portfolio is complete, they will be assessed on the following assignments: The completed writing portfolio & in-class tests The oral presentation and seminar discussion Research essay 1 (1000 words, due in week 15) Research essay 2 (1 500 words, due in week 19) Late submission of the research essay and other assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10 percent per day.
Extensions will only be granted in case of grave physical, mental or emotional infirmity. Writing portfolio The writing portfolio consists of four assignments in which students produce, revise and extend at least three argumentative essays ranging in length from 500 to 700 words, culminating in a 700-word midterm paper. Emphasis will be placed throughout the course on the importance of producing essays that conform to departmental standards on such issues as presentation, documentation (following ML/COSMOS guidelines), paragraphing and argumentation.
It is of crucial importance that each assignment reflects the lessons learned as students progress through the rouser; from Week 4 onwards, those papers that make basic errors on the elementary In-class tests Test 1 (Week 5) is an essay-writing test. Students are given a prompt and must produce an argumentative essay in the allotted time. Test 2 (Week 7) tests a range of grammar, language, and other crucial writing issues.
Oral presentation and seminar discussion Students will work in groups to prepare an argumentative oral presentation on a topic of their choice (subject to instructor approval). To pass, these group presentations must display sufficient evidence of independent research and a clear, argumentative thesis. Research essays Research essay 1 is a 1000-word argumentative essay based on an American Studies- related topic of students’ choice (subject to instructor approval). Instructors will guide students through the necessary steps in the process of producing research essays in weeks 11-15.
Research essay 2 is a longer, 1500-word essay that students produce entirely independently and submit during the January exam period; it is the culmination of their efforts throughout the semester and is weighted accordingly (see below). Grading procedure The final mark for this course will be calculated as follows: Writing portfolio & in-class tests 50% Oral presentation & seminar discussion Research essay 1 Research essay 2 25% Regardless of final average, students must receive a passing grade (5. Or higher) for the second research essay in order to pass the course. This means should you fail the second essay while maintaining an average grade for the whole course of over 5. 5, your final course grade will still be recorded as a 5. 0. There will be a resist opportunity for the second research essay only. The other assignments cannot be re-sat. The marks for all components are only valid for the oration of the academic year in which the course is taken. The midterm essay and both research essays must be uploaded to Porous prior to grading.
Course Material Students need to purchase the following textbooks: edition. Boston: Thomson Headwords, 2013. (full-length ninth and tenth editions also acceptable) Campbell, Neil and Alasdair Keen. American Cultural Studies: An Introduction to American Culture. 3rd edition. London and New York: Rutledge, 2012. Students are also advised to purchase an English dictionary for reference purposes. Online and electronic dictionaries are also suitable resources. Course schedule This schedule gives a concise overview of the topics covered in each class.