Assignment	Percentage of overall grade	Total points
Quizzes	25%	125
Role-playing paper	20%	100
Geography assignment	20%	100
Discussion	15%	75
Film analysis	10%	50
Final exam	10%	50

Writing

Film analysis:  During the semester you will be required to watch one Chinese film from the list you have in your syllabus and to analyze it in light of the following criteria:  1) its value as a learning tool about China; 2) its value in relation to the objectives of the intercultural component of core, as described in your course syllabus.  More information on this assignment will be distributed in class.   Please note that you are not allowed to include "The Tank Man" as your film to analyze.  All students are required to watch that film.    This paper will be a minimum of five pages in length.  Due:  Friday, October 27.

Role-playing paper:  This paper is a research-based creative writing assignment.    For this assignment, you will assume the role of someone living in the geographical area you will be researching throughout the semester. (see Other below).   You will create a scenario for that person and tell his/her story.   For example, you might assume the role of a peasant and tell what a peasant's life is like in that specific region.  Or you could assume the role of someone who is upwardly mobile and living in one of China's cities.  The important thing is that you  draw upon the research that you have done on your chosen geographical area to make your story credible.    What are the major issues in that region?  Use those major issues to help shape your role-playing paper.    This paper will be a minimum of eight pages and employ a minimum of seven sources.    PLEASE NOTE:  At the end of the course syllabus, there is a sample of a role-playing paper written by an SJC student.  Due:  November 17. 

Testing

Quizzes:  Weekly quizzes will be given, covering readings, lectures and other relevant classroom activities.  These quizzes will, for the most part, be of the short answer variety (T/F, multiple choice, fill in the blanks). 

Final exam:  Your final exam will consist of essay questions that you are given in advance.  These questions will be distributed on Wednesday December 6.  You are to complete them and bring them to our scheduled final exam time - Monday, Dec. 11, at 3:00 pm.  We will take our final exam period to discuss these questions as a group.  The essays ask you to reflect on the semester's curriculum and activities. 

Other

Discussion:  Core classes should be discussion-driven and your willingness to participate in class is very important.  However, in order to have an effective discussion, we must all have something in common to discuss.  Therefore, it is crucial that you regularly complete and reflect upon all assigned readings as they are assigned and attend all lectures.  You will be evaluated on your general commitment to and involvement in the class throughout the semester, as evidenced by attendance and class participation.   A separate grading rubric for class discussion will be distributed in class. 

Geography assignment:   China encompasses a lot of territory and many diverse ways of life.  This assignment is designed to get you to explore a particular area in more detail than the Core 7 general curriculum allows.  At the beginning of the semester, you will sign up for an area of China (city or province) to learn about throughout the course of the semester and become our class "expert".  You should consult articles, books, reference sources and reputable websites to learn as much as you can about the general background of your region and important contemporary issues in your locale.  Keep the materials you gather together in a journal/folder, with a few sentences about each in terms of how it helps increase your understanding of your chosen area.   I will from time to time collect your journals to make sure you are keeping up with your research.   You should expect me to collect them on the following dates:  Friday Sept. 29, Oct. 20, and Nov. 15.  You will be using this research to assist you with your role-playing paper (see above).    Near the end of the semester we will set aside some classes to discuss these regions you all have been researching.  The following classes have been set aside for that purpose:  Nov. 29, Dec. 1, 6, 8.  A signup sheet will be given in class. The focus of these sessions will be to introduce each region and talk about contemporary issues in each of the places.   You may bring in visuals or other "props" when talking about your area.   Your creativity is encouraged!  In addition to the class discussion, you should prepare a three-page written summary of the contemporary issues in your area.  That written summary  is due on December 8. 



 
If you use anything other than Microsoft Word (not Works!) for your papers, please do not attempt to send them to me electronically    because of technical difficulties in doing so.

Always keep a copy of your written work, both in paper format and electronically, until the end of the semester, after final grades have been
turned in. 
 
Double-space all papers, except where The Everyday Writer indicates that single spacing is appropriate. 
 
Please use reasonable margins and do not try to artificially raise your page count by manipulating margins.  The default margins for a normal document in Microsoft Word should be your regular model.
 
Please use no larger than 12-point type and please use the Times New Roman font, using boldface print only when highlighting is appropriate. 
 
Please include a title page.
 
Please use page numbers.
 
Please include a bibliography of all sources you use in your paper and please cite them in the body of the paper wherever you use them.
 
Please use one of the formats given in The Everyday Writer for citing sources and compiling bibliographies:  MLA, APA, CBE or Chicago Style.  While it does not matter which of these you use, please use a style consistently. 
 
Please get in the regular habit of proofreading your work.

For your role-playing paper, you must cite at least seven sources.  This must include at least three journal articles (at least two of which must be peer-reviewed) and at least one book.

Encyclopedias are too general to be used for anything other than background information.  Use no more than one in either paper or electronic form.  

Please exercise caution when using web pages since, unlike books and journal articles, many web sites don't go through a rigorous editorial or other "quality control" process.  It is often difficult to tell the age and expertise level of web site authors.  Be very careful!  Fr. Tim McFarland has information about evaluating web sites on his homepage under student links (http://www.saintjoe.edu/~timm/student_links.html).   A brochure is also available in the library entitled "Evaluating Web Pages."  You may pick up a copy at the circulation or reference desk. 

Please use the interlibrary loan service to obtain articles, books and other materials that are not available in paper or electronic form at the SJC library.  Details are available in the library.

Percentage of Available Points Earned	Grade
94% to 100%	A
90% to 93%	A-
87% to 89%	B+
84% to 86%	B
80% to 83%	B-
77% to 79%	C+
74% to 76%	C
70% to 73%	C-
67% to 69%	D+
60% to 66%	D
59% or less	F

Here are some class and College policies with which you should become familiar. 

   Attendance 

All SJC students are bound by the mandatory attendance policy found in the College's catalog (pp. 47 of the 2006-2007 Catalog).  You must attend all regularly scheduled classes and lectures, barring reasonable causes preventing you from doing so.  The instructor is the judge of what constitutes an excused absence.  Please understand that your work in other classes or extracurricular activities, no matter how intense, cannot be used as an excuse for not attending and meeting all deadlines in your Core 7 class.  Please work around class and lecture time when scheduling appointments with doctors, dentists, and so forth.  Repeated absences due to illness may well result in my asking you for medical verification.  You must let me know ahead of time when you must miss a class for any reason.  You are responsible for finding out about and completing any work that you miss.  Each unexcused absence will result in a deduction of three points from the class participation grade. 

   Academic Honesty 

On pages 53-54 of the 2006-2007 College Catalog, you will find the Academic Honesty policy.  This is crucial reading for all students; please be familiar with the actions that constitute violations of academic honesty and if you have questions, please ask me.  All of your work at SJC should be your own.  If I discover cases of academic honesty violations, I will generally turn them over to the Provost for adjudication, as directed by College policy. 

  Deadlines and Makeups  

Please adhere to all due dates.  Since you know from the beginning what those due dates are, there should be no general need for extensions.  Papers will be assessed the equivalent of a half letter grade penalty for each day in which they are late.  Makeup quizzes will be given for documented excused absences only. 

  Turning In and Keeping Copies of Assignments

Assignments should generally be put in my hands during class on the day they are due.  However, you will have until the library closes on the day something is due to slide an assignment under my office door (make this about 10:45pm to be safe).  The exception to this is the final exam, which must be submitted to me during our scheduled final exam period.  Do not place any material for me in my Core building mailbox.  This is a public area and security cannot be guaranteed.  If you leave things there, you do it at your own risk.  Also do not rely on anyone else to turn in your written work for you.  If I cannot locate your work, you will be asked to produce another copy.  You are required to keep copies of all written work, tests, and quizzes until you have received your final grade. 

  Disabilities

If you are a student with a documented physical or learning challenge, please meet with me immediately to discuss the accommodations you will need during class activities, examinations and out of class assignments in order to participate fully and demonstrate your ability. 




  The Writing Clinic 

Saint Joseph's College provides a couple of academic services about which you should be aware.  The Writing Clinic, located on the second floor of the Core Education Center (Room 212), is staffed by students who will read your paper and assist with grammatical and other technical aspects of writing.  If you have problems with writing, please call the Writing Clinic at 866-6138 or sign up for an appointment at the Clinic office.  This service is free.

  Student tutors 

The Counseling Services Office, in Room 200 of Halleck Center, maintains lists of available student tutors.  If you find yourself running into difficulties with reading material and feel that you need help outside of the classroom setting, please contact the staff in person or by phone (219-866-6116).  This service is free. 

Assignment or Event	Date
Labor Day, no Monday lecture or classes	September 4
Friday Core 7 lecture	September 8
Friday Core 7 lecture	September 22
Geography assignment journals collected	Sept. 22, Oct. 20, Nov. 15
No class, midterm break	Friday, October 13
Film analysis due	October 27
Role-playing paper due	November 17
Thanksgiving week, no classes	Week of November 20
Geography discussion/presentations	Nov. 29, Dec. 1, 6, 8
Final exam essay questions distributed	December 6
Geography assignment written summary and journal due	December 8
Final Exam for Section A	Monday, December 11, 3:00 in regular classroom

  Class Discussion Grading Rubric
  Film Assignment
  Signup Sheet for Geography Assignment
  Cultural Relativism Case Studies
  Geography Assignment/Role-playing Paper
  Getting Started With Family




  Fr. Tim McFarland maintains a Core 7 webpage with some relevant links.
  Items of Interest for Pa Chin's Family  - Prof. Oakes