Core 8
M 10-10:50 Shen Auditorium
Core 8H TR 10-10:50 C127
Core 8J TR 11-11:50 C127

Winter 2005

Instructor: Peter Watkins
Office: C208
Office Phone: x6350
peterw@saintjoe.edu                                        

Introduction

This class will provide you with a general overview of the economic, political, and cultural landscape of the African continent. In addition to introducing you to Africa, this course of study is also designed to continue to develop your oral and written communication skills.

The texts you are required to purchase are as follows:

 The readings, noted above, will be supplemented by a large number of additional syllabus readings.

If for any reason you are unable to purchase the texts for this class, please come and see me at your earliest opportunity.

In addition to the above selections, I also urge you to read newspapers and magazines, and watch the nightly news. I also encourage you to be a frequent visitor to CNN Interactive, The New York Times on the Web, The Washington Post, and the BBC.
 
A variety of additional Internet sources on Africa can be found here.  A list of recent additions to the library collection on Africa can be found here. 

If you are a student with a disability, please meet with me at your earliest opportunity to discuss any accommodations you will need during class activity, examinations, and out of class assignments in order to participate fully and demonstrate your abilities.

Class Schedule

The reading and lecture schedule can be found in the Core 8 syllabus. To fulfill the collegial agreements noted in that document you will be completing a number of writing assignments and taking a number of short quizzes throughout the semester. A comprehensive final examination will be administered during exam week.  

You will take a 15-points quiz every Thursday throughout the semester. No quiz will be administered on January 13. The comprehensive final examination will be given on Thursday, May 5 at 1:00 (Core 7H) and Monday, May 2 at 10:00 (Core 7J). The quizzes and final examination will draw upon reading, lecture, and discussion material. 

Two writing assignments will be completed. The role playing exercise, due on February 17, is to be a minimum of five pages in length. It is to have a minimum of five sources. The research paper, due on April 7, is to be ten-fifteen pages in length. You should have a minimum of ten sources for this paper. I will discuss each of these assignments in more detail with you as the semester unfolds.

Papers must possess a cover page and must be stapled in the top left-hand margin. They must be typed and double-spaced. A font size no larger than 12 pt. must be used. The right and bottom margins are to be 1 inch wide.  The left margin is to be 1.25 inches wide. The top margin, with the exception of the first page, must be 1 inch wide. The top margin on the first page must be two inches in width. Papers must be handed in during class on the date the assignment is due. You are responsible for keeping an extra copy of your paper. Failure to adhere to these requirements will lead to penalties being assigned.

I strongly urge you to take all your papers to the Writing Clinic. The Writing Clinic is located in Core 212. I also urge you to consult The Everyday Writer as you begin the writing process. If you do not have a copy of this text, and would like to peruse it, please let me know.

A portion of your grade will be determined by the quality, and to a lesser extent the frequency, of your class participation. In order to effectively participate in class discussion you must keep up with the reading assignments. I tend to enjoy lively argument and debate in my classroom. I will frequently call upon students by name to address an issue that we are considering. Please come prepared to express your views about the issues at hand.

You will receive a zero if you absent yourself from quizzes or the final examination. Half a letter grade (e.g. C+  to C) will be deducted every day a writing assignment is handed in late. I will discuss exceptions to these rules at our first class meeting.

Your grade will be calculated as follows:

Quizzes @ 15 points each             210 points
Role playing Exercise                    100 points
  Research Paper                               250 points 
   Class Participation                         100 points 
 Final Examination                           100 points

     Total                                     760 points  

No extra credit is available.

Half of your class participation grade will be assigned at mid-semester.

A=100%-94.5%, A-=94.4%-89.5%, B+=89.4%-86.5%, B=86.4%-83.5%, B-=83.4%-79.5%, C+=79.4%-76.5%, C=76.4%-73.5%, C-=73.4%-69.5%, D+=69.4%-59.5%, F=59.4% and below.

Office Hours

My office hours for this semester are MT 1-1:50 and W-F 8-8:50. If you are unable to meet me during those times, please do not hesitate to contact me to make alternative arrangements. I can be contacted via e-mail. You can also contact me at x6350. My home telephone number is 866-8768.

Attendance Policy

A discussion of the college's attendance policy can be found in the Saint Joseph's College 2004-2005 Catalog. See pp. 47-48.

While your class participation grade is largely based on the quality of your participation, failure to attend class will have an adverse impact on your class participation grade. Failure to attend scheduled classes could also have an impact on your performance on quizzes and the final examination given the fact that questions on these quizzes and on the final examination might be taken from class discussion. Attendance at class will also profit you because attention will be given during those sessions to some of the reading material/lecture material assigned for each quiz and the final examination.

If you are a member of an athletic team, please identify yourself during the first class session. Professor Teresa Massoels, the Faculty Athletic Representative, has prepared an information sheet for members of the faculty, which addresses questions of athletic related absences. I will distribute this sheet to those identified as members of athletic teams. You, not your coach, are responsible for informing me of any athletic related absences.

Academic Honesty
A discussion of academic honesty can be found in the Saint Joseph's College 2004-2005 Catalog. Please reference pp. 52-54.