GENERAL SYLLABUS

Dr. Paula Clarke and Professor Ted Hamilton

This ‘general syllabus’ is meant to accompany the course syllabus as an explanation of the teaching philosophy and the expectations built into all the courses we teach. The following assumptions are central to an understanding of the goals of these courses and the function of higher education in contemporary society:

1. Higher education should provide an environment that cultivates meaningful frustration accompanied by support and opportunities to confront that frustration in such ways that encourage intellectual, psychological, and spiritual development, as well as moral and ethical reasoning;

2. There is a fundamental difference between a “student” and a “fee-paying individual”: whereas the latter is self-explanatory, a “student” is defined according to the following criteria:[1]
1. “Students” conceive of education as a dynamic process that requires active engagement among teachers and students;
2. “Students” have a high degree of tolerance for ambiguity, frustration, novelty, complexity and uncertainty;
3. “Students” exhibit a high-level of utilization of institutional resources;
4. “Students” engage in their education with the goal of intellectual and developmental transformation.

3. Higher education should be an environment where individuals may acquire college competencies that foster “student” identities. An important goal in all our courses is to minimize penalty for individual start-points and maximize opportunities for the acquisition of college level skills during the semester:[2]
1. Individuals are not assumed to have “college-level competencies” upon entrance to higher education, but are expected to build those competencies throughout the duration of the course;
2. Individuals are assumed to have different ‘learning styles’ upon entrance into college but are expected to acquire and develop additional learning competencies (‘resistance styles’ are not accommodated);
3. High levels of support are provided in the process of “student” transformation.

Examinations: There will be three (3) examinations, including the final exam. The first two exams will be take-home examinations, each worth 200-300 points. The final may be a take-home exam. The final exam is worth between 300-400 points. Exams consist of readings/notes, outlines, graphic presentations and essays. Exam questions are available at the start of the semester.

Examination Procedure: The significant issues in each of the three sections of the course are reflected in the exam questions. Class dialogue will be designed around these issues and to the possible linkages to the exam questions. Students are urged to work on these questions throughout the time spent in any given area. Students will prepare outlines for each essay question. The specific question assignment will be made several days prior to the due date. This procedure gives students the opportunity to be equally prepared to respond to all of the essay questions.

Criteria for Grading Examinations: Grading criteria may be found at the Library Reference Desk and on the College web page. Students are urged to ask questions about the criteria and to test their understanding of the criteria by conducting ‘peer reviews’ of their work. Students are also urged to view the work of former students, available upon request in our office.

Grades: Grades on exams become permanent one week after graded exams have been returned. In other words, students have one week to ask questions about exam grades.

Numerical and Letter: The relationships between numerical and letter grades on an exam worth 100 points is illustrated below:

Points Earned		Letter Grade
> 89	=	A
80 – 89	=	B
70 – 79	=	C
60 – 69	=	D
< 60	=	F

Computing Final Grades: Final course grades are computed in two ways, as follows below. This grading system is designed to minimize penalty for early performance and encourage improvement over time.

First, if the average grade on the first two exams is less than a ‘C’, the Final Course Grade is an arithmetic average of three exam grades. Example – Exam #1 (worth 250 points) = 150 (letter grade ‘D’), Exam #2 (worth 250 points) = 165 (letter grade ‘D’), Final Exam (worth 400 points) = 320 (letter grade ‘B’); Total points = 635. Using the calculations below, this would constitute a final (letter) course grade of, ‘C’.

Total Course Points Earned	Final Course Grade
810 – 900	A
720 – 809	B
630 – 719	C
540 – 629	D
< 540	F

Second, Improvement of Grade Option: This option is available to those students earning at least a ‘C’ average on the first two exams. Students with at least a ‘C’ average prior to the Final Exam retain the possibility of earning a ‘B’ or ‘A’ as a Final Course Grade, depending on their performance on the Final Examination. Example – Exam #1 (worth 250 points) = 188 (letter grade ‘C’), Exam #2 (worth 250 points) = 197 (course grade ‘C’), Final Exam (worth 400 points) = 360 (letter grade ‘A’); Total points = 745. In the instance, the final (letter) course grade would be, ‘A’.

Assistance: We will assist with reading and note-taking strategies, the preparation of outlines to exam questions, and will provide ‘preliminary grading’ to students wishing to turn in practice outlines and/or exams. We will assist with any and all questions about exam questions inside or outside of class up through the assignment of the specific exam question. We will also (upon request) attend study group sessions. And, as noted before, students may ask to see the work of former students. This procedure provides students with opportunities for practice, rehearsal, and feedback.

Student Strategies: Students having problems with any part of the course are urged to see us as soon as possible. Make a reading and study schedule and stick to it. A three-hour per week course assumes 12 hours per week outside the classroom. Group work is encouraged, but plagiarism is not. Bring questions to class about the readings and/or about the exam questions themselves. Use the essay questions as the organizing framework for your reading. Select key words, phrases, or segments of text which you believe are important to responding to essay questions.

One way to find out about being a student in our classes is to ask to see a large binder entitled, ‘Dear Incoming Student’. This binder is a collection of over 300 letters written by students as they near completion in our courses. These students are asked to write a letter that begins, “Dear Incoming Student, if you want to be successful in this class, this is my advice to you…” These letters are candid, recorded in the students’ own handwriting, sometimes signed and sometimes not. These letters offer many insights including the many ways that students define ‘success.’

Students are also urged to consult, ‘Communicating About the Behavioral Dimensions of Grades,’ an article taken from a teaching journal (Teaching Professor, February, 1996). This article, on Reserve, on our websites, and in the Library and in our office, can help students appreciate that the path to high grades is not vague, but the result of behaviors that students can consciously adopt to increase the likelihood of success.

* We assume that students have read and understand the college catalog and student handbook. We encourage students to ask us if they have any questions. Students who believe they have disabilities under the definitions of the Americans with Disabilities Act are encouraged to contact us privately in the first week of the course.

What Not To Expect: We do not give quizzes, grade on a curve, or provide extra-credit assignments. We do not expect students to possess college level skills when they enter our courses. And, we do not accept missed or late work in the absence of negotiation.

What To Expect: Students can expect support, assistance, feedback, and interest in a climate of authentic lower division collegiate expectations. Students can and should expect to acquire contributions to the scaffolding for eventual upper division work. Students can expect that adult respect is extended to all and demanded from all. Therefore, no disrespectful language, behavior, or electronic interruptions are tolerated.

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[1] See Banner, J. M., & Cannon, H. C. (1997). The Elements of Teaching. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; Banner, J. M., & Cannon, H. C. (1999). The Elements of Learning. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; and Solomon, Paul, & Annette Nellen. (1996). “Communicating About the Behavioral Dimensions of Grades,” The Teaching Professor, February, 1996, pp. 3-4. All references are on Reserve at the Library.

[2] See Columbia College Mission Statement; Gardiner, L. (1994). Redesigning Higher Education: Producing Dramatic Gains in Student Learning. Washington, D.C.: Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University; Gardiner, L. F. (1998). Why We Must Change: The Research Evidence. NEA Journal of Higher Education, Thought and Action (Spring), 121-138.