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15% A first test, covering all since the beginning.  This may include some multiple choice questions based on key concepts in the texts;sets of one paragraph identifications of key concepts, statutes, guest speakers, and court opinions; plus open-ended essay questions on weekly topics.
15% A second, cumulative test, similar in format.
20% A third, cumulative test, similar in format.  Students in courses other than 201 may substitute a properly cited term paper, of at least four pages single-spaced, for this test.
30% A final, comprehensive essay examination in Finals' week.  This may include sets of multiple choice questions, one paragraph concept identifications, plus open-ended essay questions.  It will emphasize the second half of the term's material, but may include topics from the first half.
20% Class participation: quality and frequency of discussion, and genuine effort, plus presentations, minus absences, lapses in proper decorum, and missed presentations.

20% A midterm test, covering all since the beginning.  This may include some multiple choice questions based on key concepts in the texts; sets of one paragraph identifications of key concepts, statutes, guest speakers, and court opinions; plus open-ended essay questions on weekly topics.
30% A research paper with page numbers plus references to (mostly hardcopy) sources in APSA style.
30% A final comprehensive essay examination in Finals' week.  This may include sets of one paragraph concept identifications, plus open-ended essay questions.  It will emphasize the second half of the term's material, but may include topics from the first half.
20% Class participation: quality and frequency of discussion, and genuine effort, plus presentations, minus absences, lapses in proper decorum, and missed presentations.

All PSC 300 level papers are now deliverable in email DOC (MS Word) attachments to <jLewis>, instead of hardcopy.

Compliance with these instructions is part of your "Organization" grade in the CROW.

No title page is now needed; just an author(s), course(s) and "title" masthead.

Filename standard for attachments: (Class #, Lastname, Paper, year.Doc): 371SmithPaper09.doc.

Copy the same filename to the Subject line of your email.

Ensure single-spaced paragraphs begin with a tab (for readability).

Select File, Page Setup.  Choose 1" margins all round (Word may have defaulted to 1.25" and 10 point font.)

Turn on page numbers but not headers or footers.

Select all (Ctrl-A), select 12 point, Times New Roman font, and SINGLE space the paper before sending, please.  (It's easier to read on a laptop screen).  Headings should be in Arial font.

At 300 level: length is 5 to 8 pages, single spaced, plus references and any charts..

References page: half page (solo-authored) to a full page (co-authored) with

mostly serious sources: a variety of views and data from good quality hardcopy sources, books from university presses, or leading trade presses; a couple of articles from political science academic journals, such as PS or Perspectives, Public Administration Review, Forign Policy or Foreign Affairs.

Light sources, count for much less: Journalistic, interest group and online or encyclopedia sources. Variety is essential in lighter sources, and beware of taking loaded data from one interest group alone.

Some use of quality newspapers may be valuable, such as the New York Times, Washington Post or the Economist.

Some quality online sources can provide good data -- for example, the Census offers StatAb.gov, the Statistical Abstract of the US.  Congressional pages include some serious policy reports.  The Federation of American Scientists FAS.org offers thousands of official documents on security issues.

Beware of using Wikipedia, except as background information: citations to this count very little in assessing a paper

At the top of the page of the References, press Ctrl-Enter to force a new page.  [Do NOT press Enter umpteen times to make a new page, because the white space stretches or shrinks.]

Retain for safety, two copies on different disks.

Explain at top of paper, below title, which co-author (if any) is responsible for which parts of the paper.

You may also be expected to upload your paper to TurnItIn.com for which a password will be provided.  At present, Dr. Lewis is just planning to do that part for you.

200 level courses: a second test has replaced the homework essay or paper.

Behavior: you are expected to comply with the HC Honor Code [read College's statement, August 2009, of procedure for violations] and with specific rules placed on our Requirements page here.  You are also expected to comply with Huntingdon College's Code of Classroom Conduct, August 2009.

I respect and implement HC's Attendance Policy:

From August 2009: "Attending all classes at Huntingdon College is mandatory. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Repeated unexcused absences shall be penalized, with the precise penalty being left to the individual faculty member, as outlined on the course syllabus.  There is a distinction between excused and unexcused absences. Excused absences should not be expressly penalized and faculty should make reasonable efforts to work with the student to make up missed exams or quizzes. It is the student&rsquo;s responsibility to catch up on lost material by contacting other students. Any absence is considered unexcused unless it meets one of the following criteria:

i.   School sanctioned event at which the student functions as a representative of the College (e.g. athletics, choir, field trip, etc.). Faculty member must be notified in advance.

ii.  Medical reasons. Student must fill out an &ldquo;Excused Absence Form&rdquo; and illness must be documented by school nurse or physician.

iii. Family emergency. Student must fill out an &ldquo;Excused Absence Form&rdquo; with the Office of Student Affairs.

iv. Graduate school or job interview. Student must fill out an &ldquo;Excused Absence Form&rdquo; with the Office of Academic Affairs in advance.

v.  Exceptional cases approved by the Office of Academic Affairs. Student must fill out an &ldquo;Excused Absence Form&rdquo; with the Office of Academic Affairs."

"Attendance is mandatory; moreover, participation is expected. Learning to express one&rsquo;s ideas orally is just as much a part of a good liberal arts education as reading and writing. Moreover, it makes discussion much more interesting if more people participate rather than having one or two people dominate the discussion (especially if one of those people is me). Repeated absence from class is simply unacceptable for my course. It shows disrespect for your fellow classmates and disrupts the overall ethos of the class."

Adapted version of HC's suggested description of participation earning an "A" grade:

"Near perfect attendance, high level of preparation, participating actively without needing to be called upon; ... bringing questions to class, engaging fellow students and not just the professor, and generally making a significant contribution to the success of the class."

Adapted version of HC's suggested description of participation earning a "B" grade:

"Missing few classes, often [doing] the readings but not always, participating at times. Coming to class prepared on most days, but not all.  Actively following the class discussion even though not speaking out much."

Adapted version of HC's suggested description of participation earning a "C" grade:

"Missing class often, seldom doing readings, participating only when called upon."

Grades of "D" and "F" indicate unacceptably poor classroom participation and absences.

"I reserve the right to fail you for the course for more than [4 (TR) or 5 (MWF)] unexcused absences."
I also reserve the right to reduce your letter grade in the event that high scores on tests and written work are marred by unexcused absences.

Prior to August 2009: "All students are required to attend, at a minimum, 75% of the meetings of every class in which they are enrolled. Individual faculty may set more stringent attendance policies. Failure to meet minimum attendance requirements will result in a failing grade.  Students are expected to arrive for class on time.  Students are expected to provide adequate notification of expected absences, and to make up missed work or examinations according to the faculty member&rsquo;s criteria."

While school sanctioned excuses will not count against you, each unexcused absence will reduce your class participation score.

If you are ill with fever, and potentially contagious, please do not come to class -- you may obtain a formal excuse note from the college nurse in the Hut, and present it via the academic dean's office.

The rule of four (TR) or five (MWF) free absences regardless of excuses (followed by deductions for subsequent absences) is repealed, as of August 2009.

The HC rule that you must attend at least 75% of class sessions to achieve a passing grade in courses is repealed as of August 2009..

Class participation scores (see percentage weight in formula above) are awarded at the sole discretion of the instructor.  In addition to recognizing attendance, this assesses frequency and quality of presentations and comments in (and out) of class.  Poor attendance with unexcused absences will result in deductions for class participation.  Formal excuses for absences, on college business such as sports teams or conferences, as notified by the Academic Dean, will be respected.

Proper decorum in class is expected; sleeping, slumping, chattering, pulling faces, using rude language, taking bathroom breaks in the first hour, or wearing a hat over the eyes, for examples, are not proper.  You will be penalized for failing to show up regularly and punctually for class, especially when you have a presentation due.  Excessive tardiness may be counted as absence, and both may result in the class visiting your dorm room. Owing to behavioral incidents in 2007, notebook computers are now banned from PSC 201, except for use in an oral presentation -- and, in other PSC classes, are to be used for academic purposes only.  It is rude to play games or use Facebook when some one is presenting; doing something like this may result in Failing on class participation -- or even Failing the entire course.

Classroom decorum.  As a courtesy to others who are concentrating, please do not take a bathroom break during the first hour of a class session or an exam.  Do not wear caps, especially not pulled down to shade the eyes and obscure the face when indoors.  Do not pull faces or chat with your neighbors during lectures or discussion.  Be respectful of the views of others, even while disagreeing.

Discourse ethics: owing to behavioral incidents with one student in 2007, infractions that may result in a lower grade for class participation, also include (for examples) frequent use of illicit or totally unreasonable arguments in discussion; misquoting or misrepresenting the instructor's arguments; attacks on the character of the instructor or other students; or rudely rejecting reasonable responses to an argument.

When giving a presentation - or when unavoidably absent from a presentation -- please provide in advance via e-mail a one page outline for the class web page.  The outline should indicate at the top which course, book and reading it refers to.  Since books change over time, the author and title should be followed on a separate line by the student's name and year of writing: "By Fred Bloggs, Fall 2005."  This will help me ensure that I give you credit for the outlines.

Paper writing decorum: Standard pages have one inch margins and 12 point Times New Roman font.  Headings are in Arial 12 point.  Quotes over 2 lines should be single spaced.  Long quotes should be avoided.  Hardcopy academic and official sources are essential, not merely short journalistic and encyclopedia articles. Tables and graphs are welcome, on separate pages at the end of the paper.  They are not included in the page count, but may add to the quality rating of the paper.

Academic dishonesty such as cheating and plagiarism may result in receiving a zero score for the assignment and an "F" grade for the entire course.  This includes (but is not limited to) looking at books or notes on a test or exam, turning in a paper or essay which is not your own work, or failing to cite sources properly.  A paper without citations or with references typed on different paper or in different style, or written in a style unlike your other work, for examples, may be suspect as plagiarized.  as a general rule, almost every paragraph of a paper (except the conclusions) should have at least one citation.

Exam decorum. You are requested during examinations to keep your books and bags closed, to store them at a distance from yourself, and to try not to leave the room until you have completed writing.  To do otherwise may set up a suspicion of cheating. The instructor may refuse to re-admit a student who leaves the exam room early.  Consequently, it is wise not to over-indulge in caffeinated drinks before an exam.

You are responsible for all chapters and readings indicated on the syllabus before a test date, even if that material is not discussed in class specifically. Essay questions will emphasize themes, key arguments, concepts and theories; major Acts or case law; and major political events and trends. The questions will usually indicate which chapters, readings or lectures they refer to.

"Faculty at Huntingdon College make every effort to accommodate unique and special needs of students with respect to speech, hearing, vision, seating, or other possible adaptions.  Please notify the Disability Services Intake Coordinator, Ms. Camilla Irvin, as soon as possible of requested accommodations."

For individual study at any level and for any 400 level course, there is no simple formula; research, writing and oral participation are heavily weighted.  400 level courses include internships, individual study, topical seminars, honours and senior capstone projects.  Consult the current syllabus for each.

At this level, your original commentary and insights are expected to range beyond simply summarizing the readings, and you will be expected to be active in pursuing scholarly inquiry in the form chosen for the course.

For an individual study or a capstone research paper, you will be expected to begin with a research prospectus of 1-2 pages, explaining why the plan is significant, what scholars have argued on the topic, and what you expect to find, plus 1 page outline and 1 page bibliography. At 400 level, this must be accepted as a competent and feasible proposal in order to proceed with the paper.

A capstone paper is of professional scale, including substantial analysis of scholarly literature, and hence typically fills 20 - 25 double-spaced pages in APSA style.

An internship paper of analysis and reaction is about 10 pages, accompanied by a weekly journal and any written reports completed as part of the internship duties.

Your capstonepresentation of research findings is expected to be a fuller presentation of up to 20 minutes before a class of students and faculty.  It should use audiovisual aids appropriate to the material.  These may include a web page and powerpoint file, data tables and graphs or images. You will be expected to answer questions about your research methods, sources, theories and findings.  You should rehearse this presentation with trusted friends beforehand.

When taking a 400 level course, remember that this is seen as the bridge between undergraduate and postgraduate study -- be prepared to take the initiative yourself and pursue research with vigor.

HC policy as of August 2009: a course by conference is the new term for a standard course taken without being able to participation in scheduled class time.  An individual study is a rare opportuniity to pursue customized research.

This is only a last resort for exigencies, available only for good cause and with the permission of the political science faculty and academic dean; depending on the current structure of the faculty, it may require approval also of the school /division dean.  Good cause may include a competitive Capitol internship; a travelling internship; a substantial job in poliitics or law; or where a student is otherwise unable to take a needed political science class before graduation.

A political science course by conference normally requires the same tests, papers and examinations as the regular course, but with each absence from class participation replaced by an outline of a reading, or an essay on the weekly reading.