Rebecca Brown
Montgomery 144
Office hours: T 8-9:30 pm, Th 11-12 & by appointment
office: x4439
home: (540) 368-0969
email: rmbrown@smcm.edu
Map Quizzes
This course covers a lot of geography; therefore, I have incorporated two map quizzes in order to get you familiar with the areas we will deal with in class. I will hand out a sample blank map and a list of places for you well before the map quiz. These will take 10 minutes in class.
Discussion papers
There are two discussion papers for the semester. Each is linked to a particular
reading packet reading, and is intended to allow you to flex your writing skills
while you exercise your reading skills. No more, no less. You will receive the
assignment for each paper in ample time to complete it. These are due in
class on the day that we discuss the readings. In addition to the late policy
outlined below, you must be present in class in order to receive a grade on
a discussion paper. In other words, if you are not present but you turn in your
discussion paper, it is an automatic 50% on the assignment.
Discussion days
In addition to days when a discussion paper is due, there are two additional days in which discussion of articles from the reading packet will be central. For those days, you will be required to come to class prepared to discuss, and your participation will be evaluated in specific ways. This may include in-class quizzes, in-class writing, or group presentation of particular aspects of a reading.
Lecture summary
During the semester we will be hosting several visiting scholars and artists. These are listed both on the syllabus schedule and on the art department's "what's happening now" page. You must attend at least one of these lectures and write a one-page, single-spaced summary of the talk, to be turned in at the following class meeting.
Final Paper
One five-page paper will cap off your semester of writing. Use the discussion
papers to start building critical thinking skills so that you have an easier
time with the final paper. I will hand out a detailed sheet on this project
toward the beginning of the semester.
Exams
No, they're not cumulative. Each exam tests what has been covered up until that point. Any exceptions to this will be noted in class (eg if we don't quite make it to where the schedule says we should be). The tests are primarily essay-based, and they will examine your understanding of broad concepts rather than just dates and names. I will hand out a detailed sheet regarding the format of the exams in the first two weeks of class.
Due Date and Makeup Exam Policy
A due date is a due date. This policy exists primarily for the students who
struggle to get their work in on time every semester, and make it. Please leave
yourself at least two hours for your computer to crash, generic "printing problems"
and other all-too-often occurrences. Late papers will be penalized as follows:
turned in after class time = 1/2 grade; next day = additional full grade; two
days = additional full grade; and so on. In the event of a real emergency, to
your health or to a loved one, please notify me at home by phone as soon as
possible. This goes for missed exams or quizzes as well. Because of the visual
nature of the exams, make-up exams will only be scheduled in extreme circumstances
and with written documentation of the emergency. One final note: if you do end
up missing a due date without extenuating circumstances, turn in the assignment
anyway. You cannot pass the course without every assignment turned in.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is stealing someone else's ideas, words, or work and representing those ideas, words, or work as your own. This includes buying papers on-line, copying another student's work, and lifting sentences from webpages or printed matter. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, consult the student handbook and then contact the professor. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. The lightest penalty for plagiarism in this course is failure for the course.
Website
Website material and work is required as indicated on the syllabus. These required portions will figure on the exams, so make sure that you do more than just answer the quiz questions.
What the website offers you:
Please let me know of any feedback you have regarding the usefulness of this site; it will assist future students in Art History 100.
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Questions?
First, read Explanatory Notes. |