Course as Community
Courses comprise communities of learners with responsibilities to one another. Our particular community is governed by the code of conduct at Cleveland State University, and rules of simple courtesy. We expect to listen and engage our peers respectfully, which includes turning cell phones off, arriving on time, and not interrupting, or carrying on side conversations. We will strive to create a learning community that fosters critical inquiry. Everyone is responsible for developing and engaging this community. This means that students should prepare for class by doing course readings prior to class and by coming prepared to discuss the materials.
Civility and respect are the final components of a successful course community. Students showing incivility to one another or the instructor and/or demonstrating a lack of respect to one another or the instructor, may be asked to leave the setting in which this lack of respect/incivility is demonstrated. Use of cell phones, text messaging, or email during class is a violation of the rules of conduct for this course. After a first warning, each such instance will result in a grade reduction for course participation points. Three violations will result in receiving 0 participation and/or attendance points. If such behavior continues, further disciplinary action and/or grade reduction may occur. Threats and/or any menacing behaviors will immediately be reported to university police.
In accordance with normal CSU course guidelines, each student is expected to make a commitment of twelve hours of work per week to this course—beyond attending class sessions. This time commitment will show in student preparation for class, excellent and thoughtful written assignments, and work handed in on time. It is also expected that students create PRINT COPIES of all Electronic Course Reserve readings in advance and to bring them to class as part of the discussion. It will be assumed that students not bring such materials did not prepare in advance.
Late Work
Late assignments will NOT be accepted, except in unusual circumstance (as laid out in the CSU Code of Conduct.) If late assignments are accepted, there may be a penalty, usually of one letter-grade per day. An assignment is considered late if it is not submitted before class begins (or within the first five minutes of class), on the day it is due (unless otherwise specified by the instructor.) If there is a crisis in your life, please communicate with the instructor. If you extend this courtesy, you will find the instructor more amenable to working with you.
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Arts and Humanities
1. Courses must be offered at the 100/200 level in an arts and humanities discipline including but not limited to English, History, Philosophy, Art History, Music History, Religious Studies, or Modern Languages. Courses offered in other disciplines may be approved if they meet the other conditions indicated below.
2. Courses must provide students with background knowledge and analytical skills that will allow them to:
a. Demonstrate understanding of how human beings interpret, translate, and represent diverse experiences of the world through language, literature, the historical record, philosophical systems, images, sounds, and performances.
b. Apply that understanding to the study of the human condition, cultural heritage, cultural artifacts, creativity, and history.
**Additional criterion for courses NOT specifically focused on Asia, Latin America, Africa or the Middle East:
Courses must be survey courses that provide an overview of a broad topic or field of knowledge.
Writing
To qualify in the skill area of writing a course must:
1. Designate that at least 15% of the student’s grade in the course is based on an evaluation of writing.
2. Include writing assignments that directly relate to the course goals.
3. Include instruction in writing-to-learn and/or writing-to-communicate. While writing-to-learn emphasizes the student’s experience, writing-to-communicate highlights the reader’s experience. Both are necessary to produce a thoughtful text that observes academic writing’s conventions.
4. Require that students write a total of 2,000 words (8 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1” margins) in multiple assignments.
5. Assign writing throughout the semester.
Critical Thinking
To qualify in the skill area of critical thinking a course must:
1. Designate that at least 15% of the student’s grade in the course is based on an evaluation of critical thinking.
2. Require students to attain skills beyond lower-level knowledge, thereby requiring:
a. higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation); OR
b. skills that involve the use of content knowledge (e.g. finding information to solve a problem); OR
c. the recognition of the importance and usefulness of knowledge and skills gained in the course (e.g. recognize the ability to and importance of working with others to solve intellectual problems).
Statement of Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is a violation of the CSU Code of Conduct and is a very serious matter. It will be treated appropriately.
Using someone else’s ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness, is a serious offense known as plagiarism. “Ideas or phrasing” includes written or spoken material ranging from whole papers and paragraphs to sentences and phrases. “Someone else” can mean a professional source, such as a published writer or critic in a book, magazine, encyclopedia, or journal; an electronic resource such as material we discover on the World Wide Web; another student at our school or anywhere else; and a paper-writing “service” (online or otherwise) which offers to sell written papers for a fee.
CSU Plagiarism statement: http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/WAC/Plagiarism.html
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