Course FAQ's

Hybrid Courses This course is a hybrid, meaning that some of your work will be conducted online and often in groups. While we will not meet on most Fridays (occasionally individual or small group meetings will be scheduled) the regularly scheduled class time should be regarded as an opportunity to meet with other group members when necessary. Hybrids are not less work. The work is merely accomplished in different ways.

Attendance Policy

  • UWP Attendance Policy:As set forth in the UW template "class attendance is required, with limited excused absences; class participation is essential to performance and affects the final grade."
  • My Attendance Policy: Since this class will be run as a seminar, your presence and participation are crucial. Therefore, more than three absences *for any reason* will adversely affect your grade. More than six absences constitutes failure. Please take this seriously. If you think you will not be attending on a regular basis drop the class now rather than having to either withdraw or fail later. If a situation develops that keeps you from attending classes regularly (severe illness or family emergency), contact an advisor in your dean’s office for help. Below are important Add/Drop dates and the contact information for the directors of advising in each of the schools.

    September 11th- Last day for Web Add/Drop on GWeb
    September 25th - Last day to drop a course using the RTF-EZ without academic penalty
    October 23rd - Last day to withdraw from a course with a grade of 'W' using the RTF-EZ

    Advising Contacts

    CCAS - ccasug@gwu.edu
    GWSB - gwsbadv@gwu.edu
    ESIA - advising@gwu.edu
    SEAS - seasadvising@gwu.edu
    SPH - meaghanwilson@email.gwu.edu

    Laptop/Phone Policy

    This is a course about popular culture and from time to time we may be making forays online when exigencies of discussion and/or collaborative online work require it. However, for the most part we will be working without electronics. Assume that any notes you take will be taken the old-fashioned way - paper and pen. You will be expected to bring printouts of readings to work with in class and, from time to time, printouts of your own writing for in-class or small group workshopping. Unless otherwise requested, laptops should remain closed and phones should be stowed.

    Grading Policies

  • UWP Policies: A grade of C- or above in UW20 indicates that the student is prepared to write solid academic essays in later upper-division, writing-intensive courses. Students must pass UW20 with a grade of C- or above in order to receive credit for the course. If a UW20 student is not prepared for the next level of university writing, the instructor will assign the student a grade of R (for Repeat). The R grade is reserved for students who work hard in the course and complete the main course assignments, but who will still benefit from additional UW20 writing instruction. A student receiving an R will not receive credit for the course; however, the R will not factor into the student's GPA. Students who do not complete the course materials, who are consistently absent from class, or who violate other expectations of academic behavior, will be awarded an F.
  • My Policies: As noted above, grammatically and mechanically correct papers are the baseline assumption. My general criteria for grading is as follows:
  • A: An ambitious and perceptive essay that engages complex ideas, is aware of counter-arguments, and brings well chosen evidence to bear in revealing ways. The analysis contained in such an essay should not merely restate or underscore previous knowledge. Rather is should push the reader to understand the topic in new ways. In other words, it gives the reader something to think about. Likewise, the conclusion is fresh, original and provocative. The language is precise, to the point and unencumbered with excess verbiage.
  • B: An essay that aims high. While it may not achieve all of its goals, it should nevertheless contain solid ideas backed by relevant research and be executed for the most part in clear concise prose. The conclusion goes beyond mere restatement to offer the reader a new perspective on the topic.
  • C: A piece of writing that has serious problems in one or more of these areas - conception, structure, use of evidence and language. This is a piece of writing that does not advance the reader's knowledge or viewpoint and indeed may confuse. The conclusion, if one exists, is unoriginal, merely restating the points made in the essay.
  • D: An essay that is wildly short of expectations, that does not address the assignment, or that fails to grapple seriously with any ideas *or* that fails to meet basic expectations for grammar, mechanics, or clear use of language.

    Please note: My policy is to stand by the letter grades calculated by Blackboard.

    Academic Integrity Policies

  • General Policy for UWP: Academic writing builds on the work of others who have written and created before us. Academic writers use and cite the ideas, words, and images of others in order to document grounds for knowledge, illuminate contexts of argument, acknowledge intellectual influences, distinguish our own analytical voices, and encourage further investigation and inquiry. If, on the other hand, we take others' work as our own--using their phrases, images, concepts, or arguments without acknowledgement--we not only hamper these goals but also cross the line into academic dishonesty. The University defines academic dishonesty as "cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information." Please take the time to review the Code of Academic Integrity. Recommended penalties for plagiarism and other violations range from failing the assignment to expulsion from the University.
  • How this all works: Intentionally presenting the work of another as your own will lead to failure of the class *at a minimum* and possible referral for disciplinary action.

    Submitting Assignments

    You'll be submitting assignments via Blackboard. All assignments *must be* properly formatted.

  • Black 12 point font
  • Double-spaced
  • Properly headed (name and date) and paginated (last name and page number in upper right hand corner of every page except the first).
  • Approprite documentation as necessary.
  • One-sided printouts (when printouts are required)

    Support For Students Outside The Classroom
    UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER
    The GW Writing Center provides assistance to any GW student with any writing assignment in any class at any stage of the process. Appointments can be made online (follow the link above) and are for either 25 or 50 minutes. Writing Center tutors will brainstorm ideas to get you started, discuss organization and argument, address issues of style and clarity of writing. They will *not* proofread your papers. For specific writing help as a non-native English speaking student please consider scheduling your appointment at the Language Center.

    DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS)
    Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Rome Hall, Suite 102, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/ . Please note: DSS provides specific assistance with writing assignments.

    SUBSTANCE USE
    If you find yourself struggling with alcohol or other drug use there are resources on campus to assist you. The Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education (CADE) is located at 2129 I Street NW and can be reached at 202-994-2599 or cade@gwu.edu. Additionally, CADE works with Students for Recovery (SFR), a student support group. You can find more information here.

    SEXUAL ASSUALT

     In case you or someone you know at GW is ever sexually assaulted, ASK DC’s free app can help you be prepared with "immediate access to the information needed most in the event of a sexual assault on one of DC’s nine college campuses — quickly, confidentially and free. An invaluable tool for any DC college student." Both the app and the info itself are available at http://www.uaskdc.org/. It includes GW’s SARC (202-994-7222), which you can call at any time for expert, confidential support and information. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), (800) 656-HOPE, http://www.rainn.org/, also offers support, whether you’ve been sexually assaulted or want to help a friend who has been. Suggestions on how to help are available at http://www.care.uci.edu/general/Sexual-Assault---How-to-Support.aspx  The University Counseling Center is a good resource for this as well.

    UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER (UCC) 202-994-5300
    The University Counseling Center (UCC) offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address students' personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include:

    The UCC will also provide services (including crisis support) on the Mount Vernon Campus Monday through Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in Academic Building, Suite 119.

    Some General Bits of Advice As You Negotiate the Unfamiliar Waters of College Life

    1. Ask for help if you need it.
    2. Address your professors by their preferred title (and never call female professors Miss, Mrs. or Ms. unless expressly asked to do so). If you are addressing professors in an email, do not begin with "Hey!" Knowing your audience and the rhetorical situation can help enormously in these instances.
    3. Make sure you possess a reliable alarm.
    4. Do not write to one professor asking her/him to understand that you could not turn in an assignment on time because you had a (insert more important class here) assignment/test due at the same time. You will be hard pressed to find instructors who will react well to this or who will understand that the subject they are passionate enough about to devote their careers to is not deemed important by their students.
    5. Ask for help when necessary (yes, I'm repeating myself) and do let your professors know if you are struggling *before* the situation gets out of hand.
    6. Assume that you will have to print matierial out over the course of the semester (for this course you will be asked to print out drafts of papers and from time to time class readings from Blackboard) and be prepared.
    7. Do believe professors when they alert you to a useful strategy, method or tool. They are usually passing on this information for a reason. The reason is usually a good one.
    8. Make sure you save your work in several locations. Make Dropbox, Google Drive, the Cloud or simply a thumb drive your friend. Given the number of ways to store and access documents "my computer broke" is no longer a valid explanation for not turning work in on time.
    9. Make liberal use of your professors' office hours.
    10. If you see another student (a roommate, a classmate, a friend) struggling or in trouble and you do not feel comfortable or capable of helping, fill out a CARE Network Report. These reports are confidential and no one will reveal any of your information to the person about whom you are concerned.

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