Students will be assessed
on the basis of three types of evaluations: writing assignments, quizzes
and participation in discussions.
The first year seminars are,
in part, designed to help you understand "our" expectations
for college-level writing. Thus, we will work explicitly on the research-skills
needed for college-level work. We will stress the need for students
to begin writing assignments early and to get in the habit of writing
(and revising) multiple drafts of a paper. These skills will be developed
and assessed via three writing assignment (two five-page papers during
the semester and one ten-page paper at the end of the semester). The
due dates for each assignment will be announced at the beginning of
the semester. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Reading is a large part of
college-life, this class will involve regular reading assignments and
discussion of the current reading in class. In order to "encourage"
students to be prepared for class, many sessions will begin or end with
a short (one or two question) "quiz"; these will not be announced
ahead of time. Make-up quizzes will not be given under any circumstances.
Seminar classes are meant
to be interactive, while I will lecture some (especially at the beginning
of the semester), many classes will consist of a guided discussion,
enlightened by the reading (see above) students have done.. These discussions
will play a large role in the learning process. Thus, if you aren't
in class you won't be learning and if you aren't here to learn you shouldn't
be here! Therefore, attendance at all class sessions is mandatory. Missing
more that one or two classes during the semester will lower your grade.
Near mid-term, I will assign each student a provisional "participation
grade" in order to provide feedback in this area.
Each of these assessments
will each be assigned a letter grade and a final grade determined by
applying a "gpa type" calculation with the following weights:
|
%
of final grade
|
|
|
|
20
|
Writing
Assignment #1 (including drafts) |
|
|
20
|
Writing
Assignment #2 (including drafts) |
|
|
20
|
Writing
Assignment #3 (including drafts) |
|
|
20
|
Quizzes |
|
|
20
|
Class Participation |
|
Plagiarism and other
forms of cheating are not permitted in this class. Just so there is
no ambiguity, I have reproduced the dictionary definition here:
Plagiarize
1) to steal and pass off
(the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production)
without crediting the source
2) to commit literary theft
: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing
source
From
the Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary
Ideas are the basic product of science, indeed of all of academic fields,
and plagiarism is theft of ideas… simple as that. The key issue
in avoiding plagiarism is the citation (crediting) of sources. We will
talk more about this topic in class.
I take plagiarism and other
forms of academic/scientific misconduct seriously. The first incident
of plagiarism (or cheating, more generally,) in this class will result
in the student earning a grade of "F" on the assignment and
we (the student and instructor) will have a long talk about academic
and personal honesty. A second incident of plagiarism (or cheating,
more generally,) by the same student will result in their earning grade
of "F" for the entire course. I also reserve the right to
use the College's formal mechanisms for dealing with academic dishonesty
as outlined in the College catalog (see: http://www.bridgew.edu/Catalog/ugpol.pdf)
if I deem necessary.
First Year Seminar: Science
of Pharmaceutical Development (CHEM 199)
