Interim Assignments: This course includes two take-home interim exams, 7-8 weeks apart, each containing objective questions and essays drawn from the lectures and readings, and videos. The second interim assignment will be due on the last day of class. There are no cumulative midterm or final examinations. See the "Lectures and Assignments Schedule" for specific dates.
All absences can be excused by presenting written documentation to the Absence Memo Office of Associate Dean of Students. Undocumented or self-reported excuses usually are not acceptable. Running errands is not a valid excuse. Students are responsible for all the material in the readings, videos, lectures, etc., whether they are present or not in class. Students should never telephone the instructor on the same day to say they will be absent, nor should they ever(!) call the History Department office to report their absence.
If the instructor does not call the daily roll, an attendance sign-in sheet will be circulated. Students are also marked as absent for the following reasons: they do not sign the attendance sheet; they sign the sheet then leave class; they leave class for an inordinate period of time without valid excuse. Any student who leaves class without permission and does not return after taking a quiz or exam will be recounted as absent, and the quiz/exam will receive an automatic failing grade (0 = F).
VERY IMPORTANT: Any students who have missed 30% of class meetings or more, i.e., nine (9) or more individual classes, regardless of whether they have excused absences or not, will be subject to automatic withdrawal from the course by the professor with a grade of WA which computes into the GPA as a grade of "F". Why? Because the professor's lectures contain more materials than are found in the textbook and course readers, and discussion and question-and-answer constitute important parts of the curriculum. If students have missed 30% of lectures, it is clear they are not getting all the materials, and they are not participating in classroom discussions in any significant manner. Therefore, if it is because of a medical reason that any student has missed nine (9) or more classes, he/she should discuss the matter with the professor and consider seeking a medical withdrawal from the course in the Registrar's Office.
Due Dates and Topics: The dates of all assignments, including: readings, quizzes, midterm exam, and term paper, are noted on the "Reading Assignments"-Page. Paper topics are fully described on the "Required Papers"-page (see buttons in left frame).
Late papers and assignments will be penalized five (5) points for each day late (including Saturdays), up to three days, after which they automatically receive a grade of "F", and will be graded no higher than 59%. Failure to submit a paper entirely will result in an automatic failure in the course, regardless of the student's grade standing. All papers must be submitted in person to the instructor; failing that, they may be submitted to the History Department (Maybank 202/204), where the departmental administrators will certify and date-stamp their arrival.