| 1. |
Contacting
Professor Cousineau –
The easiest way is by email. If you wish to
reach her quickly, use both of her addresses that are
given in the syllabus. If you wish to speak with her during office hours, go to
the Academic Technology Center, Room 232 during the
hours listed in the syllabus. If you cannot meet with
her at those times, ask for an appointment at some other
time.
|
| 2. |
Study
hours each week –
Please keep in mind that the relationship between hours
in class and hours of study is the opposite of what it
was in high school. In college the average student
spends 15 to 18 hours a week in classes. That's a lot
less than in high school. And yet college is a lot
harder than high school. This is because college
students have to do a lot of work on their own. The
general rule is that, if you want to get an A, you
should spend three hours studying for every hour
in class (except for lab sciences or studio classes,
where more of the work is done during class). So for
this course, this would be the plan:
|
If you want an A, study nine hours per week;
If you want a B, study six hours per week;
If you want a C, study three hours per week;
If you want a D, study fewer than three hours.
(Please be aware that aiming for a D is risky,
since it is too easy to flub one exam and end up
with an F.)
|
| Study
time includes: |
|
Doing the reading
assignments
Answering the study questions
Meeting with a study group (if you want to)
Meeting with a tutor (if you want to)
Reviewing class notes
Reviewing for exams |
|
| 3. |
If
you lose the syllabus –
You have two options: Ask Professor Cousineau
for another one or click here
to see it on the website. The syllabus web page has a
link that you may click on to get the syllabus in a
format that can be easily printed.
|
| 4. |
If
your book is lost –
If you lose the Barker and Mander booklet, Invisible
Government, you can download one at the website
of the International Forum on Globalization. The direct
link is http://www.ifg.org/analysis/wto/aboutwto.htm#publications.
If you lose the Eitzen and Baca Zinn book, you will need
to go to
the book store and buy a new one. Although it costs less
than $50, that is still a bite out of most students'
budgets. So try not to lose it. You need to have both
books because readings assigned from them are discussed
in class and because the papers and exams are based on
the readings.
|
| 5. |
The
number of papers –
This course is part of the College
Curriculum and is required to follow the guidelines for
fulfilling the requirement of a Writing Intensive
course. The number of six short papers is part of those
guidelines. It is an alternative to having to write
a long research paper or three five-page papers. Since
this course is focused on discussion of the readings, it
seems to be most useful to require six commentaries on
those readings.
|
| 6. |
Leading
a discussion –
This course is also an Oral
Communications course within the College
Curriculum. Since the guidelines for "O"
courses require that oral communication constitute 15
percent of the grade, there needs to be something beyond
simple class participation. The requirement that
students take turns giving their group's report to the
class forms the basis for that part of the grade.
|
| 7. |
Studying
for exams –
The best way to study for exams is to keep up
with the work assigned for each week. When you do the
readings take notes on important points, especially
those related to the study questions. Write your six
papers carefully, not just filling up pages to do the
minimum for the assignment, but using the papers as a
way of really learning the material in the readings and
retaining that material. When it comes time to review
for exams, study your class notes, the study questions,
your notes on the readings, and your papers.
|
| 8. |
Early
scheduling of the final exam –
This is against the policy of the college and
should not be done. Professors who schedule the final
exam at times other than those scheduled by the
registrar are creating problems for everyone. Some
students miss an exam and get an F because they are
confused by the change. Other students end up having two
or three exams on the same day without adequate time to
study.
If students have a problem with the
time that the exam for this course is scheduled,
Professor Cousineau may be able to allow a small number to take their exam at the time of one of her
other courses. Students who wish to exercise this option
must speak with her in advance.
|
| 9. |
Missing
the final exam –
Generally students who miss the final get an F
for the course. However, if there are special
circumstances, the student should immediately contact
the professor by email.
|
| 10. |
The
Relevance of this Course
A great part of the value of a your degree from
Mount Ida College is that all programs include liberal
arts courses. An educated professional is a person
who can think "out of the box" – that
is, someone who has a variety of cognitive skills. The
assignments in this course provide for the
development of skills that will be valuable
to those who hope to go far in any profession.
Finally, it would be hard to imagine
any line of work today that is not in some way affected
by globalization – which
is the focus of this course. A study of global issues
helps us to put our own experiences in context.
|
| 11. |
The
wrong group –
The easy answer to this question is change
groups! Sometimes students are amazed at the great
difference in the environment of each small group
– not only in terms of work patterns,
but also in the dynamic that develops among individual
personalities. One group may be just right for one
person and totally wrong for another.
But sometimes it happens that the
student is no happier with the new group than with the
old one. In that case, there is
another possible solution: When you talk with other
students outside of class, you will get a sense of which
ones have attitudes and study patterns that are similar
to your own. Form an
out-of-class study group with these students. That way
you will find out if they are really compatible with you. If
they are, you may then ask the instructor to allow this
study group to serve as your discussion group in class.
Don't get locked in to a group that
isn't right for you. The only time when it is too late
to change groups is when the class is over. But the
sooner you make the change, the greater the chance you
have of finding a group that you can work with.
|
| 12. |
Distracting
classmates –
Make an appointment to speak with the professor
about this. She will talk with you about how to handle
the problem in such a way that no one will know you
complained.
|
| 13. |
Finding
out how you are doing in this course –
Since the formula for calculating the grade in
this course is a bit complicated, you should speak with Professor Cousineau during
office hours to find out your average. To get a
realistic assessment, you would need to wait until after
the midterm exams have been graded.
|
| 14. |
Improving
your grade –
If you are concerned about your grade, make an
appointment to talk with the professor about it. She can
let you know what your average is so far, and can make
specific suggestions tailored to your own needs and the
amount of time available to you.
Since this course is focused on the
readings,
working hard at doing the reading assignments is
critical to getting a good grade. Each week, read the
assignments carefully and completely, jot down answers
to the study questions, and write journal entries that
involve serious consideration of the ideas and
information provided in the readings.
|
| 15. |
Extra
credit –
Extra credit is a complex issue, (1) because it
is no replacement for learning the course material, and
(2) because it can create an unfair advantage, since the
student who is given extra credit is being graded by
standards that are different from those for the rest of
the class. In order to emphasize that the best way to
get extra credit is to do good work, for which people
sometimes need extra help, the only extra credit option
offered in this course is linked to meeting with a tutor at the Academic Success Center.
This may improve your grade in two ways: (1) A point is
added to your next exam grade for each visit to the ASC,
so that the more frequently you meet with a tutor, the
more extra points you will accumulate;
(2) the help you get from the tutor will improve
your understanding of the course material, thus
improving your performance on exams.
|
| 16. |
Grading
the exams –
The midterm and final exams consist of three
essay questions each. The student must write an answer
that is consistent with material presented in the course, but there is more
than one way to express ideas about that material. The
student also has the opportunity to explain her or his
answer in detail, which is never the case in a
multiple-choice test.
There are, of course, pitfalls with
essay exams. First of all, the student must know the
material well in order to be able to explain it in a
convincing manner. Second, the student must write in
correct English, not only being careful to avoid errors
of grammar and spelling, but also organizing the ideas
well and building a clear argument. Students who have
difficulty in this area would do well to make an
appointment early in the semester with an English tutor
at the Academic Success Center. The weekly study
questions are an excellent source of practice for
writing clear, organized answers to questions about the
readings – and this provides preparation
for the exams.
|
| 17. |
Making
up the midterm exam –
Make-ups are given only under special
circumstances, to be determined on a case-by-case basis,
and will be longer and more difficult than the original
exam.
|
| 18. |
Midterm
warning –
Midterm warnings do not become part of a
student's permanent record. They are a "heads
up," a way of letting a student know that he
or she may be headed for a low final grade or even an F.
If you receive a midterm warning grade in any of your
courses, make an appointment right away to speak with
the instructor. You need to find out the reason for the
grade and ask for suggestions for improving your overall
average as soon as possible.
|
| 19. |
Why
the final grade is called "final" –
It is called "final" because that
means it cannot be changed. There are two exceptions:
(1) the professor made a mistake in calculation, and the
student was really supposed to get a higher grade; (2)
the student missed the final exam for a serious reason
and will be allowed a make-up.
However, "need" is not the
basis for a grade. A student who has to maintain a
particular grade average in order to stay in school
needs to get extra help in his or her courses from the
beginning of the semester. Once the final grades are in,
it is too late to do anything about them.
|
| 20. |
How
to get a good grade in this course –
Do the readings on time each week.
Use the study questions to guide your readings.
Take notes during classes, including discussion classes,
and go over the notes later that day and just before the
next class.
Consider meeting with a tutor at the Academic Success
Center to go over the readings, to work on the study
questions, and to review before exams.
Make full use of the requirement of using the Writing
Center for the six papers. Don't just show up there only
to fill the requirement. Use the suggestions made by the
writing tutor and ask questions to help you write a
better paper.
Talk with the professor often. Go to see her during
office hours and ask questions about the course
material. Talking with someone about the things you are
learning helps you to learn more. Asking questions of
someone who knows a lot about the material helps you
even more. (This is not "kissing up."
This is common sense.)
|
| 21. |
What
you missed when you were absent –
Sometimes students don't realize how insulting it is
to ask a professor, "Did I miss anything?" It suggests that
there are days when nothing important goes on in class.
It is better to ask, "May I make an appointment
with you to
go over what I missed?"
|
| 22. |
The
attendance requirement –
Students who miss more than six classes will
receive an automatic F in this course. Attendance is required because, when it is not,
a lot of students skip class. This is a problem for two
reasons: (1) They are missing information related to
exams and assignments; (2) the other students are
missing their input. This class involves a lot of
discussion and interaction. Each person's presence is
valuable, even if a person is not speaking but is
listening to others. Late arrivals are a problem because
they are disruptive. Students coming in late distract
other students who are listening to a lecture. And on
discussion days, it is an even bigger problem, because
it is hard to set up the small groups when a lot of
people are missing for part of the class and then come
in when the discussion dynamic has already started. They
may say things that have already been said, or not be
able to contribute to the discussion at all because they
missed part of it.
|
| 23. |
Absent
when sick –
You may be excused from a class without penalty
if you are sick. However, in order to be fair to all
students, it is best if you have some evidence of your
illness. For example, if you saw a doctor, nurse, or
other health professional, bring a note or an
appointment slip. If you are excused from the class, you
will not lose points for that class or for handing in
study questions when you come back to class. However, you will need to make
an appointment with the instructor when you get back to
go over the material that you missed.
|
| 24. |
Death
in the family –
You may be excused up to one week for the death
of a close relative. You will be excused from the study
questions for that week. However, you will need to make
an appointment with the instructor when you get back to
go over the material that you missed.
|
| 25. |
Religious
holidays –
If you wish to be excused from class for a
religious holiday, you must give the professor, one week
before the holiday, a one-page typewritten essay
explaining the meaning of it. (Be careful not to
"fudge" it. Professor Cousineau's research
area is the sociology of religion, and she knows
a lot about different religious traditions.)
|
| 26. |
Other
Questions –
Please
let Professor Cousineau know by email
if you need other information or if you would like
to suggest other questions to add to this page.
|
|
|
