Course requirements – read carefully and remember always!
● Students are expected to attend all meetings of each class in which they are enrolled as described in the MICA schedule of classes. Unexcused absences from as few as three class meetings may result in a failing grade. Students must be present at each session from start to finish, and classes will always start on time.
● Students must complete all reading assignments in a timely way and participate in class discussions.
● Each student must keep a journal during the course, comprising at least one page – in a 12-point font with no more than two lines of heading – per week. This is the equivalent of a short paper each week, in which you respond to one or more aspects of that week’s course material: the reading, the film, the lecture, the class discussion. Of these, the reading is most important – refer to it specifically as often as possible. Do not turn in your class notes as a substitute – this is an academic journal, meant to record what you are learning and thinking with regard to the course on a weekly basis. Journals must be printed by computer, not written by hand.
● Due dates: Journals are due in two installments. Entries for the first seven weeks must be submitted on October 9. They will be returned with a midterm grade. Entries for the remaining weeks are due in class on December 11. No journal entry is required for December 11 since journals are due on that day.
● Grades for all students will be based primarily on the writing required each week, secondarily on attendance and participation.
● Graduate students enrolled in this course should consult with the professor during the first week of class to discuss the higher level of expectation and work required for graduate credit.
Journal rules and guidelines – please read carefully and remember always:
The point of the journal is to show that you are engaging with each week’s subject matter, demonstrating knowledge of the pertinent film material and topics considered in class discussions and reading assignments. It must contain at least a page (as detailed above) on each week’s subject matter, demonstrating knowledge of the pertinent film material, topics considered in class discussions, and subjects covered in the reading assignments. You can’t cover all aspects of the week in a page, so be selective. You must refer frequently to the reading, however. You are welcome and encouraged to include material suggested by reading and film viewing outside class, but such material must be relevant to this course.