Course Format:

This course will employ a combination of a lecture and seminar format. That means that it is largely discussion-oriented, and that students play an active role in ensuring the success of the course. Students are required to come in, having read the assigned texts for the day, in order to present and defend their interpretations of the texts, as well as critique those of others and pose clarificatory questions. In-class oral participation and attendance will also comprise 10% of the total mark. Thus skills of reading, listening, and speaking, which all rest upon prior preparation, form an integral component of the course. Extended discussions via Blackboard threaded conversations during the periods in between sessions, will be used to help set up and continue generating class momentum. These threaded e-mail conversations will comprise 10% of the total mark, and will be monitored and evaluated by the administrative assistants under strict supervision by the professor; on weeks when major requirements, such as final paper proposals, or drafts, or peer commentaries are due, the Blackboard requirement is cancelled. The threaded conversation exercise integrates writing with skills of argumentation and discussion. Students are required to log in once a week, anytime between Thursday morning (after the TH seminar) and Saturday midnight prior to the next class, to carry on these electronically mediated conversations. There is no make-up or late work that will be accepted, though the two lowest entries (each out of 100 points ) will be cancelled with no consequences.

After some sessions handled principally by the professor, the duty of giving a brief summary and critique of some of the assigned texts for the day, and of generating discussion, will be rotated among the students in groups. This is designed to enable students to be more actively involved in class discussions, and to give them a trial run for their final reports (that will resemble conference presentations in format). At the end of the course, students will be required to submit and present papers that intersect with the themes and methods discussed in the course. Movement towards the completion of the paper will be achieved through a step-wise procedure that will expose students to the fundamental steps involved in producing such a creative and scholarly piece. These steps move from writing up a preliminary project description, to a review of related literature or context review, to a first draft, and culminating in revisions based on remarks from the professor and if there is time, peer commentary. The session of the course will be devoted to brief mock conference presentations. Final presentations and final papers, inclusive of earlier drafts & reviews, and a list of changes done, are due on the same dates. Again, NO late work will be accepted.

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The professor reserves the right to revise these requirements and the schedule listed below if these prove necessary. Full credit will be earned for the course only if all requirements are completed on schedule. There are no make-up e-mails and no make-up papers—though students may make advanced e-mail submissions, or hand in an early paper if they are going away on a trip, for example. Two threaded conversation posts will be cancelled from the final tally, but NO more than that. In case accidents or emergencies come up, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the professor as soon as possible, preferably before the requirement is due (particularly if it is a major one—e.g., reports, drafts) so that alternative plans may be made, if warranted.

Florida State University Handbook Related Issues

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Attendance:

According to university policy, students who accumulate more than two weeks’ worth of absences are in danger of failing (that’s four TR classes); those who are involved with university-sanctioned events (inclusive of, but not limited to athletics, band, ROTC, academic honor societies, and nursing) may not be counted absent on days scheduled as service work for the university. To be excused on such days, obtain a signed statement on FSU letterhead, authorizing such a schedule of projected absences, from your advisor, by the second week of classes. This is the student’s responsibility; without such a document, those absences will be counted. Documented illnesses (get an authorized note from your physician or Thagard) will also be counted as excused absences. In all these cases, however, the students are still held responsible for work due that day and for all material covered, inclusive of class announcements or if necessary, changes to the course calendar; if a major requirement is due, such as a draft of the final paper, it is the student’s responsibility to get the paper to the instructor either ahead of time, or on the day itself, through e-mail (kpicart@english.fsu.edu). No late work is acceptable. However, in this class, you are allowed three free passes in terms of minor requirements such as chapter summaries or threaded conversation/e-mail posts; that is, I will cancel the three lowest chapter summaries and three lowest e-mail posts, which are submitted weekly. Use those free passes wisely.

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Academic Honor System Code:

The Florida State University General Bulletin contains an Honor Code that is repeated verbatim in the Student Handbook. You are responsible for knowing and conforming to it; in addition to the information listed in the Handbook, you are also cautioned that:

1. If you take material that is not yours, from any source (inclusive of websites), and copy it into anything you submit, you are obligated to provide a footnote, endnote or parenthetical reference and works cited list at the end of the paper.
2. Material that is lifted verbatim from other texts must be placed in quotation marks or, in the case of anything longer than three sentences, blocked quotes, indicating its source, as in item # 1 above.
3. Material that is paraphrased must also be documented as in item # 1.
4. Persons who violate the Honor Code and any of the items above in any requirement, whether minor or major, will receive an “F” for the course.

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ADA Statement:

Students with documented disabilities needing academic accommodations should, in the first week of class: 1.) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and 2.) bring an authorized letter from SDRC to the professor, indicating the need for academic accommodations, if necessary. This and all other class materials are available in alternative format, upon request. I will do everything I can to ensure fairness to everyone in class.

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Requirements:

Required Assignments/Format:

This course will employ a lecture and discussion format. Students are required to come in, having read the required texts for the day, in order to present and defend their opinions, as well as critique those of others and pose clarificatory questions; thus skills of listening and oral argumentation are very much part of the course design.

After a number of sessions handled by Dr. Picart, the duty of giving a brief summary and critique of some of the assigned texts for the day, and of generating discussion, using a powerpoint format, along other activities, such as small group discussions, will be rotated among the students. Students giving powerpoint presentations are required to e-mail their presentations to me (kpicart@english.fsu.edu) 24 hours before they are due to report. On the day of the presentations, the presenters are required to come in with a diskette version (just in case something goes wrong with the web) and two hard copies of the powerpoints in “hand-out” format.AGAIN, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Ideally, as well, your work on your powerpoint presentation should help you create your draft and final papers, which form the final requirements of the course.

The 25-30 minute student powerpoints should feature (subject to revision, depending on the number of students in class and the material that must be covered):

1. the aims of the particular class session
2. key terms/concepts and examples of them, featuring specific clips
3. a class outline, including an estimate of time allocations
4. an interactive activity, which is usually a student edition powerpoint presentation that may incorporate a game, small group work, acting a skit, etc.
5. guide questions for discussion

On the day of the presentation itself, come in with two powerpoint hand-out copies (see below for instructions) to submit to me. One will be marked and returned to you; the other will be kept on file.

The items outlined above comprise the criteria for the evaluation of your work for this component, which comprises 25% of the total mark, with each component above equally weighted. Posting these powerpoint presentations is a prerequisite to passing the course; failure to do so will result in failure. 25% of your total grade will come from these presentations. There are NO exceptions to this rule; you may switch teams (provided there are teams) and dates if you tell me ahead of time, and work out arrangements with each other. I will make sign-up arrangements available during the second week so you may think about which session/s you would like to sign up for, and with whom (if group arrangements are possible)..

In order to save on ink and paper, you may print out a “hand-out” version. Instructions for this are listed below. If it is easier for you, just print out an ordinary copy of the powerpoint presentation and photocopy it to save ink.

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Powerpoint Printing of Hand-Out Copies of Powerpoint Presentations:

Here are the instructions for the best way to print out PowerPoint presentations:

• I.  From the web
•      (You must have the PowerPoint program installed in your computer to do it this way)
•     1.  Use Netscape to get to campus.fsu.edu. 
•     2. After you log in and get to the course webpage, click to External Links. 
•     3. Click on the PowerPoint presentation you would like to print out. 
•     4.  A window will open to ask if you would like to "save it to disk" or "run from the current location". For convenience's sake, click "run from current location."  This will download and transfer the presentation to the PowerPoint program on your computer. 
•     5.  Go to "File" on the menu.  Scroll down to "Print".
•     6.  When the print menu pops up. 
•         a. You can choose from "slides".  This will print each slide on a full page. 
•         b. To save paper, you can choose to print as "handouts".  On a section on the right, you can choose how many slides you would like on each page. 
•         c. Also, there are checklist options at the bottom,  I recommend clicking "pure black and white" for clearer pictures on a black and white printer.
•         d.  When you are finished, click the "OK" button.
• II.  From the PowerPoint Program. 
•     1.  Click on the "my computer" icon.
•     2.  Click on the icon representing where your file is saved (for example, if the PowerPoint presentation you wish to open is on your disk, click A:)
•     3.  Click on the file in order to open.
•     4.  Go to "File" on the menu.  Scroll down to "Print".
•     5.  When the print menu pops up. 
•         a. You can choose from "slides".  This will print each slide on a full page. 
•         b. To save paper, you can choose to print as "handouts".  On a section on the right, you can choose how many slides you would like on each page. 
•        c. Also, there are checklist options,  I recommend clicking "pure black and white" for clearer pictures on a black and white printer.
•         d.  When you are finished, click the "OK" button.

Remember that threaded conversations (along with in class report powerpoints, which constitute half of a threaded conversation, comprise 15% of your total mark, with each post being worth 200 points) go on during weekends, from Fridays through Saturdays, midnight. Use a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 500 words (double spaced within BB), again seeking to comment substantively on the powerpoint presentations in relation to theoretical and practical issues in teaching the material to the class. Indicate the word count at the top of the post and make certain you double space the entry. If you do not indicate the total word count or double space, I will be forced to grade you one level lower; if you fail to do both, then you will be graded two levels lower. I will cancel two missed or the lowest scoring assignments/posts. Posts should be made in the general discussion board, so everyone has access to the material, and may comment on individual posts. Feedback on how you are doing (both in your presentations and BB threaded conversations) will be provided through BB and will be handed back to you in class.

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Draft and Final Paper Grading Criteria:

Note: Your draft and final essay grade will be based on the following criteria. Each category will be compiled of whole points, no partial points will be given. All of these criteria are equally weighted.

1) Spelling Mechanics Structural Detail: These essays are to consist of 5-7 pages for the draft and10-15 pages for the final paper, typewritten in a standard APA or MLA format, double-spaced, with 12 point font and 1 inch margins. If you use films, you must confer film credits ( http://us.imbd.com) and spell the characters' and actors' names correctly. Your essay must have a clear thesis, which is to be followed by a series of arguments that support your thesis, using specific examples from texts.

2) Examples of Critical Theory, in its various iterations: The essay must make reference to and apply ideas found in at least five required texts listed in the syllabus, and five new references, which you must research on your own. You must illustrate the interrelations of class, race, gender, embodiment and sexuality, where such is relevant. 

3.) Application or Contemporization: Explain fully in detail how textual content and the critical mode of narration/persuasion/genre conventions inform your thesis. Which type of critical theoretical framework are you employing, and to which medium, and why? You should ask, for example, what is the thematic material or ideology of class, race, gender or sexuality in the selected text/s and how does the form of the text (whether it be a film, a scientific model, a painting, etc.) interact with, or enunciate, this theme or ideology? How does, for example, the filmmaker or artist attempt to express ideas and elicit emotional responses from spectators, using genre conventions? In what ways does the text you have chosen to write about, whether artistic or scientific, persuasively "address" an implied spectator by reference to codes of class, race, gender or sexuality?

4) Synthesis of Critical Theory: Evaluates the overall synthesis of ideas derived from the theories presented in the course readings and their relationship to the formal structuring of the selected texts, with an eye to both form and content.

5) Quality and creativity of thesis and arguments:  Be specific in your arguments and try to avoid obvious or far-reaching statements. Creativity is assessed by your ability to often put unrelated ideas into a single conceptual framework and back these up with adequate and compelling proof.

Threaded Conversations Grading Criteria:

In order to receive any grade higher than 40 points on a 100 point scale, the student must meet the word limits set, which is between 250 to 500 words. At the top of the post, kindly indicate the word count and double space your entries (hit enter twice at the end of every line). To check your word count, in MSWORD use "Tools" -> "Word Count" and look at the number after 'words.' Failure to do so results in deductions to the next lower grade per omission (i.e., not having a word count moves you from an A to an A-; not double spacing, on top of that, leaves you with a B+ as the highest mark possible).

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Policies on Electronic Communication and Access to Information:

The FSU internal networks and connections to the National Information Infrastructure provide a wide range of facilities for communication between individuals and for disseminating information and ideas. Electronic communication and information resources will be increasingly important to University faculty, staff, and students. The University supports open access to electronic communication and information, as follows:
·       Members of the University community may freely communicate and access information on electronic networks.
·       Material accessible to the FSU community through networks and materials disseminated from FSU should not be restricted on the basis of its content, nor because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to its creation (note: obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment). University administrators, faculty, and staff should challenge any attempts to censor electronic information sources. Members of the University community should use information resources responsibly and considerately, in accordance with the following guidelines:
·       The computing and network resources of the University may not be used to impersonate another person or misrepresent authorization to act on behalf of others or the University.
·       The computing and network resources of the University may not be used to harass another person. Users should not transmit to others or display images, sounds, or messages that might be perceived by a reasonable person as, or have been identified as, harassing. (See the University policies on sexual harassment and the Student Conduct Codes, section 9.c.3.)

Owners of computer accounts are responsible for all use of the accounts. They should follow guidelines to prevent unauthorized use by others, and report intrusions to the system administrators. The University cannot guarantee that, in all instances, copies of critical data will be retained on University systems. It is ultimately the responsibility of computer users to obtain secure, backup copies of essential files for disaster recovery.

VIOLATIONS:Violations of computer and network policy as outlined in this document will be considered on a case-by-case basis according to established policies; determinations may include denial of access privileges. In all instances, measures will be taken to protect the system; however, due-process rights of everyone involved will be observed in all cases. Users are reminded that some uses of the network are governed by the University Honor Code, local, State, or Federal laws.
APPROVED BY FACULTY SENATE, APRIL 12, 1995

Regarding Spam/Jokes/Chain Letters:

Please note that anything that is inappropriate to say face-to-face in class is generally inappropriate to distribute on the web course. Also the mailing lists should not be used for anything but communicating within the class environment. Inappropriate behavior of this kind will result in severe consequences as outlined in the FSU Student Handbook (email abuse punishment can range from revoking your computer access to expulsion in severe cases). Refer to: http://www.fsu.edu/Books/Student-Handbook/codes/honor.html . For more on Email Abuse, also see:

http://www.acns.fsu.edu/docs/policy.html .

If you feel that some course-relevant information should be made available to the entire class, email the instructor(s) with a request to post on the announcement board.  The instructor(s) will make the decision of appropriateness.

Miscellaneous Technology Resources:

A. If you run into any technological difficulties, please contact (in addition to your assigned instructors and mentorees):

• http://us.fsu.edu or call 644-8502 for live technological support;
• a. http://training.us.fsu.edu/course_handouts/html.pdf (particularly the section on page 21 of the pdf file).
• http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/reference/html_cheatsheet/index.html (HTML reference sheet) in order to learn how to boldface, underline, italicize, etc. in your threaded conversation posts.

B. Double spacing in Blackboard threaded conversation posts:

• a. Open Microsoft Word (not sure if this will work entirely for Corel’s WordPerfect, Mac/PC or Notepad on a PC). For those following these steps in WP or on a Mac, we would like to get your feedback if things don’t work for you. Please email your assigned instructor or mentoree.
• b. Write your post and save it as a *.doc file (where * = the file name you give
• your post on the computer you’re working).
• c. Highlight the written text from the beginning to the end. You do so by left clicking your mouse at the beginning of the text, holding the left mouse button, drag the cursor (arrow or whatever shape it is for you) to the end of the text, which should automatically move as you drag it.
• d. Use Control + C keys together to copy the highlighted content (alternatively you can use the right mouse while the mouse arrow is over the highlighted area and click "Copy" in the menu).
• Go to the Blackboard writing panel, place your cursor at the beginning of the
• document and use Control + V (or the right mouse menu "Paste") to "paste" the
• content.
• f. Once pasted, use the following HTML (web page) codes to create paragraph marks: Use the upper key to the comma (i.e. the pointed bracket to the left, or less than sign) followed by the letter P and the upper key to the period (i.e. the pointed bracket to the right, or greater than sign). The pointed brackets tell the computer that you are giving an HTML command and that you are not just writing text. You may use a return before and after to make the marks easily visible for you as you go.
• g. Hit Preview after you create a copy of your text within Blackboard (same as when you transferred it from Word or Notepad). This way, if something happens, you can just paste it all in again, without having to do the return marks or HTML codes again.
• h. Submit
• i. Words of Caution: Do not use your Browser’s back button (the <- on the top) and do not resize your window while writing. Any of these will wipe out your writing!

• a. Write out your entire post in your word processing program.
• b. Then copy it and paste it into Blackboard.
• c. Start at the top of the post at the left side of the page, hit arrow down and enter.
• d. Do that for the entire document.
• e. Hit preview.
• It shows the document, not double spaced.
• Hit the back button (the one within Blackboard not the Netscape back button.
• h. Do the arrow down/enter procedure again
• i. Hit preview and it should appear double spaced.

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Dan Latimer, Contemporary Critical Theory (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1989) ISBN: 0-15-513494-9 (To be made into a Target Packet)

Steven Lynn, Texts and Contexts, 4 th Edition (Pearson Longman, 2005). ISBN: 0-321-20942-7

Becky McLaughlin and Bob Coleman, Everyday Theory: A Contemporary Reader (Pearson Longman, 2005). ISBN: 0-321-19540-X

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Hazard Adams,Critical Theory Since Plato (Heinle & Heinle, 1992) ISBN:  0155161431 (On Reserve at Strozier)

Caroline Picart , Resentment and “the Feminine” in Nietzsche’s Politico-Aesthetics (Penn State University Press, 1999) ISBN: 0-271-01889-5 (On Reserve)

Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (New York: WW Norton, 1989). ISBN: 0-393-30158-3 (Chapter Exerpt On Reserve; alternate editions allowed)

Franz Kafka , The Trial, intro. George Steiner (New York: Schocken Books, 1992). ISBN: 0-8052-1040-7 (On reserve; alternate editions allowed)

Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Third Edition (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1996). (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0-226-45-808-3

Thomas Kuhn, “Second Thoughts on Paradigms,” The Essential Tension (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1977), pp. 293-319. (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0-226-45-806-7

Donna Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century,” Simians, Cyborgs, Women: The Reinvention of Nature (New York: Routledge, 1991), pp. 149-182. (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0-415-90-387-4

Hooks, bell , “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators,” Feminism and Tradition in Aesthetics, eds. Peggy Zeglin Brand and Carolyn Korsmeyer (State College, Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press, 1995), pp. 142-159. (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0-271-01-341-9

Mary D. Garrard, “Leonardo da Vinci and Creative Female Nature,” Feminism and Tradition in Aesthetics, eds. Peggy Zeglin Brand and Carolyn Korsmeyer, University Park, PA: Penn State Press, 1995, pp. 326-353. (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0271013419

Sandra Harding, “Why ‘Physics' is a Bad Model for Physics,” Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? (New York: Cornell University Press, 1988), pp. 77-102. (On Reserve, alternate editions allowed) ISBN: 0-801-49-746-9

Trinh T. Minh-ha, “Outside In Inside Out,” When the Moon Waxes Red; Representation, Gender, and Cultural Politics (New York and London: Routledge, 1991), pp. 65-78. (On Reserve; alternate editions allowed ) ISBN: 0-415-90-431-5

Patricia J. Williams (1988), ‘On Being the Object of Property,’ Signs:  Journal of Women in Culture and Society 14, pp. 5-24 in Feminist Legal Theory II, Frances Olsen, ed. (New York University Press, 1995), pp. 487-508. ISBN: 0-8147-6186-0 (On Reserve)

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