Syllabus

Download this syllabus in PDF format (fall)

Download this syllabus in PDF format (spring)

Introduction

Spring semester provides the opportunity for your in-depth research to culminate in an Honors Thesis on your chosen topic. Over the course of this second semester, you will continue to meet in independent study with your faculty advisor in your research field.  You will refine and develop your first semester draft and extend your argument substantially over the first two months.  You will also bring your e-portfolio to fruition as a key component of your thesis presentation. As a class, we will meet at designated times in order to get updated on your research and writing, to brainstorm about revision and reorganization, and to evaluate each other’s Oral Report.  I will also meet with you individually to discuss your progress and give specific feedback on your thesis.

Class members will give their Oral Reports as scheduled and, at the end of the spring term, will present their findings in formal presentation in a conference format. Students should invite their advisors to attend the Macaulay Conference.

Required Textbooks

We will continue using the third edition of Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (University of Chicago Press, 2008).

Your citations should be in accordance with the conventions of your field of research.  You may purchase a style manual or use the Purdue OWL Reference Guide on our course website.  Be sure you use the most recent Guide, since Internet citations have been updated.

Course Requirements

Attendance is required for all class meetings designated on the syllabus.  In the event of an illness or unavoidable reason for missing class, please notify me in advance if possible or provide an official excuse to avoid a grade penalty.  Lateness is disruptive to the flow of discussion and will be considered an absence.

Class participation is vital to the lecture/discussion format of this course.  Your ideas and respectful critiques provide valuable support for your colleagues. Your class participation will be judged on the basis of the quality of the ideas expressed, and the force of your arguments, your respect for other class members’ and my points of view (as shown in the way you respond to others’ ideas), and your attentiveness to the discussions.  Participation also includes peer evaluation (oral and written).

Writing Assignments

Over the course of the semester, the following will be due by the dates stipulated on the class schedule.  Submit copies to your advisor and me:

–Relevant Charts, graphs, or Power Point images
–Working Conclusion
–Full Thesis Draft, including all citations
–Oral Report Outline and Notes
–Self-Evaluation of Honors Project and Work
–Completed Thesis and E-Portfolio

Macaulay Conference Presentation:  this is the culminating event of our yearlong course.  Participation is required to complete the class.

Course Evaluation

Second semester grades are based on your class participation, Oral Report, Draft, Conference presentation, Self-Evaluation, and completed Thesis and E-Portfolio.

For both semesters, I will determine your final grade in consultation with your advisor.  This includes your advisor’s written report on your Draft and your final Thesis.

Course Objectives

Knowledge Bases

Students should:

–develop ability to evaluate texts that provide material for their research projects
–develop understanding of a variety of types of discourse and print and visual media in their interdisciplinary contexts (e.g., cultural, social, historical, scientific, psychological, and political)
–develop an understanding of rhetorical strategies
–develop the ability to discern ideological inclinations of texts
–develop ability to understand and apply theoretical formulations to their issues

Academic Skills

Students should:

–be able to reason, think critically, evaluate, use evidence, and make judgments
–be able to write clearly and imaginatively in a form appropriate to their field of interest
–use appropriate conventions of language, including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
–be able to revise and reorganize for clarity
–be able to use the library to find appropriate print and electronic sources
–develop a sense of fairness, objectivity, and accuracy in reporting
–understand the ethics of research and writing, including the proper citation, and integration, of source materials into their work and the meaning and consequences of plagiarism
–develop listening skills
–develop ability to speak effectively

Social and Personal Skills

Students should:

–learn to be self-reflecting
–develop ability to work independently and collectively
–learn how to brainstorm about ideas
–develop respect for both intellectual and cultural diversity

Disabilities Policy

If you qualify as a student with a disability, you will be provided reasonable academic accommodations if determined eligible by the Office of Accessibility Services on your home campus. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, I must receive written verification of your eligibility.   It is your responsibility to initiate contact with the office and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to me.

CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity

Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion, as provided herein.  This includes but is not limited to the following:

–Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor.
–Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including use of commercial term paper services.
–Submitting someone else’s work as your own.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:

–Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
–Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
–Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
–Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
–Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.

(For more information, go to www.cuny.edu)