Course Requirements

Final Grades

Judgment about the progress of your work is based on the quality and depth of critical and constructive thinking exhibited on tests and quizzes. Your course grade is determined by averaging the points you achieve from the following scores:

Test 1

Nature of Philosophy

Test 2

Philosophy of Life

Test 3

Philosophy of Religion

Test 4

Philosophical Ethics

Quizzes

Best 10 of 12 Quizzes

Each item above counts 20% of your course grade; your final course grade is assigned according to the final average of these five scores. There is no comprehensive final examination in this class.

Grades: Suggestions for Doing Well

Judgment about the progress of your work is based on the four test scores and best ten quizzes. The course is essentially performance-based and consists of a progressive series of concepts to be learned and mastered. For this reason, few students can do well in this course by ``cramming'' before exams. Normally, the course is not difficult if you attend class, keep up with the reading and homework daily, and do not attempt to learn a large amount of information at one time. Understanding philosophy does take some patience; only by dedicating some time and an open mind toward different ideas does philosophy finally prove accessible and personally rewarding.

Tests

Tests are usually a combination of objective, short answer and essay questions. The subject-matter is primarily based on the reading and homework assignments, especially the questions at the beginning of the readings. If you understand the questions at the beginning of the readings, you will do well on tests.

The tests are neither based on memorized facts nor based on objective information derived from memorized arguments. Instead, the emphasis given in tests is on the operation and active transformation or manipulation of the concepts learned. Occasionally, some particularly difficult optional questions are included for extra credit.

On essay questions, be sure to answer with complete sentences; answers provided as lists of phrases or the names of concepts, alone, do not reflect an understanding of the subject and will be given little, if any, credit. Some example tests, quizzes, and lecture notes are online at

http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/

Test Review Worksheets are provided in the Appendix to this syllabus and form an excellent basis for studying for tests.

Quizzes

In-class quizzes are based on short specific questions written in class on an explicit philosophical topic or argument. The quiz topic is usually announced in advance of the quiz, and the topic has been thoroughly explored in a previous class. Your quiz average is based on the highest ten scores. Examples of past quizzes are online here:

http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/quizzes.html

Online Quizzes

Online quizzes are provided as study aids only and may be used for self-testing. They are entirely optional and form no part of your grade in this course. Practicing with the online quizzes is especially important to test your understanding of the important concepts before you take a test.

Grade Evaluation

Your final course grade is assigned according to your final average as described above in the subsection ``Final Grades.'' The number of hours advised to study given below is usually an accurate guide to how well you will do in this class. If you study only for tests, your doing well in the course is doubtful. Many students assume they can do well in philosophy without doing homework and without studying outside of class because they have been able to do so in other high school or college classes. Since these students have become habituated to passing courses without much study, they are often alarmed to discover our philosophy course is substantially different from what they have expected.

A

(above 90 points) reflects approximately three hours study per class hour; a great deal of time, thought, and effort; and mastery of the subject.

B

(80 or above but below 90 points) reflects approximately two hours study per class hour; above average time, thought and effort; and superior achievement.

C

(70 or above but below 80 points) reflects approximately one hour study per class hour, average time, thought, and effort; and average achievement.

D

(60 or above but below 70 points) reflects cramming for examinations; minimum time, thought, and effort; below college level work; a less than adequate grasp of the course content; and less than satisfactory achievement.

FA

reflects attending fewer than 75% of class meetings.

INC

can only be given in cases of sudden illness or emergency.

Extra Credit

Other than some occasionally offered intriguing problems in class and more difficult problems on tests, no other opportunities for extra credit are offered in this class. Subjects and problems for this course have been chosen on the basis that they are the best and most important introduction to beginning study of philosophy.

Grades Online

You may access your grades online at any time on the philosophy server (not Lander WebCT) with a username and password from this course as described below (not your WebCT username and password).

Username: Your username for the course is the first letter of your first name followed by your complete last name in lowercase letters and without spaces. For example ``Lauren Bouchett Satterfield'' would have the login username of ``lsatterfield'' with no limitation of number of letters as with some email programs.

Password: Your password is your Lander L-number (without hyphen). Type a capital L followed by eight digits: e.g., Lxxxxxxxx.

Where to Log In: From the Philosophy Homepage click on the yellow ``Introduction to Philosophy" link under the gray heading entitled ``Class Grades" as in Figure 1. When the Grades Login page loads do the following:

Figure 1: Where to Find Grades Online

1. Choose your class from the descriptions in the drop-down box. If you log in incorrectly, be sure to re-select your class from the drop-down box because an incorrect login might re-set the class to a default philosophy course. See Figure 1.
   

   Figure 2: How to Log in for Grades

   
   

2. Enter your username exactly as described above.
   
3. The login process is case-sensitive--be sure to use lowercase letters for your username and a capital ``L'' in your L-number password. If you obtain the result of ``bad login," check to see if the Caps Lock key is on, or you have confused the letter ``l'' with the number ``1'' or with the capital letter ``I.'' Occasionally, the number ``0'' is can confused with the capital letter ``O.''

Your Job

Our course is not difficult if you keep up with the assigned work. If you seek help from me during office hours, the first items I will check are your class notes, book notes, and homework problems--so that I can know where to begin to help. If a student were to claim he or she did not understand the subject well enough to ask any questions, take any notes, or attempt any homework, I am usually at a loss as the best way to help. A good place to see how to study in our course is the ``Notes on How to Study'' on the Web at

http://philosophy.lander.edu/study-topics.html

Free peer tutoring in philosophy is available in the Lander Writing Center, and you can sign up for an appointment online at this URL:

http://rich36.com/lander/

For more information on free peer tutoring from the Lander Writing Center, visit the center at Center LC 347 or telephone +1 864 388 8250.

• Come to class prepared.
• Take notes in class.
• Take notes on the important points of the assigned reading.
• Do all homework problems.
• Make extensive use of the online lectures, sample problems, quizzes, and tests.

My Job

We will find that philosophy is quite essential in all fields of endeavor.

• I will attempt to create the conditions under which you can exercise your native curiosity.
• Class lectures will be varied, and interesting examples will be used.
• I will show practical applications for all the philosophical methods employed.
• I will provide handouts and Web-based instructions for additional problem-solving support.

If I do my job correctly, our philosophy course will be one of the most valuable in your university career.

Class Policies

The following policies are explicitly stated here because these policies help protect fairness of the course evaluation for the class as a whole. Many of these policies are generally assumed in most classes at Lander University.

Test Make-Up Policy:

No tests can be specifically made-up per se during the regular semester in this course even though students have good reasons for missing class. Thus, prior to the final exam period tests cannot be made-up for any reason. If you miss one or more regularly scheduled tests during the semester with a written excused absence, your grade for that test or tests is established by the grade achieved on the appropriate test given at the time of the final examination. An excused absence is granted for emergency situations only, and a written excuse must be provided. For example, if you had to miss the first test on ``The Nature of Philosophy'' because of a medical emergency, your grade on that test would be established by your grade achieved on that test given at the final examination period dealing with ``Test 1: The Nature of Philosophy.''

Quiz Make-Up Policy:

Quizzes cannot be make-up for any reason, instead, the two lowest quizzes are dropped and the remaining highest ten quizzes are averaged for the final quiz grade.

Plagiarism:

Students are expected to do their own work in this course. To use another writer's or speaker's ideas without giving credit by means of standard documentation is plagiarism. All cases of academic dishonesty on tests or papers will be handled in accordance with the Academic Honor Code as presented in the Lander University Student Handbook. Cases of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will be brought before the Honor Council where you will have an opportunity to explain your point of view.

Class Attendance:

Students are expected to attend all classes; there are no ``free cuts.'' In the case of unavoidable absences, you are responsible for making up work done in class. In accordance with University policy, if you attend less than 75% of the scheduled class meetings, you will not receive credit for the course. As a matter of fact, this policy is expressly in your interest, especially in this course, since attendance is essential for understanding and analyzing some of the complex argumentation discussed. Any student arriving late for class or leaving early from class will be counted absent from that class period. (This policy is important because understanding some of the complex reasoning process covered in this course is at the heart of doing well in philosophy.) Important: This policy implies that a student leaving class after taking a quiz will have no credit assigned for the quiz.

Anyone missing class is responsible for obtaining the class notes and assignments from a classmate or from the Web resources. Additionally book notes, quizzes, sample tests, and class lectures are online at http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/. Finally, be sure to contact your instructor as soon as academic difficulties first arise.

Learning Disabilities:

If you have a physical or learning disability and you require special accommodations, be sure to contact Mr. Lafayette Harrison (Learning Center 345, telephone +1 864 388 8814) and provide him with appropriate documentation. When Mr. Harrison is made aware of your disability, he will inform your instructors every semester unless you ask him in writing not to do so. For additional information, see the ``Disabled Student Information" on the Lander University Website at

http://www.lander.edu/instructional_services/disabled.htm.

Closing of the University:

If hazardous weather conditions or any other state of emergency necessitate University closing, the information will be available from the Lander automated information system telephone +1 864 388 8400 and other public sources including local radio and TV stations:

WSPA Channel 7

WCRS AM-1450

WHZQ FM-94.1

WZLA FM-92.9

WCZZ AM-1090

WZSN FM-103.4

Also, these Websites will provide information in case of cancellations, delay of classes, or the closing of the university:

Lander University:
http://www.lander.edu

State Office of Human Resources:
http://ohr.sc.gov/OHR/OHR-index.phtm

Appendices