Course Requirements

Evaluation

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

Test 1

The Structure of Arguments

Test 2

Language and Informal Fallacies

Test 3

Categorical Propositions

Test 4

Categorical Syllogisms

Quiz Average

Average of Best Ten 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 quiz average. 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 homework daily, and do not attempt to learn a large amount of information at one time.

All grades during the semester will be posted on the philosophy server. Mid-term grades will be posted on WebCT.  Students should realize that the mid-term grade is only used to indicate their approximate progress at the point in time that the grade is issued and the mid-term grade is not a factor in computation of the student's final grade.

Tests

Tests are usually a combination of objective, short answer and problem-oriented questions. The subject-matter is primarily based on the reading and homework assignments. If you understand how to do the homework problems, you will do well on the tests. Some particularly difficult optional questions are often included for extra credit. Example tests, quizzes, lecture notes, and additional exercises are online at

http://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/

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

Quizzes

Quizzes are short objective questions written in class on a specific logical concept or specific types of logical problems. The quiz topic is often announced in advance of the quiz, and the topic has been thoroughly explored in a previous class.

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. See

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

for online example quizzes.

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 logic 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 logic 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 logic.

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: 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: 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, tutorial 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 for logic might be available in the Lander Writing Center. For more information on peer tutoring from the Lander Writing Center, visit the center at Center LC 347 or telephone +1 864 388 8250.

If you have now or develop during this semester a physical or a learning disability and you want your instructors to make reasonable accommodations, you must contact the Student Wellness Center nurse and provide her with appropriate documentation. Once she is aware of your disability, she will inform all of your instructors each semester you attend Lander University unless you ask her in writing not to do so.

Phone: +1 864 388 8885 e-mail: studentwellness@lander.edu

The Academic Success Center offers testing accommodations for students with disability who need extra time as well as a quiet room for testing during the year. Please notify Gay Coleman, LC 340, +1 864 388 8317 or Carol Byrd (cbyrd@lander.edu), LC 342, +1 864 388 8308 and your instructor prior to the test date.

• 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 logic 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 logical methods employed.
• I will provide handouts and Web-based instructions for additional problem-solving support.

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

Class Policies

The following policies stated here help protect fairness of the course evaluation for the class as a whole. Many of these policies are generally assumed in many 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 an approved written excused absence, your grade for that test or tests is established by the grade achieved on the appropriate makeup 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 Structure of Arguments'' 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 Structure of Arguments.''

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. Academic dishonesty includes the giving or receiving of oral or written information so that a student receives undeserved credit for work. A student found guilty of academic dishonesty receives the grade of ``0'' on the assignment and in case the violation is sufficiently serious, a ``F'' for the course. All cases of significant 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.

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:

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

Lander University's Cell Phone Policy:

Cell Phones are to be turned off before entering the class (lab, clinical, etc) and shall remain off for the duration of the class. If there is an extenuating circumstance which requires the cell phone to be on during a class, the student must obtain permission prior to the class from the instructor to leave the phone on vibrate. Cell phones are not to be visible or used at any time, especially not during quizzes or exams. Each instructor reserves the right to further restrict use of cell phones in class and to determine the consequences of not following this policy.

Appendices