“Global science
fiction”
First Year Program
St. Lawrence University
“Plenary”: MWF 9:40-10:40 Valentine
107
“Seminar” Tuesday 2:20 - 3:50 Bewkes 232
|
Instructor: Dr. Daniel W. Koon |
Mentor:
Joseph Kurowski Office/Home:
Phone:
x6625 Email: jpkuro03@stlawu.edu Office
Hours: |
This
electronic document (http://myslu.stlawu.edu/~dkoon/classes/FYS/GlobalSF2005.html)
is the official syllabus of this course. It will be updated as the course
proceeds. Please bookmark this page and check back frequently.
Last Revised: April 29, 2005.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Science fiction is as American a genre as the Western,
right? Wrong. From Jules Verne to Cuban cyberpunk to Japanese anime, the world of SF is as international as, well,
the crew of the Starship Enterprise. In this course we will sample the
non-English-language science fiction literature and explore the extent to which
science fiction, that literature which strives “to boldly go” beyond the limits
of its earth-bound, human writer, is still tied to the planet, the species, the
culture and the era of that writer. Or perhaps we will decide that it is not.
Each student will write both a short science fiction story and a full-length
research paper for this course, as well as leading discussion of at least one
literary work, author, or country.
MAJOR ASSSIGNMENTS
RESEARCH
PAPER
The major focus of
this course is a final paper, 10-12 pages double-spaced, due at the end of the
semester. It will be the result of your research into a specific research
question based on one of the sub-topics in this course. We will spend time
throughout the semester investigating the issues involved with writing a major
research paper, and the various stages of the paper will be collected and
graded by the instructor at specific dates in the semester. (See Major
Deadlines below.) The theme of this paper will be either
a piece of science fiction (novel, short story, film, etc.) or an
author, country, or movement within global SF.
FICTION STORY
You will also write a short story related to the same theme that you will
be researching for your research paper. Throughout the course of the semester,
I will assign intermediate steps, including development of the science, the
plot, and one or more characters in your story. Unless you prefer not to, your
story may be published online in the SLU SF e-zine, The Android Times.
FICTION PRESENTATION
You will also be expected to lead classroom discussion of some piece or
pieces of fiction. If your research paper theme is a work of fiction, this will
be the subject of this presentation.
How should
you structure class? There are many possibilities. What I don't
recommend is that you simply stand in front of class and lecture us for a half
hour. (particularly reading straight from notes) A
combination of lecture, directed discussion, and other activities is probably
the best approach, but feel free to explore your own ideas of presentation.
Since this is an important part of this course and because I'm asking you to do
a good share of the teaching, it is important that we discuss your intentions
for class well in advance - - two weeks before class and then again one week
before. Handouts are recommended, but I don't want you to hand out a page of
notes with "all the answers" to the students without trying to get
them to work through the issues and come up with their own answers first.
SECOND PRESENTATION
You will
also give a classroom presentation of some author, country, region, or other
topic in global SF. If your research paper theme is not a work of fiction, that will be the
theme of this talk.
PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio is a record of your progress in this course. As such, it needs
to include all drafts of every bit of written work you do during the course,
including the various stages of your research paper including notes, all the
materials associated with the topical projects just mentioned, and in-class
free writes. Part of that portfolio should be the self-assessment, in which you
reflect critically on the work assembled in the portfolio. Your self-assessment
should be a frank, honest analysis of your work. It should neither be filled
with platitudes nor excuses for why your grades were what they were. In fact,
grades are completely irrelevant. What is your assessment of your own
work? How did it improve during the semester?
A three-ring binder, or its equivalent, is recommended for assembling your
portfolio through the course of the semester.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
Reading journal: One element of your participation grade will be your
notes from the individual readings. I will ask you to keep a notebook with
extensive notes on all of the readings for this course, including films.
I will occasionally ask you to hand it in, so that I can check that you are
indeed keeping up. I will grade on completeness, not on neatness. You will be
allowed to use these notes, but not the original stories, in the in-class
exams.
Personal
writing mechanics journal: One element of your portfolio grade will be a running inventory of
areas of your own writing that need work. After each assignment, you need to
look through the instructor's, mentor's, or tutor's
marks to see what you ought to add to this list. You should consult this list
when proofreading all subsequent formal assignments. As a writer, it is
important to practice the mechanics of writing, and to be aware of those areas
in which you most need work. If one of these areas is 'homophones', for
example, you may find it useful to compile a list of words that you have
difficulty with ("to", "too", "two", or
"its" and "it's", for example) but which the spell-checker
refuses to help you with.
Miscellaneous writing assignments: Finally, there will be occasional
free-writes and quizzes throughout the semester, as the need arises. I do not
know in advance how many there may be, so I will simply include the results of
these assignments in your 'classroom participation' grade.
ATTENDANCE
Your active participation in class is important. Of course you need to
attend class. I reserve the right to dock you a half-point final letter grade
for each absence beyond the third, in addition to lowering your class
participation grade. But you also need to arrive in class prepared to contribute
to it. Bring any materials that we are planning to discuss that day -- texts,
handouts, and notes from texts or films. Occasionally I will throw an
unannounced quiz to ensure that you’ve come to class prepared. Such quizzes
will usually be open notes, but not open text. Thus, it really pays to take
good notes. Late arrival in class is also distracting, especially when one of
your colleagues is giving his/her oral presentation. I will count every two instances
of five minutes or more of lateness as equaling an absence. Please speak to me
beforehand if you anticipate having to miss or be late for or leave early from
any class.
PLAGIARISM
The SLU
Student Handbook
defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work of another person --
words, ideas, data, evidence, thoughts, information, organizing principles, or
style of presentation -- without proper attribution." While we will talk
about the dangers of plagiarism in class, it is your responsibility to be aware
of what is -- and what is not -- plagiarism, whether intentional or not. Your
instructor has a variety of tools at his disposal for testing written work for
plagiarism, ample experience at detecting it, and a low tolerance for it. If
you have questions about whether you are adequately citing or attributing work,
please ask your mentor or instructor. Please see the material below. You are responsible for this material.
ACADEMIC RESOURCES,
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you need
accommodation for special needs, please contact your instructor by the end of
the first full week of classes. Please also contact the Office for Academic
Services for Students with Special Needs (homepage, e-mail) as soon as possible. Another
useful office for all students is the Academic Achievement Office,
which can set you up with tutoring for this and other courses.
GRADING
OF ASSIGNMENTS
|
Research project |
25% |
|
|
Bibliography & annotated
bibliography |
|
|
|
Notecards
& functional outline |
|
|
|
First draft |
|
|
|
Final draft |
|
|
|
SF story |
15% |
|
|
Outline & assorted assignments |
|
|
|
First draft |
|
|
|
Final draft |
|
|
|
Fiction
presentation |
15% |
|
|
Preparation |
|
|
|
Presentation |
|
|
|
Non-fiction
presentation |
15% |
|
|
Preparation |
|
|
|
Presentation |
|
|
|
Quizzes,
exams, classroom participation |
15% |
|
|
Reading
journal |
5% |
|
|
Personal
writing mechanics journal |
5% |
|
|
Portfolio |
5% |
|
MAJOR DEADLINES:
|
Week |
Date |
SF story |
Research paper |
|
1 |
Fri. Jan 21
|
|
‘Grant proposal’ for
3 research topics |
|
2 |
Fri. Jan 28 |
|
Preliminary research
question |
|
3 |
Fri. Feb 4 |
|
Bibliography: first
draft |
|
4 |
Fri. Feb 11 |
|
|
|
5 |
Fri. Feb 18 |
First draft of plot
summary |
|
|
6 |
Fri. Feb 25 |
|
Annotated
bibliography |
|
7 |
Fri. Mar 4 |
First draft of
character sketch |
|
|
8 |
Fri. Mar 11 |
|
Functional outline:
first draft |
|
9 |
Fri. Mar 25 |
Scientific exposition,
aka “Infodump” |
|
|
10 |
Fri. Apr 1 |
|
Functional outline:
second draft |
|
11 |
Fri. Apr 8 |
First draft of
fiction |
|
|
12 |
Fri. Apr 15 |
|
Research paper:
first draft |
|
13 |
Fri. Apr 22 |
Final draft of
fiction |
|
|
14 |
Fri. Apr 29 |
|
Research paper:
final draft, Portfolio & self-assessment |
FINAL EXAM, Tuesday,
May 3, 1:30-4:30
PLUS.....
One week and two weeks before each classroom presentation: Outline of
presentation, list of prior readings for the classmates, meet with instructor
One class before each classroom presentation:
Class handouts for distribution
REQUIRED (BOOKSTORE) TEXTS: (Any links to amazon.com are for
illustrative purposes only and do not represent an endorsement of any sort)
Russom’s Universal Robots -- Karel Čapek (Czechoslavakia:
1920)
Solaris -- Stanislaw Lem
(Poland:1961)
Cosmos Latinos -- Andrea L. Bell & Yolanda
Molina-Gavilán -- WARNING: This book is NOT available
at the bookstore. Please order on-line.
The
Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories -- John L. Apostolou &
Martin H. Greenberg
OTHER CORE READINGS COMMON TO THE
CLASS: (Subject to
change without notice):
Arkadi & Boris Strugatskii
(USSR) -- Hard to be a god (alternate
link) (USSR: 1964)
Yoss (Cuba) -- Social
worker, A performance of death, Chimneys
Other stories TBA
Histories and Introductions to
various international anthologies and novels, many of them out of print
The snail on the slope (Sturgeon’s intro)
Martians in Bartolo’s banana field
Historias
futuras
Cosmos Latinos, The best
Japanese science fiction stories (See above)
Science fiction from China
New worlds from the Lowlands
CORE SF FILMS:
|
La Jetée |
France |
1962 |
30 min |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Jan. 21-23 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Metropolis
|
Germany |
1927 |
139 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Feb 4-6 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Aelita |
USSR |
1924 |
111 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Feb 11-13 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Solaris |
USSR |
1972 |
169 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Feb 18-20 |
12/4/8pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Abre los ojos |
Spain |
1997 |
117 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Feb 25-27 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Gojira |
Japan |
1954 |
98 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Mar 25-27 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Akira |
Japan |
1988 |
125 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Apr 1-3 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Ghost in
the shell |
Japan |
1997 |
82 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Apr 8-10 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Natural
City |
Korea |
2003 |
113 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Apr 15-17 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Wonderful
Days |
Korea |
2003 |
90 |
Tues/Wed,
Apr 19-20 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
|
Koi...mil gaya |
India |
2003 |
170 |
Fri/Sat/Sun,
Apr 22- 24 |
4/7/10pm |
Ch. 98 |
OTHER POSSIBLE TEXTS FOR POSSIBLE RESEARCH
PAPER TOPIC:
The
roadside picnic:
Strugatskiis
The snail on the slope: Strugatskiis
Futurological Conference, Lem (fragment)
War of the newts, Capek
Jules Verne stories
The dead city of Korad (to be available electronically),
Oscar Hurtado
other films
Stalker (USSR: 1979)
Planet of storms (USSR: 1962)
The amphibian man (USSR: 1962)
Voyage to the end of the universe (Czech. 1963)
Witch hunter Robin (Japan)
OTHER RESOURCES:
Science Fiction Studies, particularly #79 & 80 (July
1999, March 2000) Theme: On Global Science Fiction, Part I, II
Ultimate science
fiction guide: countries
Online Russian / Soviet fiction
(Russica)
The instructor’s Cuban SF page
SCHEDULE:
(Films are displayed in red.)
INTRODUCTION TO
MATERIAL, FINDING SOURCES
|
M Jan 17 |
Introduction
to the course & field. First assignment: “Grant proposal” Georges Méličs: A trip to the Moon (France, 1902) |
|
|
T Jan 18 |
SEMINAR:
Library orientation in ODY |
|
|
W Jan 19 |
Exploring
fields for research topic in ODY: Assignment 0.5 |
|
|
F Jan 21 |
Early SF A Voyage To The Moon, Cyrano de Bergerac (1657) [Printable
version] ...Baron von Munchausen, Ch. 6,
18.
Raspé (1785) [Printable
version] Cyrano de Bergerac: Act 3, Scene 11, Rostand (1898). [Printable
version] a little background
on Kepler’s Somnium [1634] |
“Grant
proposal” due for each of 3 topics you might want to research |
|
M Jan 24 |
La Jetée [The Jetty] Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. |
|
|
T Jan 25 |
SEMINAR: Workshop
on oral presentations -- Come in with 3 sources for your first Oral
Presentation. J. Orlin Grabbe’s
homepage. |
|
|
W Jan 26 |
Introductions
to anthologies & translations: Read Sturgeon
on Soviets, Argentina,
Borges
on Bioy Casares, Asimov
on Dutch/Flemish, Pohl
on China, Japan.
Take good notes on each, focusing on thesis (if there is one) and
organizational structure. |
|
|
F Jan 28 |
Introductions
and anthologies: Cosmos
Latinos, Strugatskiis. Outline each. (Start
reading Solaris) No weekend film.
Sorry. |
Preliminary
thesis question due |
EARLY GLOBAL SF
|
M Jan 31 |
Introductions,
The early SF film industry & Europe between the Wars. |
|
T Feb 1 |
SEMINAR: Evaluating
sources The Weekly World News APA
citation style (Look at the section in A
writer’s reference) See
Purdue OWL
on APA Style |
|
W Feb 2 |
Čapek: Rossum’s Universal Robots [R.U.R.] Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia,
Čapek,
Kafka, Golem In class:
Laura
and Paula -- Michel Encinosa |
USSR / EASTERN BLOC
|
F Feb 4 |
Stanislaw
Lem: Solaris
(1961) Captions
for Metropolis (restored version) Why not
go to Ottawa for Winterlude? (Two more weekends left) |
|
|
M Feb 7 |
Metropolis and The Weimar Republic. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98.-- Joerg [ppt] |
|
|
T Feb 8 |
Čapek, War
with the newts -- Russell [ppt] SEMINAR: TBA |
|
|
W Feb 9 |
Lem’s Solaris -- Wolfe
[ppt] (Start Hard to be a god: Print-friendly
version) |
|
|
F Feb 11 |
USSR:
politics and art [ppt] Read Soviet art, Socialist realism, Countries:
Russia and skim Soviet History
before class. |
No
assignments due |
|
M Feb 14 |
Aelita and the early Soviet Union. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. (Keep
reading Hard to be a god). Pulp
Era of SF [ppt] |
|
|
T Feb 15 |
Discuss
La Jetée -- Munt [ppt] (Read Questions to consider handout) The Block
Universe: All you
zombies (Heinlein) (Zombies timeline) Friday’s
assignment |
|
|
W Feb 16 |
French New Wave film
-- Perzanoski [ppt] Arkady & Boris Strugatsky: Hard to be a god -- Golley [ppt] |
|
|
F Feb 18 |
Hard to be a god, Selections from: Roadside picnic, Snail on the slope |
|
|
M Feb 21 |
Tarkovsky’s Solaris Fri/Sat/Sun 12/48pm, Ch. 11. (Note different channel.) Future SF
alert: Hitchhiker’s Guide trailer |
|
|
T Feb 22 |
SEMINAR:
canceled |
|
|
W Feb 23 |
The Annotated bibliography. Bring 3 references
(physically), plus thesis statement. Be prepared to work on both A.B. &
outline (Solaris subtitles) |
|
|
F Feb 25 |
Solaris and Hard to be a god -- Continuation “The
Prime Directive” debate: featuring characters from Solaris, H2BAG |
CUBA / LATIN AMERICA
|
M Feb 28 |
Abre los ojos [Open your eyes]. Fri/Sat/Sun
4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. -- Goodman
[ppt] Jules Verne
(Yes, I know he wasn’t from Eastern Europe or Latin America) From the Earth to the Moon, Ch.1 -- Legnard [ppt] |
|
|
T Mar 1 |
SEMINAR: Character
in fiction: Today’s
exercise [doc] (page one only), some food
for thought [doc] Oral
presentations: Top ten
ways to ruin a presentation [pdf] For your
amusement: Atlas of the Universe
[html] |
|
|
W Mar 2 |
Cuba I: Martians in Bartolo’s banana field [html] Koon’s in-class overview of Cuban
SF [ppt] From Cosmos Latinos: Arango:
Cosmonaut, Chaviano:
Annunciation, |
|
|
F Mar 4 |
Cuba I: Yoss -- Thouin [ppt] Yoss: Social
worker [html], A
performance of death [html], Chimneys
[html] |
First
draft of SF
story character sketch [doc] due |
|
M Mar 7 |
Cuba and
Latin America: From Cosmos Latinos:
Encinosa: Like
the roses had to die; Adolph: The
falsifier Hernández: Empress
[doc] Latin
American SF -- Frank
[ppt] |
|
|
T Mar 8 |
SEMINAR: The Outline:
Bring in your arguments on Cuban SF Feedback
on Oral Presentations Cuban SF
-- tying it up |
|
|
W Mar 9 |
Argentine
SF -- Wolfe
[ppt] From Cosmos Latinos: The Last Refuge, Post-Boomboom, Gu Ta Gutarrak, Violet’s Embryos |
|
|
F Mar 11 |
Argentina
SF Jorge
Borges: Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius [html], Library
of Babel [html], Book of Sand
[html] In class
materials: The
second encyclopedia of Tlön, Digital Library of Babel |
First
draft of Outline
[doc] due |
SPRING BREAK
|
M Mar 21 |
No class |
|
|
T Mar 22 |
SEMINAR: Watch
the film Vampires in Havana |
|
|
W Mar 23 |
EXAM I |
|
|
F Mar 25 |
In-class
essay TBA. Pass in “Infodump” assignment |
Exposition,
aka “Infodump” [doc] due |
EAST ASIA
|
M Mar 28 |
Gojira. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. -- Russell
[ppt] |
|
|
T Mar 29 |
SEMINAR: Argumentation
[doc], Discussion of Gojira |
|
|
W Mar 30 |
Japan:
Read wikipedia.org on... Japanese History [html], Culture [html] (skim
only), Atomic
bombings [html], Castle
Bravo Test [html] |
|
|
F Apr 1 |
Anime -- Goodman
[ppt] Read Napier
on Anime [doc] |
Functional
outline [doc] due |
|
M Apr 4 |
Akira. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch.
98. -- Frank
[ppt] |
|
|
T Apr 5 |
SEMINAR: Peer
review [doc] of first SF draft. Put what you’ve got so far on T: drive (‘Fiction
Stories’ folder), bring hardcopy to class. |
|
|
W Apr 6 |
Japanese
fiction in print I -- Munt [ppt] Read Cardboard box, Bokko-chan, Hey come out, The road to the sea, Take
your choice, all from The Best
Japanese Science Fiction Stories |
|
|
F Apr 8 |
Japanese fiction
in print II. Interview
[html] with Katsuhiro Otomo. Review [html], trailers
[html] of Steamboy. |
First
draft of fiction [doc] due |
|
M Apr 11 |
Ghost in the shell. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. -- Perzanoski [ppt] Characters [html] |
|
|
T Apr 12 |
SEMINAR:
Peer review of first Term Paper drafts. Put what you’ve got so far on T:
drive (‘Research papers’ folder), bring hardcopy to class. pearls
from Eats shoots and leaves
[doc], 6
Comma rules [html], mechanical
issues [doc] |
|
|
W Apr 13 |
TBA |
|
|
F Apr 15 |
Korea
[ppt] |
Research
paper: first draft due |
|
M Apr 18 |
Natural City. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. -- Joerg [ppt] |
|
|
T Apr 19 |
SEMINAR:
Writing Introductions and Conclusions Strategies
for: Introductions: See Hacker. Introductions & Conclusions: Occidental College
[html] Strategies for Conclusions: St. Cloud State
[html], UNC
[html] |
|
|
W Apr 20 |
Wonderful Days. Tues/Wed 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. -- Legnard [ppt] |
|
|
F Apr 22 |
Chinese
fiction: Conjugal
bliss in the arms of Morpheus [doc] -- Golley [ppt] |
Final
draft of fiction [doc] due |
OTHER GLOBAL SF
|
M Apr 25 |
Koi…mil gaya. Fri/Sat/Sun 4/7/10pm on Ch. 98. --Thouin [ppt] India
& Bollywood [ppt] |
|
|
T Apr 26 |
SEMINAR:
Polishing prose Apostrophes [html],
Homophones: 1 & 2 [both html] Peer
review of term paper |
|
|
W Apr 27 |
Review
Asian SF |
|
|
F Apr 29 |
Global SF
or national/regional SF? -- Open discussion of the
semester’s works [doc] |
Research
paper: final draft, Portfolio
& self-assessment due MONDAY. |
FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, May 3: 1:30-4:30
SELECTIONS FROM THE SLU STUDENT
HANDBOOK
All students at St. Lawrence
University are bound by honor to maintain the highest level of academic
integrity. By virtue of membership in the St. Lawrence community, every student
accepts the responsibility to know the rules of academic honesty, to abide by
them at all times, and to encourage all others to do the same.
Responsibility for avoiding behavior
or situations from which academic dishonesty may be inferred rests entirely
with the students. Claims of ignorance, unintentional error, and academic or
personal pressure are not excuses for academic dishonesty. Students should be
sure to learn from faculty what is expected as their own work and how the work
of other people should be acknowledged. Instructors are expected to maintain
conditions which promote academic honesty.
Instructors have the duty to
investigate any instance involving possible academic dishonesty and must
present evidence of academic dishonesty to the Academic Honor Council rather
than make private arrangements with the student involved. Violations of the St.
Lawrence University Code of Academic Honor are administered under the
constitution of the Academic Honor Council [See Student Handbook for the
Constitution].
Academic Honesty
The primary objective of the
University is the promotion of knowledge. This objective can be furthered only
if there is strict adherence to scrupulous standards of honesty. At St.
Lawrence, all members of the University community have a responsibility to see
that standards of honesty and integrity are maintained.
Students who respect academic
honesty and who are orderly and meticulous in their treatment of both their own
work and the work of others should anticipate no difficulty with cheating,
plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. Borrowing ideas or language
from others is acceptable scholarly practice and in many instances actively to
be encouraged.
Academic dishonesty generally arises
from one of two sources: either a student has knowingly cheated or plagiarized
or he/she has been careless or slipshod in discriminating between his/her own
work and that of others or in acknowledging sources accurately. These latter
difficulties are easily circumvented. Any standard handbook on English usage or
term paper writing manual will furnish a methodology as well as appropriate internal
reference, endnote, or bibliographical forms (cf., for example, the Harbrace Handbook, A
Guide to MLA Documentation, or Writers Inc.).
Academic Honesty
A major objective of
the University is the pursuit of knowledge which can be achieved only by strict
adherence to standards of honesty. At St. Lawrence, all members of the
community have a responsibility to see that these standards are maintained.
Academic Dishonest*
1. It is assumed that
all work submitted for credit is done by the student unless the instructor
gives specific permission for collaboration.
2. Cheating on examinations
and tests consists of knowingly giving or using or attempting to use
unauthorized assistance during examinations or tests.
3. Dishonesty in work outside of examinations and
tests consists of handing in for credit as original work that which is not original,
where originality is required.
The following constitute examples of
academic dishonesty:
a)
Plagiarism: Presenting
as one's own work the work of another person - words, ideas, data, evidence,
thoughts, information, organizing principles, or style of presentation-without
proper attribution. Plagiarism includes paraphrasing or summarizing without
acknowledgment by quotation marks, footnotes, endnotes, or other indices of
reference (cf. Joseph F. Trimmer, A Guide to
MLA Documentation).
b) Handing in false
reports on any experiment.
c) Handing in a
book report on a book one has not read.
d) Falsification of
attendance records of a laboratory or other class meeting.
e) Supplying
information to another student knowing that such information will be used in a
dishonest way.
f)
Submission of work (papers, journal abstracts, etc.) which has received credit
in a previous course to satisfy the requirement(s) of a second course without
the knowledge and permission of the instructor of the second course.
Claims of ignorance and academic or personal pressure
are unacceptable as excuses for academic dishonesty. Students must learn what
constitutes one's own work and how the work of others must be acknowledged.
St. Lawrence students are required to sign the
following statement prior to registration for classes:
"I hereby acknowledge that I have
read the above document and I understand my responsibility in maintaining the
standards of academic honesty at St. Lawrence University."
First-Year colleges provide ideal environments for fostering the complex intellectual and social skills that are at the heart of a liberal education. The First-Year Program (FYP)/ First-Year Seminars (FYS) play a significant part in the development of students' abilities to communicate effectively and to use writing and speaking to help them to become critical readers of a variety of texts.
Improving student abilities in reading, writing, speaking and research requires serious, sustained practice and overt, in-class reflection upon that practice. A critical feature of this sustained practice is that students receive detailed, constructive response to their work from instructors, from peers, and from mentors and/or Writing Center tutors.
Underlying the teaching of communication skills in the FYP
and the FYS is the assumption that these courses are components of a
university-wide, four-year commitment to teaching communication skills across
the undergraduate curriculum.
Though the goals for speaking, writing, and research are discussed in separate sections below, they are related activities. Instruction in these skills is most effective when grounded in a holistic view of communication. Students should be made aware of the differences and similarities between oral and written modes of discourse.
By the end of the FYP/FYS students should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to develop an oral presentation through a series of drafts, demonstrating substantial conceptual and performative revision.
b) to produce a speech with a clearly defined rhetorical purpose that is appropriately and adequately fulfilled given the audience being addressed.
c) to use informal conversation, in class or out, to facilitate close reading and promote critical thinking.
d) to speak from notes or outline, rather
than from a manuscript or in an impromptu fashion.
By the end of the FYP/FYS, students should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to develop a piece of writing through a series of drafts, demonstrating substantial revision at both the conceptual and the sentence level.
b) to produce an essay with a clearly defined rhetorical purpose that is appropriately and adequately fulfilled given the audience being addressed.
c) to use informal writing, done in class or out, in journals, reader-response papers, or exploratory essays, to facilitate close reading and promote critical thinking.
d) to produce writing that is characterized by a mature prose style and that conforms to the conventions of standard written English.
By the end of the FYP/FYS, students should be better able to conduct productive, imaginative research. Specifically, they should demonstrate an increased ability:
a) to assess the research requirements of a particular assignment and to meet those requirements by using library collections, electronic databases, and Web-based sources.
b) to be able to choose amongst the sources to determine which are most appropriate for a particular assignment.
c) to assess and represent
the complexity of a particular line of inquiry and to enter responsibly into
the conversation about the issues it raises.
An FYP course will be approved if students:
a) are given diverse and repeated opportunities to write and speak, including the opportunity to write and speak in response to readings, discussions, lectures, films, etc. These responses may occur in class or out, and they may take many forms: freewriting, open or directed journals, graded or ungraded exploratory essays, essay exams, small group discussion, impromptu discussion, oral exams
b) are required to engage in at least three formal, graded writing projects. A "project" requires that students develop a piece of writing over time on the basis of appropriate feedback at a number of stages in the process
c) are required to engage in at least two oral communication projects, one of which undergoes a process of revision. A "project" requires that students develop a speech over time on the basis of appropriate feedback at a number of stages in the process. At least one speech must be extemporaneous, by which we mean that students should deliver a prepared speech from an outline or minimal notes
d) are required to conduct library research and use the sources as an integral part of at least one written and/or oral project
e) are instructed in and held responsible for the ethical use of sources
f) are required to keep all of their written work in a course portfolio, to reflect in writing upon their work, and to submit the completed portfolio to their faculty for review
A First-Year Seminar will be approved if students:
a) are given diverse and repeated opportunities to write and speak, including opportunities to benefit from detailed formative feedback from instructors and peers
b) are asked to assess adequately the research requirements of a particular assignment and to seek out efficiently the means of meeting those requirements
c) are given diverse opportunities to incorporate appropriate illustrative or persuasive detail in oral and written communication
d) are required to complete at least one and no more than two projects comprising some combination of formal and informal oral, written, and research activities that demonstrate a satisfactory grasp of the program's communication goals
e) are instructed in and held responsible for the ethical use of sources
f) are required to assemble all their work in a portfolio that includes a written assessment of that work, and to submit the completed portfolio to their faculty for review
In addition, it is strongly recommended:
1. that students engage in oral and written assignments that address a variety of audiences, ranging from instructors and peers to other imagined or real audiences.
2. that students write and speak for a variety of purposes: to explore, to express, to inform, and to persuade
3. that students be encouraged to respond to texts via creative projects
4. that students engage in a variety of research tasks that encourage critical use of sources
5. that colleges include assignments that require the production and analysis of visual images, so as to improve visual literacy