Course Requirements
Participation in discussion sections (good participation will be possible grounds
for raising course grade, especially if it is on a borderline).
Attendance at lectures (either in person or via Zoom) is not required, but is
highly recommended. Second best is to watch the recorded lectures on YouTube.
Links to the recorded lectures will also appear on this syllabus as they are put
up.
“Metaphysics exercises” (kind of a short take-home multiple choice quiz), due
on about half the class days (all exercises together are worth 30% of the final
grade; graded
heavily on a curve). These will be made available on-line via the
“Tests & Quizzes” tool on Canvas.
Two short papers (2–3 pages), due Monday, May 1 and Monday, May 22,
each worth 15% of the final grade. One longer paper (6–8 pages) (worth
30% of the final grade). The paper is due Wednesday, June 14, but an
introductory paragraph and brief outline (approximately one sentence per
paragraph of the proposed complete paper) are due at some time on or before
Tuesday, June 6. Feedback on this will be provided by a mechanism yet
to be determined. This preliminary assignment will not be separately
graded, but if you do not hand it in at all or if it is wholly unsatisfactory,
your grade on the final paper will be reduced by one half step (e.g. A to
A-).
All paper assignments are available on-line, and there are be links to them
from this syllabus as well as from my main course page. I will discuss the
assignments in class when the due date draws near. You can find answers to
some commonly asked questions about my assignments and grading in my
FAQ.
Papers are to be handed in, as attachments, via the “Assignments” tool on
Canvas. Please submit in MSWord format, or in a format easily convertible to
MSWord. The system will accept late submissions, but late papers may not
receive full credit. The system is
not set up to allow resubmissions: once you press
the “submit” button, it will not let you change your response. If, however, you
mistakenly submit something and want to change it, please contact me and I can
make an exception.
As noted above, the ME’s will be accessed and submitted on-line via Canvas.
(The system will accept late submissions, but credit — possibly reduced — will
only be given up until the time that the correct answers are announced, either in
section or on-line.)
Please do not plagiarize. If you do and I catch you, you will receive no credit
for the assignment and may fail the course, and you will also be subject to
“disciplinary sanctions” from the University. (In contrast: if you hand in a paper
consisting mostly of quotes from or paraphrases of other sources you have
consulted, properly cited, you will not get a good grade — a good paper will
contain your own interpretations and thoughts — but you will not fail, either.)
If you have any questions about what plagiarism is or how to avoid it,
you can ask me, or consult the resources listed on the Library website.
For possible consequences of plagiarism, see the Academic Misconduct
Policy.
All assignments are due by 11:55pm on the due date.
