Course Requirements: Classical Political Thought





1.Bring all the required readings for the day to class! You need print the texts you can find on-line and bring them to class.

2.Active participation in class discussion: 20% of the final grade will depend on active oral participation in classroom discussion. Students are expected to come regularly to class prepared and in a position to discuss the assigned texts. Being prepared implies first, that students need to have read all the assigned texts before our class meets. Second, it means that students are ready to refer to passages in the texts that pertain to questions we are aiming to answer during our sessions.

Note: Being in class is the precondition for active participation. I take it for granted that you will show up in class on a regular basis. Each student is allowed one absence regardless of reason. I expect you to miss not more than one class. If you miss more than one class you need to provide me with a written statement why you are missing class. Chronic absences reduce the class participation grade (20% of final grade).

3.Essays: three short essays of approximately 600-800 words each (typed, double-spaced), in which you need to apply common rules of scholarly writing. Each essay counts for 15% of the final grade (45% in total of final grade).

Students need to first, provide a clear statement of their question and thesis; second, outline a thorough reconstruction of the thinker’s arguments; third, engage in a critical evaluation of the discussed thinker; and fourth, provide a clear conclusion. Students also need to properly cite and use textual evidence to support their arguments.

4.Oral presentation: One student is responsible for presenting (maximum 15 minutes) the main ideas/arguments found in the readings for a session. The student poses four questions for classroom discussion and distributes an outline of her/his presentation to all members of the class at the time of presentation (10% of final grade).

Missed Presentations: A make-up presentation will be granted only if you have made arrangements with me at least 24 hours in advance of the due date and only in exceptional circumstances.

5.In-Class Exam (October 11): 10% of the final grade will depend on this exam. The exam will be a combination of short answer and essay questions (10% of final grade). 

6.Final Exam (December 14); (15% of the final grade).



General Course Policies:

1) The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus if necessary.

2) Late Assignments: Late assignments will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade for each day that they are late (e.g., a B+ becomes a B if one day late). Extensions will be granted only if you have made arrangements with me at least 24 hours in advance of the due date and only in exceptional circumstances.

3) There will be no make-up examinations given unless you are excused from class for an official university activity or some extraordinary situation arises. Any make-up examination will be administered during the regularly scheduled Final Examination time for this course.


4) You must complete all assignments to receive a grade for this course.

5) Any student who plagiarizes any portion of an assignment will receive zero points on that assignment and the case will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

The standards of Conduct for Students can be found at http://conduct.wsu.edu.  Information regarding Academic Integrity policies can be found here: http://academicintegrity.wsu.edu/Default.asp     

6) All applicable University rules and regulations for student conduct will be applied in this course.

7) The final grading scale will closely follow the standard university scale.

8) Every kind of entertainment, which is not related to the class, is not accepted—please refrain from using iPods/Pads, MP3 players, laptop computers, etc. Mobile phones must be switched off during class.

9) Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability, If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations must be approved through the Access Center.





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