Stacy Takacs - Course Pages

Attendance & Participation: Students are expected to attend every class and participate actively in class discussions, both real and virtual.

Discussion Postings: You will be asked to post 10 brief responses to the reading materials on the virtual discussion board, always before you come to class. The assignments are posted in the "DISCUSSION BOARD" section of the Blackboard (http://blackboard.okstate.edu). Each assignment will be worth ten points, and together they will comprise 10% of your course grade. There will be no late postings accepted. These are easy points so don't forget about them.

Response Papers: For each film in the screening series, you will be asked to write a 2-3 page response paper on a topic that relates the film to its historical, political, and cultural context. Topics will be provided for each film in the "ASSIGNMENTS" folder of Blackboard. Each assignment will be worth 100 points, and together they will comprise 50% of your course grade.

I recommend that you purchase A Short Guide to Writing About Film by Timothy Corrigan if you would like a resource to turn to as you write these essays. The book covers both film theory and terminology and writing strategy and structure, including lessons on paragraph construction, MLA citation style, grammar, syntax, and diction. I will also post grammar and style sheets in the "Course Materials" Folder of Blackboard.

Exams: There will be one mid-term and one final exam in this class. The exams will consist of identifications, short-answer responses, and/or essay questions and will cover the course readings, lectures, and discussions in equal measure. Check the course schedule to determine the exam dates. There will be a study guide offered for each exam; it behooves you to use it. Make-up exams will be given only in cases of documented emergency and only if I am notified of said emergency well before the scheduled date and time of the exam. If you contact me after you miss an exam, I will be unable to help you, and you will receive a grade of zero.

Academic Honesty: All work you turn in for this class must be your own work. Unintentional, or accidental, plagiarism due to faulty citations or improper use of sources will result in (a) a course of remediation designed to correct problems with your use of source materials and a letter grade reduction (only for the first episode, though) and/or (b) a failing grade for that assignment (if the problems persist or remediation is refused). Intentional plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the course and possible referral to the Dean's office for disciplinary action. Consult OSU’s Code of Student Conduct for more information on Academic Misconduct.

Special Needs and Disabilities: Please feel free to contact me with any special needs that you may have related to a physical or mental disability; I’ll be happy to work with you to accommodate your needs. NOTE: If you have a disability, physical or otherwise, you must register with the appropriate liaison in the Student Services Center, North Hall.