Requirements Spring 2003

Office Hours
Trebor Scholz
by appointment
rtscholz@buffalo.edu

Class meets Mondays and Wednesdays in Room 244, 1:50pm to 3:50pm.

Syllabus | Class List

1. Contribute thoughtfully and actively to class discussions. Critiques will be initiated based on various topics covered in the texts. In order to participate effectively you will need to have read the texts and be able to articulate your response.

2. Do the required readings in time for class. Be prepared for each class. Some of the readings you will have to print out. Print out all readings for the semester in the first week.

3. Hand in assignments on time.

4. It is your responsibility to buy and read the assigned book

Required book: "Dark Fiber. Tracking Critical Internet Culture" by Geert Lovink

5. You must have an active ftp and email account.

6. Take actively part in discussions on the course mailing list. You are required to check your emails at least on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Quizzes
The quizzes will cover assigned readings and materials.
They will be based on Geert Lovink's Dark Fiber and other texts. You will be required to answer to multi-choice quizzes, write summaries and responses to texts that were assigned until the date of the quiz.

Grading
The average of nine grades will determine your final grade (A-F) for this class.

You will receive one grade evaluating thoughtful participation in discussions:

50% for your participation in class discussions and 50% for your contributions
to the class' weblog.

The 4 quizzes will each be graded. Summaries of readings do not aim at an expression of your opinion or position toward the text- they solely ask for a succint summary of a chapter or essay. If you are required to write a responses this asks for your informed opinion arguing grounded in the text.

Should you be absent at the time of the quiz- you will have to write a different version of it one week later.

The 4 web-based assignments will each receive a grade: Innovative concept 30%, thoughtfulness 20%, good design 30%, technical skills 20%. All assignments must be turned in on time. Failure to complete work on due date will result in a full letter grade reduction for each subsequent class in which the assignment is not turned in. Late assignments will have their grade reduced by half a grade point (.5) for each day late.

 A Well above the expectations of the course. Outstanding participation, attendance, and mastery of tools and conceptual skills.

 B Above average assignments and mastery of tools, materials and concepts.

 C Average execution of assignments, participation and attendance.

 D Well below average work, attendance and participation in critiques.

 F Unsatisfactory work, attendance and participation in critiques.

93-100 % A
86-92.9% A-
80-85.9% B+
75-79.9% B
70-74.9% B-
65-69.9% C+
60-64.9% C
55-59.9% C-
50-54.9% D+
30-49.9% D
Less than 30% F

Attendance
Role will be taken each class. More than 3 absences will result in no credit for the class. No exceptions. Lateness means being more than 10 minutes late. In the case of an excused absentee, student will provide a written excuse (hardcopy, - emails are not accepted) or a doctor's note. Two late arrivals or early departures will count as one absence.

Disabilities
If you have a disability (physical, learning of psychological) which may make it difficult for you to carry out the course work as outlined, and/or requires accommodations such as recruiting note takers, readers, or extended time on exams and assignments, please contact the Office of Disability Services, 25 Capen Hall 645-2608, and also your instructor during the first two weeks of class. ODS will provide you with information and will review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is literary theft and betrayal of trust. The term is derived from the Latin word for kidnapper and refers to the act of signing one's own name to words, phrases or ideas which are the literary property of another. Plagiarism comes in many forms, all to be avoided: outright copying, or paraphrase, or a mosaic or disguised use of words and phrases from an unacknowledged source. To avoid plagiarism, make it your habit to put quotation marks around words and phrases, or to isolate and indent longer passages that you are using from someone else's writing. And be sure to cite the source, in a footnote or endnote, or within parentheses in your text. The penalties for plagiarism can be severe: from an F for the particular assignment, to an F for the course, to referral of the case to the Dean of Undergraduate Education for administrative judgment. If you are unsure about how to use and document sources, please consult with your instructor.