Discussion section is a required component of this 3 credit hour Core Curriculum course.
History discussion sections are not intended to repeat what happened in lecture, nor is
your graduate instructor supposed to provide another lecture for you. Discussion sections
are the place where you raise questions about the information you are reading in your
assignments and hearing in lecture. Discussion means just that, and it is your responsibility
to come prepared with your reading and written assignments complete, and come prepared to
discuss and debate the history you are learning in this class. In addition, we are using
this time to help you work on your web quest research project, so it is very important that
you come prepared on those days for that work.
Discussion Objectives and Goals
- to understand how historians analyze and interpret the past by actively discussing and
debating the readings and lectures in the course
- to learn how to construct and to support historical argument and analysis with
supporting evidence
- to learn through individual and group historical research how historians gather
information and interpret the past
- to learn how to construct and answer historically significant questions
- to learn how to present, evaluate, and discuss historical research
- to improve critical reading, writing, thinking skills
- to use the Internet as a serious, scholarly tool
Ground Rules
In order to be fair to all students in this course, ground rules have been established that
you are expected to adhere to if you want to do well in this class. These ground rules are
devised to make the requirements and expectations of this course the same across the sections.
You will all be held accountable to the same rules.
Attendance:
Attendance in discussion section is required. Students who miss more than two of the
scheduled fourteen sessions will lose 20 points from their final grade for each session
missed. Certified medical or personal emergencies will be taken into consideration, but it
is the student's responsibility to contact the graduate instructor as soon as possible, and
to provide the necessary documentation. Students with valid excuses may be permitted to make
up the missed session upon consultation with the graduate instructor and Dr. McGuire.
Assignment Deadlines:
All assignments are due in section at the start of section. Students who fail to turn in an
assignment will receive a zero for that assignment. Students who turn in assignments up to 24
hours late will have the assignment reduced one full step (whether pass/fail or graded).
Assignments turned in more than 24 hours late will not be given any credit. The penalty is
assessed because it is not fair for some students to do the work expected of them and do it on
time, and for other students to take longer and have extra time to do the work.
Certified medical or personal emergencies will be taken into consideration, but it is the
student's responsibility to contact the graduate instructor as soon as possible, and to provide
the necessary documentation. Students with valid excuses may be permitted to make up the
missed assignment upon consultation with the graduate instructor and Dr. McGuire.
Grades:
Every effort is being made in this course to keep grading fair and consistent across sections.
Dr. McGuire and the graduate instructors work together to set grading standards and expectations
for the entire class. However, as the graduate instructor for this section, I am ultimately
responsible for the grading of all your exams and assignments. I am happy to meet with you to
discuss your assignments and your grades, so if there is ever a question about a grade, please
contact me to set up a meeting.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
Any student who plagiarizes or cheats on any assignment or exam will be subject to the penalties
listed in the Student Conduct Code—and that includes failing the assignment or course, being put
on academic probation, or even being removed from the University. Please see the course web
site for guidelines on plagiarism and cheating and the University-sanctioned penalties for
these acts. Plagiarism and cheating are not a joke! They are very serious offenses and will
be dealt with accordingly.
Makeup Exams:
As a general rule, there will be no make-up exams except in the case of certified medical
or personal emergencies, because it is not fair for some students to take the exam on time and
others to take it later and have more time to study. Please note that it is the student's
responsibility to contact the graduate instructor (or Dr. McGuire) immediately upon missing
the exam, and it is also the student's responsibility to provide the necessary documentation
for their absence.
Students with valid excuses may be permitted to make up the missed exam upon consultation with
the graduate instructor and Dr. McGuire. Any permitted make-up exam will be scheduled between
9.00 and 12.00 on the Friday of the exam week, and no make-up exam will be allowed after that
day and time. In exceptional cases of medical or personal emergency that last longer than the
exam week, students need to contact their graduate instructor and schedule a meeting with Dr.
McGuire to arrange a make-up.
The Bottom Line:
It is every student's right to learn in an atmosphere of mutual respect and courtesy, and in a
classroom free of excessive distractions and disruptions. Nothing less will be expected or
tolerated and that goes for discussion section as well as lecture.
