Northeastern
Spring 2005 syllabus for
MC 2103 Basic Writing for the Media
Instructor:
Amy N. Aldridge, ABD Office: 354 SH Ext.: 3630
E-mail: aldridga@nsuok.edu Office
Hours: 10-11MWF; 10-12.30 TR
Other
times by appointment.
Required Texts:
Rich,
C. (2005). Writing and reporting news:
A coaching method (4th ed.).
Thomson.
(textbook and workbook)
The Associated Press stylebook,
2004.
Catalogue Description of Course: Fundamental
study and practice in the gathering, writing and evaluating of news.
Pre-requisites:
none
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, you
will have…
Class Attendance: You are allowed three hours of unexcused absences (i.e., three
unexcused absences for a MWF class, two unexcused absences for a T Th class, or
one three hour session in the summer or with an evening class). For every hour of unexcused absence (or
accumulated tardiness) over the limit, 20 points will be deducted from your
final grade. Absences will be excused
only under the following circumstances:
All documentation for excused absences must be turned in by the class session prior to the final class session.
Missed/Late Assignments:
Written Work: No work will be accepted late, unless your
absence was an emergency AND meets the criteria of an excused absence. No editor will ever be happy with a late
assignment. Get in the habit now of
treating me like an editor.
E-mailing assignments/computer problems: You will need
to submit most of your assignments in hard copy. On occasion, it may be possible to submit assignments via
e-mail. Please note: your computer breaking, printer not working,
etc. will never be accepted as an excuse for late work. It is your responsibility to begin work
early enough to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. In addition, e-mailed work is recorded as “turned in” according
the time stamp in the introduction to your message. “I got your address wrong” or “my e-mail wasn’t working” will not
be accepted as reasons for late assignments.
Class Participation: You are expected to attend class regularly and be prepared so that you
may intelligently discuss assigned material.
Proper preparation means reading the assigned chapters and completing
daily assignments. Warning: This instructor is well known for counting
students absent when they are not prepared for class.
Classroom Climate:
The success of this course is directly
related to the sense of community that we will develop in this classroom. Participation is essential to this
process. I encourage you to share your
views and listen to those of others.
Debate and discussion are an important part of the learning
process. While there will no doubt be
disagreements, I expect the members of this community (including myself) to
challenge ideas in a manner that reflects respect and recognition of opposing
viewpoints without attacking individuals.
Outline of Course:
We will be covering the first
10 chapters of Rich’s text. The
remainder of the book will be taught in the follow-up course. The expected
course outcomes will be realized through a variety of instructional
strategies. Those strategies include,
but are not limited to, the following:
writing, observing, discussion, demonstration, inquiry, critique, and
group activities.
In the fall of
2004, the course was worth 810 points.
Five hundred of those points were earned from four stories. The rest of the points came from assignments
and quizzes.
All students must take their final on their scheduled
date. Put this in your calendar. The test WILL NOT be given early and CANNOT
be made up.
Quizzes: You
will be given quizzes over the chapters, stylebook, and lecture material. They cannot be made up—no matter the reason
for the absence. If a student misses
the quiz as a result of a university-authorized absence, the missed quiz will
not be calculated in the student’s final grade. This policy is in compliance with Section 10.242 in the NSU Faculty Handbook.
Grading: Your grade for this course is based on a point
system. Each assignment is worth a set
number of points. To determine a letter
grade for each assignment, calculate 10% of the points and subtract
accordingly. For example, on an
assignment worth 75 points, 67.5-75 is an “A,” 60-67.74 is a “B,” etc.
Work that meets the minimum
requirements of an assignment, is completed on time and displays average
involvement with the course content is deserving of a “C.” Higher grades are awarded to work that goes
above and beyond the minimum standards to produce papers and presentations that
reflect superior intellectual effort, excellence in critical analysis and
overall creativity in the approach towards any given assignment.
Editors will not run stories
that are not near perfect. During the
first half of the semester, I will continue to return stories to you for “redo”
until they are perfect and worthy of an A.
If you choose not to “redo” your stories, you will receive a zero. During the last half of the semester, you
will not have a chance for redos. Two
points will be deducted for every grammatical, mechanical and stylebook
error. Five points will be deducted for
every content question I have to ask.
Please keep all of your work at
least long enough to confirm your grade at the end of the semester. It is suggested that you keep it even longer
for your professional portfolios.
Percentage breakdown: 90-100% A; 80-89% B; 70-79% C; 60-69% D
Class Grievances:
I am willing to meet with you
to discuss our class and/or particular assignments. I ask that you please wait 24 hours after you have received a
graded assignment to come see me.
Before we discuss your work, you are required to type out a document
detailing what particular elements of your work you feel merit discussion.
Students with Disabilities: If any member of the class feels that he or she has a
disability and requires special accommodations, of any nature whatsoever, I
will work with you to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in
this class. Please advise me of such
disability and the desired accommodations at the close of the first class
period. Students with disabilities who
need accommodations to achieve course objectives should visit the Office of
Student Affairs, Ext. 2120.
Plagiarism: According to Webster’s New Universal Unabridged
Dictionary (1983, 2nd Ed.), to plagiarize is “to steal or pass
of ideas or words of another as one’s own…to use created productions without crediting
the source…to commit literary theft…to present as new and original an idea or
product derived from an existing source” (p.1371). Students in this course will be responsible for authenticating
any assignment submitted to the instructor.
If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you
submitted is in fact your own work.
Therefore, it is recommended that you engage in a verifiable working
process on assignments. Keep copies of
all drafts of your work, make photocopies of research materials, write
summaries of research materials, keep logs or journals of your work on
assignments and papers, learn to save drafts or versions of assignments under
individual file names on computer diskettes, etc. In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work,
the instructor may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity—such
as engaging in internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work,
requiring students to explain their work and/or process orally, etc.
NSU’s policy on Academic
Misconduct (from http://www.nsuok.edu/policies/academic/misconduct.html):
Academic misconduct includes cheating
(using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic
exercise), plagiarism, falsification of records, unauthorized possession of
examinations, intimidation, and any and all other actions that may improperly
affect the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement, or
assisting others in any such act or attempts to engage in such acts. Academic
misconduct in any form is inimical to the purposes and functions of the
University and therefore is unacceptable and prohibited. Any faculty member, administrator or staff
member may identify an act of academic misconduct and should report that act to
the department head/college dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs or
administrative supervisor. Students
violating the standards of academic honesty are subject to disciplinary action
including reduction of a grade(s) in a specific course, assignment, paper, or
project; a formal or informal reprimand at the professorial, dean, or academic
vice president level; expulsion from the class in which the violation occurred;
expulsion from a program; or expulsion from the University.
Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy: The following are basic premises for the inclement weather
policy at
1. Classes are expected to be held if at all possible.
2. It is the student's responsibility to
receive the information when weather is questionable.
3. Neither students nor faculty are expected
to risk life or limb.
4. Faculty members are obligated to hold
classes if the University is not closed, unless the faculty member is unable to
get to campus.
Policy:
During times of inclement weather, decisions concerning day classes will be
made by 6:00 a.m. in order for the media to be notified and for students to
receive the announcement before they leave home. Decisions concerning night
classes will be made by 3:00 p.m.
The following media will be notified regarding closing of the
campus:
|
Radio
Stations |
Television
Stations |
|
KRMG 740 AM |
KJRH Channel
2 |
|
KAYI 107 FM |
KOTV Channel
6 |
|
KTLQ 1350 AM
Tahlequah |
KTUL Channel
8 |
|
KEOK 102 FM
Tahlequah |
KFSM Channel
5 |
|
KBIX 1490 AM |
Cable Channel
96 Tahlequah |
|
KMMY 97 FM
Muskogee |
|
|
KVOO 1170 AM |
|
The automated attendant message on 918-456-5511 will be modified
to include information concerning campus operations during inclement weather.
Additional information: