Syllabus for
Publications Workshops, Spring 2009
(COM* 116, COM* 216, and Advanced Study)
Section 1: M/W, 2:00-3:20, Beacon Hall 219
Section 2: M/W 6:30-7:50 p.m., Beacon Hall 219
“Back when I first started, I thought
intelligence was the most important attribute a reporter could have. I have since changed my mind. You do have to be intelligent, but the
big thing is courage. Courage to open your mind and let the whole damned
confusing world in. Courage to always
be the ignorant one, on somebody else’s turf. Courage to stand corrected. Courage to take criticism. Courage to grow with your experiences. Courage to accept what you don’t
understand. Most of all, courage
to see what is there and not what you want to think is there.”
---Jon Franklin
Steve
Mark, Professor of English
Journalism
Program Advisor
Office: Beacon Hall 234
Phone: 332-5065
E-mail: smark@hcc.commnet.edu
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Blackboard Vista Site for Course Resources, Daily Assignments, E-mail, and More: http://my.commnet.edu
(Be sure to use the "Horizons Staff--Horizons Newspaper" site.)
Office: Beacon Hall 233
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Outreach Editor Deb Torreso |
News Editor
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John Slater
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Justin Tracey |
Circulation and Promotion Director Shadaya Montgomery |
Required Texts and Tools
Course Objectives
By
the end of COM*116, you should be better able to:
Advanced Publications students should be better able to:
Course Schedule
A detailed day-by-day
breakdown will be provided in the calendar section of our Blackboard Vista site.
The "Rigid, Minimal
Structure" of the Course
This class is designed to run
as a workshop, with students contributing to the operation of Housatonic
Horizons, our campus
newspaper. We will spend class time exploring news writing
structures and styles, discussing techniques, generating story ideas, sharing work, and critiquing
previous issues so that we can continue to improve Horizons. I will
develop and adapt presentations, exercises, and discussions to patterns I've
observed in your writing.
Some of our time will also be
spent working individually, with students interviewing, researching, writing,
and revising stories during class time, and me and the editors
"coaching" you on your work, working intensively with students one-on-one.
Most Publications Workshop
students find they gain valuable (and often marketable) experience, a better
understanding of the College, and new friends. This hands-on
course gives you an opportunity to be creative, grow as a writer, and learn new things. Enjoy the experience!
The "Rigid" Aspect of Course Structure:
Deadlines, deadlines,
deadlines! You are
expected and required to meet deadlines, an important part of being both an
effective journalist and a good student. Deadlines must be fixed
and firm. Late submissions create additional work and stress for other
staff members (and for me). In addition, we have a firm deadline
with the company that prints Horizons for us. We're all depending on you
to be professional.
Publishable Drafts:
Publishable drafts must be received by the deadline. Extensions will only
be granted in advance due to late-breaking developments in your story
with the permission of your editor. If you fail to meet a deadline
for publishable drafts, we reserve the right to publish a blank space with a
banner reading, "This space courtesy of..."
Attendance and Communication with the Editors and Me
In order to be an active part of the staff, you need to be here. It is especially important for you to be present during assignment, critique, workshop, and final draft days. Again, the structure of the class means that some sessions will offer you time to work independently. Unless otherwise indicated, however, you are expected to be in class. Missing class activities will result in a "zero" toward your participation and teamwork grade, which can add up quite quickly.
We begin class at the time noted in the catalog, the time you agreed to by signing up for this class. Habitual lateness is disruptive and will result in a lowered class participation grade and, thus, a lower course grade. This is especially important in this class, as we will sometimes break early to give students time to begin work on articles or to meet with me or one of the editors. Please be considerate of your classmates. If you MUST be late, enter the class quietly and take your seat quickly. PLEASE DO NOT COME TO CLASS MORE THAN 10 MINUTES LATE. YOU WILL BE MARKED ABSENT.
If you must miss class, you are expected to check our course calendar for assignments, so that you can be prepared for the next class. Handouts and detailed assignments will be available in our Blackboard Vista Site, accessible from any computer with Internet access. In the event of class or school cancellation, further information will be posted to our Blackboard Vista Site, as will any other needed revisions to the course calendar.
Some Common Sense Guidelines for Class
Without agreed-upon standards
of behavior, no community can function effectively. In order for all of us to
get the most we can out of this class, the following terms are non-negotiable:
1) Please turn off all cell phones, or put them on the "silent" or "vibrate"
setting. Calls should be accepted only in the case of an emergency, and
then out in the hall, not in class. Text and instant messages
should not be sent or received during class unless you are using this technology for class work, and then never during a class discussion or presentation.
2) Once class begins, you should not be
e-mailing, web “surfing,” instant messaging, or performing other computer operations
not related to class activities. During class discussions and
teacher presentations that don’t require computer use, please turn your chair
away from your computer to face me or your classmates.
3)
Complete the work assigned for each class in order to be considered present.
This means that you will have completed the reading and writing assignments due
and that you will bring your book(s) to class.
4)
Carefully review the syllabus, assignment sheets, and other handouts
distributed to the class. Class time will not be wasted reviewing basics (e.g.
"is this typed?") that are included on these documents.
5)
Be respectful. All members of our classroom community should be given a fair
and full hearing. Thus, avoid carrying on prolonged conversations with
classmates while someone else is speaking to the class. Allow someone to finish
making his or her point before you interrupt. Don’t resort to name-calling or
personal attacks.
6)
ABSOLUTELY NO TALKING during in-class writing. Be considerate of others’ needs.
7)
Should you fail to follow these guidelines or otherwise behave inappropriately,
I will instruct you to leave the class, you will be marked absent, and you will
not be permitted to make up that day’s work.
Grading
Because you are getting
credit for your work as staff members of the student paper, you will be graded
on the basis of your overall performance, rather than solely on the basis of grades for individual
articles. You will always revise your working draft, based on feedback you receive from me and/or the editors, and, if time
permits, we may ask for subsequent revisions. As a general
guideline, for each of issue of the paper, each student should submit at least
one publishable story that is “HCC-specific” and requires the significant use
of outside sources (or a previously agreed-upon alternative). Click here
for the breakdown of the specific criteria I'll be considering as I determine your course grade.
At various points in the
semester, I will ask you to rate yourself in each of these categories,
explaining your ratings, and I will then respond to these ratings. This
will give you a clearer sense of your standing in the class and help you to
make any adjustments that may be necessary.
No Late Submissions
As outlined above, all drafts of
articles must be received on time. Any articles for which the editors do not receive a working draft by the deadline will not be considered for publication in that issue. The editors and other production
staff need adequate time to lay out the paper, and our deadline for the
printer is non-negotiable. Absence from class does not excuse you
from a deadline. Extensions will be granted
only with advance notice, in extreme extenuating circumstances, and at the discretion of the advisor.
Academic Honesty and Journalistic Integrity
If you cheat (e.g. present
someone else's work as your own or otherwise manufacture information), you
will fail the course. No excuses. No exceptions. Please take care to
quote your sources accurately and work to get as balanced a view on an
issue as possible. If you're having trouble with this, please let me or the editors know. We're here to help. Keep in mind that your work reflects on the credibility
of the entire newspaper and staff.
The Role of the Editorial Board
Because Horizons is a student
publication, the editors are in charge of the newspaper. Acting under my
guidance, they have the final say about its content and layout.
Staff members are encouraged to propose, develop, and write stories on their
own, but this must be done in consultation with the editors. Editors
reserve the right to cut stories or withhold them from publication pending
revision.
As
advisor to the newspaper and professor for the publications course, I am solely
responsible for grading you.
Getting Help
Meeting with me: If you have questions about or problems
with a particular assignment or any aspect of this course, I urge you to
schedule a conference with me. Although you are welcome to drop by during
office hours, it’s best to schedule an appointment to guarantee I’ll be
available to you, rather than working with other students. If you cannot
meet with me during scheduled office hours, let me know and we'll work
something out in advance.
Your Assigned
Editor: For each article you
write for the newspaper, you will be assigned an editor. This
editor will work with you from working to publishable draft stage, providing
feedback on your work and offering help with questions you may have.
The
Writing Across the Curriculum Center: The
Writing Center, located in Lafayette Hall B118, offers free one-on-one tutoring at any stage
of the writing process, whether you’re trying to come up with ideas or organize
or revise an article. You can sign up for a half-hour appointment in B120
or drop in for help (keep in mind that space is limited and drop-ins are
handled after appointments on a first come, first served basis).
Other
Important Services: Student Development Services, located in Lafayette Hall, A108D, 332-5097, offers personal,
academic, career, and transfer counseling. Disabilities Support Services, also in Lafayette Hall and located in B120, 332-5018, offers academic assistance,
advocacy, accommodations, and counseling for students with physical,
psychological, or learning disabilities. If you know that you have a disability
or suspect that you might, you should meet with the Coordinator as soon as
possible.
IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO CONTINUE THE COURSE: You can add and drop courses without special permission until Wednesday, September 2. If you drop the course by Thursday, October 1, you will receive an automatic "W," indicating that you withdrew, which will not affect your Grade Point Average.
After that date--but before Friday, November 6-- you should contact me and fill out the appropriate paperwork, so that you can receive a "W." Students who do not consult with me after October 1 will receive an "F" if they stop participating in the class without filling out the appropriate paperwork to withdraw.
General Guidelines
for Submitting Work to Horizons
1)
Save each article as a Microsoft Word or rich text document on a flash drive
or disk. Use the file name indicated by the bold words on the assignment
roster/spreadsheet. For working drafts, save as "[Title on
Spreadsheet] Working Draft". For publishable drafts, save as "[Title on
Spreadsheet] Publishable Draft." Bring an electronic copy of
your article to class with you; you may be asked to make changes in class.
I
strongly urge you to make a back-up copy of your work, either on a separate
c.d, flash drive, or disk or on the hard drive of a computer at home or
work.
2) Make sure you have followed the
formatting guidelines provided in class.
3)
Drafts will be submitted electronically to both the editors and me.
Detailed instructions will be provided.
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
This syllabus serves as a contract between us,
detailing what to expect from the course and what's expected of you. Save it
and consult guidelines as needed. Be sure to take the time to read it
carefully and share your questions and concerns. |