Internet Access:
I will require that all students establish e-mail accounts with Internet access. This course will occasionally involve interaction between the instructor and students outside of the lecture period. Please set up these accounts as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please note: "Incompletes" are discouraged for this course, so plan ahead!

Grading:
  Paper #1                   15%
  Paper #2                   15%
  Quizzes                       40% (10% each)
  Final                          20%
  Class Participation   10% (This grade will come largely from an evaluation of the short writing exercises.)

Quizzes:
The quizzes will cover materials from the assigned readings, lectures, films, and other in-class presentations. I will go over all assigned readings, either during lectures or during discussion sections. You are responsible for anything that is covered in class, whether or not you were present for a given class period. You will be allowed to use maps when taking the quizzes (excluding the Map Quiz). On some quizzes, you will be asked to relate materials from the readings, lectures, guest lectures, and films to information on maps. Therefore, you will want to refer to a map when reviewing the readings and class notes. I also recommend that you bring a map to class every day to use as a reference guide during lectures and discussions.

Make-up Quizzes:
With a doctor’s written excuse, a student will be able to make up one missed quiz. A make-up quiz must be taken within one week of the in-class quiz’s original date. Make-up quizzes will be given during my office hours, unless there exist unavoidable time conflicts.
Final Take-home Examination
There is a 5 page, typed take-home exam. I will distribute three or four questions two weeks before the end of the course. The exams will be due in my office (242 McIver) no later than 3pm on Thursday, May 9th. We'll talk more about this exam later in the course.

Classroom Discussions:
Discussion and the exchange of ideas are very important components of this course. Everyone will be required to participate, and you should feel free to ask questions in every class during lecture. When a film is shown in class, we will follow the presentation with a short discussion. Due to the size of the class, students will be divided into five (5) formal discussion groups. These groups will lead class discussions at times noted in the lecture schedule (usually during the second half of class on Thursdays). The first formal discussion will be held during the second half of class on Thursday, January 27th. Students must sign up for their preferred group by Tuesday, January 25th. I will take attendance for each discussion group, and students may not switch groups without my prior permission. Students will be graded on their contribution to the formal discussion groups and on their participation in informal class discussions. Each student will come to class having read the texts and prepared to discuss them. I will not hesitate to call on all students to participate. However, you should feel free to speak with me before class, if you find it difficult to speak in a public setting. In that case, you may submit your questions before each class in writing. Any student with five unexcused absences from their discussion group will receive "0%" for the class participation portion of their final grade. .
 
Short Writing Exercises:
Following each discussion session I will require that you turn in to me a one-paragraph, typed summary of the five questions asked and the five points raised by the discussion group leading that week's discussion, as well as a one-paragraph, typed personal response to one of their questions. These exercises will be graded on a check, check-plus, or check-minus scale. If you receive straight "checks" for all exercises, you will have earned a "B" for this part of the course. To earn a "check-plus" you need to demonstrate that you have thought imaginatively about the question and have put some genuine effort into your answer. The purpose of these exercises is to gain experience in writing, and they should therefore help prepare you for the paper and the take-home exam. Please include your name and student number on each submission.

Web site:
I have created a Web site for this classroom, which I will continue to expand as the semester progresses. Students can access course information, such as scheduled events (i.e. the syllabus you now hold in your hand), as well as terms mentioned in lecture. I will also list links to web sites of interest to our class. I urge everyone to visit The UNC-CH web site "Evaluating Web Sites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist"  (http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-49.html) before "surfing" through these on-line materials. Moreover, I may include additional materials on the library's Electronic Reserve list. Please refer to the class Web site periodically for such materials.

Paper:
The "think piece" papers, to be written on assigned topics, will be based on your readings, discussions and the lectures. Questions for the paper will come from the books Kokoro and Novel Without A Name. These papers are not research papers; therefore, no outside reading is required. However, the quality of your writing, particularly the clarity and persuasiveness of your argument, will factor into the final grading. Late papers will be penalized half a letter grade for each day beyond the original due date.
 
Required Texts:
The following books are required reading for this course, and may be purchased at the UNCG Bookstore:
1. Murphey, Rhoads. East Asia: A New History. Longman, 1997.
2. Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro. Washington: Regnery, 1957. (Gateway Reprint).
3. Duong Thu Huong. Novel Without A Name. Penguin, 1995.