Don’t
Panic!

A Cyber-Hiker’s Guide to the 

Argumentation

Galaxy

This Could be the most Challenging Class you will ever Take – And the most Important

Citizens of a democratic society need to be able to critically evaluate arguments, and be able to express their own arguments in rational, effective ways.  Too often, we make decisions based on the hair style or delivery of the speaker and not on solid critical thinking.  In this class you will learn to think critically, to evaluate arguments, and to create rational presentations of your own positions on topics of importance to you.
	This class challenges you to learn how to think rationally.  This presents difficulties for many of us.  We are used to thinking illogically, confusing emotional attachment to an idea with a rational commitment to the same, not understanding the difference between a fact and an inference, and being swayed by fine sounding arguments filled with fallacies and based on nothing but the ephemeral appeal of the speaker.  
	In this class you will struggle to stay focused  on actual fact and rational presentations of those facts.  This course is difficult for most of us.  It requires us to stretch our mental muscles.  It involves a great deal of writing, research, and speaking.  It involves a great deal of thinking.  Are you up to it? 

What You Will Learn
 
At the end of this course you will be able to:

1.	Critically formulate and evaluate oral arguments using logical reasoning.
2.	Construct and deliver dynamic and competent presentations that are adapted to the purpose and audience
3.	Utilize research materials that incorporate sufficient, credible, and relevant evidence.
4.	Choose appropriate organizational patterns. 
5.	Analyze the effectiveness of communication through constructive critique. 

The Basics

So, now you know the generalities of how the course works, let’s review some basic information you need to know about the course. 

Textbooks
 
 Assignments
Oral Presentations
 
Proposition of Fact Speech - 100
Proposition of Policy Speech - 100
Refutation Speech – 100
 
Issue Analysis Papers 
 Proposition  of Fact – 100
Propositon  of Evaluation – 100
Proposition of Policy - 100 
Refutation Essay – 100

 
Discussion 

Writing Workshop Posting of Propositions 25 (Extra Credit also available in Writing Workshop) 
Current Events Discussion – 100

Exams
Writing Handbook Quiz -50
Creating Propositions - 20
    Basics of Argumentation Quizzes – 52
Virtual Orientation/Syllabus - 50

Late Assignments 

Written Assignments turned in late will receive a 10 percent deduction in grade. Speaking assignments cannot be made up. If not given on one of the two dates available, they cannot be made up. We just don’t have the time.  So, if you have any doubt you can make each on-campus meeting, drop this class. 

Due Dates:

Essays

I understand that one of the reasons you take an online class is to achieve some flexibility in your time scheduling. Arguably, the most time consuming part of this class is writing the five essays. Therefore, all essays are due by April 25. I strongly suggest that you NOT wait until that day to turn them in. Since I am giving you nearly the entire semester as a lead time to turn them in, obviously late assignments will be strongly penalized. 

In order to encourage you getting in essays earlier, I have set up four “incentive” dates. Essays turned in by these dates will get you some extra credit. 

Incentive Dates

February 28 – Seven Points of extra credit for each essay turned in by 11:59 on this date

March 18 - Five Points of extra credit for each essay turned in by 11:59 on this date

April 1 – Three Points of extra credit for each essay turned in by 11:59 on this date

April 15 – Two points of extra credit for each essay turned in by 11:59 on this date. 

Speeches

For each speech, you can attend either of the dates. All speeches are at 6 pm on the Reedley College campus. Specific locations to be announced. 

February 15 – Speech #1

March 23 – Speech #2

April 26 – Speech #3

Quizzes

February 2

Writing the Argumentative Essay Quiz
Virtual Orientation Quiz

February 6

Creating Propositions Quiz

February 9 - Post Propositions in the writing workshop for approval (Required)

February 13

Basics of Argumentation Quizzes – All of them

Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop Extra Credit (See Writing Workshop for Details)

February 18 – Post First Draft of One Essay

February 20 – Post a Critique of One Essay

February 23 – Post Revised Draft of One Essay

February 25 – Post Critique of One Essay

March 6 – Post First Draft of One Essay

March 8 – Post a Critique of One Essay

March 10 – Post Revised Draft of One Essay

March 13 – Post Critique of One Essay

March 20 – Post First Draft of One Essay

March 22 – Post a Critique of One Essay

 March 24 – Post Revised Draft of One Essay

March 27 – Post Critique of One Essay

March 29 – Post First Draft of One Essay

April 1 – Post a Critique of One Essay

April 4 – Post Revised Draft of One Essay

April 6 – Post Critique of One Essay

Argumentative Essays

In this class you will write five papers.  Each paper is 750-1000 words long. They are formal, research-based, reasoned arguments. A learning unit Writing the Argumentative Essay will be posted on Blackboard section. Read it carefully.  It contains complete instructions on writing the assignments for this course. Some of the information is general, but much of it relates specifically to the assignments you will complete for this class. Since I spent a long time writing this, I expect you to read it and follow the directions in it. The guidelines in this writing handbook have the same weight as those in the syllabus. 

  In writing these papers do not confuse argumentation with presenting an opinion.  Opinions are generally unfounded and unsupported.  As such they have little real value.  An argument is something that is rational, logical and backed by solid evidence.  

Every claim you make in one of these papers MUST be supported by research.  As such, your grade will be based in part on your research.  You must have a minimum of 4 qualified sources of research cited in your paper to qualify for a “C.” You need 5 for a “B” and 6 for an “A.”  Just having these sources cited does not automatically give you these grades.  It’s just that your grade can be no higher than that. 

By qualified sources, I mean sources which meet the criteria set forth in the Guide to Writing the Argumentative Essay. Any sources which do not meet these criteria will not count toward that total.

These papers are formal academic papers.  That means that the use of the first person pronouns I, me, we, us, ours, and mine is forbidden.  You will lose 1 point for each use of these pronouns.  Likewise, the second person you and yours is to be avoided and 1 point will be removed per instance.  I understand this makes writing difficult.  It also makes the writing more precise and forces you to focus on fact and argument rather than on personal opinion. 

Also, as academic papers, you will be expected to use formal source citations both within the text of your paper and prepare a works cited page.  Every work listed on the works cited page MUST be cited in the text of the paper itself.  So, it is vital that you are diligent about your source citations.  In this course I require the use of APA format.  I expect the paper to conform to this format.  If you are unfamiliar with this type of academic formatting, then you will have difficulties in this class.  If you need help with your writing, you can receive it from our Writing Center in Humanities 59 or by emailing the center at rc.writingcenter@reedleycollege.edu .  You can even email your paper to the writing center and get help online. 

The Papers

Proposition of Fact Paper. A proposition of fact is an argument which attempts to prove that something is a fact or will be a fact.  It deals with potentially verifiable matters. Informally, we are familiar with this type of argument.  A typical example is an argument over who played the lead in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest  or who was football’s MVP in 1987.  These types of arguments usually end with someone pulling a book off the shelf and looking up the answer. 
	But there are other more thorny questions of fact which are not so easily settled. Let’s take the example we began with.  Does Big Foot (or the Yeti, Abominable Snow Man or Sasquatch) actually exist?  Some people say such a creature does exist, and others say it does not.  The actually evidence is inconclusive enough to allow speculation.  After all, one has never captured Big Foot and brought it into town.  On the other hand, there are reported sightings, controversial movies, and physical artifacts such as footprints which provide evidence for believers to make their case.  
	On a more practical level a proposition of fact might revolve about a question about the future.  For instance, will the stock market go up or down in the coming year.  Obviously, one could simply wait a year and find out, but I want to invest today.  So, I approach two financial advisers.  One looks at the stock market trends over the past six months, the current state of the economy, the projections put out by various governmental agencies, economists and companies and says, “Yes, this is a great time to invest.”  The other looking over the same material says, “No, play it safe this year.  Invest in government bonds and put your money in the bank.”  Each adviser will present the evidence he or she feels supports his or her position.  They will also provide me with analyses of that evidence explaining why they came to those conclusions.  A year later, I will be able to verify those conclusions and either celebrate with a steak dinner or commiserate with a spam sandwich.

Proposition of Evaluation Paper. (And Speech) Often an argument will not turn on some verifiable or potentially verifiable fact, but rather on making an evaluation of something.  Again, our informal conversations contain such arguments.  I’m thinking of buying a new car and I say, “I like the Pontiac Grand Am.  It’s cute, sporty, has good power and gets fair gas mileage.”  Meanwhile, my friend says, “Well, the Mustang is the classic sports car and gets better gas mileage and has a more powerful engine.” 
	There is no absolute right or wrong.  The argument turns on the criteria I am using to evaluate the vehicle.  If my criteria was economy more than good looks, then I might well go for a subcompact, electric-gasoline hybrid car like Primus. 
	Again using our Big Foot example a proposition of value might be whether or not studying such creatures (or possible creatures) like Big Foot is legitimate scientific research.  That argument would look at what are the generally accepted criteria for legitimate scientific research and see whether the Big Foot Expeditionary Study is legitimate.  
	Likewise, picking a stock, an argument might ensue over whether or not a stock is a wise buy.  While part of that argument might be a question of fact (will it go up or down next year) it also depends heavily on how one defines a “wise buy.”  If my criterion for purchasing securities is long term stability, then a stock which has risen little in value, but produces dividends every year could be considered a wise buy.  But if my criterion is a stock which I can buy low and sell high in a short term turnaround, then that same stock might not be “wise” according to my definition. 
	Establishing the criteria for making the evaluation, therefore, is the most important aspect of arguing a proposition of value.  Often, two people will be arguing about whether something is good or bad with completely different definitions of those words.  A good portion of a speech arguing a question of value is to define your terms and set the criteria for the evaluation

Proposition of Policy Paper (and Speech). Every day we face questions of policy.  Should we purchase a new computer system for the office?  Should workers at the steel mill be given a raise?  Should a certain law be enacted?  The common factor in each of these is that they call for an action which results in a change in the status quo.
	So, proposing to create an expedition to hunt for Big Foot would be a question of policy.  The argument in this case would turn on either the need for research or the benefits which would accrue from doing the research.  Likewise, a speech proposing a new law to regulate the sale of securities would be a question of policy.  
	In both of these cases we are calling for some sort of action to take place.  This means you have to give the listener substantial reasons for taking that action.  It must provide the listener with ample evidence and reasoning to convince the audience to make substantial changes in the status quo.  This is what is called making a prima face case.   
	Obviously, because you are asking for your audience to either make changes themselves or encourage changes in the system, you have a much tougher job than simply convincing someone of a fact or of the inherent value of something.  
	To motivate action, you must create arguments not only addressing the generic good of the general public, but also the specific benefit of such a change to the individual in the audience.  In other words you not only answer the question “Why is this a good idea?”, but also “What’s in it for me?”   You must prepare arguments to address both.  That is why propositions of policy generally take the most work to support.
	Your proposition of policy paper and speech for this class needs to focus on public policy in some way.  That could mean proposing a new law, voting a certain way in an election, a change in personal behavior that would benefit society (like not drinking and driving), or some change taken by an institution (like a college, hospital, etc.), corporations and local, state or national governments which would benefit the greater culture.
	The Refutation Paper (and Speech). You will select an essay, op-ed piece, editorial or other argumentative piece of writing, summarize the arguments and present a counter argument for each one. You can also do a refutation of one of your own papers.  

Guidelines for your Papers

Length: 750-1000 words.  Five points taken off for every 100 words over or under this limit. Therefore, if your paper runs 700 words you will lose 15 points.

All papers must be double-spaced with 12 point font.  Approved fonts include: Arial, Helvetica, Times Roman (any variation), Verdana or Tahoma. Use of an inappropriate font will result in a 5 point reduction in grade.

Each paper must be on a topic appropriate to the assignment.  For instance, a proposition of policy essay submitted as a proposition of value is inappropriate and you will receive zero points. Likewise, if the paper fails to address a controversial issue or is basically informative in nature, you will receive zero points. 

Papers must be sent through TurnItIn as complete documents.  That means that title sheet, paper and works cited page must be included in the same file.  If the works cited is not contained in the same file as the paper, you will lose 25 points. 

In-text source citations and works cited pages must conform to APA style.  If sources are not cited in-text at all, you will lose 50 points.  If you fail to have a works cited page you will lose 50 points. Inconsistent source citation will result in a variable loss of points at the discretion of the instructor and in proportion to the lack of diligence to providing proper credit. If your paper does not conform to APA style, then you will lose 25 points. 

Each paper must include a “Source Validation Page.” See the instructions earlier in this handbook for instructions.  Failure to include one will result in a 50 point reduction in grade.

Use of first or second person pronouns except in quotations is forbidden.  That means the words “I,” “me,” “we,” “us,” “my,” “mine,” “our,” “ours,” “you,” “your,” “yours” and any other variation on these should not appear.  I will deduct 1 point for each use of such words outside of quotations by your sources. 

You will lose 50 points for each fact error found in a paper.  In practical terms this means a zero score for two fact errors. 

No more than 25% of your paper should consist of direct quotes. Use facts, statistical material or paraphrase (put in your own words) with proper IN-TEXT source citation of course as well as direct quotes. 

Every argument you use to support your proposition MUST be supported by specific evidence. That means that if you contend that cloning will encourage scientists to create embryos just for “spare parts,” you need to back up that assertion by some sort of external evidence like a quotation from an expert, an internal memo by a cloning scientist saying the same thing, or some other verifiable piece of information. Failure to support an argument with specific evidence will result in a reduction in your score by 20 points for each unsupported argument. 

Each paper is required to have a minimum of 4 sources of information to qualify for a “C” (70-79 points), 5 to qualify for a “B” (80-89 points) and 6 to qualify for the “A” (90-100 points). Every work on the works cited page must actually be used and cited in the text of the paper.  Any source listed on the works cited page and not cited in the paper will reduce your grade by 10 points. 

The sacred writings of a religion are only valid as evidence if the contention revolves around what an individual religion does or does not teach.  They do not constitute proof outside that religious system in most secular argument.  The same applies for politically biased sources.

Any paper that uses only religious or politically biased sources will result in a 50 point deduction.  If more than half of the sources are biased, you will lose at least 25 points.

Use of unapproved internet research sources will result in a deduction of five points for each source listed in the works cited page.

Late papers will lose 10 points.

There is a checklist for each of your papers in Writing the Argumentative Essay. Use these for each of your papers and you will avoid most of the deductions mentioned above.  Many people lose up to half their points simply because they did not follow proper form.  

More Tips for Writing your Papers

	While it is impossible to give you a complete education on writing academic papers in a few paragraphs, here are a few tips. 

Start Early. Select your topics in the next few days.  Time gets away from you and you have four papers to write. . The longer you wait to get started, the more rushed you will be at the end.  Set yourself a schedule.  Map out when you will research, write and rewrite your paper. 
Source Everything. If you have never written a formal reasoned argumentative essay, you need to know that writing one is very different from writing a personal essay.  We have already mentioned the fact that it is research-based. You must back up each claim you make with specific evidence.  Your opinion is not enough.  You need the facts.   This also means that you need to “source” everything which comes from someplace other than your own imagination.   What we mean by “sourcing” is using in-text source citations.  These take the form of a short phrase contained within parentheses giving a reference to the original source of the information.  It will look like this (Jones, 1999) in APA style.  In MLA style it will look like this (Jones, p. 64)  You MUST source every fact you use, every direct quotation, every indirect quotation, every statistic.  If you fail to do this, you will lose points.  You must also include a works cited page listing every source you used in your paper. Only list those works you actually have sourced in the text.
Dump the “I”s. Remove all use of the personal pronouns from your paper. Remove I, me, we, you, us, ours, mine, etc. This should not be directly addressed to the reader.  Nor should it point to you.  So, do not use terms like “I think,” “I believe,” “In my opinion.”  What you think or believe is not important.  What you can prove is what matters
Save as a single file. I don’t know what it is with some people, but when they send me their paper, they send separate files for the cover sheet, the paper and the works cited.  Don’t do that!  You wouldn’t turn in a hard copy paper that way.. 
Write and Rewrite then Rewrite Again.  After you have written your paper, go back and look at it critically.  Did you cover everything you needed to cover?  Were your transitions tight?  Is it organized well? Did you support all your points with specific research? Were you using too much personal experience and personal opinion?  How was your spelling and punctuation?  Read your paper out loud.  This should help you spot problems you might not see reading silently.  If English is your second language, have someone else check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. 
Ask for help. If you need help, be sure to email me and ask.  Better to ask for help than to make an avoidable error. 

Getting in Touch

I try to be available to students, even when we don’t meet in person.  Here are the basic contact options. 

Email

This is your best option most of the time.  I check email several times a day and try to answer student email as quickly as possible.  You can usually expect a 24 hour or less turn around. The best email address at which to reach me is webservant2003@yahoo.com. However, I check my school email as well several times a day. 

To expedite matters, I would like you to include the word student in the subject line of your email.  For instance, “Student Question about the Term Paper.”  I have my email program set up to send all student email to a special file which I check first.  Also, make the subject line specific.  Instead of a subject line like “Your student,” use “Student needs help with book review.”  

If you are emailing me through the Blackboard system, be sure your profile includes an email address.  If it doesn’t, I can’t respond.  Also, be sure you include your name in your email if you expect me to check on something related to your grade or assignments.  Email addresses are not always helpful.  Like my email address of webservant2003@yahoo.com . If I didn’t sign my name you wouldn’t know who I am. It is also helpful to give me the section number since I have several online or web assisted classes. 

Student Email Addresses and Blackboard

There has been a change in the way that BlackBoard works. Instead of using your own email address, the school automatically sets one up for you with the format lastname_studentID@my.scccd.com . You need to activate this email, if you have not done so already in order to receive announcements from this course. You can set this email to forward to another email address like a Yahoo or Gmail account, if you wish. For more information and to activate your email go to http://www.scccd.edu/index.aspx?page=398 . THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. It’s a school rule and not mine. 

Skype Me!!!

I am available for video or audio conferencing at home over the computer. For personal security reasons, I don’t give out my home phone number, but you can contact me using SKYPE. In case you haven’t used it, Skype is a method you can use to make computer-to-computer audio or video calls. Email me with a time you would like to talk and we can online without you having to leave the comfort of your home. If you don’t have a webcam, but you do have a headset, Skype makes great audio calls as well. My Username is terrimain . 

By the way, I leave Skype on during my virtual office hours, too. 

Instant Messaging

You can instant message me online using Yahoo! Messenger.  My ID is webservant2003 .  If I am online, I will respond.  However, please identify yourself as a student.  If I’m busy, I may ignore people who just want to chat, but I don’t ignore my students.  

Office hours

My office is  A-3. This is in a metal building just behind the covered walkway on the Reed Avenue side of the campus. 

Hours are Monday 3-4 pm, Wednesday 4-5:30 pm and Friday 12-1:30 pm. Other hours available by appointment

Virtual Office Hours

I will be keeping online office hours this term.  I will be available online Tuesday evenings 8-9.  You can contact me by instant messenger or Skype.

Other times are available by appointment.

Telephone

This is the worst possible way to reach me. I am not on campus a lot so I might not get messages for some time. The number is 559-638-3641. I don’t check it often since I’m only on campus a couple hours a day. So, email will get you a faster response. 

Posting to the Discussion Board

Those people who enjoy the course the most tend to be those who really engage in the discussion board postings.  Approximately, once every week to 10 days, there will be a topic posted for discussion. Some will be drawn from the week's news. Most will be based on essays from your textbook.  For each "Content Forum" you will need to post an original response and two responses to two other student posts.  

The original response must be at least 75 words long and the replies to the two other posts at least 25 words each. But please, try not to just do the minimal required. This is a wonderful way for you to break out of the isolation of online education and really jump into the conversation. It will make this an enjoyable activity

Other Forums

In addition to those discussion boards directly related to the subject matter of the course, we have three other forums both for your convenience and to help build a sense of community. 

Student Lounge.  In this forum you can discuss anything you like.  I promise I will not access this forum.  So, feel free to even criticize me or the class. 
Ask Me.  This forum provides you with a vehicle for posting questions which you believe other people might want to know the answers to as well as yourself. 

Some Cautions

The anonymity of the internet can be liberating.  Many can find it easier to talk about certain subjects when not physically present.  That can be both good and bad.  Sometimes it is good to move outside your comfort zone and share feelings and experiences.  However, sometimes you can share too much.  Likewise, the anonymity of the internet can bring out the worst in us.  So here are a few cautions. 

First, don’t share too much personal information online.  Avoid giving your address or phone number online.  

Second, share only up to your personal level of comfort.  One of the problems with the internet is that material put out online can be copied and passed on indefinitely.  So, sharing intimate information about your divorce say, could find its way back to your ex.  

Third, don’t pass on information you read on the discussion boards. If I find out you have done so, I may remove all of your discussion points. 

Fourth, play nice.  Ugly or insulting posts will be pulled.  Repeat offense will result in the loss of you discussion points. 

Submitting Your Papers through TurnitIn

1.	Click on Assignments

2.	Click on the link reading "View/Complete" for the assignment

3.	Click on "Browse" to find your paper on your disk or flash drive.

4.	When you find the file, highlight it and click OK in the dialog box

5.	Hit Submit
That's all there is to it. You can tell if your paper went through because you receive a 'receipt'. Print that out for your records. Also, if you check your gradebook you will see an exclamation point next to the assignment. That means it has been received, but not graded. If you see a lock, email me immediately. You will have to resubmit the paper and I will have to clear the lock. 

Protecting Yourself

No matter how efficient a system, whether human or electronic, there can be glitches.  This means you have to take some responsibility for protecting yourself. Here are a few tips:

When submitting a quiz, print out the page which gives confirmation it was submitted.

When submitting a paper through the drop box, print the page confirming receipt and the page listing everything in your drop box. 
Save copies of your book review in three formats: paper, online and on disk. 

Appeal Procedure
Some students (not many, but some) try to manipulate the system by claiming to have turned in work which they did not.  This means, as much as I might like to, I can’t take everyone’s word at face value.  Yet, we know mistakes happen.  So, here is the procedure for appealing a “missing” assignment. 

I will post an announcement when all the grades are recorded for a particular assignment (except for quizzes since they are automatically scored).  After this announcement, you will have two weeks to appeal a missing assignment.  Contact me by email or in class (in the case of face to face classes) and resubmit your assignment through the drop box.  

If I do not hear from you in two weeks, I will assume the assignment did not come in on time and you will receive the reduction for a late assignment or a zero grade if it does not come in at all.  It is your responsibility to monitor the Blackboard at least once a week for announcements. 

Time Management for Online Courses

	It is embarrassing to admit, but the first time I taught an online course, I got way behind in my work.  Because I wasn’t in class everyday, I just kept putting off my online work.  Big mistake! Suddenly I had all these papers coming in.  Students were asking about their grades.  I ended up pulling all-nighters just to get through the course. 
	I learned right then and there that you need to manage your time diligently to get through an online course.  What is true for me as a teacher is equally true for you as a student.  Without a regular class meeting reminding you to do the work you need to do in your class, it is easy to just keep pushing off the work until the due dates are upon you.  Here are some tips from the trenches on how to manage your time for an online class.

Set a Schedule.  This is really vital.  Even though we don’t meet at a specific time and place, act like we do.  But here’s the good news you can set that time on your own.  So you could set an hour at 7 p.m. Monday, a half hour at 3 p.m. Wednesday, etc.  Be sure to have at least three hours a week scheduled just like you would in class.  However, you also need to realize that there is more than basic class time and time on Blackboard.  You will be reading your text, writing your papers, responding to editorials, studying for exams, etc. I would advise setting aside about 8-10 hours a week for each 3 unit online course you take.  And that is a low figure.
Avoid Distractions. I know many of you are saying, “Yeah, right, you don’t know my house.  Phones are ringing, kids want stuff, the TV goes constantly.”  I do understand this.  However, if you were in a class at school you couldn’t take a phone call or run and get something for the kids.  Treat those scheduled hours just like you were in the classroom.  Turn off the cell phone and the TV. Personally, when I am working on my classes, I leave my phone on voicemail. If it is an emergency, they know to call back immediately and I will check the caller ID and answer the phone.  But I define an emergency as something which involves a person in a uniform: EMT, firefighter, police officer, etc.  Just about anything else can wait. If you have an office or den, close the door and put a sign up that says something like “Mommy/Daddy is at school.”  If you need to, go to a public library and work.  You’ll find you spend a lot less time on your schoolwork if you do this so you actually will have more time to spend with your family in the long run.
Break Big Jobs into Little Jobs. There’s an old riddle that goes: “How do you eat an elephant.”  Obviously, the answer is “One bite at a time.”  Take out a calendar and mark off dates to have completed some aspect of this class.  For instance, “June 25 have read book for book review.”  
Use the minutes. Sometimes people think they have to have an hour or more to do any work at all on this course.  But how long does it take to post one message on the discussion board?  How long does it take to complete a quiz?  Can you write a paragraph or two on your paper  in 15 minutes?  If you are on a bus going to an appointment across town, take your book with you and read on the ride.  Make notes about your term paper at lunch.  Log on to the discussion board while waiting for the electrician to come over to fix the wall socket. 
Prioritize tasks. We often fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent.  That good TV show is on so you put off an important assignment to watch the show.  But that pushes off another assignment and so you end up rushing around to complete important things because you put them off for something that isn’t a high priority.  Time management people tell us that to be efficient, we need to prioritize our time.  That means sitting down with our To-Do list for the day and putting our tasks in order of importance.  Then, as much as possible, take care of the important stuff first.
Plan for Delays.  I have a standing appointment in San Francisco.  I know that from my house to the appointment location my driving time is about 4 hours.  But I always give myself 5 hours.  Why?  Well, there are frequently traffic jams on the Bay Bridge.  There is road work during the summer.  There’s the possibility of detours.  I could have trouble finding a parking place.  More than once I’ve been glad I allowed for delays.  You need to do the same thing.  Sometimes, the server will be busy or your ISP will be running slowly.  The server might even be down.  If you wait until the very last minute to turn in your work or if you only budget the minimum time you need to complete your work, you may find yourself missing your deadlines.  Always add at least 10 percent to your estimated time for completing a project.  That way you have a buffer in case something unforeseen arises.
Have a Backup Plan. While not strictly a time management issue, this does affect your time planning.  If you computer goes down, what are you going to do?  I know if my computer goes out, I can go to the local public library or go to the college library and use one of theirs.  With some of the bargains on computers I’m seeing on TV right now, you can almost afford to buy a “spare” computer.  I’m actually thinking about it.  Planning for the worst can sometimes help you do your best. 

Concerning Plagiarism
 
 I had taught for 6 years before I had my first case of blatant plagiarism. Now, I get 2-3 cases per year.  In spite of my warnings that plagiarized work will result in an “F,” students continue to foolishly turn in the exact same papers as two or three other students in the same class.  It may reflect a general moral bankruptcy in our times, a Napster mentality, or just declining intelligence in the student population.  I suspect, that strange as it seems to me, many students simply do not know what it is and may not know it is wrong.  And I suspect many do not understand why it is a serious offense.  In the next few paragraphs I will discuss what constitutes plagiarism, why it is wrong, and how it can endanger your academic future. 
How Plagiarism will affect your Grade in this Class
Any plagiarized work I receive will result in serious consequences.  First, you will lose 150 percent of the score.  In other words, if you plagiarize your proposition of fact paper, you will lose the full 100 points for the paper and 50 points will be deducted from your final score for the course.  Additionally, you will lose all extra credit points.  Two instances of plagiarism will result in you failing the class.  
What is Plagiarism?
 Put simply, Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. At it’s most blatant, it’s directly copying a paper or purchasing one from someone else.  Incidentally, if you are considering purchasing a paper from some Internet company, don’t!  I have access to a web-based service where I can compare your paper to thousands available online.  So can virtually any instructor. 
Sometimes the sheer stupidity of the plagiarizers amazes me.  I’ve had four students in a single class who sat together and were best friends turn in the same paper right down to the misspelled words.  Like, I wouldn’t notice? Others have turned in papers with one person’s name obviously whited out and the student’s name typed in with a different font and color ink. 
 But a paper doesn’t have to be exactly word for word to count as plagiarism.  If the paper is “substantially similar” to another paper, it is still considered cheating.  For instance, I had two students, a boyfriend and girlfriend, turn in two papers which were identical except that the first two paragraphs were reversed from each other.  Just shuffling the order of the writing doesn’t create an original paper. 
 Sometimes a paper is plagiarized because it is made up of paragraphs taken almost bodily from books and articles and pieced together without any commentary by the student and with no source citations.  These tend to be obvious by the different styles of the authors of the paragraphs clashing and the lack of transitional material.  I actually had one person give a speech that she read directly from a Xerox copy of a magazine article.
Certainly, you can quote from other people, but give due credit and don’t pass the work of others off as your own.  Also, you need to create an original work which incorporates the quotes and doesn’t simply string a bunch of them together without obvious synthesis.
 Sometimes plagiarism occurs in take-home essay exams and even with the in-class exams in which I allow you to bring notes.  Many times I find that the answers are direct quotes from the text book.  That may have pleased your high school teachers, but it doesn’t please me.  Your answers must be your original work.  Likewise, if you have had one person write down the notes for everyone, don’t copy them word for word.  I had one class where no less than 8 people answered the same question the same way misspelling the same words.  And, frankly, the answers weren’t that good to begin with.
 In other words, if the paper, exam or speech is largely the work of someone else, then it is plagiarism.  These papers or speeches will receive an “F” grade and two such papers will give you an “F” in the class. 
 Why is Plagiarism Wrong?
I shouldn’t even have to address this, but I feel I need to.  A number of students when confronted with the fact of their plagiarism, look at me in all apparent innocence and say, “But I got the paper in on time.”  One explained that the plagiarism was okay because it was for extra credit.  Obviously, something has gone wrong with the moral compass of our society when students can be caught and not even realize that cheating is wrong.
Plagiarism is wrong on two levels. The first level is that of basic honesty.  When you turn in a paper, you make an implied claim that this is something original.  When it is not original, that quite simply is a lie.  Secondly, plagiarism is wrong because it represents an attempt to obtain the benefits of a college degree without doing the work.  Completing the courses necessary for your degree will give you an edge in the job market, and provide a certain social status in society.  However, if you have obtained that degree by cheating, you are benefiting from something you did not earn. And, of course, on a personal level, you won’t learn anything unless you do your own work.  That will reduce the skills you need to succeed in business and personal life.  You can’t cheat on the job and expect to do your job well.
In some ways, I have to admit that the college system which places such a high emphasis on grades rather than on comprehensive evaluation of learning, contributes to this.  We all know that grades do not always equate to learning.  And sometimes we as instructors lose sight of the purpose of assignments.  They are not simply products to be delivered, but tools to facilitate learning.  
However, in admitting this, it does not excuse students cutting corners by cheating.  A paper or a speech is not a product I have ordered which has value independent of your learning experience.  The assignment is for your benefit and not mine.  Only by completing the assignment will you learn.  In writing this policy, I am committing myself to making the effort to keep learning first and grading as merely a natural outcome of the learning process.  
What Effects Can Plagiarism Have on your Academic Future?
Most Four-Year colleges and universities treat plagiarism as a major infraction of the rules.  You can be placed on academic probation, fail a class or even be expelled from the college.  If expelled for plagiarism, you will find it hard to be admitted to another college. Even if you are not removed from the school, your hopes of graduate work could be diminished.  You can find it difficult to get a faculty advisor for your thesis or dissertation.  If an academic probation becomes part of your transcripts, it can also impact your ability to get a good job.  
This type of thing can haunt you for years.  About 20 years ago, Sen. Joe Biden was running for President.  He had a reasonable chance of taking his party’s nomination.  However, it was discovered and reported that he had plagiarized a paper in law school.  His support vanished and eventually he withdrew from the race over something that had taken place more than two decades before. 
Is it really worth the risk.  Do your own work.  It’s  the right thing to do.  It’s the smart thing to do.

 the class.