Canadian Studies 201 L01
Introduction to Canadian Studies
Fall 2008
TR 11:00-12:15

 

Instructor:	Max Foran
Office Location:	SS 314
Office Phone:	403 220 4366
E-Mail:	mforan@ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	TR 14:00-15:30

Additional Information

If the student is absent when an assignment or other material is distributed, it is his/her responsibility to secure copies of said material from the instructor.

Periodic attendance will be taken during this course

Course Description

Canadian Studies seeks to enhance an awareness and appreciation of Canada's uniqueness in a variety of domains. In this introductory course the focus will be on those geographic, historic, political, social and cultural forces which amalgamate to identify Canada to Canadians and to the rest of the world.

Objectives of the Course

a. To establish the background which explains the academic focus on Canadian Studies.

b. To identify and elaborate on the various components which comprise Canadian Studies.

c. To isolate areas of present and future concern facing Canada and Canadians.

d . To indicate further directions for the enhancement of a distinctive Canadian society and culture.

Textbooks and Readings:

Reinventing Canada: Politics of the 21^st Century. Eds. Janine Brodie & Linda Trimble. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc., 2003

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

A mid-term short answer test will concentrate on lecture material and textbook readings. Students will also be required to prepare a major paper on themes discussed in class.

A Registrar-scheduled final examination will embody material covered in class as well as textbook articles and other related readings.

Students must complete all components of the course in order to achieve a passing grade.

Research on human subjects will not take place during this course.

Loose, ungrammatical and poorly constructed sentences will detract from the student's grade in the major research paper.

Mid-term Exam (Thursday, October 16, 2008) Weighting: 25%

Term Paper (DUE: To be handed into me at lecture time on Thursday, November 13, 2008) Weighting: 35%

Final Exam (Registrar scheduled) Weighting: 40%

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: YES

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

 Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

To be handed out in class and/or posted on Blackboard