Frequently Asked Questions about policies, assignments, grades, etc.

This is an official document, it is required reading. Each student must be familiar with its contents. If anything is unclear, please ask me, in-class or via email.

Passing or failing the course will depend upon your understanding what this document says. All students must read this entire page thoroughly before they meet with me to discuss individual grades or grievances. Please read this page carefully, it is like a binding contract - the entire semester will test how well you understand these course policies and guiding principles. All students in my courses accept these rules when they remain enrolled. Rules, standards and deadlines are the same for everyone and will not change, you disregard them at your peril. Student athletes receive no special treatment, they are not excused from any classes and must meet all course requirements.

No whining, no bargaining, no grade-grubbing, please. Be aware that I never negotiate or justify policies during class or via e-mail. When using email, always identify yourself by registered name and course, or else I will not respond. The time we spend in class is for teaching and discussing course-relevant issues, I won't discuss personal problems in class meetings.

WARNING: I never permit after deadline quizzes or papers, extensions, or make-ups, or extra-credit work, since that is unfair and there is no time for this. I ban laptops, tablets, media recorder/player devices, and phone use during class, here is why. Each unauthorized use of an electronic device is penalized with a 5-point reduction in one's total points earned. Disruptive students get dismissed. Cheaters and plagiarists fail the entire course. I follow the University Policy Manual.

If you don't want course policies to apply to you, then you should drop this course by the third week of instruction. Otherwise, you won't be able to do so without a documented, serious and compelling argument - dissatisfaction with grades or overwhelming course-load are not compelling reasons.

Students may not drop this course after the sixth week of instruction. See University policy on Dropping a Course. Further, if it appears that you will fail the course, I will not issue an incomplete or a WU - that is dishonest because it violates campus policy. You can repeat the course. College is hard and expensive but it is worth it.


No whining.

1. By what main principle of justice is this course administered?

Never do for any student what one cannot do for every student. It is unfair to others and to me when you ask that your work or situation be judged by any criteria other than those outlined in this FAQ. I strive to treat everyone equitably by holding everyone accountable to the same rules and restrictions. I am a bearer and enforcer of academic and professional standards; never expect me to lighten-up or compromise. Be advised: Do not ask to be treated differently by pleading that you or your circumstances are special.

Reasonable accommodation for students with documented disabilities is not special treatment, it is a civil right. See SSWD and me ASAP if you are unsure about your status or think you need accommodations. We must meet within the first two weeks of the semester so that we may form an action-plan to address your needs.

Here is my "No Special Treatment Policy": Never do for anyone what I cannot do for everyone, since this would be unfair to others and myself. Some implications follow.

  1. I am not going to play the "what-will-MY-grade-be-if-I-do X, Y, or Z" game or the "what-do-I-need-to-do-to-get-the-grade-I-want" game. My duties are to teach philosophy and to evaluate honestly student work, given my training, professional values and goals. Grades are not the goal, they are measures of your understanding, regard them as information - they are neither rewards nor punishments. Asking for grade checks given insufficient data or asking whether you are "on the right track" when I don't have any idea what that means is disorienting and invites mistaken conclusions. Whatever distracts me from teaching or compromises my ability to evaluate effectively is irrelevant and I resist it. Asking me to speculate about possible grades is a waste of my time and your resources, since overall grades are undetermined until the end of the course. I issue no false assurances, keep track of your own grades. Too many people ask teachers to do what they should do for themselves.

  2. I produce no grade-checks to students, coaches, parents or any other concerned adults - evaluate your own grades and share them with whomever you wish using SacCT and the grading scheme described on the syllabus and this page. Check your grades (in SacCT) to be sure I have an accurate grade for you for each assignment; all grading questions need to be presented and resolved within one-week of any assignment's return or no grade-change will occur. Stay focused on your current status and responsibilites in the course, I won't remind you of your obligations.

  3. Getting you the grade you want or feel you deserve is neither my intent nor a course objective. I aim to help you achieve Satisfactory or C level understanding of course material. Understanding is the goal, not an A or whatever grade you seek. If you are unsatisfied with your grades, please do not ask for special treatment in the form of extra work or make-ups. Course grades are determined by performance on assessments, nothing more and nothing less. Standards have to be the same for everyone, otherwise grades is unfair. Extra-credit is special-treatment, since I cannot offer this to everyone I do not offer it to anyone.

  4. I never proofread papers and offer no unscheduled rewrites, make-up quizzes or extra-credit work, because I cannot do this for everyone and granting exceptions is unfair to others, including me. Proofreading amounts to pre-grading which is unfair to those who do not get the advantage, and since an instructor with over 200 students per semester cannot proofread all or even most papers, no such advantage should be created. It is unfair to fellow students when an instructor produces make-ups, because it produces multiple-standards of evaluation which compromises the validity of a test. Further, someone always misses a quiz or deadline, so if I did make-ups I would be creating a new quiz every week. There is and will be no risk-free extra credit - I don't have the time or resources to do this.

  5. My policies are non-negotiable so don't ask for them to change. You need to be aware of these policies when you stay enrolled in the course. The rules of the game do not change when you are unhappy with the outcome of the play. Plan to take quizzes and submit assignments by their posted deadlines - missed assignments receive Fs. I expect people to be self-reliant problem-solvers and to respond with a sense of urgency to educational responsibilities and deadlines. Word of advice: Expect technical difficulties in satisfying your obligations and anticipate dealing with them personally and promptly.

  6. Grades = Information, i.e., Grades ≠ Rewards or Punishments, grades are not goals


2. What kinds of graded work are there in this course?

Note: Some courses have both assessments and assignments (as described below), some have only assessments and others have only assignments. Refer to the syllabus to see exactly what sorts of graded work are required for your course.

ASSESSMENTS: These are always quizzes taken via SacCT within posted availability dates or quizzes taken during a class meeting. For the online quizzes. Look for the open and close dates and times under ASSESSMENTS in SacCT. Check often to see when each is available in SacCT, you need to know when exactly they are open and when ultimately they close; I will not repeat these deadlines to you since you can look them up yourself. The in-class assessments are unannounced pop-quizzes which occur during class-time. These are short answer/essays just like study questions available in SacCT. No quiz may be made-up, taken early or late - no exceptions, absolutely.

Access the online quizzes by clicking on the ASSESSMENTS link on the course home page in SacCT.
Each online assessment is comprised of 13 multiple-choice, short answer or matching questions.

Take online quizzes on campus computers - personal laptops and wireless connections are unreliable.
Be aware that online quizzes are only open for the duration of the period specified for each in SacCT and are never open over weekends. Check their availability dates and arrange your schedule accordingly. Each opens on a specific date and time and closes on another. Once the deadline passes it will never again be available - no exceptions, no make-ups. Pay close attention to the directions preceding each assessment which tell you how to use SacCT successfully: once you begin an attempt you may NOT quit and return later since the clock for each expires after the time allotted regardless of whether you remain in the program or online. I design these so that students can take them from campus computers at least once before the deadline, but I cannot guarantee that you will be able to take any quiz more than once. Some people may be able to take these quizzes from home computers, however, I don't guarantee this method and I will not troubleshoot your system if you encounter a problem. If you have a problem I am going to ask whether you have taken the quiz from a campus computer.

  1. If you miss an assessment, then you receive a zero for that assessment. There are no make-ups or extensions. Acknowledge it, embrace it, then let it go. Focus on remaining work. You will have had plenty of time to take each and the deadlines will be posted well in advance, excuses are irrelevant. Pay attention to deadlines and availability within SacCT. It is your duty to meet this obligation to yourself.

  2. Only the HIGHEST score you achieve of all of your online quiz attempts will count as your grade for that assessment. Manage your time and use your attempts wisely. Do not quit in the middle of an attempt or close your browser and try to get back in. These actions will use up that attempt (yes, it counts), so take these only when you have the time and motivation to finish. Don't wait until the final hours of a quiz deadline to take it, since if something goes wrong we are out of time and I can't help you.

  3. I never discuss quiz content (specific questions) when a quiz is open and not ever via email. Please visit me after that quiz closes in my office hours in the week following the quiz, if you want to discuss an online quiz. I never release publicly any answers to any quiz in SacCT. Why? In the past, students cheated by sharing correct answers, so I will no longer reveal the correct answers online. If you want to see answers to the questions that you had on your quiz, then come to see me after the quiz closes, we can go over it together in my office. This is the only way you can review your answers, quizzes will never be discussed in class and answers will not be public. You can thank your self-centered cohorts for this result, in effect, their actions deprive everyone from the opportunity to learn from mistakes on their quizzes online. You can still learn from your mistakes, you just can't do it online as easily as before.


ASSIGNMENTS: These can be either written answers to specific questions that I ask you during class OR take-home typed research papers. In-class writing will be unannounced and based upon what has been assigned or discussed thus far. Call these "pop-quizzes." If assigned, research papers will be described in SacCT. When a research paper assignment you seek is not available in SacCT, then either it has not yet been assigned or its deadline has passed. Review my Top 10 Ways to Fail.

3. How are grades determined?

For each assignment, assessment, quiz, or paper that I evaluate, I will assign a numerical score which corresponds to a letter-grade on my grade-scale. Notice that scores correspond to letter-grades NOT percentages. Notice that scores correspond to letter-grades NOT percentages. Notice that scores correspond to letter-grades NOT percentages. Do you understand?

Here is the rough number to letter-grade conversion scale:

this number
correseponds to
< 3
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
this letter-grade
F
D
C -
C
C +
B -
B
B +
A -
A

To get a rough idea about what any quiz or paper score means on a scale of 0 to 12, take your score and match it to its letter-grade equivalent. For instance, if you score a 7 out of 12 on a quiz, that is equivalent to a C+. I use numbers to stand for letter-grades because it simplifies bookkeeping. Notice that there isn't any D+ or D-. Anything below a 5 is unsatisfactory. Please note, this scale does not apply to the in-class Midterm or Final in Philosophy 4 courses.

Attendance, which is mandatory, is NOT a component of your course grade UNLESS you are enrolled in Philosophy 4. Students not enrolled in Phil 4 don't get penalized for non-attendance. Realize that when you miss class you will miss important material or announcements, and you will have to catch yourself up. Researchers find that students who do not attend class regularly do poorly on exams.

How do you determine your overall course grade? The method for doing this is different for each course. Please see the specific formula for doing this on your course syllabus.




4. Must students attend all class meetings?

Yes. Attendance is mandatory, that is, I always expect you to be present, on-time, attentive and prepared to discuss assigned material. In all of my courses EXCEPT Philosophy 4 (starting Spring 2013) I do not penalize people for occasional non-attendance. I take attendance sometimes so that I may learn who some of my students are. When one misses a class, one will definitely miss essential material, discussion and useful practice exercises which cannot be made-up. If you must be late, try very hard not to disturb the rest of us.

This is a trade-off. I will not treat you like children whose tardiness or absence affects my evaluation of your work, because you decide where you want to be and are ultimately responsible for any material presented in-class. You will not expect me to catch you up. It is up to you to keep yourself informed about deadlines and course material - I am not your parent or your personal tutor and will not even attempt to present to you in a 10 minute office-visit or an e-mail message the entire content of a missed lecture. A pattern of lateness or absence will definitely count against your understanding of course material and will undermine any sympathy I might have for your not understanding what is presented. When you are absent, you miss important material that cannot be made-up.

*Non-attendance penalty for Philosophy 4 (starting Spring 2013) only: If you are absent from more than 2 classes, then you receive a 10 point reduction from your overall total points in the course for each subsequent absence. E.g., if you are absent 4 times, then I deduct 20 points from your total. There is no difference between an excused and unexcused absence, you get two free absences, after that each absence is penalized.


5. Why doesn't Prof. Merlino share with students the slide presentations used in class?

Slides that I use in class discussions are not available in any form, they will never be posted or distributed. Slides are for presentation purposes only, for three reasons.

a. My presentations are under constant revision. I want discussions to stay fresh and relevant. There is not enough time to produce slides/outlines before or after meetings for mass consumption and also fulfill all of my teaching obligations. People undersestimate the time it takes to prepare lectures, slides, and course material, especially now that we expect online content/interaction/teaching/testing as well.

b. Slides shows are poor substitutes for actual content or instruction. When teachers distribute slides, students presume mistakenly that the sketchy, superficial, outline on the slides is all that they need to know. Slide presentations are best understood as talking-points supporting the speaker, not sources of knowledge or understanding - slides supplement, they do not teach. My slides are based primarily on material presented in assigned reading material, so if you read what is assigned, you have the original material. Lots of people think Powerpoint is Evil, but I don't believe this, nevertheless, cognitive and educational research on its effective use is inconclusive so far. Some designs and methods of presentation with slides work, but many popular ones do not. One big problem psychologists find: It is more difficult to process information if it is coming at you in the written and spoken form at the same time.

c. As a teacher, under the fair use limitation and exception to copyright law, I may use in the classroom some material that is the intellectual property of others, e.g. images, data, publications. But if I post slides containing this material, then this constitutes distribution, which violates copyright law. I am aware that other teachers distribute slides or outlines, but I will not do what I cannot do, and I will not do what it is either unethical or illegal.


6. By what objective criteria are written/oral student efforts evaluated?

Student efforts with satisfactory (C) grades generally either do not do something required well or do not do something required at all. Realize that you start from zero, and earn your way to a satsifactory grade or better. Ask not what you did wrong, ask instead what you didn't do that was required. You always start at the bottom of an evaluation scale, with your reader not accepting what you assert or simply not understanding you. This is where we all begin: Confused, unclear, and incoherent, and then as we rework our written efforts we can become clearer, more convincing

  1. Any assigned work that must be submitted online in SacCT automatically receives zero-credit once the deadline has passed. This means absolutely no late work will be accepted after deadline. There are two reasons for this: (1) Students will always have had ample time to complete and submit online any assigned work by any deadline, and (2) I discuss answers after the deadline.

  2. For any assignment, if a student neglects any essential requirement, then one earns no more than a "satisfactory" grade.

  3. When a student merely reports or comments or emotes or strings together quotes and gives no critical analysis in a written effort, then give "unsatisfactory" grade.

  4. If no accurate, coherent argument is present in any paper requiring one, then give an "unsatisfactory" grade.

  5. When unsupported assertions or sincere but unsubstantiated beliefs are the only support for argument, then give no "good" grade.

  6. If argument given lacks any clear, defended justifying or explanatory principle, then give no "good" grade.

  7. If student does nothing that an assignment requires, then give zero credit.

7. How should I compose a paper or in-class writing assignment for Prof. Merlino?

  1. Just answer the questions posed, in clear, precisely and accurate sentences. Your goal is to demonstrate that you understand the material presented. Define any terms you do not want me to misunderstand. If you don't answer the questions, expect no credit.

  2. In general, a written effort acceptable for an English or Journalism course is NOT acceptable for a Philosophy course. Philosophical writing is critical or argumentative, not descriptive, narrative or expressive of personal feelings. I will usually assign a paper requiring an argument for or against a clear proposition. Such papers aim to persuade the reader by producing rational reasons presented in the form of a logical argument for a definite conclusion about an issue. Don't be snarky. Always avoid ridicule, sarcasm, irony and any personal attacks in philosophical writing - rhetorical devices such as these are useless, irrelevant and undermine your effectiveness.

  3. In general, do NOT include in your short essays any introductions or closing summaries unless I explicitly ask you to do so. Some courses will require that you analyze an article and write a longer paper on it, and for these, intorductions and summaries are required. Follow these guidelines for such assignments.

  4. NEVER ask questions that you do not answer in your paper. Posing questions in an paper only asks for information when you need to make supported assertions using adequate justifications. Say what you mean and I shall assume that you mean what you say. One letter-grade Just don't ask questions in a piece of writing.

  5. In papers, NEVER QUOTE ANYBODY, not ever, absolutely, and if you must cite references, then specify sources of relevant information so that I can check them. What others say is only evidence of what they said which we already know from listening to them. Avoid blind acceptance of any Internet information, since much of what is online is unsubstantiated speculation and uncritical opinion. You may paraphrase but you must be accurate, brief and logically consistent in your reconstructions. For example, only cite authoritative (scientific, peer-reviewed, credible, verifiable) references such as journals, published articles, and reputable web sites. Beware of information posted on any web site; as a rule I doubt any online assertions unless overwhelming evidence from independent, credible sources supports it. Dogmatic, cranky, gullible, uncritical or wicked people affirm unsubstantiated opinions as if they are describing established facts. Realize that repeating what someone else said in a text or on a web site is only evidence that someone said it, not that it is true, reliable or worthy of acceptance. The burden of proof for any claim rests with whomever asserts it whenever their reasoning relies upon it. Thus, quotes serve no useful, supporting function in an argumentative piece of formal writing. Be advised: If you plagiarize, you will fail. Review CSUS Academic Honesty Policies on this.

  6. Do NOT use ANY autobiographical remarks ("I believe..." or "I just think..." or "I feel that..."). NEVER use the terms "I" or "me" in any formal paper where your aim is to convince your reader that a point-of-view is true or acceptable; recall that what you believe or think is not going to convince anyone that the content of your belief is true. Nothing you write for me will be about you or your personal beliefs; questions will always focus on ISSUES (subjects of controvery) or ARGUMENTS (collections of claims inteneded to establish the truth of a conclusion).

  7. Do NOT describe ANY biographical, emotional, historical, cultural, scientific, political, oe or religious context within which any such claims are made - none of that is relevant to whether any claim is true or worth believing. Background information which is interesting and related and sometimes important for understanding why people believe what they do, but philosophical writing seeks to JUSTIFY accepting that what people believe or say is true. So don't tell your reader what people believe and why, instead tell us why anybody else ought to believe it too, using facts and principles and logic, not mere opinions

  8. Do NOT use any language like the following denial-phrases anywhere in your writing: "just because" or "does not mean" or "not necessarily." These are evasive phrases of denial, not reasoned refutation - please see my How to Disagree Effectively handout. Expect a one point deduction for each occurrence of these phrases. I deduct one point for every occurence any denial phrase.

  9. NEVER attach any cover sheet, folder or other presentational padding to your submission. Just type your name and the course name at the top of the first page. I deduct one point for every page in excess of the posted page limit for each paper, so a cover sheet reduces your grade on a paper by one letter-grade.

  10. Answer precisely and coherently each of the questions presented to you in any assignment description. I should be able to discern clear answers to all of them. I will not hunt for answers. Remember, you are trying to convince your reader that your point-of-view is not only acceptable but also reasonable (that is, not based on falsehoods, free from contradictions, and worth believing). You don't get any credit for what you do not do.

  11. JUSTIFY any major conclusion you make or rely upon with an argument based on rational reasons (NOT autobiographical assertions of sincere belief or feelings).

  12. Use simple noun-phrases and ACTIVE rather than passive voice verb-constructions in your expositions, arguments and explanations. "Abortion kills a fetus" is more direct, bold and concise than "the termination of a pregnancy utilizing abortion is the cause of the death of the fetus" "Mistakes were made" is how cowards who ought to say "I made a mistake" evade responsibility. For more on active versus passive voice, explore this site.

  13. Do PROOFREAD your work one more time prior to submission. I don't accept papers with scribbled-in corrections or amendments. Any fragmentary sentences or ungrammatical utterances reduce your success rate. Detect incoherencies, vague generalities, vulgarities, cliches, smart-aleck remarks, gaps in reasoning and missing or weak answers to relevant questions BEFORE you are evaluated. I never proofread answers before submission, but do talk with him about your thoughts during office hours.

  14. REALIZE that "I do not understand" is an explanation, not an excuse. I cannot give you understanding; reading the text or notes does not automatically give you understanding - you must interact with the material and me seriously. You need to seek help from me or others when you are in distress and you must do this immediately. If you wait you, then you will get behind but will remain responsible for material and assignments. This will be your own fault, so take the initiative and work on your difficulties promptly.

  15. Student Tutorial on How Not to Plagiarize: library.csus.edu/content2.asp?pageID=353

8. I am still having trouble writing my paper, what should I do?

Go to the Campus Reading and Writing Center in 128 Calaveras Hall for one-on-one help. Just do it. Now. Their tutors can help you be a better writer; help you locate and correct errors, give feedback on focus, organization, and clarity; help you decide what to focus on in one session; and help you brainstorm ideas for your paper. Be aware that tutors cannot guarantee a good grade on a paper, correct papers for you or guess what your teacher wants from your writing, address all aspects of your writing in one session; or tell you what to write.


9. What if I am not satisfied with my grade?

Irate student to Merlino: "Hey, why didn't I get an A? I worked really hard on this assignment! What is wrong with this paper? Show me what I did wrong!"

Merlino to irate student: "Your paper did not earn an A because it did not demonstrate "A-level" competence. Realize that what you expect has little to do with what your written effort deserves. (That is, according to me, your assessment of the quality of your own work is inaccurate.) Let us go over your paper together - during office hours and not during class-time - and we can discuss what I did not understand and what you could have done better."

10. Aren't grades really subjective?

1. My evaluations of your writing are subjective in that they are based on my experience and expertise but they are not arbitrary. I judge your work given its overall coherence and convincingness. Students get the grade that I think they earn. No one earns a passing-grade for regular attendance or effort alone. I have reasons for grades that I assign and you should come to see me for specific details. I don't discuss grades via email. I will not discuss your grade in-class or between classes, since grades and privacy and my commitments to other students are also important.

Visit me in my office for a closer reading of your work and a careful consideration of any grievances. Grades are non-negotiable but I pledge to be willing and able to justify my judgment to you. However, one thing I will not even attempt to do is tell you why the grade is NOT what you expected or wanted. You should presume these biases are irrelvant, since the grade is an assessment of that effort not you or your potential. The burden is on you in your graded efforts to demonstrate competence, it is not my duty to tell you why your work isn't good enough to get the grade you wanted. When I make a grading-mistake I shall adjust student grades accordingly. The grade I assign to your submitted work is based also upon the following objective criteria for good writing applied uniformly to all.

GOOD writing is: Clear, precise, accurate, thoughtful, organized, uses conventional grammar and spelling, cogent

POOR writing is: Unclear, inaccurate, imprecise, superficial, disorganized, ungrammatical, incoherent, reliant upon irrelevant facts, rhetorical

2. I encourage effort but only reward accomplishment. Written work must DEMONSTRATE to me that you understand relevant issues and are able to comment insightfully and critically upon any particular argument (and its conclusion) about those issues. Your writing needs to demonstrate minimally that you know what is going on.

When disagreeing with a claim, show me - don't just tell me - why it is false or why the author of a rival argument for that claim is mistaken. Present reasons for rejecting a conclusion by producing reasons for rejecting key assumptions of the main rival argument about the issue being discussed.

[more on How to Disagree Effectively]


3. I penalize people for grammatical and logical mistakes. Also, you only receive credit for what you do successfully. If in your writing you digress, miss a key issue, or express a serious inaccuracy about any significant or essential claim in your writing, then your score cannot amount to "A-level" work.

EXAMPLE: Suppose you are required to answer three questions but you only answer two. Even if you do so admirably well, you can earn no more than a B for that effort. Miss two questions, and you receive no more than a C. If you miss all three questions, you should not expect to receive a passing grade for that assignment.

Number One Weakness of Philosophical Argumentation: Changing the subject. Talking about anything other than the issue or argument in question in your written work undermines your efforts.

 

4. Number One Piece of Advice: Proofread, proofread, proofread! Why you can't trust the spell-checker: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ


11. What other expectations should I have?

12. Will you summarize course policies?

13. What if I can't find the answer to a question not on this FAQ?

 

Scott Merlino, Ph.D.