Buddhism: an intensive introduction
Course policies, procedures and advice

Tips on General Preparedness:
· For each day's meeting you will need to be familiar with that day's assigned readings.
· If there are times when we "fall behind" in the syllabus in order to complete necessary discussion of a reading, it will be your responsibility to be prepared for the next item on the syllabus. During some classes there will be small-group sessions to work on particular texts and issues. Inadequate preparation to help your team will drag the whole group down, and naturally affect your grade.
· Failure to bring the texts for the day's discussion will be considered evidence of poor preparation.
· For the quiz, midterm and final you will also need to be familiar with the material presented in the lectures.

NOTE: In order to receive a passing grade for this course, all required components must be completed. Grades of "Incomplete" will not be granted unless there is prior discussion about completion of the work.

Course Participation and Responsibility: Q&A

What will I, the professor, do?
Throughout the quarter I'll be bringing you the benefit of decades of study and experience in teaching South Asian cultures. I will employ all my talent, energy and knowledge to help awaken your intellectual curiosity and to help you develop skills in analytic thinking, reading and writing. I will respect your experiences, beliefs and informed opinions even as I challenge you. At the same time I will try to the manifest some of the wise compassion of a bodhisattva. I will make myself available during regularly scheduled office hours and other times by appointment to assist you in understanding the material, preparation of essays, etc. I will endeavor to return work to you in a timely fashion.

What do I expect you, the student, to do?
Your registration for this course imiplies that you and I have entered into a learning contract: I expect that you will open your mind and work hard. You will respect the learning process by your timely attendance at every class in an alert and engaged state of mind, and by submitting all work in a timely fashion. You will also respect the learning process by preparing the readings with care and interactive annotation. You will try your best to find out the meanings of terms and concepts in the readings that are unfamiliar to you before you come to class. You will attempt to discover for yourself ways in which you can vigorously participate in and stimulate discussion. You will respect the experiences, beliefs and informed opinions of your classmates even as you challenge them to think analytically.

Note that this component is called course participation, not class participation. It is an overall evaluation of your active participation in the course, not merely a grade indicating how much you talk in class. The best way to achieve a strong grade in this area is to take an active approach to the course. Naturally, you will come to class with the readings prepared, ready to answer questions and participate in discussion. You'll need to have the readings for that day and the previous day with you in class. (It is a good idea to bring the Photocopy Packet to every class.) Attention to the Notes and Questions for Study will help you in preparation; I will use this material in class discussions. Thoughtful, comprehensive responses to the Connected Learning Record will not only help you self-monitor your understanding, they can also enhance your course participation grade. My office hours provide an additional opportunity for you to "participate," especially if you need further explanations of the material or need advice on developing the course project. It is your responsibility to make appointments to clear up any confusions or misunderstandings about the material. While I am ready to deal with your problems at any point during the course, waiting until the end of the quarter to repair problems from the beginning of the course (or to indicate "interest") is obviously not a good idea.

Punctual attendance is another important component of the class participation grade, and is a clear, though minimal way of showing your seriousness about the course. Hence, please read the "Absences and Preparation" section on the Policy Page carefully.

What is the "professional model of course responsibility"?
I operate out of a "professional" model rather than a "school" model of course responsibility. In the "school" model, teachers regard their students as children who are not yet able to assume full responsibility for their learning. Adults, on the other hand, expect that those they work with, for example, are fully engaged in the projects they are assigned, would never even consider blowing off a meeting, and wouldn't think of producing a written report that was incoherent and not proofread for various kinds of mechanical errors. It's hard to imagine someone in a professional situation saying, "I didn't do a very good job because I wasn't interested in it." Why? Because it's your job to be interested the projects you're assigned and the clients you work with.

The other implication of the professional model has to do with your role in your evaluation. A student might think, "I'm really learning a lot in this class even though I haven't done as well as I could have on the midterm," or "Even though I haven't . . . attended all the classes, done any extra credit projects, had any contact with the professor, etc., etc., hopefully he'll see that I'm a nice person and give me a good grade." Can you imagine if someone in a business setting asked for a raise or a promotion without demonstrating enthusiasm and hard work? The point is that a big part of your course responsibility is demonstrating what you've done. I take responsibility for the teaching part, and you take responsibility for demonstrating your learning.

Course Policy Page:
Your registration in this course implies familiarity with the contents of this syllabus and related course materials on the web site.

Absences and Preparation
Attendance is especially important when a course meets only once a week; if you miss one class, it's the equivalent of missing an entire week. There should be no absences, except for absolute emergencies. I even expect that you will arrange "semi-emergencies" (doctor's appointments, work and family obligations) so that they do not conflict with this course. It is always preferable, naturally, that you be thoroughly prepared for class, but NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU AVOID CLASS BECAUSE OF LACK OF PREPARATION. This only compounds the problem, both because of missing discussions and lectures and because of not having- information and materials to do the work for the following class. Instead of staying away, contact me before the class about your situation. In order to be counted as attending a particular class, you must be present for the entire class.

Should an absolute emergency arise and you are not able to come to class, it is your responsibility to contact me either before the class or within one day after the class and arrange to do whatever necessary to be prepared for the next class.  (First try contacting me during my regular office hours; then leave a message on my voice-mail if I am not at my desk informing me when and how you can be contacted.) Failure to accept this responsibility indicates a lack of involvement with the course which will naturally be reflected in your evaluation. A good way of making up an absence is to submit in writing the NQS questions for the day you were absent. If you are already registered for the course, your presence is expected on the first day of class and absence on that day may have grade consequences if it becomes part of a general pattern of unpreparedness. Absence on days of special significance (such as those of special presentations, reviews, or the final class) sends a message of indifference that you doubtless do not intend. In general, if you cannot commit to regular attendance, please consider another class.

Unexcused late work may not be accepted for full credit; late work submitted without prior arrangements will be accepted at the discretion of the professor.

Written work
In addition to the handouts on the individual writing assignments there will be found on the web site a "Style Sheet: Mechanicals." This contains specific guidelines on mechanical matters (spelling, sentence structure, pagination, etc.) and contents (use of sources, etc.). Criteria for grading will taken into account how the particular assignment is fulfilled as well as conformity to the Style Sheet. Hard copies must be submitted; papers may not be submitted by fax or electronic transmission. It occasionally happens that assignments are lost or mislaid. It is your responsibility to keep a 2nd copy of all assignment, either on disk or paper.  Special note on material from the World Wide Web: If you intend to use material from the web in research, please read the special note on my web site about use of this material.

Honesty
(a) It is the policy of DePaul not to tolerate either cheating or plagiarism. Please consult the Bulletin or Student Handbook if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism. Be aware that one form of plagiarism committed by students in papers is to quote or paraphrase secondary material (such as textbooks, etc.) without citing the source. (b) Although discussions between class members about various materials assigned in the course can enhance understanding, remember that all assignments are to be done independently.