• Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class session.
• A student arriving to class after roll has been called will be counted as absent.
• Each student is permitted two (2) unexcused absences without penalty.

Each unexcused absence beyond the second  will result in the reduction of the course grade by two (2) percentage points. (Example : A student’s overall average is 90 [A-], but s/he has 4 unexcused absences, and will, therefore, receive an 86 [B] for the course).
• Serious illness, family emergencies, or conflict with a university-sponsored activity (e.g. athletics, music groups, etc.) may be excusable with documentation.  Such cases will be handled individually.
• Make-up policy : Eligibility to make up quizzes and exams is reserved for those who supply documentation for their absence and/or have made prior arrangements to reschedule such work.
• Absence from class on one day does not excuse lack of preparation on the following day.  Students are responsible for contacting the instructor (by phone or e-mail) to learn of important announcements, assignments, etc. made during their absence.

• To encourage active and meaningful engagement in class, each student will periodically (every 3 weeks) receive an evaluation of his/her participation.
• A student's participation in French-related campus/regional events is strongly encouraged.
• The weekly French Conversation Group, (A Table!) : http://www.appstate.edu/~laneme/table.html
• The French Club, (Le Cercle français) : http://www.geocities.com/asufrancais/
• French films included in the International Film Festival : http://www.appstate.edu/~laneme/filmfest.html
are examples of opportunities that students may profit from to engage in French Studies beyond the classroom environment.
• Each of the aforementioned evaluations is based on a 40-point scale. Thus, 40 points x 5 evaluations = 200 total possible points for participation (20 % of course grade)

• The purpose of the journal is to explore your own standpoint vis-à-vis the issues that we encounter in the various literary/cultural (con-)texts throughout this course.  For this reason, the focus of entries should be reaction, NOT retelling.  Do not merely summarize the plot of the text or describe the object in question.
•  Try to limit the scope of your writing to a specific element – one episode of a story, one historical event's evolution, one especially poignant question, etc.  The style may be casual; feel free to use writing as a process.  This means that your ideas do not necessarily have to be clearly outlined before you begin to write.  It is, however, essential that you arrive at some succinct conclusion before the process may be considered complete.
•  Journals will be collected five times throughout the semester for review.
• Each submission will account for 5% of the course grade (25% total) and should contain a minimum of two entries.
• Each entry should be one type-written page in length (1" margins; 12-point font = ~ 200 words.)
• Entries should be double-spaced to allow for instructor's comments.
•  To assist you in articulating ideas that evidence critical thought, I have developed the following list of elements that a successful entry should include :

2) A personal connection.  You’ve chosen to write about one particular statement / occurrence / object...  Explain and justify your choice of this element over the multitudinous alternatives available.  Try to include an anecdote, experience, belief, opinion, conviction, etc. that illustrates a link between you as the reader and the (con-)text.

3) An extra-textual consideration.  Consider the ramifications of the (con-)text to the world beyond the object at hand.  If, for example, we are reading a piece that appears historically demarcated, explain how things have / have not evolved over time. If you're discussing a text, what was the author's motivation?  What are the functions / merits / faults / etc. of the object you've chosen to discuss?

4) An inter-textual consideration.  Many of the issues raised by one "text" overlap and reappear in others.  You should attempt whenever possible to make connections between two or more texts of the program.  Learning to always think comparatively will facilitate your class participation, your performance on exams, etc.

As always, I welcome you to consult with me during my office hours, or to call and schedule a mutually convenient appointment time.  I look forward to working with you to develop new, creative approaches to culture and civilization.

• Three written exams will be administered in this course; each will focus on the material covered since the previous exam.
• Exams will assess the students' knowledge of cultural components as introduced throughout the course, and measure the students' linguistic competency in French as well.

• Students are asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation on a related topic of their choice.  A list of possible subjects will be distributed by the instructor; this list is meant as a guide to foster ideas and is neither exhaustive nor restrictive.  Students are encouraged to identify other topics that interest them personally, but all topics must be approved by the instructor in advance. 
• Each presentation should include :
• Reference to at least one text from the course program;
• An audio-visual component (such as a cultural artifact, a video segment, a webpage, etc.);
• Questions to the audience to elicit response and / or provoke reflection and discussion.

• It is the instructor’s policy to actively enforce the “Code of Academic Integrity” as outlined in the University’s General Bulletin (p. 34).  Students are asked to please familiarize themselves with the university’s definition of and stance regarding academic dishonesty.
• Students who may require exceptional classroom or evaluation environments (due to a learning disability, physical impairment, or the like) are asked to identify themselves to the instructor at the onset of the course, so that modified or alternative accommodations may be arranged.