Welcome
Make sure to read this page carefully. It contains very important information you will need to know for the course. Do not skip or skim this page.
After reading through this page, click on the MODULES tab to your left and get started on a great cinematic adventures (ok, maybe not that great but hopefully you'll have some fun and learn a few things).
Before getting started with the syllabus specifics below, I want you to be aware that this is a viewing intensive course. You will be required to watch 2 to 3 films per week. As I point out several times below, this is not a difficult course but it is a course that asks you to do a lot of work. You don't have to love movies to do well in this course (although I hope by the end of the quarter you will have gained a new appreciation for film) but if you are one of those people who just really hates watching movies then this is definitely not for you.
So which movies do we get to watch?
WARNING: This should be fairly obvious to anyone who signed up for this course but we will be watching horror films which means many of these film will contain disturbing content. Please be aware that these films may contain graphic and sexual violence, explicit sexual details, as well as psychologically challenging themes.
MOST of the required films are available from the SWANK databaseLinks to an external site. (you can also get to SWANK by clicking on the graphic banner at the top of this page). Once you click on the link the directions should be fairly self-explanatory. Just log in using your highline username and password. DO NOT EVER TYPE IN SWANK.COM ... this will take you to an alternate Swank site that will charge you for films.
Other films will be available on various other free streaming services. The two you need to know the most about are Hoopla and Kanopy. Directions on how to get access to these databases can be found in the modules. Look for the page HOW TO WATCH THE FILMS. I will also be discussing this in the first lecture.
Ok, I'm putting this warning in obnoxious red because I want to make sure everyone understands this: Unless I specifically say a movie needs to be purchased or rented, you should not have to pay for any movies. Almost all the films in this class are available for free. Also, if you choose to find your film from some other site other than the authorized sites we're using in this class then make sure you are watching the correct version. Note the name of the director and the year it was made. Each quarter a few students end up watching the wrong film because they did not pay attention.
So what crazy, expensive textbook do we have to buy?
As I note above, this is a viewing-heavy workload. For this reason, there is no textbook for this course. This isn't to say, however, that there are no readings. Each week you will have a set of online readings. Most of the time they are very short (about the equivalent of 5-10 pages). There are, however, two weeks in which the readings will be quite heavy. All the readings (like the films and the lectures) are required and you will be tested each week on the material.
Are we watching R-rated films?
Most of the films in this class are R-rated films. We're not watching slasher films or porn but many of the required films do contain strong violence and depictions of sexuality. I apologize if this is an issue for some of you but these films are required viewing.
Additionally, keep in mind that we will be discussing and reading material that you may find offensive or unpalatable. You are in no way expected to agree with me or any of the material we discuss. You are, however, expected to be respectful of opinions and ideas that may differ greatly from your own.
What kind of assignments do we have?
Grading:
The grading in this course is relatively straightforward:
Grading Scheme
Assignment Type
Points per assignment
Total Points
Online quizzes (9)
50 pts each
450 pts
In-person quizzes (7/9)
50 pts each
350 pts
Mid-term essay (1)
200 pts
200 pts
Discussion Board (4)
50 pts each
200 pts
Final Project (1)
300 pts
300 pts
TOTAL
1500 pts
Quizzes:
Each week you will have TWO quizzes. That's right, two quizzes.
The first quiz will be one you take online. The online quizzes will be available on Fridays and are due by midnight on Sunday night. The second quiz will be a short in-person quiz which will be given out at the beginning of class every MONDAY. If you are not in class or you show up late, then you will be given a zero. For the in-person quizzes, I will drop the two lowest grades. If you miss one of the in-person quizzes, you will receive a zero. There is no makeup for in-person quizzes. This is why I drop the two lowest scores.
Discussion Board:
There will be four discussion board assignments. The specific requirements of each discussion will vary. Sometimes you will be required to respond to others. All Discussion Board assignments must be done on time. Failure to do this work in a timely manner will result in an automatic zero. Again, discussion assignments must be on time. No late submissions will be accepted.
Written Assignments:
There will be one mid-term essay assignment. All ideas for the assignment must be original. If you use any AI assistance you must make that clear. I don't have a problem with your using AI to help present your ideas but you have to be transparent about it. Failure to do will result in an automatic zero for your assignment. Please see the PLAGIARISM section below for more details on the use of AI.
Essays can be turned in as late as one week after the due date; however, late papers (whether one day late or one week late) will receive a 10% penalty. In addition, you will receive no feedback for late papers. After one week, you can still turn in a paper but you will receive only half credit.
Final Project:
You will be given a choice of films and must create a running commentary that covers the first thirty minutes of the movie. In other words, you are going to prepare and record a DVD commentary. For those who are not able to do voice recordings, an optional paper assignment will be given.
Grading Criteria:
A "C" grade (2.0) designates satisfactory work that fulfills all of the requirements. Simply put, a "C" should be considered a good grade as it means you have done everything that was asked of you. In order to obtain an "A" grade (3.5 or higher), the work must be exceptional: fully thought-out, containing only a few minor mechanical problems, and exhibiting a sophisticated as well as nuanced understanding of the material. Below is the grading scale for the course:
Grade Scale showing point values to percentages
Sounds good. Anything else you want to tell me?
Attendance:
You are allowed 4 absences. It doesn't matter if they are excused or not excused. You have 4. Please be careful about how you use these absences. You may, for example, choose to skip a class here and there, which is completely fine. But, if it comes down to week 10 of the quarter and you have an emergency, but you've already used your 4 absences, then the 5th absence will result in a 50 point penalty, even if you have a legitimate excuse. Absence #6 is also a 50 point penalty. Anything after that is 100 points.
Plagiarism:
The worst academic offenses in the U.S. are cheating and plagiarism. For this class, that means 1) Don't turn in an assignment someone else wrote; 2) Don't let someone else (your best friend, your mom, etc.) do a lot of rewriting or proofreading for you, although it's certainly acceptable to get general feedback; and 3) Don't copy phrases or sentences from books, articles or the Internet into your papers. If I discover you have copied phrases or sentences from another source, you will earn a 0, with no possibilities for revision.
This is also true for your quizzes and exams. Each quarter, several people receive a zero on an entire quiz because they plagiarized answers. I understand that in an online course, it's perfectly acceptable to use the internet to look up answers. I have no problem with that; however, it's more that you be able to show you understand an answer. This means that you must be able to put the answer in your own words. Simply copying an answer or just changing a few words is not enough. If you look up something, think about the answer and then write it down without looking back at the website you just searched.
The first time you are caught plagiarizing on a quiz, you will lose the number of points for that question. For example, if a question is worth 5 points and you are caught plagiarizing your answer. You will receive A NEGATIVE 5 points for the quiz (yes, MINUS 5, as in less than zero). After that, any other instance of plagiarism will result in an automatic zero for the quiz.
Note on AI use:
Technology is certainly affording us great tools and there is nothing inherently wrong with using those tools but as with anything else there are proper and improper ways to use those tools. So, first let's define what it means to use A.I.
Under no circumstances should you use AI to generate ideas. All ideas must be your own.
You can use AI to assist you in the presentation of your ideas but ...
All AI assistance must be documented. This means you have to turn in the original pre-AI essay along with the revised version
Alternatively, you can turn in a "transcript" documenting the changes AI made to your essay
AI assistance is not just ChatGPT, Genesis, etc. It also includes translation programs and grammar checks.
I want to emphasize that the use of AI assistance is acceptable in this class but there will be severe penalties if you are not transparent about its use.
Special Needs:
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability; if you have emergency medical information to share with me; or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please provide me with the Letter of Accommodations you have received from the Office of Access Services. Access Services is located in Building 6 in the Student Development Center.
Writing Center:
I highly recommend visiting the Writing Center for an appointment with a consultant at least once during the quarter. The center is a valuable campus resource where students can get assistance and additional feedback on their written work. This will be particularly crucial in this course since we will not be discussing paper writing in any great detail. The center is located in Building 26, 319.