Philosophy 57 Greensheet (Syllabus)

Table of Contents:

• Instructor Information
• Course Home Page
• Textbook & Readings
  • Textbook
  • Readings
• Grading Information
  • "The Formula"
  • "Homework"
  • Quizzes
  • Exams
  • Extra-Credit (limited)
  • Academic Honesty
  • Special Learning Needs

• Instructor Information
  • Branden Fitelson
  • Email: branden@fitelson.org (email is the best way to reach me)
  • Office: FOB 232 (office phone #: 924-4522)
  • Office Hours:
    • Tuesday: 4:30-6:30 pm
    • Thursday: 4:30-6:30 pm and 7:00-9:00 pm
    • Or by appointment
      
      
• Course Home Page (updated regularly)

• Textbook & Readings
  • Textbook
    • A Concise Introduction to Logic - 8th Edition (by Patrick Hurley @ USD).
    • Click here to do an online price comparison for the text at addall.com.
    • The text is available on campus at Spartan Bookstore.
    • I highly recommend using the text's CD-ROM. The CD-ROM contains:
      • Clear and informative multimedia lectures for every section of the text
      • Excellent logic software (Logic Coach) for MACs (OS 9 and OS X) and PCs.
    • There is also a very nice student resources web page for the textbook, which contains additional software and practice exercises.
  • Readings
    • We will be covering (significant parts of) chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the text.
    • Depending on the pace of the lectures, we may not get to all sections of these chapters.
    • I will keep you informed in class about which sections you should study at which times, and which sections will be covered on quizzes and exams, etc.
    • You will only be responsible (i.e., on quizzes and exams) for those sections of the text that I am able to discuss in lecture.
      
      
• Grading Information
  • "The Formula": final grade = (average quiz grade + midterm exam grade + final exam grade)/3 (plus limited extra-credit points).
    • All quizzes and exams will be graded "on a curve". That is, the letter-grade cutoffs will depend on how other people in the section do on the quiz/exam.
    • Approximate letter-grade cutoffs will be announced after each quiz/exam. More accurate grade ranges will be announced near the end of the semester.
  • "Homework"
    • You are encouraged to work as many exercises in the textbook (and on the CD-ROM and student resources web page!) as possible.
    • Exercises worked outside of quizzes and exams will not be (officially) graded.
    • But, I will be quite happy to discuss any exercises from the book/CD-ROM either in class or in office hours.
    • The exercises in the text will be very similar to those you will see on quizzes/exams (indeed, many quiz/exam questions will be taken straight from the text).
  • Quizzes
    • There will be a total of 7 short in-class quizzes (roughly every other week). The quizzes will be given on the following dates (all Tuesdays, at the beginning of class):
      • 2/4, 2/18, 3/4, 4/1, 4/15, 4/29, 5/13
    • The quizzes will cover only material that has been discussed in lecture up to that point (i.e., up to the end of the Thursday lecture before the Tuesday quiz).
    • The quizzes will be in a simple, short-answer/multiple choice format.
    • The quizzes will only last between 15-20 minutes.
    • Your 2 lowest quiz grades will be dropped (i.e., your 5 best quiz scores will be averaged).
    • There will be no make-up quizzes.
    • Quiz questions will be very similar to the (short) exercises in our textbook (and they will be much like those discussed and practiced in lecture).
  • Exams
    • Mid-term exam: in class on:
      • Tuesday, March 18 (the midterm will take the entire class period of 75 minutes)
      • Make-up midterms will only be given under very special circumstances.
    • Final exam: in regular classroom (HGH 225 or BBC 323), on:
      • Section 3: Friday, May 16, 9:45am-12:00pm
      • Section 5: Monday, May 19, 2:45-5:00pm
      • Make-up finals (which will only be given under very special circumstances) must be taken on Thursday, May 22 (at some agreed upon time)
    • Exam questions will be very similar to the exercises in our textbook (and they will be much like those discussed and practiced in lecture).
  • Extra-Credit (limited)
    • A limited number of extra-credit points will be awarded to students who are able to use logic software (either Logic Coach or another software package) to solve some of the more difficult exercises from chapters 4-7 of the text.
    • The extra-credit will be limited to "0.3 grade points (+/-)" for the course (e.g., enough get you from a B- to a B or from an A to an A+, but not enough to, e.g., get you from a B+ to an A-).
    • When we get to chapter 4, I will say more about this opportunity to earn limited extra-credit points. Stay tuned...
  • Academic Honesty
    • I assume that everyone is familiar with the SJSU Policy on Academic Dishonesty. Enough said.
  • Special Learning Needs
    • Anyone with special learning needs or disabilities should contact both myself and the DRC (immediately) to make special arrangements for quizzes, exams, etc. (if such special arrangements will be required).