Teaching Style
Let me explain a bit more about some of the rules in the policy section.
No laptop computers. No PDAs. No cellphones or other electronic Devices Visible during Class.
Lead us not into temptation. It was always tough enough to sit in class on a warm day and try to listen to a lecture, but now there's an instant message from your beloved on your cellphone, and if instead of typing up the lecture, you hit a certain keystroke your laptop will start playing a DVD of South Park... which vanishes at the touch of a keystroke, as the professor approaches. God knows how I would have handled it when I was in school. But then I wouldn't have learned anything. So in this class: Take notes by hand, as students always have, unless you can get me paperwork from Disability Resources saying you absolutely must use this appliance.And, because we're all human, you're to have no tempting electronic gear visible or audible while we're in class.
GRAND ENTRANCES AND EXITS
People probably don't realize how disruptive it is to get up in the middle of a lecture or during a film, and leave to take a phone call or use the bathroom. I've seen a theater major do it right at the climax of the greatest aria in Pagliacci! You would think this person knew.
I do recognize that urgent situations exist which may require you to leave the room to take a call on your cell phone. Tell me ahead of time, please. I can seat you next to to the door so you won't disrupt class. You will be excused for the rest of the day. Take your belongings with you. You can do this once a term.
Food policy
Oh, yes, these days we even have to have a food policy, since our University does, probably out of fear of lawsuits. Talk about values in American life! You'll notice that there are signs saying you're not to consume food in the classroom.It doesn't say anything about the halls, or the comfortable benches right outside the room on lower floors. University culture, especially in the Humanities, has always involved "wine and cheese" in the spirit of Plato's Symposium. I am aware that American student culture (particularly in the evening courses, during breaks) often involves bringing food to share with other students. I don't see any notice against distributing food during breaks, as long as it is consumed outside the classroom, where there are many places to consume it. In any event, I am out of the room during breaks, to give you a chance to talk to each other without the boss around.
Extra Credit Papers-- Rules.
Proposals for any extra credit projects must first be SUBMITTED IN WRITING to the professor and FORMALLY APPROVED IN WRITING at least THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THE DUE DATE BELOW. Folks, you can't just run in a week before the deadline and swear you'll churn out a major project. You need written approval at least three weeks in advance of due date (not the last class!) Without such a project the highest mark you can get in the course is A minus. THESE PROJECTS ALSO WILL BE DUE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL, LATEST.
PAPERS
I'll be marking papers on whether they're written according to the standards in the BREAK YOUR WRITER'S BLOCK book that I wrote especially for SFSU students, based on the problems you've most frequently encountered. Many people have been shut out of writing classes, I know. People tell me the advice helps. In this reader, there's a lot of detailed advice about deadlines and grace periods, all that sort of thing. We're trying to get the book online, so check with me to see if it is yet.
MARKING STANDARDS
I really go the distance with my courses, folks, so I take it pretty seriously when people don't make an answering effort and try to slide. If you have any questions about how you're doing during the semester don't hesitate to ask me. I'll respect any honest effort. Again: if you ask me far enough ahead of time (see EXTRA CREDIT) I can work out projects for those who aren't happy with their grades and want to raise them.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents the work of another as his or her own. Plagiarism may consist of using the ideas, sentences, paragraphs, or the whole text of another without appropriate acknowledgement, but it also includes employing or allowing another person to write or substantially alter work that a student then submits as his or her own. Any assignment found to be plagiarized will be given an "F" grade. But that's just the start: ALL instances of plagiarism in the College of Humanities will be reported to the Dean of the College and may be reported to the University Judicial Affairs Officer for further action.
DISABILITY? PLEASE SEE ME IMMEDIATELY
I wish to make this course as accessible as possible to students with disabilities or medical conditions that may affect any aspect of course assignments or participation. You are invited to communicate with me at the outset of the course or at your discretion about any accomodations that will improve your experience of or access to the course. You can also contact the Disability Resource Center at 338-2472 (Voice/TDD).
STUDENTS WITH RECOGNIZED DISABILITIES who have the paperwork from the appropriate offices must see me ASAP so we can coordinate and plan ahead with those offices in evaluating, testing and marking. We'll often need to give the school's office significant advance notice for them to get testing facilities ready.
officehour@georgeleonard.com Do use for Online Office Hours, don't use for excuses, don't use to submit work
Last semester the cyberspace office hour was well-used. This term two of my office hours will be online. We've found it helps students who, for whatever cultural reasons, are uncomfortable asking questions in front of the group.
The old rule still stands that for absences and excuses and general regrets, STUDENTS ARE NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME BY EMAIL. If you can't come to class, call me at 338-7428 to say why. Don't use email to submit work, either. (Half the time it screws up somehow.)
Distance learning is a wonderful thing, but since you and I can talk face to face, or live on the phone, let's not use a tool which builds in distance. We're all still learning how to use distance learning, and I'm learning from advanced colleagues right now. In the 1990s when I first tried email, at least 95% of the email I got was excuses for not attending class.
Not infrequently there was a request that I type out, personally, for this student, an assignment it might have taken me a full five minutes to explain in class. Sometimes I got requests to email late papers since the students wouldn't be dropping in for class that week.
Call me, don't email. Again, colleagues more adept than I am, may be using this tool, but I'm still learning from them. For now, I WANT TO SEE YOUR SMILING FACE. Or at least, hear your voice.
METHODOLOGY: INTERDISCIPLINARY HUMANITIES
(a short note which beginners can skip)
"Tell me what you like and I'll tell you who you are." --John Ruskin.
The Interdisciplinary Humanities department is not the philosophy department. We believe that when certain subjects or cultures flower into art objects, you can understand the subject better by considering those objects-- not just by reading essays. If you've never taken a course in this department before, you may be puzzled for a while, before you get the hang of it.
To start, consider what John Ruskin said: "Tell me what you like, and I'll tell you who you are." You know this already. A lot of people will tell you, in all honesty, "I'm... a Christian... sort of a spiritual person." And where did you spend your vacation, Mr. Christian? "Vegas." What you like reveals more about who you really are, down there in your gut values, than what you claim about yourself-- even when you believe what you're claiming. When we study art objects, we're studying, exactly, what cultures liked-- and sometimes it tells a lot about them. (There are some supposedly Christian cultures, in fact, whose art is closer to Vegas.)
In this department we study a culture's history and its philosophy, but we're careful to take a long look at what it likes. For that reason we'll look at carefully selected samples of both high art and popular art in this course. Popular art is very revealing. What people are willing to pay money for and admire just for fun without having it assigned can tell a lot about them!
THE MANNER OF THE COURSE: "evolutionary"
The course's style is what the University officially terms "evolutionary": the course evolves with the students' interests. Starting with the questionnaire today I'll work at knowing your individual intellectual goals, then I'll alter the course to help you reach them. I also want to be careful not to leave people behind.
I'll announce such changes well ahead of time in class, which is one reason attendance is required. If you're forced to miss a class, it's your responsibility to inquire if you missed any such updates or assignments.
After I've read what you've written about yourselves-- by next week, say-- you'll get not a schedule but a "probable order of topics to be discussed." At the course's beginning we'll stick to it fairly closely; as your interests emerge and I tailor the course to you, we'll refer less and less to the "probable order" sheet. Each class catches fire on certain topics and I try to help the class's interests unfold.
Now that probably sounds good, but be aware, folks, we'll pay a price: less clarity to the course outline. You may bring a book to class and find out we're not getting there till next week. (The reading list, by the way, is kept at the Bookstore in the book beside the aisle my orders are in; and on the shelves themselves.) I let your inquiry, your understanding set the pace.
The price we pay for freedom and flexibility will be a lack of comforting structure. Or I may decide we have to slow down and let everybody catch up. Some students are from departments in which even the advanced courses are all geared to pre-printed readers. You could be disconcerted.And we're going to bring authors in, on top of all that! It'll be great, but it'll use your talent to "go with the flow."
Speaking generally, in the humanities, we don't tell you what the answers are, we tell you what the big questions are. There's no one answer for all conditions-- everyone comes up with a different answer to fit their own. You'll be encouraged to think for yourself. If you've only taken lower-level courses or non-humanistic courses you may at first be surprised at the amount of freedom granted you. If you are only comfortable in a highly structured environment you may decide this course is not for you.If, however, you're interested in developing your personal philosophy and working on personal projects, this course is very much for you. If you're generally curious about the people you see around you, and what America is evolving into, this course is for you.
OUR GOAL IN GENERAL: Training for real life, not for school
A Roman said the worst thing that can be said about course assignments: "Non vitae sed scholae discimus." "We learn, not for life, but for school."
College should train you for real life. Assignments, classwork-- ideally everything you do here develops some skill of use to you in life, not just in school.
For instance, we encourage class discussion because it teaches you how to speak up in front of a group of semi-strangers, argue your point convincingly and logically. Try thinking of the classroom as a safe place to practice. If you mumble and fumfer here, I won't fire you! I'm your coach. Make your mistakes here: that's what class is for.
Similarly, we have you write because the ability to argue your case in writing is one of the most useful skills anyone can acquire. Here you can work with a coach who's spent a lifetime on the art of written persuasion.
Of course, we believe that you have a personal and a mental life, not just a business life. Knowing your culture helps you understand your own cultural responses. You are the principal tool that you will use all your life; and the craftsman had better know his tools. In this course you get to know other people's cultures as well, also of great use to anyone who plans to live in America.
Courtesy to Other Students
The study of ethnicity and religion-- policies.
ARE YOU OFFENDED BY CERTAIN TOPICS?
READ THIS PART CAREFULLY: BY CHOOSING TO CONTINUE TO ATTEND THIS CLASS, YOU ARE AGREEING TO PLAY BY CERTAIN RULES:
1. ATTENDANCE
Running classes as a think tank on the most controversial subjects in America means that anyone who wants to join must agree in advance to accept certain conditions and play by certain rules. Class participation, analysis and discussion counts in your mark. You're a team member, as it were, and if you don't come or don't talk you're cheating the other students out of your experience and ideas. San Francisco State's unique student body brings a wealth of experience to classes like this one. If I'm the only person who talks you're only getting one person's experience. If I can get you all to talk to each other, and share your wealth, you'll really learn something. Class participation can add as much as one plus or one minus to your final mark. Special efforts will be made to help people who have difficulty talking in class. In such cases an honest effort will be accepted as participation (see COURTESY, below.)
2. COURTESY in class discussion:
This is always very important, but in a course like this, it's all-important.
Courtesy to other students is a requirement for attendance. (Studies have shown, for instance, that women are more frequently interrupted when they try to speak in class.) All students will be encouraged to speak and guaranteed the right to a courteous hearing. After all: We can only discuss an explosive topic like religion or ethnicity if everyone agrees that overbearing behavior won't be tolerated in debate. You have to raise your hand, have to wait to be called on, can't just shout things out no matter how passionately you believe them. (Or how angry you are at hearing a political position you think false, even offensive.) This course's topic requires us to talk about exactly those topics nice people aren't supposed to mention at a dinner party!
It's distressing to realize now that in some of my favorite college classes-- the ones in which I was allowed to dominate the discussions-- my favorite profs weren't really doing their job. If you're the kind of student I was, I'd better ask your help, and patience, in advance. Everyone must get a chance.
By the same token, ignoring the student who has the floor by doing other school work or engaging in side discussions is rude. Any student speaking merits your attention, and his or her ideas merit your consideration. When an excellent student insults an average student this way it's worse. Shouldering other students aside who have raised their hand and waited their turn to speak is unacceptable.
Anyone who is routinely discourteous to the other students will be warned; if the discourteous behavior continues, that student will have to be dropped from the course. (That's never happened, but I'm leaving the possibility open.) You've been read these rules at our first meeting, and by continuing to attend, you agree to follow them. (Civilization, Freud said, is discontent.)
3. "Professionalism": Are you offended by certain topics?
If a student signs up for one of our Human Sexuality courses, he or she thereby gives up the right to march out of class complaining about being shown "dirty pictures."
Guideline: If you would never dream of taking a Human Sexuality course, for instance, you might feel uneasy, at times, here. We read masterworks which demand we re-examine our attitudes to religion, sex, race-- everything you're never supposed to mention in polite conversation. That's our job.
We're professionals. And that changes everything.
Medical students may be required to handle cadavers, urine samples, to examine genitals. You will sometimes be asked, as an aspiring cultural studies professional, to professionally consider attitudes and opinions you personally find as repellant as a urine sample.
We're pros. We have to deal with it.
There's a parallel with our course. Our writers and artists are often out to confront you with topics which make nice people uncomfortable. If frank discussion of religion, sexual mores, racial prejudices or ethnic or gender stereotypes makes you very uncomfortable, this isn't the course for you. We've no interest in offending anyone! Many of the cultures we'll discuss reveal their values through earthy humor, even through what you might consider "four letter words." What a culture considers obscene-- that is, too awful to be spoken about publicly-- can be very revealing.
A discussion may lead us to discuss attitudes to gender-- that is, what this culture thinks it means to be A Man, A Woman. We share anecdotes and stories. This is such an important subject to all of us it's inevitable that, in the course of the term, we will hear something we disagree with strongly. How strongly? Remember, some of us think abortion is murder, others think certain sex roles a form of violence, etc.
We're looking for people who can discuss these matters with each other frankly while keeping their professional balance and their sense of humor. Some of the best works we study use humor every chance they get-- these subjects sometimes cut so close to the bone only laughter can ease the tension. But you're entitled to your personal tastes! If you suspect you'll be offended-- religiously, politically, personally-- do not choose this course. (Or ask me for more details so you can decide.) We're not here to hurt anyone's feelings.
No-one will be allowed to continue in class who refuses to allow other students to express their opinions, no matter how "offensive" he or she decides those opinions are. As a member of the American Civil Liberties Union I defend free speech. The Constitution gives no-one the "right" not to be insulted, because the free flow of ideas is vital to our survival. One of our senior professors here, Betty Medsger, back from a year researching the neo-Nazis in Germany, said (I quote inexactly, from memory): "We have to help our students gain courage: the courage to let all ideas be expressed, even ideas we hate; and then the courage to oppose those ideas. We have to help students know the importance of not shutting each other up."
I dwell on this at such length because I don't want anyone to have a bad experience, and because I've learned that my courses, since they're discussion courses, depend on who shows up for them. They rely so much on free discussion, it works almost like a dinner party: if the mix is right, it's great, if not, nothing can help it.Having even one tense, doctrinaire person at the dinner table can kill the conversation and start everyone peeking at their watches. Once every few years we get just one or two people like that, and then it's like having to watch a shouting match between two true believers handing out leaflets in front of the Student Union. The years this course has worked, however-- it has been exciting. After all, these aren't bland, academic subjects! Far from it! We'll just have to wait and see.
When we've managed to keep our cool and keep talking, this class has often been called, on the course evaluations, the most valuable and interesting class people took at SFSU. I can mention that in all modesty because it was the students who created the great classes for themselves. I just played host and referee. This course wouldn't work this well anywhere else in the country. It uses SFSU's great strength: our unique student body.The great thing about teaching at State is you.
You're not a bunch of seventeen year olds from some posh suburb where you've been kept in cotton wool. You've seen a lot of life and your observations have the weight of experience behind them. If I can get you to dare to share those insights with each other some real learning can take place. Anyone who becomes so threatened by others' opinions that they try to choke them off will be dropped from the class. You will be allowed to express your opinions here without abuse or disorderly interruption. That's a guarantee. (Is the course starting to sound interesting?)