Hello, dear friend, you can consult us at any time if you have any questions, add WeChat: daixieit

Assignments and Grading

This is an upper division course that is aimed at Junior and Senior level students that has been condensed into a shorter, online summer format. This course also satisfies a GE writing requirement. This means that this course will require a significant amount of effort learning, writing, and interacting virtually with your peers, TA, and professor. Participation in this course is mandatory. Below is a breakdown of assignments and grading in the course.

Syllabus Quiz

This helps make sure students thoroughly read the syllabus and understand how this course will operate. It may be retaken as many times as needed. Due Sunday, June 26 at 11:59pm Pacific.

Weekly Quizzes

To assess comprehension and promote timely completion of readings, there will be five weekly reading quizzes during Weeks 1–5. Quizzes draw on the assigned readings. These are usually simple if you have done the reading thoroughly—they are not designed to trick you! Due Sundays at 11:59pm Pacific.

Weekly Forums

To build analysis and communication skills, each week you will respond to a forum prompt posted on Gauchospace. In forums you will reflect upon and synthesize information from the week’s course materials. To receive full credit each week, you are expected to:

● Write a forum post of 500 words or more responding to the week’s prompt.
Posts due Fridays at 11:59pm Pacific.

● Respond to two of your peers’ posts a minimum of 150 words per response. Responses due Sundays at 11:59pm Pacific

Midterm Proposal

At the end of Week 3, you will submit a midterm proposal that includes two sections:

● Project description (500 words): discusses your choice of medium (paper or creative format), topic for the project, and a tentative main argument / thesis statement.

● Annotated bibliography: a list of potential sources with annotations that, in a few sentences each, discuss: the main argument of the source; how it relates to your project; and why you are using it specifically.

See project information below for more information. Detailed guidelines for the proposal will be shared in advance. Due Sunday, July 10 at 11:59pm Pacific.

Final Project

Complete a final project choosing one (1) of the mediums below. Specific prompts for each format are discussed in the following chart and brief descriptions. Detailed guidelines and more resources will be posted online in advance. Due Friday, July 29 at 11:59pm Pacific. Five points may be deducted for each day final projects are late, and after Sunday, July 31 no late work will be accepted.

Prompts

● Issue Exploration: Examine a relevant social, cultural, or political issue of your choice. Draw upon feminist studies concepts to develop a main argument (thesis statement) regarding that issue. Then support your argument using evidence from scholarly sources. Your paper may focus on one or more key concepts, theoretical frameworks, perspectives, etc. as it analyzes the issue within the context of broader society.

● Media Analysis: Examine a relevant media object of your choice, paying attention to its meaning and functions. Draw upon feminist studies concepts to develop a main argument (thesis statement) regarding your media object. Then support your argument using (a) close analysis and description of the primary source (media object), and (b) evidence from scholarly sources. Your paper may apply one or more key concepts or theoretical frameworks to analyze the media object’s role within broader society.

● Redefining Sex, Love, and Romance: Take a classic/normative story, cliché, theme, trope, or meme involving romance, sexuality, or intimacy. (For example: Disney/Hallmark movie romance plots, sex or gender tropes from media, etc.) Then manipulate that story to disrupt, expose, and transform the normative ways that it represents gender, race, class, culture, or other vectors or power and identity. Build upon feminist studies concepts and use evidence from scholarly sources to: (1) present your ideas through a creative format, and (2) explain in a short reflection essay how your project achieves its goals.

● Public Service Announcement (PSA): Choose an issue around sex, love, and/or romance for which there is lack of common understanding, misrepresentation, stereotyping, moral panic (such as the purity myth, porn, sex work, marriage, etc.). Develop an educational media object that is informative and engaging as it breaks down the issue from a critical perspective. Build upon feminist studies concepts and use evidence from scholarly sources to: (1) present your ideas through a creative format, and (2) explain in a short reflection essay how your project achieves its goals.

Expectations for all Projects

An effective project introduces the main argument/point, provides evidence to support the argument, and comes to a conclusion. You will need to describe the object that you are analyzing and discuss the politics of its production, circulation, consumption, reception, etc. Place this analysis in the socioeconomic, historical, and cultural context from which it emerges and exists in the world. Make sure to use sufficient examples from your sources to support your argument.

Sources may be secondary, such as scholarly books and articles; or primary, such as media examples, newspaper articles, blogs, interviews, novels, government reports, statistics, etc.

Papers should be double-spaced, include page numbers, and must adhere to a formal academic citation style (MLA, Chicago, or APA). Use a cover page that includes: paper title, your name, date, professor name, TA name, and your email address. Papers are evaluated according to content, argumentation and analysis, use of specific examples, style/format, writing mechanics, and engagement with course themes.

Grading Policies

Academic Integrity

“Papers, examinations, laboratory reports, and homework must always be your own work. Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are all forms of academic dishonesty and are violations of the Student Conduct Code. Students found responsible for these violations face possible suspension or dismissal from the University.” This includes receiving quiz answers from a peer, submitting a paper or forum post that you did not write, or having someone other than yourself complete this course for you. Violations of academic integrity may result in automatic failure of the course. For more information, see studentconduct.sa.ucsb.edu/academic-integrity.

Late Assignments

Assignments turned in after the deadline may be deducted five points for every day late. If you have something come up, please be in touch with your TA or me ASAP.

Makeup and Extra Credit

In extenuating circumstances students may be offered additional time to complete an assignment, or an equitable alternative assignment. In general, extra credit assignments will not be offered on an individual basis. If I decide to offer an extra credit opportunity, I will let you know.

Questions about Grades

You are responsible for following up first with your TA and then with the professor with any questions or concerns about your grade. After week 5, your TA and professor will not be answering questions about your grade — except in the case of extenuating emergency circumstances. So make sure to ask grading questions by the end of Week 5; otherwise, you will need to speak to the department chair. I recommend reviewing your grades often in GauchoSpace and attending your TA’s office hours as needed to discuss grades or assignments. Emails about grade adjustments or questions about grades after week 5 will be referred to this section of the syllabus.

Grade Appeals

If you have a dispute with your TA over a grade you have received, you may request a review by the professor. Please keep in mind, however, that an appeal will invoke a review of the full assignment and could result in an even lower grade. Appeals must be made no sooner than 24 hours after the assignment is returned (this is the “cool off period”), and no later than 4 days after it is returned.  Please send an email that includes written justification for your appeal, the assignment in question, along with any relevant supplementary information.

Course Policies

First week

Participation during Week 1 is mandatory to remain enrolled in the course. Students who do not participate may be dropped so that students on the waitlist can join the course.

Course materials

All readings and materials will be posted for you on GauchoSpace.

Internet access

You will need access to a stable internet connection for the duration of this course. If you are traveling and unable to use wi-fi, or if you are working somewhere remote without a stable internet connection, you may not be able to take this course. If this is a concern, contact me to discuss this as soon as possible.

Online communications

As this is an online class, our communications will all take place through GauchoSpace, email, Zoom meetings, and possibly Nectir chat. If and when I make policy and course changes to the syllabus, I will give reasonable advance notice to students. So you will need to check both GauchoSpace and your email on a regular basis, recommended daily. Please give your TA up to 48 hours to respond to emails. In your messages, please to include your name, section, and perm # to help us stay organized. Finally, we may not respond to messages that are already answerable by checking our syllabus, GauchoSpace, or other course documents — so check these places first. That said, we do not bite, so do get in touch if you have questions, concerns, or needs we can help address! ☺

Disability accommodations

Please contact the Disabled Students Program (DSP) as soon as possible: http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/. You may also meet with the instructor to discuss your needs and figure out an individual plan to participate in the course as best as possible.

Statement on sexual harassment

UCSB does not tolerate sexual harassment/sexual violence, which is prohibited by University policy and state and federal law. The Title IX Compliance and Sexual Harassment Policy Compliance Office (TIX/SHPC) provides assistance in preventing and resolving and investigating complaints of sexual harassment/sexual violence and gender discrimination. (https://titleix.ucsb.edu/)

Mandatory reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus.  I want to ensure that students feel they can speak to me, but I also want students to be informed that I have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as a professor. I am *required* (as are your TAs) to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on UCSB’s campus or in the community. A result of my mandated report will be that students will receive outreach and resources from the campus Title IX office. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting CARE, Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education at the 24/7 advocacy line at (805) 893-4613 or visit them in person at the Student Resource Building.

LGBTQ+, gender, and sexual discrimination support

Under Title IX, university students are protected from harassment and discrimination based on gender and sex. If you feel uncomfortable or in need of support at any time related to your gender, sex, and/or sexual orientation, please contact your TA or instructor. If you want to share information related to pronouns, name changes, etc., feel free to do so. UCSB's Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity is also available to advocate for and support students.

Learning Environment

We deserve to learn, share knowledge, and challenge ourselves in a respectful educational environment. In our virtual classroom, we will maintain a space of dialogue where students can engage course materials as well as possible. Some course materials may include information you have not studied in classes before and may take some time to fully understand. The material we will discuss requires us to ask challenging questions of ourselves and of each other. Below are general expectations that we will all be held to.