revised 01/29/10
JMC 3023
Sec 001
FEATURE WRITING
Spring, 2010
Mon/Wed 1:30–2:45 p.m.
Classroom Gaylord 1030
Professor Warren Vieth
Office Gaylord 3027
Office hours Mon-Wed-Fri by appointment
Cell 501-3374; Home 771-4865
wvieth@ou.edu
Graduate Assistant Darcy Delaney
Cell 570-8964
dldelaney-1@ou.edu
OBJECTIVE
This course will help you master the fundamentals of feature writing. You will learn to recognize the different forms of features, the elements they have in common and the planning, reporting and writing techniques used by accomplished feature writers.
WORKLOAD
You will have frequent reading, writing and critiquing assignments. You will complete several big feature stories requiring a significant amount of reporting, writing and editing time. Much of the work will be done outside of class. (For undergraduate courses, a student taking a three-credit course that meets for three hours a week should expect to spend an additional six hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.)
ASSIGNED READING
You will not use a textbook in this course. Instead, you will be assigned to read selected feature stories and other material provided by your professor and classmates. You will need a copy of the AP Stylebook, any edition.
GRADES
To complete this course successfully, you must attend classes regularly, participate in classroom discussions, finish assignments on time, display enthusiasm, and demonstrate proficiency in story planning, reporting and writing skills. Your work will be graded according to the following criteria:
A = Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
B = Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
C = Achievement that meets course requirements in every respect.
D = Achievement worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.
F = Work that is not completed or fails to achieve a level of achievement worthy of credit.
GRADE FORMULA
(no rounding)
A 90% – 100%
B 80% – 89.99%
C 70% – 79.99%
D 60% – 69.99%
F below 60%
ERRORS
Style errors will count against your grade. They include spelling, punctuation and usage errors. We will use the AP Stylebook as our guide to proper style. Factual errors will count heavily against your grade. They include misspellings of proper names, erroneous dates and inaccurate identification of people. Multiple factual errors will result in a failing grade on an assignment.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Although you will have numerous exercises and assignments in this course, most of your grade will be based on several big feature stories. These stories will require considerable research, reporting and sourcing. All stories must contain original, current reporting and quotes from a minimum of three people based on live interviews or direct observation. Unless I agree in advance to exceptions, stories may not focus on organizations or activities in which you are actively involved. They may not contain information or quotes reported by someone else, information based on something you observed in the past, or interviews with friends, roommates or relatives. All stories should be suitable for publication, and you should inform your sources that their actions or quotes may appear in print. All human sources must be identified by their real names; all information sources must be attributed. Some of your stories will be submitted for possible use in the Oklahoma Daily, Gaylord College’s new Webzine, the Norman Transcript, the Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Gazette, the Oklahoma Observer and other publications. In this class, you are real reporters.
At a minimum, you will be required to write the following:
Scene Story—A 750-word descriptive story based on real-time observation of a person, event or process as it is occurring. The objective to transport your readers to the scene of a story by capturing its sights, sounds, smells, characters, voices, atmosphere, mood, color and action in vivid descriptive detail.
Profile Story—A 750-word biographical story about an interesting person you don’t already know. The subject does not need to be rich, famous or powerful; some of the most compelling profiles focus on ordinary, overlooked people. Unless I agree in advance to an exception, profiles of close friends or relatives are not allowed.
Trend Story—A 750-word feature providing specific, anecdotal examples of a broader topic with inherent news value. The objective is to find one or more colorful and informative microcosms that help readers better understand an important trend, event, study, statistic or other notable phenomenon in the news. The story will require a combination of authoritative and anecdotal source material.
Immersion Story—A 2,000-word extended narrative based on multiple interviews and observations of a person, group, organization, project or process over several weeks or months. You should spend time every week making contact with your subject, conducting interviews and research and recording your subject’s movement or progress over time. The objective is display your mastery of in-depth reporting skills and descriptive, narrative storytelling techniques. For this story, you should interview a minimum of five people and consult a variety of data sources.
Grades will be assigned on this basis:
POINT ALLOCATION
Scene Story 100 points
Profile Story 200 points
Trend Story 200 points
Immersion Story 300 points
Other Assignments 200 points
Total 1,000 points
I reserve the right to modify or expand the list of major assignments and change the point allocation formula as the semester progresses.
DEADLINES
I expect you to file your stories by the assigned deadlines, just as you would in the professional workplace. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. If assignments are not turned in on time, zeros will be given for those assignments. If you know you could be in jeopardy of turning in an assignment late because you plan on using one of your four absences, you need to contact me or Darcy.
DUE DATES
Week 1
Sunday, Jan. 24 Self-Bio
Scene story idea
Week 2
Sunday, Jan. 31 Immersion idea
Week 3
Sunday, Feb. 7 Scene story first draft
Profile idea
Final Immersion idea
Week 4
Sunday, Feb. 14 Final Profile idea
(WV Scene story markup)
Week 5
Sunday, Feb. 21 Scene story final draft
Immersion Scene 1
Week 6
Sunday, Feb. 28 Profile first draft
(WV Scene 1 markup)
Week 7
Sunday, March 7 Trend story idea
Immersion Scene 2
(WV Profile markup)
Week 8
Sunday, March 14 Profile final draft
Final Trend story idea
(WV Scene 2 markup)
Week 9
Sunday, March 21 SPRING BREAK
Week 10
Sunday, March 28 Immersion Scene 3
Week 11
Sunday, April 4 Trend story first draft
(WV Scene 3 markup)
Week 12
Sunday, April 11 Immersion Scene 4
(WV Trend story markup)
Week 13
Sunday, April 18 Trend story final draft
(WV Scene 4 markup)
Week 14
Sunday, April 25 Immersion first draft
Week 15
Sunday, May 2 (WV Immersion markup)
Week 16
Sunday, May 9 Immersion final draft
Week 17
Sunday, May 16 FINALS WEEK
ATTENDANCE
Although you should attend every class, you may have four absences without penalty. These four absences include both unexcused and excused absences. Examples of excused absences include illnesses (with doctor’s notes), religious holidays, a death in your immediate family and university-sanctioned educational or athletic events. IF YOU MISS MORE THAN FOUR CLASSES, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
STUDENT CONFERENCES
At one or more points during the semester, I will meet with you on an individual basis to discuss your objectives and progress in this course. You will be able to choose a meeting time that fits your class and work schedule. Participation is mandatory.
JMC PORTFOLIO
You will choose one of the stories you write in this course as your designated assignment for permanent storage in your Gaylord College digital portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio assignment is to assess your mastery of key concepts, skills and objectives of this and other courses you complete as an undergraduate. If you fail to submit your portfolio assignment, you will receive an incomplete regardless of your fulfillment of other course requirements.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
You are professional journalists, and I expect you to make your presence known. Failing to pay attention or participate in discussions on a regular basis will adversely affect your grade. The use of electronic devices and lab computers for personal purposes during class will adversely affect your grade. If you never speak up in class, I will give you less credit for participation. I also expect you to pay attention and keep quiet when other students are addressing the class. Engaging in extraneous conversations while your instructors or other students are speaking will adversely affect your grade.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
I will not tolerate the use of cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and other electronic devices for personal purposes during class. The use of university computers in the classroom for personal purposes, such as checking email or surfing the Web, is also prohibited. Violations of this policy will adversely affect your grade and your working relationship with me. BOTTOM LINE: PUT YOUR CELL PHONE AWAY DURING CLASS. KEEP YOUR EYES OFF THE SCREEN AND YOUR HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD DURING CLASS DISCUSSIONS.
CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR
If you need to contact me about missing a class or setting up alternatives for turning in assignments or taking quizzes, you should call my cell phone AND send an email to both Darcy and me. (I do not check my office phone regularly.) Be sure to contact us well enough in advance to arrange a time to turn in assignments before they are due.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and fraud. It is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with university regulations, which can include a failing grade or dismissal from the university. Plagiarism is representing the words or ideas of another as your own. It includes the use of material obtained from the Internet and other sources without proper attribution. Fraud includes the submission of work performed for one class for credit in another class. At times in this class I may allow you to collaborate with other students, but I expect your work to be your own. I reserve the right to use plagiarism detection services to verify that your work is original. For information about university policy on academic integrity, you may refer to either of the following Web sites: http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity and http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity-rights.
ETHICS
Journalists play a key role in shaping the perceptions of society. As part of this course, we will discuss issues of professional ethics and their contribution to the pursuit of truth, accuracy and fairness in journalism. We will discuss the ethical considerations raised by examples of feature stories written by professional journalists and those we produce in this course.
DIVERSITY
Journalists possess the power to influence people’s perceptions about themselves and others. In this class, we will explore how sensitive storytelling and editing can reflect the views of diverse groups in our culture with respect to age, ability, gender, race and ethnicity, religion and philosophy.
DISABILITIES
If you are disabled and in need of special accommodations, I will work with the Office of Disability Services to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform well in this class. Please advise me of such a disability, subject to verification, and the desired accommodations as soon as possible.
###
revised 01/26/10
JMC 3023
Sec 001
FEATURE WRITING
Spring, 2010
Mon/Wed 1:30–2:45 p.m.
Classroom Gaylord 1030
Professor Warren Vieth
Office Gaylord 3027
Office hours Mon-Wed-Fri by appointment
Cell 501-3374; Home 771-4865
wvieth@ou.edu
Graduate Assistant Darcy Delaney
Cell 570-8964
dldelaney-1@ou.edu
OBJECTIVE
This course will help you master the fundamentals of feature writing. You will learn to recognize the different forms of features, the elements they have in common and the planning, reporting and writing techniques used by accomplished feature writers.
WORKLOAD
You will have frequent reading, writing and critiquing assignments. You will complete several big feature stories requiring a significant amount of reporting, writing and editing time. Much of the work will be done outside of class. (For undergraduate courses, a student taking a three-credit course that meets for three hours a week should expect to spend an additional six hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.)
ASSIGNED READING
You will not use a textbook in this course. Instead, you will be assigned to read selected feature stories and other material provided by your professor and classmates. You will need a copy of the AP Stylebook, any edition.
GRADES
To complete this course successfully, you must attend classes regularly, participate in classroom discussions, finish assignments on time, display enthusiasm, and demonstrate proficiency in story planning, reporting and writing skills. Your work will be graded according to the following criteria:
A = Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
B = Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
C = Achievement that meets course requirements in every respect.
D = Achievement worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.
F = Work that is not completed or fails to achieve a level of achievement worthy of credit.
GRADE FORMULA
(no rounding)
A 90% – 100%
B 80% – 89.99%
C 70% – 79.99%
D 60% – 69.99%
F below 60%
ERRORS
Style errors will count against your grade. They include spelling, punctuation and usage errors. We will use the AP Stylebook as our guide to proper style. Factual errors will count heavily against your grade. They include misspellings of proper names, erroneous dates and inaccurate identification of people. Multiple factual errors will result in a failing grade on an assignment.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Although you will have numerous exercises and assignments in this course, most of your grade will be based on several big feature stories. These stories will require considerable research, reporting and sourcing. All stories must contain original, current reporting and quotes from a minimum of three people based on live interviews or direct observation. Unless I agree in advance to exceptions, stories may not focus on organizations or activities in which you are actively involved. They may not contain information or quotes reported by someone else, information based on something you observed in the past, or interviews with friends, roommates or relatives. All stories should be suitable for publication, and you should inform your sources that their actions or quotes may appear in print. All human sources must be identified by their real names; all information sources must be attributed. Some of your stories will be submitted for possible use in the Oklahoma Daily, Gaylord College’s new Webzine, the Norman Transcript, the Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Gazette, the Oklahoma Observer and other publications. In this class, you are real reporters.
At a minimum, you will be required to write the following:
Scene Story—A 750-word descriptive story based on real-time observation of a person, event or process as it is occurring. The objective to transport your readers to the scene of a story by capturing its sights, sounds, smells, characters, voices, atmosphere, mood, color and action in vivid descriptive detail.
Profile Story—A 750-word biographical story about an interesting person you don’t already know. The subject does not need to be rich, famous or powerful; some of the most compelling profiles focus on ordinary, overlooked people. Unless I agree in advance to an exception, profiles of close friends or relatives are not allowed.
Trend Story—A 750-word feature providing specific, anecdotal examples of a broader topic with inherent news value. The objective is to find one or more colorful and informative microcosms that help readers better understand an important trend, event, study, statistic or other notable phenomenon in the news. The story will require a combination of authoritative and anecdotal source material.
Immersion Story—A 2,000-word extended narrative based on multiple interviews and observations of a person, group, organization, project or process over several weeks or months. You should spend time every week making contact with your subject, conducting interviews and research and recording your subject’s movement or progress over time. The objective is display your mastery of in-depth reporting skills and descriptive, narrative storytelling techniques. For this story, you should interview a minimum of five people and consult a variety of data sources.
Grades will be assigned on this basis:
POINT ALLOCATION
Scene Story 100 points
Profile Story 200 points
Trend Story 200 points
Immersion Story 300 points
Other Assignments 200 points
Total 1,000 points
I reserve the right to modify or expand the list of major assignments and change the point allocation formula as the semester progresses.
DEADLINES
I expect you to file your stories by the assigned deadlines, just as you would in the professional workplace. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. If assignments are not turned in on time, zeros will be given for those assignments. If you know you could be in jeopardy of turning in an assignment late because you plan on using one of your four absences, you need to contact me or Darcy.
DUE DATES
Week 1
Sunday, Jan. 24 Self-Bio
Scene story idea
Week 2
Sunday, Jan. 31 Scene story first draft
Immersion idea
Week 3
Sunday, Feb. 7 Profile idea
Revised Immersion idea
Scene story second draft
Week 4
Sunday, Feb. 14 Final Profile idea
Final Immersion idea
(WV Scene markup)
Week 5
Sunday, Feb. 21 Scene final draft
Profile first draft
Week 6
Sunday, Feb. 28 Profile second draft
Immersion Scene 1
Week 7
Sunday, March 7 Trend story idea
(WV Profile markup)
(WV Scene 1 markup)
Week 8
Sunday, March 14 Profile final draft
Final Trend story idea
Immersion Scene 2
Week 9
Sunday, March 21 SPRING BREAK
Week 10
Sunday, March 28 Immersion Scene 3
(WV Scene 2 markup)
Week 11
Sunday, April 4 Trend first draft
(WV Scene 3 markup)
Week 12
Sunday, April 11 Trend second draft
Immersion Scene 4
Week 13
Sunday, April 18 Immersion first draft
(WV Scene 4 markup)
Week 14
Sunday, April 25 Immersion second draft
(WV Trend markup)
Week 15
Sunday, May 2 Trend story final draft
(WV Immersion markup)
Week 16
Sunday, May 9 Immersion final draft
Week 17
Sunday, May 16 FINALS WEEK
ATTENDANCE
Although you should attend every class, you may have four absences without penalty. These four absences include both unexcused and excused absences. Examples of excused absences include illnesses (with doctor’s notes), religious holidays, a death in your immediate family and university-sanctioned educational or athletic events. IF YOU MISS MORE THAN FOUR CLASSES, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
STUDENT CONFERENCES
At one or more points during the semester, I will meet with you on an individual basis to discuss your objectives and progress in this course. You will be able to choose a meeting time that fits your class and work schedule. Participation is mandatory.
JMC PORTFOLIO
You will choose one of the stories you write in this course as your designated assignment for permanent storage in your Gaylord College digital portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio assignment is to assess your mastery of key concepts, skills and objectives of this and other courses you complete as an undergraduate. If you fail to submit your portfolio assignment, you will receive an incomplete regardless of your fulfillment of other course requirements.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
You are professional journalists, and I expect you to make your presence known. Failing to pay attention or participate in discussions on a regular basis will adversely affect your grade. The use of electronic devices and lab computers for personal purposes during class will adversely affect your grade. If you never speak up in class, I will give you less credit for participation. I also expect you to pay attention and keep quiet when other students are addressing the class. Engaging in extraneous conversations while your instructors or other students are speaking will adversely affect your grade.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
I will not tolerate the use of cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and other electronic devices for personal purposes during class. The use of university computers in the classroom for personal purposes, such as checking email or surfing the Web, is also prohibited. Violations of this policy will adversely affect your grade and your working relationship with me. BOTTOM LINE: PUT YOUR CELL PHONE AWAY DURING CLASS. KEEP YOUR EYES OFF THE SCREEN AND YOUR HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD DURING CLASS DISCUSSIONS.
CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR
If you need to contact me about missing a class or setting up alternatives for turning in assignments or taking quizzes, you should call my cell phone AND send an email to both Darcy and me. (I do not check my office phone regularly.) Be sure to contact us well enough in advance to arrange a time to turn in assignments before they are due.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and fraud. It is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with university regulations, which can include a failing grade or dismissal from the university. Plagiarism is representing the words or ideas of another as your own. It includes the use of material obtained from the Internet and other sources without proper attribution. Fraud includes the submission of work performed for one class for credit in another class. At times in this class I may allow you to collaborate with other students, but I expect your work to be your own. I reserve the right to use plagiarism detection services to verify that your work is original. For information about university policy on academic integrity, you may refer to either of the following Web sites: http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity and http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity-rights.
ETHICS
Journalists play a key role in shaping the perceptions of society. As part of this course, we will discuss issues of professional ethics and their contribution to the pursuit of truth, accuracy and fairness in journalism. We will discuss the ethical considerations raised by examples of feature stories written by professional journalists and those we produce in this course.
DIVERSITY
Journalists possess the power to influence people’s perceptions about themselves and others. In this class, we will explore how sensitive storytelling and editing can reflect the views of diverse groups in our culture with respect to age, ability, gender, race and ethnicity, religion and philosophy.
DISABILITIES
If you are disabled and in need of special accommodations, I will work with the Office of Disability Services to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform well in this class. Please advise me of such a disability, subject to verification, and the desired accommodations as soon as possible.
###
revised 01/20/10
(Download Word document: xxxxxx)
JMC 3023
Sec 001
FEATURE WRITING
Spring, 2010
Mon/Wed 1:30–2:45 p.m.
Classroom Gaylord 1030
Professor Warren Vieth
Office Gaylord 3027
Office hours Mon-Wed-Fri by appointment
Cell 501-3374; Home 771-4865
wvieth@ou.edu
Graduate Assistant Darcy Delaney
Cell 570-8964
dldelaney-1@ou.edu
OBJECTIVE
This course will help you master the fundamentals of feature writing. You will learn to recognize the different forms of features, the elements they have in common and the planning, reporting and writing techniques used by accomplished feature writers.
WORKLOAD
You will have frequent reading, writing and critiquing assignments. You will complete several big feature stories requiring a significant amount of reporting, writing and editing time. Much of the work will be done outside of class. (For undergraduate courses, a student taking a three-credit course that meets for three hours a week should expect to spend an additional six hours a week on coursework outside the classroom.)
ASSIGNED READING
You will not use a textbook in this course. Instead, you will be assigned to read selected feature stories and other material provided by your professor and classmates. You will need a copy of the AP Stylebook, any edition.
GRADES
To complete this course successfully, you must attend classes regularly, participate in classroom discussions, finish assignments on time, display enthusiasm, and demonstrate proficiency in story planning, reporting and writing skills. Your work will be graded according to the following criteria:
A = Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
B = Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
C = Achievement that meets course requirements in every respect.
D = Achievement worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.
F = Work that is not completed or fails to achieve a level of achievement worthy of credit.
GRADE FORMULA
(no rounding)
A 90% – 100%
B 80% – 89.99%
C 70% – 79.99%
D 60% – 69.99%
F below 60%
ERRORS
Style errors will count against your grade. They include spelling, punctuation and usage errors. We will use the AP Stylebook as our guide to proper style. Factual errors will count heavily against your grade. They include misspellings of proper names, erroneous dates and inaccurate identification of people. Multiple factual errors will result in a failing grade on an assignment.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Although you will have numerous exercises and assignments in this course, most of your grade will be based on several big feature stories. These stories will require considerable research, reporting and sourcing. All stories must contain original, current reporting and quotes from a minimum of three people based on live interviews or direct observation. Unless I agree in advance to exceptions, stories may not focus on organizations or activities in which you are actively involved. They may not contain information or quotes reported by someone else, information based on something you observed in the past, or interviews with friends, roommates or relatives. All stories should be suitable for publication, and you should inform your sources that their actions or quotes may appear in print. All human sources must be identified by their real names; all information sources must be attributed. Some of your stories will be submitted for possible use in the Oklahoma Daily, Gaylord College’s new Webzine, the Norman Transcript, the Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Gazette, the Oklahoma Observer and other publications. In this class, you are real reporters.
At a minimum, you will be required to write the following:
Scene Story—A 750-word descriptive story based on real-time observation of a person, event or process as it is occurring. The objective to transport your readers to the scene of a story by capturing its sights, sounds, smells, characters, voices, atmosphere, mood, color and action in vivid descriptive detail.
Profile Story—A 750-word biographical story about an interesting person you don’t already know. The subject does not need to be rich, famous or powerful; some of the most compelling profiles focus on ordinary, overlooked people. Unless I agree in advance to an exception, profiles of close friends or relatives are not allowed.
Trend Story—A 750-word feature providing specific, anecdotal examples of a broader topic with inherent news value. The objective is to find one or more colorful and informative microcosms that help readers better understand an important trend, event, study, statistic or other notable phenomenon in the news. The story will require a combination of authoritative and anecdotal source material.
Immersion Story—A 2,000-word extended narrative based on multiple interviews and observations of a person, group, organization, project or process over several weeks or months. You should spend time every week making contact with your subject, conducting interviews and research and recording your subject’s movement or progress over time. The objective is display your mastery of in-depth reporting skills and descriptive, narrative storytelling techniques. For this story, you should interview a minimum of five people and consult a variety of data sources.
Grades will be assigned on this basis:
POINT ALLOCATION
Scene Story 100 points
Profile Story 200 points
Trend Story 200 points
Immersion Story 300 points
Other Assignments 200 points
Total 1,000 points
I reserve the right to modify or expand the list of major assignments and change the point allocation formula as the semester progresses.
DEADLINES
I expect you to file your stories by the assigned deadlines, just as you would in the professional workplace. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. If assignments are not turned in on time, zeros will be given for those assignments. If you know you could be in jeopardy of turning in an assignment late because you plan on using one of your four absences, you need to contact me or Darcy.
DUE DATES
Week 1
Sunday, Jan. 24 Self-Bio
Week 2
Sunday, Jan. 31 Scene first draft
Immersion idea
Week 3
Sunday, Feb. 7 Scene final draft
Profile idea
Revised Immersion idea
Week 4
Sunday, Feb. 14 Final Profile idea
Final Immersion idea
Week 5
Sunday, Feb. 21 Profile first draft
Week 6
Sunday, Feb. 28 Profile second draft
Immersion Scene 1
Week 7
Sunday, March 7 Profile final draft
Trend idea
Week 8
Sunday, March 14 Final Trend idea
Immersion Scene 2
Week 9
Sunday, March 21 SPRING BREAK
Week 10
Sunday, March 28 Immersion Scene 3
Week 11
Sunday, April 4 Trend first draft
Week 12
Sunday, April 11 Trend second draft
Immersion Scene 4
Week 13
Sunday, April 18 Trend final draft
Week 14
Sunday, April 25 Immersion first draft
Week 15
Sunday, May 2 Immersion second draft
Week 16
Sunday, May 9 Immersion final draft
Week 17
Sunday, May 16 FINALS WEEK
ATTENDANCE
Although you should attend every class, you may have four absences without penalty. These four absences include both unexcused and excused absences. Examples of excused absences include illnesses (with doctor’s notes), religious holidays, a death in your immediate family and university-sanctioned educational or athletic events. IF YOU MISS MORE THAN FOUR CLASSES, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE.
STUDENT CONFERENCES
At one or more points during the semester, I will meet with you on an individual basis to discuss your objectives and progress in this course. You will be able to choose a meeting time that fits your class and work schedule. Participation is mandatory.
JMC PORTFOLIO
You will choose one of the stories you write in this course as your designated assignment for permanent storage in your Gaylord College digital portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio assignment is to assess your mastery of key concepts, skills and objectives of this and other courses you complete as an undergraduate. If you fail to submit your portfolio assignment, you will receive an incomplete regardless of your fulfillment of other course requirements.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
You are professional journalists, and I expect you to make your presence known. Failing to pay attention or participate in discussions on a regular basis will adversely affect your grade. The use of electronic devices and lab computers for personal purposes during class will adversely affect your grade. If you never speak up in class, I will give you less credit for participation. I also expect you to pay attention and keep quiet when other students are addressing the class. Engaging in extraneous conversations while your instructors or other students are speaking will adversely affect your grade.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
I will not tolerate the use of cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and other electronic devices for personal purposes during class. The use of university computers in the classroom for personal purposes, such as checking email or surfing the Web, is also prohibited. Violations of this policy will adversely affect your grade and your working relationship with me. BOTTOM LINE: PUT YOUR CELL PHONE AWAY DURING CLASS. KEEP YOUR EYES OFF THE SCREEN AND YOUR HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD DURING CLASS DISCUSSIONS.
CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR
If you need to contact me about missing a class or setting up alternatives for turning in assignments or taking quizzes, you should call my cell phone AND send an email to both Darcy and me. (I do not check my office phone regularly.) Be sure to contact us well enough in advance to arrange a time to turn in assignments before they are due.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and fraud. It is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with university regulations, which can include a failing grade or dismissal from the university. Plagiarism is representing the words or ideas of another as your own. It includes the use of material obtained from the Internet and other sources without proper attribution. Fraud includes the submission of work performed for one class for credit in another class. At times in this class I may allow you to collaborate with other students, but I expect your work to be your own. I reserve the right to use plagiarism detection services to verify that your work is original. For information about university policy on academic integrity, you may refer to either of the following Web sites: http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity and http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity-rights.
ETHICS
Journalists play a key role in shaping the perceptions of society. As part of this course, we will discuss issues of professional ethics and their contribution to the pursuit of truth, accuracy and fairness in journalism. We will discuss the ethical considerations raised by examples of feature stories written by professional journalists and those we produce in this course.
DIVERSITY
Journalists possess the power to influence people’s perceptions about themselves and others. In this class, we will explore how sensitive storytelling and editing can reflect the views of diverse groups in our culture with respect to age, ability, gender, race and ethnicity, religion and philosophy.
DISABILITIES
If you are disabled and in need of special accommodations, I will work with the Office of Disability Services to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform well in this class. Please advise me of such a disability, subject to verification, and the desired accommodations as soon as possible.
###
