1. 15% Participation: To receive full credit for participation you must have no absences (in both the main lecture room as well as the discussion-group room), always be on time, never leave early, be engaged and participate in the weekly class discussions, submit all work on schedule, and be on time on your conference day.

2. 30% in-class essays: In-class essays must be written in class. They will be graded on content, (i.e., coherence, is the question being answered?), English (grammar, spelling) and structure (paragraphs).

3. 30% research papers: Late papers will have one full grade per late day lower from the grade they would have received if they were on time. For example, if an on-time paper would have received the grade of B (or B^-), submitting the paper one day late would reduce its grade to a C (C^-) two days late to a D (D^-), etc.

4. 25% community service project: You must fill out a form explaining your project which must be returned to your group leader no later than two weeks after the first day of classes. Keep a log of your project which will be collected on the day of your conference. You must commit a min of 30 hours. A report of your community service will be required by you at the end of the semester.

5. All research papers, as well as the community service report must be submitted in hard copies (no email attachments). Also, you must be able to reproduce them upon request.