History 659: Intro to Public History
Bartlett Hall room 131 – Tuesdays 2:30 – 5:00 pm

Grading and Required Work:

  

Formal requirements include: 1) attendance at all seminar discussions and field trips, guided and self-guided; if you must miss something, make arrangements with me in advance; 2) weekly writing assignments (typically ca 2-3 pp); 3) participation in one major project, executed in teams, exploring some facet of public history in more depth (see below); 4) a ca. 8-10 page paper reflecting on the topic chosen; 5) leading class discussion at least once during the semester. 

 

Though this course explores the work historians do out in the world, it is itself of course a seminar, and the essence of a seminar is discussion; each week, we will meet to discuss, among ourselves and with others, issues and subjects of current concern to the Public History community.  It is essential that you come to class prepared to contribute to those conversations, having read the material at hand and having given it some thought as well.  I take the idea of contribution very seriously; it is the obligation of each student to guide our shared conversation toward the subjects he or she thinks most important for the course to cover.

 

Things to keep in mind:

  • Please retain a second copy of papers until your graded paper is returned.
  • Please hold all graded assignments until you receive your final grade.
  • Letter grade equivalencies: A=92.5-100; A-=89.5-92.4; B+=87.5-89.4; B=82.5-88.4; B-=79.5-82.4; C+=77.5-79.4; C=72.5-78.4; C-=69.5-72.4; D+=67.5-69.4; D=62.5-68.4; D-=59.5-62.4; F=below 59.5.

 

Please Note: All course requirements must be completed in order to receive a passing grade in the class.  Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are grounds for failing this course.

 

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty:

  

What is Plagiarism?  According to the UMASS Academic Regulations (2008-2009) Plagiarism is defined as “knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise. This includes submitting without citation, in whole or in part, prewritten term papers of another or the research of another, including but not limited to commercial vendors who sell or distribute such materials.”  For more info please see page 7 of the regulations at http://www.umass.edu/registrar/media/academicregs.pdf.

Honesty:  You many not engage in any form of academic dishonesty. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating on exams, helping another person cheat, or plagiarizing on written assignments.  This also includes fabricating excuses for absences from class and signing in for another student.  If you are caught cheating at any point during the semester, you will fail the entire course and I report you to the Academic Honesty Board.

 

Writing Center:

  

The university offers a special resource for students who want some additional assistance with writing and research. The Writing Center is located in the northwest corner of the W.E.B. DuBois Library's Learning Commons.  For more information, please visit the WC Website: http://www.umass.edu/writingcenter. The web site also offers information about the Center, such as current hours of operation and what to bring with you for your first consultation.