Syllabus

• Course Objectives
• Student Profile
• Required Screenings
• Attendance Policy
• Academic Honor Code
• ADA Statement
• Gordon Rule Requirement
• Required Assignments/Format
• Powerpoint printing of Hand-Out Copies of Powerpoint Presentations
• Final Paper Grading Criteria
• Grading Scale
• Policies on Electronic Communication and Access to Information
• Regarding Spam/Jokes/Chain Letters
• Student Information Cards

Course Objectives: [top]

1. To introduce students to the vast resources of Holocaust films, and to primary and secondary texts that deal with these films

2. to examine how film language creates an interaction between filmmaker and spectator;

3. to analyze how categories of gender, race, class sexuality, and other factors have been ideologically constructed through avenues such as fictional, documentary and propaganda film;

4. to develop a vocabulary for how film creates a "politics of the gaze"-that is, focusing on the issues of whose view or story is authorized or not, and on what grounds;

5. to introduce the student to several theoretical approaches in film theory and criticism in relation to human rights law

6. to examine the nature of film genre, with a particular focus on the porous borders of fictional, documentary and propaganda films on the Holocaust

7. to examine film in relation to other media that portray the Holocaust, such as novels, short stories, biographies and autobiographies, historical accounts, and visual art

8. to improve students' writing skills, and skills of listening, argumentation and oral delivery, in filmic and literary analysis through discussion, written assignments, reports, drafts and final papers

9. to sharpen students' writing, thinking and research skills necessary to communicate these forms of analysis. The course will culminate in drafts and final papers that have a critical, rather than descriptive, focus, with a clear and strong thesis, persuasively developed and coherently articulated proof, mature syntax and diction, and proper documentation of all borrowed sources.

10. to reinforce MLA research techniques (i.e., parenthetical documentation and correct bibliographical form) as to avoid plagiarism; no other research format is acceptable so as to provide for uniform documentation

11. to enhance student vocabularies, given the interdisciplinary and theory-oriented nature of the course; students are encouraged to use their dictionaries frequently as they read the texts.

The website, http://www.carolinekaypicart.com/holocaustfilms is a purely virtual version of this course, a companion to the texts used in class, and provides a backbone of lectures that will enhance the understanding of how the materials flow together. Nevertheless, it is not a substitute for the live class itself.
This course will employ principally a lecture and discussion format, and will integrate the effective use of technology (e.g., Blackboard, powerpoint, videos, DVDs, when relevant). To fulfill the requirements of this course, you should sign up for a garnet or mailer account by going to: http://register.acns.fsu.edu/CARS/studentreg.html. If you already have a garnet or mailer account, and are registered properly for the course, then when you go to http://campus.fsu.edu (note: a new browser window will open) and log into the course number and section. Using your garnet or mailer accounts and passwords, you should be able to access all information on the course that is available via the Blackboard shell. Note that to fulfill the requirements necessary to not only pass, but do well in the course, you will need to learn the essentials of Blackboard as soon as possible.

Student Profile: [top]

Student Profile (.ppt file; 79K).

Required Screenings: [top]

Students must view each film by the day of the scheduled screening. They will be shown at Williams 13 on Thursdays from 6:45-9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted on the Blackboard shell for this course.

Attendance Policy:  [top]

Students are encouraged to attend every class in order to benefit from the lecture as well as the class discussion. However, if class must be missed, a legitimate reason (illness, etc.), with proper documentation, must be presented to the professor. Two latenesses (which means if your name is called during the roll and you are not in the classroom, you are late) constitute one unofficial absence; this means 6 latenesses constitute the same thing as three unexcused absences. Note that there is no make-up work for classes missed; requirements due then must be submitted on time, or ahead, through e-mail. My e-mail is: kpicart@fsu.edu.

According to university policy, students who accumulate more than two weeks' worth of absences are in danger of failing (that's two Wednesday night classes); those who are involved with university-sanctioned events (inclusive of, but not limited to athletics, band, ROTC, academic honor societies, and nursing) may not be counted absent on days scheduled as service work for the university. To be excused on such days, obtain a signed statement on FSU letterhead, authorizing such a schedule of projected absences, from your advisor, by the second week of classes. This is the student's responsibility; without such a document, those absences will be counted. Documented illnesses (get an authorized note from your physician or Thagard) will also be counted as excused absences. In all these cases, however, the students are still held responsible for work due that day and for all material covered, inclusive of class announcements or if necessary, changes to the course calendar; if a major requirement is due, such as a final paper, it is the student's responsibility to get the paper to the instructor either ahead of time, or on the day itself, through e-mail (kpicart@fsu.edu). No late work is acceptable.

Academic Honor Code: [top]

The Florida State University General Bulletin contains an Honor Code that is repeated verbatim in the Student Handbook. You are responsible for knowing and conforming to it; in addition to the information listed in the Handbook, you are also cautioned that:

1. If you take material that is not yours, from any source (inclusive of websites), and copy it into anything you submit, you are obligated to provide a footnote, endnote or parenthetical reference and works cited list at the end of the paper.

2. Material that is lifted verbatim from other texts must be placed in quotation marks or, in the case of anything longer than three sentences, blocked quotes, indicating its source, as in item # 1 above.

3. Material that is paraphrased must also be documented as in item # 1.

4. Persons who violate the Honor Code and any of the items above in any requirement, whether minor or major, will receive an "F" for the course.

Keep these in mind when you write your final papers. Remember that cheating constitutes adequate justification for expulsion. When you use a source (and your final paper will require at least 10 sources if you are an undergraduate and at least 15 sources if you are a graduate student, from a collection of sources, such as books, articles, newpapers, web sources), these should be cited properly, either as direct quotes, or as paraphrased material. You should use the APA, Style for citations, and be consistent throughout the paper.

Thus, contrary to students' beliefs, plagiarism isn't just a little thing. Any time you take someone else's words, ideas or concepts, you must cite your source and give credit to the actual author. This is especially true for anything you pick from the web. Knowing the appropriate citation for your material is your responsibility.

Failure to cite your sources and give credit to the original author will be punishable to the extent your FSU Student Handbook provides for plagiarism. This can lead all the way up to expulsion from Florida State University. When in doubt, cite your source! For further information on plagiarism and the honor code, see: http://www.fsu.edu/Books/Student-Handbook/codes/honor.html.

ADA Statement: [top]

Students with documented disabilities needing academic accommodations should, in the first week of class: 1.) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) and 2.) bring an authorized letter from SDRC to the professor, indicating the need for academic accommodations, if necessary. This and all other class materials are available in alternative format, upon request. The instructors will do everything they can to ensure fairness to everyone in class.
For further information, refer to: http://www.fsu.edu/~staffair/dean/StudentDisability/index.html.  

Gordon Rule Requirement: [top]

Also, since this course is considered a Gordon Rule class, students must obtain a C- or better in order to pass the Gordon Rule requirement. For further information on these university policies, refer to the handbook at http://www.fsu.edu/Books/Student-Handbook.  

Required Assignments/Format: [top]

This course will employ a lecture and discussion format. Students are required to come in, having read the required texts for the day, in order to present and defend their opinions, as well as critique those of others and pose clarificatory questions; thus skills of listening and oral argumentation are very much part of the course design.

The FERPA (Family Educational Right of Privacy Act), which is on the Provost's website http://provost.fsu.edu/smalcs/ferpa.pdf, protects the confidentiality of students' grades; thus, to absolutely ensure that this rule be kept, as well as standards of objectivity be held, students will be given code numbers starting on the second week of class. All students must identify themselves, on their quizzes, papers, or any other requirements, using this code number.

After a number of sessions handled by Dr. Picart, the duty of giving a brief summary and critique of some of the assigned texts for the day, and of generating discussion, using a powerpoint format, along other activities, such as small group discussions, will be rotated among the students. Students giving powerpoint presentations are required to e-mail their presentations to me (kpicart@fsu.edu) midnight of the day before they are due to report. On the day of the presentations, the presenters are required to come in with a diskette version (just in case something goes wrong with the web) and one hard copy of the powerpoints in "hand-out" format. AGAIN, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Ideally, as well, your work on your powerpoint presentation should help you create your papers, which form the final requirements of the course.

The 50 minute presentations should feature:

1. the aims of the particular class session

2. key terms/concepts and examples of them, featuring specific clips

3. a class outline, including an estimate of time allocations

4. an interactive activity, which is usually a student edition powerpoint presentation that may incorporate a game, small group work, acting a skit, etc.

5. guide questions for discussion

On the day of the presentation itself, come in with two powerpoint hand-out copies (see below for instructions) to submit to me. One will be marked and returned to you; the other will be kept on file.

The items outlined above comprise the criteria for the evaluation of your work for this component, which comprises 20% of the total mark, with each component above equally weighted. Posting these powerpoint presentations is a prerequisite to passing the course; failure to do so will result in failure. 30% of your total grade will come from this presentation. There are NO exceptions to this rule; you may switch teams (provided there are teams) and dates if you tell me ahead of time, and work out arrangements with each other. I will make sign-up arrangements available during the second week so you may think about which session/s you would like to sign up for, and with whom (if group arrangements are possible)..

In order to save on ink and paper, you may print out a "hand-out" version. Instructions for this are listed below. If it is easier for you, just print out an ordinary copy of the powerpoint presentation and photocopy it to save ink.

PowerPoint printing of Hand-Out Copies of PowerPoint Presentations: [top]

Here are the instructions for the best way to print out PowerPoint presentations:
I. From the web
(You must have the PowerPoint program installed in your computer to do it this way)

1. Use Netscape to get to campus.fsu.edu. 

2. After you log in and get to the course webpage, click to External Links.

3. Click on the PowerPoint presentation you would like to print out.

4. A window will open to ask if you would like to "save it to disk" or "run from the current location". For convenience's sake, click "run from current location." This will download and transfer the presentation to the PowerPoint program on your computer.

5. Go to "File" on the menu. Scroll down to "Print".

6. When the print menu pops up.

   1. You can choose from "slides". This will print each slide on a full page.

   2. To save paper, you can choose to print as "handouts". On a section on the right, you can choose how many slides you would like on each page

   3. Also, there are checklist options at the bottom, I recommend clicking "pure black and white" for clearer pictures on a black and white printer.

   4. When you are finished, click the "OK" button.

II. From the PowerPoint Program.

1. Click on the "my computer" icon.

2. Click on the icon representing where your file is saved (for example, if the PowerPoint presentation you wish to open is on your disk, click A:)

3. Click on the file in order to open.

4. Go to "File" on the menu. Scroll down to "Print".

5. When the print menu pops up.

   1. You can choose from "slides". This will print each slide on a full page.

   2. To save paper, you can choose to print as "handouts". On a section on the right, you can choose how many slides you would like on each page.

   3. Also, there are checklist options, I recommend clicking "pure black and white" for clearer pictures on a black and white printer.

   4. When you are finished, click the "OK" button.

Draft and Final Paper Grading Criteria: [top]

Note: Your draft and final essay grade will be based on the following criteria. Each category will be compiled of whole points, no partial points will be given. All of these criteria are equally weighted.

1. Spelling Mechanics Structural Detail: These essays are to consist of 5-6 double spaced pages for the final paper typewritten in a standard MLA format, double-spaced, with 12 point font and 1 inch margins. This is the standard length of a conference paper. You must confer film credits (http://us.imdb.com) and spell the characters' and actors' names correctly. Your essay must have a clear thesis, which is to be followed by a series of arguments that support your thesis, using specific examples from the film and readings.

2.  Examples of Film Theory, Cultural Theory, Critical Theory and, where applicable, Human Rights Law: (quality and quantity): The essay must make reference to and apply ideas found in at least two required texts listed above, two movies we have used in class, one movie that we have not used in class, and three new references which you must research on your own. Failure to conform with each one of these formal requirements results in a minus two per infraction. You must illustrate the interrelations of class, race, gender and sexuality. One practical approach to the paper might be to read the articles and sum up their main points. Once you have command of the ideas presented in the articles, watch the film. In this way, you will have a theoretical basis/perspective before viewing the film and will be more aware of certain interpretations and questions that can be raised while you watch the film.

3. Examples of Film Form (quality and quantity): Explain fully in detail how film content (story and plot) and film form (mode of narration/genre conventions) inform your thesis. You should ask, for example, what is the thematic material or ideology of class, race, gender or sexuality in the selected film and how does the form of the film interact with, or enunciate, this theme or ideology? How does the filmmaker attempt to express ideas and elicit emotional responses from spectators, using genre conventions? In what ways does the film you have chosen to write about "address" an implied spectator by reference to codes of class, race, gender or sexuality through film form (subjectivity, point of view editing, close-up, angle, lighting, reaction shots). Be sure to take abbreviated notes while watching the films for later reference. You might also rent a copy of your selected film in order to review its content and form in detail.

4. Synthesis of cultural theory, critical theory, legal issues in human rights, and film form: Evaluates the overall synthesis of ideas derived from the theories presented in the course readings and their relationship to the formal structuring of the selected film, with an eye to genre conventions.

5. Quality and creativity of thesis and arguments: Be specific in your arguments and try to avoid obvious or far-reaching statements. Creativity is assessed by your ability to often put unrelated ideas into a single conceptual framework and back these up with adequate and compelling proof.
    

Grading Scale: [top]

Policies on Electronic Communication & Access to Information: [top]

The FSU internal networks and connections to the National Information Infrastructure provide a wide range of facilities for communication between individuals and for disseminating information and ideas. Electronic communication and information resources will be increasingly important to University faculty, staff, and students. The University supports open access to electronic communication and information, as follows:

• Members of the University community may freely communicate and access information on electronic networks.

• Material accessible to the FSU community through networks and materials disseminated from FSU should not be restricted on the basis of its content, nor because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to its creation (note: obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment). University administrators, faculty, and staff should challenge any attempts to censor electronic information sources. Members of the University community should use information resources responsibly and considerately, in accordance with the following guidelines:

• The computing and network resources of the University may not be used to impersonate another person or misrepresent authorization to act on behalf of others or the University.

• The computing and network resources of the University may not be used to harass another person. Users should not transmit to others or display images, sounds, or messages that might be perceived by a reasonable person as, or have been identified as, harassing. (See the University policies on sexual harassment and the Student Conduct Codes, section 9.c.3.)
   

Owners of computer accounts are responsible for all use of the accounts. They should follow guidelines to prevent unauthorized use by others, and report intrusions to the system administrators. The University cannot guarantee that, in all instances, copies of critical data will be retained on University systems. It is ultimately the responsibility of computer users to obtain secure, backup copies of essential files for disaster recovery.
 

VIOLATIONS: Violations of computer and network policy as outlined in this document will be considered on a case-by-case basis according to established policies; determinations may include denial of access privileges. In all instances, measures will be taken to protect the system; however, due-process rights of everyone involved will be observed in all cases. Users are reminded that some uses of the network are governed by the University Honor Code, local, State, or Federal laws.
APPROVED BY FACULTY SENATE, APRIL 12, 1995

Regarding Spam/Jokes/Chain Letters:  [top]

Please note that anything that is inappropriate to say face-to-face in class is generally inappropriate to distribute on the web course. Also the mailing lists should not be used for anything but communicating within the class environment. Inappropriate behavior of this kind will result in severe consequences as outlined in the FSU Student Handbook (email abuse punishment can range from revoking your computer access to expulsion in severe cases). Refer to: http://www.fsu.edu/Books/Student-Handbook/codes/honor.html. For more on Email Abuse, also see: http://www.acns.fsu.edu/docs/policy.html.
If you feel that some course-relevant information should be made available to the entire class, email the instructor(s) with a request to post on the announcement board. The instructor(s) will make the decision of appropriateness.

Student Information Cards: [top]

By the first day of the second week of class, please hand in the following information on the smallest sized index card with a recent photo of you.
Name:
Nickname:
Year:
Major:
Minor:
Background in English, Humanities, Philosophy, Criticism or Women's Studies (if any):
Home Phone:
E-Mail: