Instructor: Dr. Bradley Richards
Email: bradrich@yorku.ca

I am happy to answer emails on procedural issues addressed neither in class, nor by the syllabus. I may not reply to an email if the answer is on the syllabus; I may post an announcement instead of replying directly to an email if the answer would be helpful to others.

More substantial issues concerning course content should be addressed in class or office hours. There is
no guarantee of email response on weekends or holidays. Please include course and section number in the subject line of all email correspondence, also include your full name and student number in the body of the email. This information is necessary so that I can reply and address your concern. If
this information is omitted I may not reply . When all the above conditions are met, I will usually reply within 24 hours on weekdays).

Office hours: Thursday 10:30-11:30 or by appointment, online.

Technical Requirements

• Eclass will be used to deliver most course content.
  ● Students are required to submit assignments through eClass
  ●   Assignments may be evaluated by Turnitin
  ●   Zoom may also be used to deliver some content
  ●   Students will need a computer or smart device to access the course materials

Other readings will be available through links or articles provided online. See List of Supplemental Materials on the course website.

Course Delivery is Online with Pre-Recorded Lectures
1.  My office hours will be Thursday 10:30-11:30 or by appointment, online.

2. There will be no formal lecture. (only recorded lecture material posted to eClass)
   3. The nature of the posted materials (video, or slides, or both, may vary from week to

week).
4.   Quizzes and discussion boards will become available weekly.

5. Most readings are in the textbook. Additional readings and resources will be posted to

eClass.

Completing the work for this course will:
•Teach you the connection between good arguments, effective research, and compelling writing

• Teach you the importance of critical thinking for living well and being a good person

• Improve your ability to read difficult texts with comprehension.

• Improve your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments.

•Improve your ability to communicate complicated ideas in concise prose.

Course Policies

RECORDINGS POLICY

Lecture recordings are to be used for educational purposes only and as a means for enhancing accessibility. Students do not have permission to duplicate, copy and/or distribute the recordings outside of the class (these acts can violate not only copyright

laws but also FIPPA).

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
All  forms  of  academic  dishonesty,       including  plagiarism and  cheating,  will  be  taken extremely  seriously.  Potential  penalties  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  failure  of the assignment and/or failure of the course. In addition, students who plagiarize or cheat on any assignments forfeit their privilege to drop their lowest grades. Students are expected to          be          familiar with            York’s            policy     regarding academic integrity: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/.       All      students        are                expected   to            complete       the Honour Code Pledge on eClass.

TECHNICAL Resources
·          Student Guide to eClass

• Zoom@YorkU Best Practices
• Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide
• Computing for Students Website
• Student Guide to eLearning at York University
• To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest

Bradley Richards - Modes of Reasoning - MODR 1730

Additional RESOURCES

York has a variety of resources to help students succeed. Here are some of them.

• Mental Health
• Writing Centre
• Academic Advising
• Learning Commons
• Peer Mentorship

Accessibility

This course employs universal design learning. My goal is to see every student succeed. No one should do poorly on an assignment because of time constraints. Accordingly, I have adjusted everyone’s time allotments so that you have a 3X modifier (3 times the required amount of time to complete an assignment). If anyone has an official accommodation greater than 3x, please let me know. Likewise, please let me know if you require accommodations of other kinds.

ACCOMMODATIONS
We are committed to fairly accommodating students with disabilities. Please contact us as

soon as possible with the relevant documentation from Student Accessibility Services.

Late Assignments

-     No late quizzes will be accepted and no extensions granted. However, you are
permitted to miss 4/10 (you must complete 6). Aim to complete all 10 quizzes and your

lowest grades will be dropped.
-     No late discussion board entries will be accepted and no extensions granted. However,

you are permitted to miss 4/10 (you must complete 6). Aim to complete all 10 discussion board entries and your lowest grades will be dropped.

-     Late critical argument evaluations will be accepted for two weeks without penalty (extensions must be requested). Again, this is enough time for everyone. After this period there are no extension and no late assignments will be accepted.