Course Grade: our final course grade will be calculated as follows:
Assessment Percentage of Final Grade
Pinker Chapter Quizzes 24%
Two Irrationality Case-Study Presentations 16%
Four Formal-Module Tests 30%
Midterm Examination 15%
Final Examination 15%
Total 100%
Pinker Chapter Quizzes — 24% A reading quiz will be given at the beginning of the first class meeting devoted to each assigned Pinker chapter. Ten quizzes are scheduled. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped, and the remaining nine quizzes will count equally. Each counted quiz is worth approximately 2.67% of the final course grade.
Irrationality Case-Study Presentations — 16% Each student will give two individual case-study presentations during the semester. Students will sign up for available presentation dates. Each presentation is worth 8% of the final course grade.
Formal-Module Tests — 30% Four tests will assess the formal methods studied in the course:
Deductive sentential logic
Bayesian reasoning
Expected value and utility
Game theory
Your lowest formal-module test score will be dropped. The remaining three tests will count equally. Each counted test is worth 10% of the final course grade.
Midterm Examination — 15% The midterm will assess the concepts, arguments, distinctions, and applications covered during the first half of the course.
Final Examination — 15% The final examination will assess material from the second half of the course and require students to integrate and apply the course’s major concepts and formal models.
Attendance Policy: regular attendance to every class is expected. Students who miss class or who are late miss important course information and typically do worse in the course.
Missed Tests and Excused Absences: Tests must normally be taken at the scheduled date and time. Makeup tests are not offered for ordinary absences, scheduling conflicts, or failure to attend. Students who miss a test because of an absence protected or excused under Sacramento State policy or applicable law will be given a reasonable opportunity to complete an equivalent makeup assessment. When an absence is foreseeable, students should notify me as early as reasonably possible; emergencies and unexpected illnesses should be reported as soon as practicable. Students are responsible for contacting me promptly to arrange any authorized makeup work.
Sacramento State Policy
Grading Policy: Here, on a 100 point scale, is how graded work, weighted according to percentages in the chart above, will be graded:
A 93-99
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 50-59
Here is a link to the Philosophy Department Grading Standards that gives details about what sort of work is considered A, B, C, D, or F work for Philosophy Papers, By extension, similar standards apply to tests, quizzes, journal entries, and homework assignments of the sort required in Inductive Logic.
A= Excellent, or very well done.
B= Superior, or well done.
C= Satisfactory or adequate.
D= Serious Weaknesses, or unsatisfactory.
F= Unacceptable
No cheating and no violations of the Academic Honesty Policy of any sort will be tolerated in this course. All sources must be cited and given appropriate credit. The author of any information from the Internet or another student from class must be given credit; using such information without indicating the source is stealing someone else's hard work and it is immoral. Cutting and pasting someone else's work is not acceptable. It is also unacceptable to make minor revisions in language to disguise someone else's sentences/ideas. Submitting work from a cheating website or from other students is a violation of the policy.
It is unacceptable to do any coursework for anyone else, either in the course now, or in the future. If anyone approaches you to take a quiz, or do a course assignment for them, notify me immediately. Any students caught violating this or any of the other academic honesty policies will be failed from the course and reported to the administration for disciplinary action, within the bounds of the University Policy Manual.
From the university policy manual: Plagiarism at Sacramento State includes but is not limited to:
The act of incorporating into one’s own work the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts thereof, or the specific substance of another’s work without giving appropriate credit thereby representing the product as entirely one's own. Examples include not only word-for-word copying, but also the "mosaic" (i.e., interspersing a few of one’s own words while, in essence, copying another’s work), the paraphrase (i.e., rewriting another’s work while still using the other’s fundamental idea or theory); fabrication (i.e., inventing or counterfeiting sources), ghost-writing (i.e., submitting another’s work as one’s own) and failure to include quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged; and
Representing as one’s own another’s artistic or scholarly works such as musical compositions, computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawing, sculptures, or similar works.
Collaboration: Students are allowed, even encouraged, to discuss lectures, readings, and assignments with each other. But every student must do his or her own work. Be cautious of sharing your notes, ideas, work, assignments, or papers with other students. Once you have given them a copy of or access to your work, you cannot control what they might do with it. If two or more students' work are found to violate the policy, all of the students will receive the same punishment, even if one did the work and the other plagiarized. Also beware of relationships with other students in which you stand to lose more than you gain. A student who freeloads off of your hard work might elevate his or her grade (or he might bring yours down) without working, and you get no benefit. Furthermore, you put yourself at risk for severe penalties for cheating.
Here is part of the university policy on academic honesty:
The attempt by a student to cheat on an exam or other academic assignment or to engage in plagiarism is a violation of a fundamental principle of academic honesty and integrity and will not be tolerated in the University. Formal procedures exist for dealing with these cases and penalties will be imposed on students who are found guilty of academic dishonesty. In the event of expulsion, suspension or probation, a notation is made on the student’s transcript. Suspension and probation notations remain on the transcript for the life of the suspension/probation. For information, contact the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
All students will be responsible for reading and following the university honesty, plagiarism, and cheating policies. They are posted at:
Academic Honesty Policy
Student Support Services
Disability Access
Sacramento State is committed to ensuring an accessible learning environment. If you believe you require disability-related academic adjustments for this class, contact the Disability Access Center (DAC) to discuss eligibility and accommodations. Approved accommodations should be communicated to the instructor as early as possible.
Disability Access Center: 916-278-6955.
Disability Access Center
Students with accommodations that are certified by the Services to Students with Disabilities office are entitled to reasonable accommodations in the course in order to meet course curriculum requirements. Students are not absolved or exempt from any course requirements in virtue of a disability, however, in consultation with the instructor we will work some reasonable accommodations that make it possible for the student to meet those requirements.
Note that the instructor must receive notice as soon as possible, preferably before the course starts or within the first two weeks, in order to accommodate, and if course assessment modalities are to be adjusted, then it will require a reasonable amount of time to reconfigure.
Student Health, Counseling, and Wellness
Your physical and mental health are important to your success as a college student. Student Health, Counseling, and Wellness Services at The WELL provides medical care, counseling, urgent counseling, wellness services, pharmacy services, and other health resources. Many services are covered by student health fees.
Phone: 916-278-6461.
Student Health, Counseling, and Wellness Services
Basic Needs and CARES
If food insecurity, housing instability, financial problems, or other circumstances are interfering with your education, Sacramento State’s CARES/basic-needs services can provide case-management and support resources.
CARES / Basic Needs Resources
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct:
The University requires faculty and staff to report personal disclosures of sexual misconduct, including rape, dating/domestic violence, and stalking, to the Title IX Coordinator. Students who do not wish to make a report through me or the Title IX Coordinator may seek confidential support through Student Health and Counseling Services.
Student Health and Counseling Services: 916-278-6461
Title IX / Office for Equal Opportunity: 916-278-5770