Ling 275: Language & Mind
a USC GE Science and Technology Course

Syllabus Fall 2006

Instructors:  Prof. Dani Byrd and Prof. Toby Mintz
TAs: Michal Temkin Martinez, Daylen Riggs, and Fuyun Wu

• The text for this course, Language Files (Tserdanelis and Wong, (Eds.) 9th edition), is required and will be available for purchase at the USC bookstore.  Locations for reserve copies will be announced. Other readings will be available on blackboard.
  

• Course requirements and grades:

  Exam 1: 25%
  Exam 2: 25%
  Exam 3: 25%  (in final exam slot but not cumulative)
  Homeworks: 25% (lowest score dropped)
  --The course will be graded on a curve:  roughly top 20% A's, next 40% B's, next 30% C's, bottom 10% D's/F's; but the curve will only move grades up, not down.
  --Attendance is expected in section meetings and in lectures and will be recorded.

• Homework assignments: There will be 7 homework assignments during the term. Some will be assignments involving the use of a computer. Homework assignments will be distributed and collected in lab sections. Assignments will be handed out at least one week prior to due date. Assignments are to be turned in at (or before) the beginning of lab section on the day that they are due.
  • Late assignments are not accpepted without a very good excuse (e.g. demonstrable illness or a life-changing event).
  • If you know you need to turn something in late or if you know you will miss an exam, you must talk to a professor (not a TA) ahead of time. Note,  however, the lowest homework score will be dropped.
  • All assignments are to be done independently, not in teams or in collaboration.  Copying or collaborating on  homework assignments (or exams) will be considered a violation of Academic Integrity and will be reported to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards and cause sanctions to be imposed.

• Academic Integrity: We expect that all students will uphold the USC Student Conduct Code. Because violations of the code harms every other student in the class, the instructors will aggressively prosecute any student who cheats on an exam or homework or who allows others to cheat on an exam or homework.

  • Please also note: SCampus under Academic Policies: "Notes or recordings made by students based on a university class or lecture may only be made for purposes of individual or group study, or for other non-commercial purposes...This restriction also applies to any information distributed, disseminated or in any way displayed for use in relationship to the class, whether obtained in class, via email or otherwise on the Internet, or via any other medium. Actions in violation of this policy constitute a violation of the Student Conduct Code, and may subject an individual or entity to university discipline and/or legal proceedings." (http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/class_notes_policy.html)

• Students with Disabilities (a notice from the Provost):  Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester.  A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP.  Please be sure the letter is delivered to us as early in the semester as possible.  DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday.  The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

• Final Exam Notice:  Note that USC requires that:
   "ALL INSTRUCTORS MUST ADHERE TO THE FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE. No deviations from this schedule are permitted for those classes having a final examination unless authorized in advance by the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP)...CAPP will not consider any request for rescheduling final examinations without unanimous written consent of all students in the class. No student in a course with a final examination is permitted to omit or anticipate a final examination, and no instructor is authorized to permit a student to do so."
  http://www.usc.edu/academics/classes/term_20063/finals.html
  

Course Outline & Schedule