Category Archives: hist 102 (Spring 2012)

Schedule Adjustment – not my fault this time

Hope everyone weathered the storm safely!

Obviously, a revised course schedule is now in place. I decided that we really needed the review day before this next test, so I used the review days for tests 4 and 5, and pushed everything back two days. This means that I’ll be lecturing Friday, then you’ll have a review session Monday before the test on Wednesday. This also means that the 3rd test, originally scheduled for the day before Spring Break, is now the Wednesday after break. Homework and Essay assignments have been adjusted accordingly. Also note that the Essay assignments are now available, so you can begin thinking about this as you work through the books.

Also note, if you are working from an older printed copy, that I’ve trimmed the list of terms for the 2nd test, to make things a little bit more focused.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Jazz Festival

The 38th Annual PSU Jazz Festival is just around the corner on March 2, 2012 at 7:30 PM at Memorial Auditorium. The concert features one of the great jazz big bands from New York, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. This group features some to the best studio and jazz musicians in the world. Jazz aficionados will also know that this was formerly the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra.  Their latest Grammy win is  Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard, on Planet Arts Recordings.

Tickets for the evening concert are available at the PSU Ticket Office or at the door.
Adults $15.00 ; PSU Faculty and Staff and persons 65 and over/17 ad under $13.00
Full time PSU students free with proper ID

The event is cosponsored by PALS, Memorial Auditorium, PSU Student Government, and the PSU Music Department

Throughout the day there will be high school and middle school groups competing in the Student Center, McCray and at Memorial Auditorium. These events are free. Listen and enjoy.

Extra Credit Opportunity: Apple Day Convocation

The annual “Apple Day Convocation” will be celebrated on Thursday, March 1, 2012, in the McCray Recital Hall. This year’s speaker will be Mr. Arthur Edwin “Ed” McKechnie III, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. Ed is also the Executive Vice President for Strategic Development and the Chief Commercial Officer for Watco Companies, Inc. in Pittsburg. A PSU graduate, Mr. McKechnie earned a B.A. in Communications in 1986.

Test 1 Results

Each question was worth up to 4 points, for a possible total of 40. The highest score in the class before extra credit, in both sections, was 31. For simplicity’s sake, I’m using 30 as the 100% score, so the grade scale works out like this:

Grade starts at distribution
A+ 30
A 28  10%
A- 27
B+ 25
B 22  20%
B- 20
C+ 18
C 15  35%
C- 13
D+ 11
D 8  25%
D- 6
F under 6  10%

If you answered 10 questions, but failed to answer two from each chapter, I took a 2 point penalty off your grade. (If you didn’t answer all 10 questions, I did not)

If you want to discuss your performance, and how you can improve it next time, feel free to come by my office hours. If you want to dispute your grade, feel free to do so in writing.

Here are a few samples of answers that earned the full 4 points (or 3.5, anyway):

Continue reading →

Schedule Adjustment Again

My apologies again for my absence. I have revised the schedule (again), this time using the catch-up day for the next test. I’ll do my best to get through the material efficiently this week, so that we have some time to talk about the test beforehand.

The good news, I suppose, is that you’ve got an extra weekend to work on the Document Homework.

I will have the tests to give back Wednesday, and I will post comments about the grades and suggestions for improving next time.