Written Work (75%): A research paper (7500 words) on any topic that relates to the themes and issues discussed throughout the course. The research paper is due by:

Monday, December 3, 2018 at noon. Paper is to be emailed as a pdf entitled “lastname.Aboriginal.paper.pdf” to brenda.gunn@umanitoba.ca.

The research essay should demonstrate a reasonably sophisticated understanding of the topic area. It should be analytical rather than merely descriptive. It should show that the researcher drew on a number of different academic sources identified through research as well as demonstrate facility with some of the materials covered during in class. I encourage students to discuss their paper topic with me well in advance of the deadline.

Written work must be typed-written, 1.5 line spaced in Times New Roman 12 point font, 1-inch margins, left justification. Please include page numbers. You must include a word count on the cover page. All footnotes must comply with the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (McGill Guide). Marks will be deducted for failure to comply with each of the formal requirements.

Late essays will be deducted one ½ letter grade for each day late (e.g., B+ to B, B to C+). Deferrals must be sought through the Associate Dean’s office.

To receive comments on drafts, research works must be submitted no later than Monday, November 12, 2018 (please email a word document).

Positive Class Contribution (20%): Seminar courses are ideal forums for discussion and present students with the ability to be actively involved in the learning process. Having read the assigned readings, students should come to class prepared to grapple with the subject matter and the issues arising therein. Students will be graded on their active engagement in and positive contributions to class discussions. Attendance without participating in class will lead to a reduction in student’s grade on this component.

Similarly, disengagement from class discussion through emailing, chatting, surfing the internet, etc. will also lead to a reduction in the student’s grade on this component.

Through participation in class discussion, students demonstrate their preparedness for class and understanding of the materials.

News Story Presentation (5%): Each student must bring at least one news story to class with a nexus to the materials covered in the course. Please email me the story 24 hours before class. The student will spend 5 minutes discussing the article, including a brief overview of the story, how it connects to the course materials, as well as critical commentary. The purpose of this assignment is to encourage connection between course material and current events.

Plagiarism and other academic offences will not be tolerated.

If you have a question about what constitutes plagiarism, please come and speak with me at any point. Please familiarize yourself with the University Regulations concerning these matters, found in the University Undergraduate Calendar:

7.1 Plagiarism and Cheating

Plagiarism or any other form of cheating in examinations, term tests or academic work is subject to serious academic penalty (e.g. suspension or expulsion from the faculty or university). …

To plagiarize is to take ideas or words of another person and pass them off as one’s own. In short, it is stealing something intangible rather than an object. Plagiarism applies to any written work, in traditional or electronic format, as well as orally or verbally presented work. Obviously it is not necessary to state the source of well known or easily verifiable facts, but students are expected to appropriately acknowledge the sources of ideas and expressions they use in their written work, whether quoted directly or paraphrased. This applies to diagrams, statistical tables and the like, as well as to written material, and materials or information from Internet sources.

To provide adequate and correct documentation is not only an indication of academic honesty but is also a courtesy which enables the reader to consult these sources with ease. Failure to provide appropriate citations constitutes plagiarism. It will also be considered plagiarism and/or cheating if a student submits a term paper written in whole or in part by someone other than him/herself, or copies the answer or answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.

Working with other students on assignments, laboratory work, take-home tests, or on-line tests, when this is not permitted by the instructor, can constitute Inappropriate Collaboration and may be subject to penalty under the Student Discipline By-Law.

An assignment which is prepared and submitted for one course should not be used for a different course. This is called “duplicate submission” and represents a form of cheating because course requirements are expected to be fulfilled through original work for each course.

Evaluative feedback may not be provided before the voluntary withdrawal deadline.