1. Acquire the course textbook. This can be done at the NC State Bookstores or online through amazon.com.
It is essential to have the textbook by this date so you can begin to work on Assignment One.

2. Read my web page so you can get to know me.

3. Familiarize yourself with the pages of the course web site. By this I mean that you spend at least five minutes on each page and get to know where the information is that you will work with over the semester. Check out at least two links on each page. Note: links disappear from time to time; if you see one that is no longer available, please let me know and send an alternate and suitable site. This is how the course web page has become such a rich resource: from student input.

4. Complete this questionnaire [it is on the course Moodle site; submit it there].

IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is asynchronous and based on student guided-inquiry. The information for success is on this page and the course writing guidelines page. Students work independently and at their own pace and may consult with me whenever needed. Do not take this course and express concern at the end of the semester, if you are not successful, if reading, writing, working independently, and following written guidelines are not your academic strengths.

Assignments are due after each two-week period. One key to your success in this course is to read the material gradually over each period, and then prepare your writing assignment. Refer to the course Writing Guidelines. Another is to follow course guidelines attentively and submit work by the required deadlines.

Very important that students use their published NC State email address that is in the Registration & Records data base. Keep an eye also on your Moodle portal. I will send information updates throughout the semester.

* Assignments and exams are to be sent as a text document in Moodle by 12:00 noon of the due date [submission before the due date is fine]. After 12:00 noon, the assignment/exam is reduced by one increment [e.g. a 'B' to a 'B-,' etc.]. After the due date, the assignment/exam is reduced one letter grade for each calendar day late. I typically contact students via email a day or two after the due date with grades and comments. Keep track of your grades [I will post them in Moodle]. Make sure that you have read carefully NC State's Code of Student Conduct and the Course Information page regarding criteria for course work.

* Your reading and visual assignments are: the textbook pages, and the web sites for each unit, listed on the Syllabus, Resources or Bulletin Board pages, the recommended reading option, and any other materials you wish to consult. Your written assignments will require you to answer a question in an original way, informed by these reading and visual materials. So, the more attentively you read and observe, the stronger your written assignments will be. The textbook provides a general historical and cultural overview of France. As you prepare your assignments and exams, your goal is to relate the textbook reading to your research on artistic materials and cultural information into a synthetic whole, in your own voice. When you do refer to works of art, you should try to analyze the specific details of them and relate this analysis to the assignment topic, and your discussion of it.

* As this is a distance education course, there is no formal participation grade. However, your timely assignments, email questions and comments, volunteered web sites, and general level of interest are taken into account.

*I enjoy meeting students as they wish. We can do this virutally via Zoom at a mutually convenient time.

* You should begin your first assignment period in the next day or two. Here is the first assignment. Always feel free to ask me for clarifications on the assignments. The most successful ones are those that are begun at the beginning of each two week period, then worked on gradually until a polished, finished product is ready by the due date. I adhere strictly to the Code of Student Conduct and to the deadlines for assignments - they are already posted, and late submissions will be evaluated as described above. This is one important learning outcome of FL 216, beyond the study and analysis of the course subject matter, to follow guidelines and meet deadlines: two essential components of a successful professional life. Keeping up with the two- week assignment schedule also fosters more effective learning in the course.

Please take seriously the information on this page and on the "Writing Guidelines" page - doing so will ensure your success in the course.

Let me know if you have any questions and best wishes for a pleasant and productive semester.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dudley M. Marchi
[Pronounced Marquee]