POL 200Y5Y: Political Theory

Fall/Winter 2020-2021

Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m.

Online Synchronous

Instructors:

Zak Black (Fall term)

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Political Science
Email: [email protected]
Office: MN 5154
Office hours: Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m. (fall term only)

Emily Nacol (Winter term)

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
Email: [email protected]
Office: MN 5154
Office Hours:
Tuesdays, 7-7:30 pm (Will stay on Zoom after lectures for any questions you might have)
Wednesdays, 2-3:30 p.m. (Make appointment on Quercus) (winter term only)

Teaching Assistants:

Yang-Yang Cheng [email protected]

Daniel Hutton Ferris [email protected]
Laila Khoshkar [email protected]
Schuyler Playford [email protected]

Course Description and Goals:

In this political theory survey course, we will read, interpret, and evaluate some of the best-known texts in
ancient and early modern political thought. To bring some focus to our broad inquiry, we will
concentrate primarily on common ethical and political concepts, questions and problems across our texts.
The most central theme of our studies will be the problem of justice in politics.

In the fall term, we will concentrate primarily on politics as a site of debate and conflict over the meaning
of justice. Some of our questions will include: What is justice, and who or what determines it? How is it
best achieved politically? Is truth-telling important for political justice? What role does equality play in
just social and political relationships? What makes a citizen? Is there a most just claim to political
authority? To explore these questions, we will study work by Sophocles, Plato, and Aristotle.

In the winter term, we will focus on darker elements of political life: the scope of just authority and
power, struggles for freedom and justice, and the place of violence in just politics. We will explore these
questions, among others: What does it mean to be free, and how can ordinary people preserve their
freedom? What is the basis of political authority—special knowledge, moral character, force and
violence? How should we understand and confront power politically? Is there a role for violence in just
politics? To address these topics, we will study work by Christine de Pizan, Niccolò Machiavelli,
Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke, among others.

This course is meant to teach you to see each reading as politically and philosophically interesting in its
own right and in its own historical context. But another major aim of this course is to encourage you to
judge for yourself which ethical and political perspectives and arguments are persuasive or compelling to
you now, and which aren’t. This is challenging when reading texts that are millennia old! To help you
form these judgments, we will frequently return to a set of simple but difficult questions: How are these
thinkers like us? How are they not like us? Do their similarities and differences make them more or less
appealing or relevant to you, as a 21 st-century reader with your own political values, commitments, and
experiences? Do they teach you anything new about justice and politics?

Learning Outcomes

In POL 200, you will learn to:

 Assess political theory as a tradition of thinking and writing, characterized by continuities and
innovations
 Critically engage some of the best-known texts in the history of political thought
 Identify major ethical and political questions and concepts that are important to the tradition of
political theory
 Critically evaluate and further develop your own political values and commitments
 Write an argumentative essay

Required Texts
The following books are available for order through the UTM bookstore or can be borrowed from the
UTM library, where they are on reserve. You may also order them online, and we’ve included the
publisher information to help you find the right edition. (Note: We have also embedded links to
purchase e-text versions of the books through the UTM bookstore. If you prefer to purchase a print copy,
go here: https://uoftbookstore.com/buy_textbooks.asp).

 Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates, eds. G.M.A. Grube and J.M. Cooper (Indianapolis:
Hackett Publishing Co.)
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603846486
 Plato, Republic, ed. C.D.C. Reeve (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.).
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603846486
 Aristotle, The Politics, ed. C.D.C. Reeve (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.).
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603842402
 Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies, eds. S. Bourgault and R. Kingston
(Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.).
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781624667589

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  Niccolò Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings, ed. David Wootton (Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing Co.)
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603845380
 Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, ed. E. Curley (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.).
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603844864
 John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, ed. C.B. Macpherson (Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing Co.).
E-text purchase link: https://uoftbookstore.vitalsource.com/textbooks?term=9781603845373

Additional readings (marked with *) for the course are posted on our class Quercus page.

Note: There are many editions of these texts. We’d like for you to acquire and use these editions, since
class discussion will run much more smoothly if we are all using the same translations of the texts with
the same pagination. Moreover, you will need to use these editions in order for your TA to accurately
evaluate your use of the texts in your essays. If you need help with this, let us know!

Course Requirements and Grade Distribution

The course has six major graded components:

Tutorial participation: 15% (begins on September 30)

Weekly reading quizzes: 5% (We will take your 12 highest scores of 24 and average them.)

Fall Term Essay Assignment: 15% total

3%: Thesis statement/outline meeting (full credit/no credit): September 23-25, September 28-October 2
12%: Final assignment: October 9, 5 p.m.

Fall Term Passage Interpretation Assignment: 20% total

2%: Thesis statement hand-in in tutorial (full credit/no credit): November 4
3%: Thesis statement peer review activity in tutorial (full credit/no credit): November 4
15%: Final assignment: November 20, 5 p.m.

Winter Term Comparative Essay: 20% total

4%: Rough draft hand-in (full credit/no credit): February 19, 5 p.m. (returned on March 1 by 5 p.m.)
1%: Revisions memo (full credit/no credit): March 12, 5 p.m.
15%: Final revised assignment: March 12, 5 p.m.

Capstone Writing Assignment: 25% total

3%: Paragraph description (full credit/no credit): March 22, 5 p.m.
22%: Final assignment: April 8, 5 p.m.

**To be clear, doing the small components (thesis/outline meetings, peer review activities, rough drafts)
that build up to each major writing assignment does not earn you any “bonus” marks on these
assignments. These small assignments are required components of the course and doing them is an
important part of earning credit towards your final POL 200 grade. So, for example, for the fall term
memo assignment, we require that you bring a thesis statement and outline to a meeting with Prof. Black
or your TA. If you do not attend this meeting with a thesis and outline in hand, you lose 3% of credit
towards your final grade in POL 200. If you do attend and bring your work, that 3% goes in the bank
towards your final grade for the course!

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Lecture:

This course is a combination of lecture and tutorial. For each Tuesday lecture, Prof. Black or Prof. Nacol
will spend most of the time lecturing, but there will also be individual and small group activities and
discussion. Please come to lecture with your texts and notes in hand, and please read the assigned texts in
advance of lecture.

In lecture, Prof. Black and Prof. Nacol will provide the historical context for each text, help distill the
main arguments of the materials, highlight some of the most important /or tricky passages in the readings,
and generate questions for further consideration. Lecture attendance is important for your success in the
course, since we will cover material that will help you with your tutorials, writing assignments, and final
exam.

These lectures will be run live online (synchronous). For those of you unable to attend due to
circumstances beyond your control, we will post the recorded lectures and leave them up for 2 weeks
after the lecture date.

Tutorial Attendance and Engagement:

Tutorial will be the setting in which you, your TA, and your peers can discuss the readings in greater
depth and detail. Since this is the case, tutorial attendance is mandatory. That said, we understand that
sometimes emergencies or illness will prevent you from attending every week. You will have two free
absences for the year, no questions asked. Any other absences will count against your tutorial mark
unless you have a registered absence declared through your ACORN account. (Reminder: This year
UTM students are required to declare their absence from a class, for any reason, through their ACORN
accounts in order to receive academic accommodation for any course work such as missed tests, late
assignments, and final examinations. Absences include those due to illness, death in the family, religious
accommodation or other circumstances beyond their control.)

To prepare for each tutorial meeting, you must do the reading and come prepared with questions or
comments to discuss. Your final tutorial grade will rest on four factors: (1) attendance; (2) preparation—
bring your readings and notes to every meeting; (3) quality of contributions to the discussion and tutorial
activities; and (4) respectful engagement with your peers and tutorial leader. We give the full range of
grades for tutorial engagement.

These tutorials will be run live online (synchronous). Our expectation is that you will be there. If you
need accommodation, please contact us right away.

Course Code of Conduct for Lecture, Tutorial, and Office Hours:

The University of Toronto is committed to equity, human rights and respect for diversity. All members of
the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect where all
members of our community can express themselves, engage with each other, and respect one another’s
differences. U of T does not condone discrimination or harassment against any persons or communities.

This course will be conducted online, and to keep distractions and background noise to a minimum, we
ask you to mute your microphones when you are not speaking (or we will mute your mic). Likewise, you

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may wish not to have your camera turned on at all times. You will not be required to have it on at any
point, but sometimes you may choose to for certain activities.

We know that many of you will be attending class from home--so will we! If pets, children, family
members, or roommates occasionally wander into “class,” that is okay with us. Also, if you are a
caregiver for children and are short on help sometimes, please do not feel as if you cannot attend class,
tutorial, or office hours--you are welcome to bring them with you.

NOTE: This course, including your participation, will be recorded on video and will be available to
students in the course for viewing remotely and after each session. Course videos and materials belong to
your instructor, the University, and/or other sources depending on the specific facts of each situation, they
are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share any course or student materials or videos
without the explicit permission of the instructor. For questions about recording and use of videos in which
you appear please contact Prof. Black or Prof. Nacol.

Assignments:

Each week, you will be required to complete a Quercus reading quiz by 5p.m. on Tuesday (the start of
lecture). It will be open-book and open-note, and it will cover the reading assignment for that week.
Over the course of the year, there will be 24 quizzes. We will take your 12 best scores and average them
to calculate your final quiz grade. There will be no makeup quizzes or re-takes allowed.

You will have four essay assignments this year. In the fall term, you will have a short essay assignment
(1200 words, or 3-4 pages) and a short textual interpretation paper (1200 words, or 3-4 pages). In the
winter term, you will write an argumentative essay comparing two thinkers (1800-2100 words, or 5-7
pages). At the end of the year, you will write a capstone paper (1800-2100 words, or 5-7 pages) Each of
these assignments will be done in steps clearly spelled out on the assignment sheet, which will be posted
well in advance of your deadline. You will earn course credit for each of these steps, too.

We ask that you submit a final copy of each of your final writing assignments to Turnitin.com. The
University policy on Turnitin.com states:

“Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review of textual
similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be included
as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University's use of the Turnitin.com service
are described on the Turnitin.com web site.”

For alternative arrangements to Turnitin.com, please get in touch with Prof. Black (fall term) or Prof.
Nacol (winter term) well in advance of the deadline. Alternatives might include submitting rough drafts,
outlines, and notes for your essay; or having a meeting with one of us to discuss your arguments.

Late work and extension policy for essays:

Late essay assignments will be subject to a late penalty of 5% per day (including weekends) of the total
marks for the assignment. Assignments submitted five calendar days beyond the due date will be
assigned a grade of zero. Assignments handed in after the work has been returned to the class cannot be
marked for credit. Accommodations due to late registration into the course will NOT be approved.
Please note that this is the policy of the Department of Political Science at UTM.

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We do not grant essay extensions except in cases of emergency. This year we will consider extension
requests that accompany formal declarations of absence at UTM. UTM students are required to declare
their absence from a class, for any reason, through their ACORN accounts in order to receive academic
accommodation for any course work such as missed tests, late assignments, and final examinations.
Absences include those due to illness, death in the family, religious accommodation or other
circumstances beyond their control.

Re-marking policy

We follow the UTM re-marking policy in POL 200. Here is how it works:

You have one month from the date we return your marked essay assignment to request a re-mark.
We follow a two-step process.

Your first step should be to write a short memo addressing the feedback you received and explaining your
reasoning for requesting a re-mark of your essay. You can submit this by email to the person who
marked your essay. That person will read your memo and decide whether or not to alter your mark, and
they will contact you in writing about this.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of step one, you are welcome to appeal to Prof. Black (fall term)
or Prof. Nacol (winter term). You should send Prof. Black or Prof. Nacol your original memo requesting
the re-mark and all email correspondence with the person who marked your paper. One of us will then
evaluate your essay and decide your final mark. We can raise, lower, or keep your mark the same.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is unacceptable, and we report all suspected cases via the process outlined on the last page of
this course outline. If you are not sure whether something counts as plagiarism, please don’t hesitate to
ask your TA, Prof. Black /or Prof. Nacol. We are always here to answer these types of questions and
to support your efforts to do honest work!

Student Resources and Support

Your success in this course is very important to us. Here are some resources we hope you will use if you
need them:

Student Resources and Support

UTM provides academic support to students through the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. We
strongly encourage you to take advantage of their excellent resources: http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc.

The RGASC staff will also be having special drop-in office hours for our class this year for some
assignments, and the dates and times for these will be posted on your assignments.

Accessibility:

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. If you have a disability/health
consideration that may require accommodation, please approach Prof. Black, Prof. Nacol /or the
AccessAbility Resource Centre as soon as possible. The sooner you let us know what you need, the
sooner we can all work together to help you achieve your learning goals in this course.

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AccessAbility staff (Located in Rm 2047, South Building) are available by appointment to assess specific
needs, provide referrals, and arrange appropriate accommodations. Please call 905-569-4600 or email
[email protected].

Notice of Collection:

The University of Toronto respects your privacy. The information on medication certificates is collected
pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971. It is collected for the purpose of
administering accommodations for academic purposes based on medical grounds. The department will
maintain a record of all medical certificates received. At all times it will be protected in accordance with
the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If you have questions, please refer to www.utoronto.ca/privacy or contact the University’s Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Office at 416-946-5835. Address: Room 201, McMurrich Bldg.,
12 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1.

Reading Assignments and Lecture/Tutorial Schedule:

This is your weekly schedule for the year. Before you come to lecture on Tuesday, we ask that you
complete the readings (required) and listen to or watch the audio or video materials (optional). We also
require that you complete a Quercus quiz on the assigned readings any time before the Tuesday lecture at
5 p.m.

The average reading load for this class is about 50 pages per week. Note: The approximate number of
pages of each assignment is in brackets next to the assignment. You’ll notice that some weeks have
heavier reading loads than others, so plan accordingly! We have also posted reading questions for you
on Quercus to help organize your reading and note-taking.

September 15: What is Political Theory?: An Introduction to POL 200

Fall Term: The Problem of Justice in Ancient Greek Political Thought

Module 1: Problems with Politics: Antigone, Apology, and Crito

September 22:

Read: Sophocles. Antigone. In Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Electra. Edited by Edith Hall. Oxford:
Oxford World Classics, 2008. pp. 2-46. [45]*

Watch (optional): Dramatic reading of scenes from Antigone with discussion: Sententiae Antiquae:
“What a Piece of Work is Man: Reading Sophocles’ Antigone Online” (97 minutes)*

In-lecture workshop: How to Write a Good Thesis Statement

September 29:

Read: Plato, “Apology” and “Crito,” in The Trial and Death of Socrates, (Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing Company, Inc., 2000) pp. 20-54. [34]

NOTE: Tutorials start Wednesday, September 30

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 Module 2: Politics for Philosophers: Plato’s Republic

October 6:

Read: Plato, Republic, Book I (all), Book II (stop at line 367e), pp. 1-45. [45]

Read (optional): Op-ed, “Here’s what Plato had to say about someone like Trump,” Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/10/05/heres-what-plato-had-to-say-about-
someone-like-donald-trump/.*

In-lecture workshop: Academic Integrity and Good Citation Practices

October 13: Reading week. No lecture or tutorial meetings this week!

October 20:

Read: Plato, Republic, Book II (368a-383c), Book III (386a-392c, 412c-417b), pp. 45-73, 96-102. [34]

October 27:

Read: Plato, Republic, Book IV (all), Book V (stop at line 464c) pp. 103-55. [52]

November 3:

Read: Plato Republic, Book V (471c-480a), Books VI-VII (488a-521b, 539d-541b), pp. 164-175, 181-
215, 236-7. [47]

Listen (optional): Podcast episode, Philosophy Bites: Simon Blackburn on Plato’s Cave (14 minutes)*

November 10:

Read: Plato, Republic, Books VIII-IX (all), pp. 238-296. [58]

Module 3: Politics for Citizens: Aristotle’s Politics

November 17:

Read: Aristotle, Politics, Book I, pp. 1-25. [25]

November 24:

Read: Aristotle, Politics, Book II.1-5, Book III.1-7, pp. 26-36, 65-78. [23].

December 1:

Read: Aristotle, Politics, Book III.7-13, Book IV.1-12, pp. 78-91, 101-23. [35]

Listen (optional): Podcast episode: Good in Theory: “Athens: Ahoy Polloi!” (53 mins)*

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December 8:

Read: Aristotle, Politics, Book V.11, Book VII.1-4, 13-17, pp. 166-171, 191-99, 212-226. [35]

Enjoy your December break!

Winter Term: Power, Authority, and Violence in Early Modern Political Thought

Module 4: Arguing for Women’s Authority: Christine de Pizan and the “City of Ladies”

January 12:

Read: Christine, The Book of the City of Ladies, Book I.1-19, I. 27, I. 33-37, & I. 43, pp. 21-59, 70-71,
77-81, & 88-90. [46]

Listen (optional): Podcast episode: Stuff You Missed in History Class: Christine de Pizan and The Book
of the City of Ladies (33 minutes)*

January 19:

Read: Christine, The Book of the City of Ladies, Book II.7-18, II. 28-9, II. 37-46, II. 53, II. 64, II. 66; and
Book III.1 & Book III.19, pp. 106-119, 127-131, 141-149, 164-166, 181-182, 183-184; 189-190, & 219-
221. [36]

Module 5: An Economy of Violence? Machiavelli on Virtue, Fortune, and Political Authority

January 26:

Read: Machiavelli, The Prince, Dedicatory Letter and ch. 1-14, in Selected Political Writings pp. 5-46.
[41]

February 2:

Read: Machiavelli, The Prince, ch. 15-26, in Selected Political Writings, pp. 47-80 [33]

Listen (optional): Podcast episode: Philosophy Bites: Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli’s The Prince (26
minutes)*

February 9:

Read: Machiavelli, The Discourses, Dedicatory Letter and Book I.1-6, 11-13, 16-18, 55 & 58 and Book
II.2, in Selected Political Writings, pp. 81-101, 113-129, 150-158 & 165-171. [50]

In-lecture workshop: Paragraph Structure and Evidence Use

February 16: Reading Week. No lecture or tutorial meetings this week!

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 Module 6: Debates about Power and Authority: Hobbes and The Levellers

February 23:

Read: Richard Overton. “A remonstrance of many thousand citizens. 7 July 1646.” In The English
Levellers. Edited by Andrew Sharp. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2012. pp. 33-53. [20]*

March 2:

Read: Hobbes, Leviathan, Epistle Dedicatory, Introduction, ch. 4-6, 10, pp. 1-5, 15-34, 50-57. [31]

Listen (optional): Podcast Episode: Philosophy Bites, Noel Malcom on Hobbes’ Leviathan in Context
(17 minutes)*

March 9:

Read: Hobbes, Leviathan, ch. 13-16, pp. 74-105. [31]

March 16:

Read: Hobbes, Leviathan, ch. 17-18, 21, 26-29, pp. 106-118, 136-145, 172-219. [66]

Listen (option): Podcast Episode: Philosophy Bites: Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State (17
minutes)*

Module 7: Locke and Astell on Citizenship and the State: Whose Rights? Whose Membership?

March 23:

Read: Locke, Second Treatise of Government, ch. 1-9, pp. 7-65. [58]

March 30:

Read: Locke, “Second Treatise of Government,”, ch. 10-19, pp. 65-124. [59]

April 6:

Read: Mary Astell. “Some Reflections upon Marriage (1700). From Preface.” In The Broadview
Anthology of Social and Political Thought: From Machiavelli to Nietzsche. Peterborough, ON:
Broadview Press, 2008, pp. 567-576.*

A Timeline of Important Dates for POL 200

September 22: Last day to add F/Y courses or change sections in ACORN
September 30: Tutorials begin.
September 23-25,
September 28-October 2: Meet with Prof. Black or TA to discuss thesis and outline for first
essay
October 9: First essay due by 5 p.m.
November 3: Passage interpretation assignment thesis statement due, complete peer

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 review exercise in tutorial
November 20: Passage interpretation assignment due by 5 p.m.
February 19: Comparative essay rough draft due by 5 p.m.
February 22: Last day to drop a Y course without academic penalty
March 12: Comparative essay final draft and revisions memo due by 5 p.m.
March 22: Capstone essay assignment description paragraph due by 5 p.m.
April 8: Capstone essay assignment due by 5 p.m.

POL 200: Frequently Asked Questions

Materials:

Where do I get the readings?

Paper and e-copies of the books are available for purchase online at the UTM bookstore (and online
through different websites, too). We have embedded purchasing links in the syllabus. They are also on
reserve at the UTM library for you to borrow (as e-books and as paper books). The UTM library may
also have extra copies to check out.

All readings marked with * are available for download on the class website.

NOTE: Some of our library reserves or readings in Quercus are e-books. Here is a video link for you to
watch to learn how to access them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUVvuRZ1x1Y It explains how
to access the online reserve readings so that the greatest number of students can use them at one time.

What should I bring to lecture and tutorial?

Always bring your copy of the readings to both lecture and tutorial. We will refer to the readings often
and expect you to work with them. You should also bring anything you need to take notes, and any notes
you have from readings.

How should I prepare to get the most out of lecture?

Do the readings before coming to lecture. On our class Quercus page there are reading questions posted
for you that should help guide you to the major ideas and themes while you read. Try to answer these for
yourself or with a study partner before coming to lecture and tutorial. You should also bring any
questions you have about the readings with you.

Will additional lecture notes or slides be posted online?

The sessions will all be recorded. We will post a link for you that will last for two weeks after the lecture,
you can review it or watch it.

Tutorials:

When do tutorial meetings start?

Tutorials begin on Wednesday, September 30

May I switch tutorial sections? How do I do that?

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This will be up to your tutorial leaders. You must ask the tutorial leader of the section you would like to
switch into for permission to join. Once you have that person’s permission, you must inform your current
tutorial leader of the switch.

What is the attendance policy for tutorials?

Tutorial attendance is required and a very important part of your work for POL 200. That said, we know
that sometimes you may need to miss for illness or an emergency. We will grant you two “free” absences
for the year, no questions asked. For any other absences to be excused, you must register your absence
through ACORN and let your tutorial leader know.

For students who are having difficulty attending due to time-zone issues, we will work out an alternative
plan for you.

How do I earn an excellent mark for my tutorial work?

First, regular attendance is important. You must be present at tutorial meetings! Second, your
engagement will be evaluated. To earn an excellent final mark for tutorial, you should bring your
readings, participate in class discussions using these readings, and participate in any in-class activities set
out by your tutorial leader. The quality of your participation will be as important—or more important—
than the quantity.

Assignments

What happens if I miss a quiz? Can I make it up later?

We will take your 12 best quiz scores out of 24 and average them, so we will not be allowing any makeup
quizzes or granting any extensions on quizzes.

What is the class policy for late work when it comes to essay assignments?

We deduct 5% from your final mark for each 24 hours the assignment is overdue. We do not accept any
assignments later than five days after the due date. This includes weekends! Please note that this is a
department policy for political science.

Can I get an extension on an essay assignment? How do I ask for one? When do I ask for one?

This year, we will only require that you have documented your absence through ACORN. We will grant
extensions for circumstances beyond your control.

For us to consider giving you an extension, you must submit an email to your tutorial leader (cc’ing Prof.
Black or Prof. Nacol) before the deadline that includes:
1. Information identifying which assignment you need an extension for
2. Verification that you have registered your absence on ACORN
3. A new proposed due date

Without all this information in writing, we will not grant an extension.

Challenges:

I feel like I’m struggling in my tutorial and I want to improve. Whom should I talk to?

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The first person to see is your tutorial leader, in office hours. Your tutorial leader can address your
concerns and help you figure out some strategies to improve. If you still have concerns, you are welcome
to visit Prof. Black (fall term) or Prof. Nacol (winter term) and talk things over with one of us. We are
here to assist you and we work as a team for the whole year.

These readings are hard! Whom should I talk to?

Yes, they are—everyone agrees about this, so you are not alone! To help structure your reading, we have
posted some reading guide questions on Quercus—if you haven’t looked at these, try using them as you
read.

You should meet with Prof. Black, Prof. Nacol /or your tutorial leader to talk over any problems or
questions you have about the readings. We are always happy to help you in office hours. You are also
welcome to email us with questions, but it’s always better to come talk in person in case you have follow
up questions.

I’m having a tough time with a writing assignment. Whom should I talk to?

Luckily, there are plenty of folks who can help you.

Your tutorial leader is a good person to approach, as are Prof. Black and Prof. Nacol. We are happy to
talk to you about your ideas and how to organize your argument.

We have also set up other support for you, such as online drop-in hours at the Robert Gillespie Academic
Skills Centre (RGASC). The RGASC is located in Room 3251 on the third floor of the Maanjiwe
nendamowinan Building. The RGASC offers individual consultations, workshops (many CCR-
accredited), and a wide range of programs to help students identify and develop the academic skills they
need for success in their studies. Visit the RGASC website (https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/our-
mission) to explore their online resources, book a face-to-face or online appointment, or learn about other
programming such as Writing Retreats, the Program for Accessing Research Training (PART), drop-in
hours for Mathematics, Writing, and Study Skills, and dedicated resources for English Language
Learners.

Life is hard right now. Whom should I talk to?

If you are experiencing distress that is affecting your school work, please reach out to Prof. Black, Prof.
Nacol, or your tutorial leader right away. We are not health care professionals, but we can connect you to
someone on- or off-campus who can help you. We are happy to do this at any time; your well-being is
important to us. We can work together to keep you on track academically, and we can help you find good
resources to take care of yourself.

For a start, here is contact information for UTM’s health and counseling centre:
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/health/health-counselling-centre/contact-us

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 A WARNING ABOUT PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is an academic offence with a severe penalty.

It is essential that you understand what plagiarism is and that you do not commit it. In essence, it is the
theft of the thoughts or words of others, without giving proper credit. You must put others’ words in
quotation marks and cite your source(s). You must give citations when using others’ ideas, even if those
ideas are paraphrased in your own words. Plagiarism is unacceptable in a university. What the university
calls “plagiarism”, non-university institutions might call “fraud”.

The University of Toronto provides a process that faculty members must initiate when they suspect a case
of plagiarism. In the Department of Political Science, suspected evidence of plagiarism must be reported
to the Chair; in most cases, the Chair passes the case on to the Dean.

A faculty member may not mark an assignment or assess a penalty if he or she finds evidence of
plagiarism – the matter must be reported. Penalties are assigned by the Chair, by the Dean or by the
University of Toronto Tribunal.

The following are some examples of plagiarism:

Submitting as your own an assignment written by someone else.

1. Quoting an author without indicating the source of the words.
2. Using words, sentences, or paragraphs written by someone else and failing to place
quotation marks around the material and reference the source and author. Using either
quotation marks or reference alone is not sufficient. Both must be used!
3. Adapting an author’s ideas or theme and using it as your own without referencing the original
source.
4. Seeking assistance from a friend or family member in respect to work you claim as your own.

Ignorance of the rules against plagiarism is not a defense; students are presumed to know what plagiarism
is and how to avoid it. Students are especially reminded that material taken from the web must be quoted
and cited in the same manner as if it came from a book or printed article.

If you are not sure whether you have committed plagiarism, it is better to ask a faculty member or
teaching assistant than risk discovery and be forced to accept an academic penalty.

Plagiarism is cheating. It is considered a serious offence against intellectual honesty and intellectual
property. Penalties can be severe, ranging from a mark of “0” for the assignment or test in question, up
to and including expulsion from the university.

Some website listed below on avoiding plagiarism:

‘How to Use Sources and Avoid Plagiarism’ - available at:
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize
Other Advisory Material available at: www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources

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