School of English and

Professor’s Addendum to Course Outline

Liberal Studies

Course Code: EAC 955 NBA

Title: Language of the Media

Term: Winter 2023

Professor: Terry Costaris
Contact Info: Telephone Ext. 416-491-5050 x 22734 **905-880-7599 (This Is The Best
Phone Number To Reach Me) E-mail: Terry.Costaris@senecacollege.ca

Virtual Office Hours: My person-to-person consultation hours are By Appointment

Only. Before any appointment can be arranged, we first must have a phone
consultation. I can be reached at my home office at: 905-880-7599 and by e-mail at:
Terry.Costaris@senecacollege.ca where I will attempt to return messages within 24
hours of each work day. Feel free to call me from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (Toronto
Eastern Standard Time) Mondays to Fridays at this phone number. Please do not call
me in the evenings. 
Approved by: Amanda Nowensky, Chair

☐ Online Asynchronous (OA) ☐ Online Exam

☐ Online Synchronous and Asynchronous (OB) ☐ Alternate

Assessment

☐ In-person (P)

☐ HyFlex (HF).

☐ Hybrid: In Person dates

Comments: This course is TOTALLY delivered online. There are no classes to attend in a
regular classroom or live online. You are assigned readings through lecture notes,
are required to submit, via regular email, 4 assignments and are expected to
participate in 2 discussion forums. If, for any reason, you see class times written-in
your schedule, please ignore them. This is a technical error involving our system. You
do not need to log on during times written in your schedule. Please read this Weekly
Outline below. It tells you what we are doing every week, how much assignments are
worth and when assignments and discussion forums are due. Most of the key
 documents related to this course are found in one place. Simply go to BlackBoard,
click the “Learning Content” button and scroll through them. These documents are
found in the same place as the one that you are currently reading.
Introduction

Welcome EAC 955! This course covers a number of interesting topics related to
sports while instructing you on the craft of sports journalism. EAC 955 is designed to
help taking your writing to a more advanced level. Please read this addendum to the
general subject outline carefully. It is your guide to the subject requirements and
activities in my class. Be sure to read the outline containing key course information at
https://apps.senecacollege.ca/ssos/login.do.

In order to simplify things for you, I have placed all of our course’s most important
documents, including assignments, discussion forum information, and the like in one spot
on BlackBoard. Simply click the Learning Content button and you will find whatever
information you are looking for- including this document which tells you what we are
doing each week.
Texts & Materials

There is no text for this course. Your weekly lecture notes, found when you click the
“Learning Content” Button, act as a text book.

All students are required to use the following Research Guide for their assignments:
Seneca Libraries. Guide to Research & Citation MLA Style. 5th ed. [Toronto]: Seneca
Libraries. 2014. This is no longer available in print.  It can be found at the following link.
seneca.libguides.com/mla

Academic Integrity & Copyright

Most of the materials posted in this course are protected by copyright. It is a

violation of Canada's Copyright Act and Seneca's Copyright Policy to share,
post, and/or upload course material in part or in whole without the permission
of the copyright owner. This includes posting materials to third-party file-
sharing sites such as assignment-sharing or homework help sites. Course
material includes teaching material, assignment questions, tests, and
presentations created by faculty, other members of the Seneca community, or
other copyright owners.

It is also prohibited to reproduce or post to a third-party commercial website

work that is either your own work or the work of someone else, including (but
not limited to) assignments, tests, exams, group work projects, etc. This
explicit or implied intent to help others may constitute a violation of Seneca’s
 Academic Integrity Policy and potentially involve such violations as cheating,
plagiarism, contract cheating, etc.

These prohibitions remain in effect both during a student’s enrollment at the college as well
as withdrawal or graduation from Seneca.

Grading/Assignments

Research and Plagiarism Question (15% + 5%) 20%

First Draft Journalism Style Column Piece 20%
Second Draft Journalism Style Column Piece 25%
Quality of Discussion Forums 10%
Online Participation/Interpersonal Communication Skills 5%
Final Draft Journalism Style Column Piece 20%*
100%
* This Online Assignment Will Take The Place Of A Final Exam. Failure To Submit
Your Work By The Deadline Will Result In A Dramatically Lowered Grade (5% per half
hour after the assigned deadline due date time). For example, anytime past 1:00 pm to
1:30 pm = a 5% deduction. Anytime past 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm = a 10% deduction and so
on) Eastern Standard Daylight Time.

Student/faculty online consultation

I can be reached at my home office at: 905-880-7599 and by e-mail at:
Terry.Costaris@senecacollege.ca where I will attempt to return messages within 24 hours of each
work day. Feel free to call me from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Mondays to Fridays at this phone
number. Please do not call me during evenings. I ask that you respect my time spent with
my family. Thanks .
 Tentative Weekly Schedule

Week Topic Reading Online Activities/

Assignment (%)
1 Introduction/Course Read, View And Listen Welcome And Please
Jan 9 -13 Overview To Online Lecture Introduce Yourself
Jan 9 – Term Materials On The Discussion
-What is sport?
begins -The role of sports in Forum As Soon As
Jan 13 – Last society. You Log On.
-What makes people
day to ADD 14
so passionate about
week and
sports?
7S1/7S2
classes

2 The writing craft of Read, View And Listen Welcome To Anyone

Jan 16 -20 sports journalism To Online Lecture Who Has Just
Jan 20 – last and the genre of Registered Into This
Materials
sports literature. Course This Week. If
day to DROP
You Have Not Yet
course(s) -Sport Photo Introduced Yourself
without Journalism. On The Discussion
receiving a -Sport’s impact on Forum Please Do So
grade and with As Soon As You Log
language and
a refund for 14 On So That Your
wk class and thought. Classmates And
7S1. Professor Get A
Chance To Meet You.

3 Violence and Sports Read, View And Listen Assignment # 1:

Jan 23 – 27 To Online Lecture Research and
-Should fighting be Plagiarism
Materials
banned in hockey? Assignment. Due No
-Fan hooliganism- its Later Than 1:00 pm
Eastern Standard
causes and
Time On Monday
measures January 23rd. Worth
undertaken to 20% of Final Grade.
control it. When submitting by
email, it is
EXTREMELY
important that your
subject heading have
 the following 4 key
pieces of
information:

1. Your Full Name.

2. The Course:
EAC 955 NBA
3. The Section That
You Are In. And,
4. The Assignment
Number.
4 Fallen Heroes? Discussion Forum.
Jan 30 – Feb 3 Read, View And Listen Due No Later Than
To Online Lecture 1:00 pm Eastern
-Athletes as role Standard Time On
models. Materials
Monday January 30th.
-Sportsmanship. Worth part of your
10% of Final Grade.

You MUST
participate in this
forum.

It is the most
important forum in
this course. You
MUST provide BOTH
a Post AND a Reply.

Do Not just do one of

these things. You
MUST Do BOTH.

5 Science and Sports Read, View And Listen Assignment # 2: First

Feb 6 – 10 To Online Lecture Draft Journalism
-Faster, stronger Style Column Piece.
Materials
better? Due No Later Than
-Has science killed the 1:00 pm Eastern
sports star? Standard Time On
-Is coaching curbing Monday February 6th.
the best from being Worth 20% of Final
the best? Grade.
-The Psychology of
Sports I. When submitting by
email, it is
EXTREMELY
important that your
subject heading have
the following 4 key
pieces of
 information:

1. Your Full Name.

2. The Course:
EAC 955 NBA
3. The Section That
You Are In. And,
4. The Assignment
Number.
6 Sports Management Read, View And Listen
Feb 13 – 17 To Online Lecture
-The make-up of a
Materials
champion franchise.
-Sabermetrics/
analytics/data mining
in sport.

7 Demographics And Read, View And Listen

Feb 20 – 24 The Future Of Sport To Online Lecture
& Sports and Film.
Feb 20 – Materials
Family Day – -Will Canada remain
Seneca Closed the next power in
hockey?
-When will the next
superstars of sport
arrive?

Feb 27 – Mar 3 No Lecture. No Readings.

8 Sports Ethics Read, View And Listen Assignment # 3:

To Online Lecture Second Draft
Mar 6 -10
-The use of Journalist Style
Materials
performance Column Piece. Due
enhancing drugs. No Later Than 1:00
-How athletes are pm Eastern Standard
treated like Time On Monday
commodities. March 6th. Worth 25%
-Physical training of Final Grade.
techniques.
When submitting by
email, it is
EXTREMELY
important that your
subject heading have
the following 4 key
 pieces of
information:

1. Your Full Name.

2. The Course:
EAC 955 NBA
3. The Section That
You Are In. And,
4. The Assignment
Number.
9 Psychology of Read, View And Listen
Sports II: Sports To Online Lecture
Mar 13 – 17
Addiction
Mar 17 - Last Materials
day to DROP: -When fans become
fanatical.
7S2 classes -The issue of
with refund “scapegoating;” the
&14-week irrational “blame
game” for crushing
classes for a defeats.
grade of DNC -Fed up fans that
“divorce” their teams.
-Franchise relocations.
-Superstition And
Sports.
-Sports Rivalries.
10 The Business of Read, View And Listen
Sports I To Online Lecture
Mar 20 – 24
Materials
-Revenue sharing.
-Salary Caps.
-The incredible costs
on taxpayers for
hosting the Olympic
and Pan Am Games.
-Government and
business backroom
dealing.
-How sports
franchises tax dodge.
-Censored media
coverage? Sports
stories seldom
covered in the
mainstream media.
-Concentrated media
ownership and
censorship.
-Media interference
from team ownership.
 -Over saturation of
sports coverage and
its effect on athletes.
11 Business of Sports II Read, View And Listen
Mar 27 – 31 To Online Lecture
-Justified salaries?
Materials
-Player unions.
-Small market
franchises.
-Liabilities and the
sports law.

12 Corruption In Sports Read, View And Listen Assignment # 4:

To Online Lecture Final Draft Journalist
Apr 3 – 7
-The Olympic Style Column Piece
Apr 7 - Good Materials
Movement- Corrupt Worth 20% of Grade.
Friday – And Beyond Due No Later Than
Redemption? 1:00 pm Eastern
Seneca -Solutions. Standard Time On
Closed Monday April 3rd.

When submitting by
email, it is
EXTREMELY
important that your
subject heading have
the following 4 key
pieces of
information:

1. Your Full Name.

2. The Course:
EAC 955 NBA
3. The Section That
You Are In. And,
4. The Assignment
Number.
 13 No Formal Lecture Read, View And Listen
Apr 10 – 14 To Online Lecture
Materials

14 No Formal Lecture. Read, View And Listen

Apr 17 – 21 Again, There is NO To Online Lecture
Week of Final Final Exam for this Materials
Assessments course.

Apr 21st,
Winter Term
Ends
Apr 24th –
Winter 2023
final grades
due by 9:00
a.m.
Please Retain this Document for Future
Educational and/or Employment Use

**** Again, There is NO Final Exam for this course. Instead, you will be writing a Final
Journalism Style Column Piece Assignment. This Online Assignment Will Take The Place Of A
Final Exam. Failure To Submit Your Work By The Deadline Will Result In A Dramatically
Lowered Grade (5% per half hour after the assigned deadline due date time). For example,
anytime past 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm = a 5% deduction. Anytime past 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm = a 10%
deduction and so on). This is in Eastern Standard Daylight Time. (Toronto Time).

Promotion Policy
Evaluation of Work
Evaluation is based on correct language usage, organization and mastery of the subject
at a post-secondary level. Students are expected to learn professional standards of
performance in the subject areas, and tests and assignments will be graded on that
basis.
To be successful in this subject, you must complete all course work as specified and
achieve an overall grade of D (50%) or more.

All assignments must be word-processed and sent via email. For documentation
purposes, you must only use your MySeneca Email Account. NO ATTACHED
DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. This no attachment policy also applies to ALL
discussion forum submissions.

For the Final Essay Assignment, there will be a 5% deduction per half hour of late
submission.

Grading Policy

A+ 90% to 100%

A 80% to 89%

B+ 75% to 79%

B 70% to 74%

C+ 65% to 69%

C 60% to 64%

D+ 55% to 59%

D 50% to 54%

F 0% to 49% (Not a Pass)

OR

EXC Excellent

SAT Satisfactory

UNSAT Unsatisfactory

Missed Tests / Presentations / In-Class Assignments

Students who miss scheduled tests, presentations or in-class assignments will

receive a grade of zero. If there are valid reasons for missing the test, presentation
or in-class assignment, the student MUST:

a) Contact the professor or student advisor either by phone or by email prior to the
start time of the test, presentation or in-class assignment and b) By the next class,
 present the professor with appropriate documentation. At the professor’s discretion, a
make-up test/in-class assignment or new date for the presentation may be granted or
the value of the test may be added to a subsequent test or final exam. In courses
where the grading scheme does not include the lowest test mark, this missed test
policy does not apply.

Late Assignments
Any student in need of an extended deadline must negotiate a reasonable extension
with the faculty in advance of the published deadline. Only under extenuating
circumstances will late assignments be accepted without communication prior to the
deadline. Documentation of the extenuating circumstances must be provided by the
student upon request. At the discretion of the faculty, deductions may be applied for
any late assignment submissions. Student assessment policy is available at Student
Assessment Policy website.

Exams for Online Courses

Again, There is NO Final Exam for this course. Instead, you will be writing a Final Journalism
Style Column Piece Assignment. This Online Assignment Will Take The Place Of A Final Exam.
Failure To Submit Your Work By The Deadline Will Result In A Dramatically Lowered Grade
(5% per half hour after the assigned deadline due date time). For example, anytime past 1:00
pm to 1:30 pm = a 5% deduction. Anytime past 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm = a 10% deduction and so
on). This is in Eastern Standard Daylight Time (Toronto Time).

Attendance and Participation

Consistent online attendance is important for success in this subject. If you are absent
from online forums, please notify me by phone or e-mail. You are still responsible for the
material and assignments missed and may be required to provide documentation. For
extensions or special considerations, make the request to me well in advance of any
due dates.

Considerate online conduct, adequate class preparation, and constructive participation

will enhance your academic experience and that of your colleagues. In particular, you
are asked to be courteous, responsible and collaborative.

Learning Centre
The Learning Centre offers academic support to all Seneca students in the form of
one-on-one tutoring, small group tutoring, and workshops and are located in the
libraries of the Newnham, Markham, York and King campuses. More information
regarding learning centre workshops and schedules, please visit Learning Centre
website.
Dropping a Subject
There are two deadlines for dropping this subject. If you drop by Day 10 of the
semester, the subject will not appear on your transcript. If you drop by the last drop
date (see Student handbook), the subject will appear on your transcript with a grade of
DNC. To drop, please notify your professor, complete a “Timetable Change Form,”
and return it to Registration by the deadline. Discuss any possible negative
consequences of dropping the subject with the Coordinator/advisor.

Academic
Regulations

It is your responsibility as a student of Seneca College to be aware of and abide

by the academic and behavioural policies outlined in the College Academic
Policy and the Student Handbook. Here are some key policies:

Academic Integrity
Seneca College takes Academic Integrity very seriously. Therefore, all assignments in
this course must be completed independently (unless otherwise stated), and with
integrity. Copying and pasting from any source without correct quoting, paraphrasing,
and citations will be considered plagiarism. This or any other contravention of Seneca's
Academic Integrity Policy, including cheating, sharing, collusion, using Spinbots,
Contract Cheating, Falsification, Impersonation, or submitting a previously-submitted
assignment will be reported to the Academic Integrity Committee. Please review the
Academic Integrity Policy.

To learn more about academic integrity and for resources to help you ensure academic
integrity in all your course work, see Seneca Libraries Guides.

Student Appeals

Students have the right to appeal academic decisions of the College. The procedures
for informal and formal appeals are outlined in Academic Policy. If a student disagrees
with the evaluation of an assignment or with a final grade, s/he must first discuss the
matter with the professor in an attempt to resolve the matter informally. If the matter is
not resolved, the student should discuss the problem with the Co-ordinator or the Chair.
Students must keep all assignments (including drafts and outlines) and exercises until
they receive their final grade. No appeal will be considered unless a complete file is
submitted at the time of the appeal.

For more information regarding appeal process, please read Academic Appeal Policy.

Copyright

Copyright means sole right to produce, reproduce and copy a work. In Canada, all
original creative works are automatically protected by copyright upon their creation and
protection applies whether or not a copyright symbol appears on the material. Only the
copyright owner or its authorized licensees have the right to decide when and how the
work is to be copied, altered or made available. Regardless of format, the use,
reproduction and distribution of copyright protected materials are subject to limits and
restrictions.

More copyright information is available at Seneca Copyright Policy website.

Fair dealing for copyright-protected work information is available at Seneca Fair

Dealing for Copyright Protected Work Policy website.

Online sessions may be recorded and made available to students registered in this
class for their reference.  More information is available at Recording Lectures and
Educational Activities Policy website.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes

Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or
online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom.
Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and
speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-
person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order
to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed
broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students
encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera
on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and
made available to students to support access to course content and promote student
learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their
personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated
coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.

Information Technology Acceptable Use

Official College E-mail is available to all employees and students. Faculty, staff and
students are required to use College-provided e-mail when corresponding electronically
about College-related matters.
For further information regarding the IT acceptable use policy, please refer to Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Policy

Student Conduct

It is the policy of Seneca College that all employees and students have a right to work
and study in an environment that asserts the personal worth and dignity of each
individual. For example, this includes interactions during Seneca related activities,
student group work and communications being held online or in-person. The Student
Conduct Office works with the Seneca community to address non-academic issues,
disruptive behaviours and reports of sexual violence. Examples of issues that may be
referred to this office for resolution include, but are not limited to: disturbing behaviour
that interrupt the educational process, harassment, abusive behaviour of any kind, and
dangerous conduct such as assault or fighting.

In addition to Seneca’s Student Code of Conduct Policy, students also have rights and
responsibilities under the laws of local, provincial and federal governments, other
Seneca policies and guidelines or regulations that may be administered by an academic
school or area within Seneca. Student are encouraged to familiarize themselves with
these policies.

More information and assistance are available through the Student Conduct Office ,
extension 22078 or via email at student.conduct@senecacollege.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

Seneca is committed to providing an accessible teaching, learning, living and working
community that is barrier-free and inclusive for all individuals. If you require
accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Office by phone at your
campus extension or email at senecacnas@senecacollege.ca to schedule an
appointment. Appointments can be provided by phone, email or video chat.
  King Campus: 416.491.5050 ext. 55157
 Markham Campus: 416.491.5050 ext. 77508
 Newnham Campus: 416.491.5050 ext. 22900
 Seneca@York Campus: 416.491.5050 ext. 33150

Students with approved accommodations allowing them extensions must contact their
professor at least one week in advance of an assignment due date to receive their
extension.