Western Humanities I
Course Title/Number: Humanities 2210 Term: Fall 2007
Credit Hours: 3 Time: Mondays &Wednesdays 5:30-6:45
Textbook: Matthews,
Roy T. and F. DeWitt Platt. The Western
Humanities Volume I: Beginnings Through the Renaissance. Also the companion volume,
Instructor: William F. Sutschek
E-mail address: mr_sutschek@yahoo.com
Each student should have access to the Internet, either at home or at the library. Your first homework assignment is to e-mail me at the above address so I may enter your
E-mail address in my address book. You must monitor this e-mail regularly, as I will write you often with information and advice on upcoming tests and assignments.
Web Page: http://www.oocities.org/humanitiesf940
Office Information: You can find me in the Lobby 30 minutes before class, or we can schedule an appointment.
Course Description:
The primary objective of this class shall be to develop a better understanding of the roots of Human Thought and Creativity by studying the humanistic disciplines historically and showing how they both reflect and influence the philosophy of Humankind. This will include the development of Humanism and Religion from prehistoric times through the Renaissance.
Students may be asked to participate in or attend an event that expresses one of more of the humanistic disciplines.
This course includes a 2,000 word writing requirement to satisfy the Gordon Rule. A grade of “C” or higher must be obtained.
Course Objectives: Students will experience and understand the processes of the major arts forms; recognize important authors, artists, composers, etc; and be able to estimate the dates of works of art by recognizing elements of the artistic movements that produced them.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. As each class is the equivalent of a full week’s work, any missed time could be detrimental to your grade. Students who miss more than three hours of class without prior permission by the instructor, may be dropped from the class.
Tardiness for class will be considered the equivalent of one hour.
No assignment extensions will be allowed without penalty of grade reduction unless prior arrangements have been made.
Course Assignment and Grading Policy: Humanities is a subject that requires your understanding of concepts. I am not interested in having you memorize facts which can easily be found on the Internet. As the wise old owl said in an old Disney film, “It’s what you do with what you’ve got that pays off in the end.” Your tests and assignments will focus on your ability to draw conclusions from the information in your notes and textbooks, and to make judgments on various works of art. To this end, you may use reference material (textbook and notes) during tests, providing that sources are properly acknowledged and the ideas expressed are your own. Plagiarism, of course, will not be tolerated.
Your work will be judged subjectively, meaning presentation (writing skills, organization, the ability to express your thoughts lucidly will affect your grade) and will be graded by the traditional four point system: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. Grades for the course will be submitted to the Dean as follows: 3.5-4.0=A, 2.5-3.4=B, 1.5-2.4=C, .6-1.4=D.
(Students wanting a quick review of writing skills should go to our web page, http://www.oocities.org/humanitiesf940, and click on “A Quick Review of Writing Skills” under “Useful Links.”)
Disability Statement: I wish each student in this class have every opportunity to learn and participate in this class. Therefore, if any student has any hearing, visual, speech, or physical impairment, please let me know. I will make every effort possible to facilitate his/her learning.
Equal Access/Equal
Changes in the Syllabus: The instructor reserves the right to alter course assignments, requirements, or other information as necessary during the term. Any changes will be provided to the student in advance. The student will be responsible for any such announced change.
Schedule:
August 20, 22: Introduction to course and discussion of the Nature of Art and Humanism
August 27, 29: Unit I: Prehistory and Near Eastern Civilizations
September 3: No School (Labor Day)
September 5: Unit 2: Aegean Civilizations
September 10, 12: Unit 3: Classical Greek Civilization: The Hellenic Age
September 17, 19: Unit 4: Classic Greek Civilization: The Hellenistic Age
September 24, 26: Test (Two Parts)
October 1, 3: Unit 5: Roman Civilization
October 8, 10: Unit 6: Judaism and the Rise of Christianity
October 15, 17: Unit 7: The Civilizations of Rome,
October 22, 24: Unit 8: The World of Islam
October 29, 31: Test (Two Parts)
November 5, 7: Unit 9: The High Middle Ages
November 12, 14: Unit 10: The Late Middle Ages (1300-1500)
November 19: Continue Unit 10
November 21: No school (Thanksgiving)
November 26, 28: Unit 11: The Early Renaissance (1400-1494)
December 3, 5: Unit 12: The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism 1494--1564
December 10, 12: Final Examination (Two Parts)
These will be the basic lecture topics, although I hope to be able to bring in supplementary audio-visual materials which may require some variation in the schedule. You are required to have the appropriate chapters from both your textbooks read prior to the above classes.
Bring both textbooks
to class as we may be referencing pictures from the text and/or readings from
the companion book.
Students are welcome to use laptops in the classroom, for note-taking and reference, as long as they are not misused. Any off-topic computer use, such as games and chatting will cause laptop privileges to be revoked.
Plagiarism Statement: Plagiarism includes the use of the words of another and passing them off as your own. This includes heavy paraphrasing from printed material and allowing others to plan the majority of your assignment for you. Deliberate plagiarism or cheating will result in disciplinary action and failure for the assignment, and possibly the course. Any student so accused will have his/her grades withheld pending resolution of the charges.
It is understood that in some cases, plagiarism can result from an honest failure to credit all your sources, so you must be careful. The best way to avoid the suspicion of plagiarism is to be sure to credit every source for your information, either in footnotes or in the text of your paper.
We all use material from books and the Internet in our work. Here is an example of fair use of source material:
Both Andy Warhol and Marshal McLuhan have defined art
as “anything you can
get away with” (The former in conversation; the
latter in The Medium is the
Message), but these remarks may be more entertaining than
enlightening. Art has
to mean more than that . . .
As you can see, the writer comments on the words of others and uses them to help form his or her opinion.
Academic Honesty:
Emergency
Preparedness: In the event that a hurricane or other natural disaster
causes significant damage to
Campus Safety and
Security: For information on campus safety and security policies please
contact 727-341-4657. For information on
sexual offenders on your campus please contact campus security or the associate
provost or for general information go to the State of
Special Accommodations: If you wish to request accommodations as a student with a documented disability, please make an appointment with the Learning Specialist on campus. If you have a documented hearing loss, please contact the Program for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing at 791-2628. If you need assistance during an emergency classroom evacuation, please contact your campus learning specialist immediately about arrangements for your safety. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities can be reached at 727-341-4758.
Gordon Rule Requirements: The Gordon Rule requires that each student must write a total of 2,000 words in order to pass this course. These must be the student’s own words, and do not include quotations. As all our tests in this course shall require detailed written responses, I expect you shall have no problem meeting the required total of words.
It shall be your
responsibility to document your compliance with the Gordon Rule, first by
recording the number of words you have written in the upper right-hand corner
of the paper you submit to the instructor, and second, by making a record of
that number in your notebook. Failure to
do this may result in failure of the course or additional writing assignments.
Important Dates:
August 24 (last day to drop with refund or change to audit)
September 3 (No School Happy Labor Day)
October 25 (Last day to withdraw with grade of W)
November 21-25 (No School. Happy Thanksgiving)
December 14 (Final Examination)
A word about courtesy . . . Each student at this college has the right to participate in his/her education without interference. My classroom shall be a place where a free exchange of ideas and opinions is always encouraged. Freedom, of course, includes the responsibility of mutual respect. At no time shall the learning process be disrupted by a lack of courtesy. Please silence cell phones, beepers, and other electronic gadgets, including laptops, before entering the classroom. Criticism is a welcomed part of the learning process, but only when it is expressed intellectually and without profanity. Students displaying bad manners may be requested to leave the room, and shall have their names sent to the Assistant Dean of Student Services.
SMOKING, EATING, OR DRINKING is not
permitted in any classroom. In
accordance with
