SYLLABUS FOR LIBERAL STUDIES I

 

 

Term: Summer, 2006 (20053)       

Course Number: OMN 435 (Group 129)

Instructor:  Valerie Pennanen

E-mail: finnfriends@att.net

Home phone: (219) 937-0341

Office hours: By appointment

 

 

Instructor Background: B.A. , Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and Ancient Greek (Bryn Mawr College); M.A. and Ph.D., Classical Art and Archaeology (The University of Michigan); teaching experience in classics, art history, art appreciation, liberal studies, world literature, and global perspectives (history and literature courses).

 

Course Time: Saturday 8:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.

 

Course Description: An introduction to liberal arts as acts of critical inquiry.  Students will become acquainted with classical forms of drama that lie behind much of the tradition of Western thought, as well as some modern approaches.

 

Prerequisites:  None.

 

Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:

Students in this course will:

 

·         Write a confident, well organized academic essay that is reflective, analytic, and evaluative

·         Make a confident, well organized, and sufficiently documented oral presentation

·         Listen attentively to the opinions and ideas of teachers, authors and leaders with an open but critical mind

·         Analyze these ideas with careful and coherent observations, judgments, and communications

·         Make careful analyses of academic ideas, papers, themes, positions, art forms, and the elements that contribute to their eminence

·         Synthesize materials, ideas and themes

 

Textbooks:

1)       Charles van Doren, History of Knowledge

2)       Mary Ann Frese Witt, Charlotte Vestal Brown, et al., The Humanities, Volume I (7th edition)

 

Learning Strategies: Intensive reading, writing, class discussions, and oral presentations.

 

Assessment:

Essays (four)

80 % of grade

Class participation

10% of grade

Oral presentation

10% of grade

 

 

 

Class Policy for Assignments: No late papers will be accepted.

 

Grading Scale: 

Grade

Points

A

100-93

A-

92-90

B+

89-87

B

86-83

B-

82-80

C+

79-77

C

76-73

C-

72-70

D+

69-67

D

66-63

D-

62-60

F

59 and below

 

Class Policy on Attendance: It is a serious matter when a student misses even one session due to the accelerated format of the program.  If the student misses more than one session, the student is required to withdraw form the module by contacting the Academic Advisor and their instructor.

 

 

Class Policy on Electronic Devices: Please turn off cell phones (or put them on “vibrate”) before entering class.

 

 

Course Outline:

Class dates:                                                                        Topics/Assignments:

June 10

Discussion of History of Knowledge, chapter 1, AND the following excerpts from Humanities: pp. 21-27(selections from the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Code of Hammurabi), 52-54 (king Akhenaton’s “Great Hymn to the Aten”), 71-80(excerpt from Homer’s Iliad), 226-233(selections from the Old Testament), 444-446(excerpts from the Bhagavad-Gita), 448-449(selections from Buddhist writings), and 479-481(selections from Confucius and from the Dao De Jing).  NOTE: PLEASE BE SURE TO COMPLETE THESE READINGS PRIOR TO OUR FIRST CLASS MEETING!

June 17

Discussion of History of Knowledge, Chapters 2-3, AND the following excerpts from Humanities: 109-128 (Sophocles’ Oedipus the King), 129-145 (Euripides’ The Women of Troy), 204-206 (Horace’s “My Slave Is Free to Speak Up for Himself”), 210 (selection from Marcus’ Aurelius’ Meditations), 234 – 240 (selections from the New Testament), and 240-242 (excerpts from St. Augustine’s Confessions).  ESSAY # 1 DUE.

June 24

Discussion of History of Knowledge, chapters 4-5, AND the following excerpts from Humanities: pp. 323 –345 (selections from Dante’s Divine Comedy ), 345-352 (“The Miller’s Tale” from  Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales), 268-270 (selections from the Quran), and 270-271 (Sufi poetry).  Class also will view and discuss a 90-minute PBS video, “Islam: Empire of Faith.” ESSAY # 2 DUE.

July 1

Discussion of the following excerpts from Humanities: 358-368 (“African Backgrounds”) and 373-401 (“West African Languages and Literature,” INCLUDING highlights from the epic of Sundiata as welll as various African myths, tales, proverbs, and poetry).  Also, discussion of some Native New World cultural highlights.  ESSAY # 3 DUE.

July 8

ESSAY # 4 DUE.  PRESENTATION OF STUDENTS’ FINAL PROJECTS.

 

                                                                               

 

 

 

Class Participation: As noted above, class participation counts for 10% of your course grade.  To receive an “A” in class participation, you need to: come to all five sessions; arrive on time; refrain from disappearing during the break or toward the end of the session; show genuine interest in the material; ask thoughtful questions; and contribute intelligently to class discussions.

 

 

Center for Academic Excellence:

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.

 

Please note: Calumet College of St. Joseph subscribes to Turnitin.com and all papers can and may be submitted for checks on plagiarism from the Internet/Electronic sources/Databases.

 

Citation Guidelines:

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).  All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy: Please see the Degree Completion Program’s Student Handbook for withdrawal policy.  All withdrawals are completed through the Degree Completion Academic Advisor’s office.

 

School Closing Information:

 

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Phone: 219.473.4770

 

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