Western Civilization US 201/203 Fall

Dr. Sherri Raney, 311 OH X2226 Office Hours: MF 10-11; W 2-3; TR 1:30-3 and by appt.

Dr. Sidney Watson, 202 OH X2201 Office Hours: M-F 2-3 & by appt.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

This course is a survey of major aspects of the development of European civilization from the establishment of the Roman Empire to the Enlightenment. The ideas, intellectual frameworks, and institutional structures forged during this period still provide much of the context for western political, economic, intellectual, and spiritual activity. We will also study selected works in Western literature from the Romans to the eighteenth century with emphasis on cultural contexts.

As we study this historical and cultural background, we will continue the "Big Discourse" about significant human issues in their historical and aesthetic contexts that began with your first year Unified Studies courses, such as Philosophy and English. Some of the questions we will consider throughout the semester include:

1. What is the nature and role of the individual in the universe? The community?

2. What is God like, and how does God relate to humanity,?

3. How should humans best organize and govern themselves in social and political groups?

4. How should humans go about finding truth?

COURSE PROCEDURES

Civ aims to help you learn to read well, to retain what you read, and to write thoughtfully and effectively about the ideas, literature, and events that we read about and discuss in class. Assignments will vary, as we strive to build our knowledge base and abilities to process that knowledge. Some assignments will require mere description of information (the "what and "who " and "when" questions)> Others will require explanation and analysis (the "how" and "why'" questions). Finally you will be required to make evaluative judgments: to synthesize information, argue about it, and assess value (the"so what" question).

In order to develop these knowledge bases and abilities, we will engage in a variety of classroom activities:

1. Modeling: Watch the way we (and your classmates) think through problems; class lectures and discussions should be more than taking down notes: they should be exercises in clear, rational thinking and synthesis of information

2. Community-building: Group work will help us learn to learn together.

3. Habit-building: Studying, preparing for class, reasoning well are all habits we will work on together.

4. Dissonance: Often we learn only by confronting problems and differences that force us out of our comfort zone. Expect dissonance in class: we'll grow together by disagreeing.

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

US 202/204 is conducted and graded as one course. (For transcript purposes it is counted as two separate courses.) The following are the graded components:

Three Unit Essay Exams (100 points each) 300

One Final Essay Exam (Comprehensive) 150

Literature Paper 125

History Paper 125

Literature Reading Daily Work 100

History Daily Work 100

Course Grades: A = 900 - 810

B = 809 - 720

C = 719 - 630

D = 629 - 540

F = 539 - 0

Note: All exams must be taken and both papers must be turned in to receive a passing grade for the course.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

These consist of two components: 1) Daily assignments which will take a variety of forms including objective, in class quizzes as well as written student reactions to two films or events each for literature and history; 2) two research papers-one on literature and one on history (see separate handouts from each instructor).

ABSENCES

To succeed in Civ one must attend class faithfully. We follow the university attendance policy: any student who misses 25 percent of the class sessions (i.e. 18 sessions) for any reason may receive an FX grade for the course. Please ask for a tally of your absences if you are concerned.

INCOMPLETES

A grade of "I" (Incomplete) is normally given only if a personal illness or emergency absolutely prevents the student from completing the essay or exam requirements for the course. The student who desire the temporary grade of Incomplete must take the initiative to discuss the possibility with the instructors well before the end of the semester. We reserve the right to determine whether the student meets the stated standards for an Incomplete.

CHEATING

Any student guilty of cheating or plagiarizing will receive a zero on the assignment. Repeat offenders will receive an F for the course. Plagiarism is using an author's words or ideas without using quotation marks properly and/or without given the author credit in a note. See "Avoiding Plagiarism" in the Ancilla, pp 14-15, and section 42d in St. Martin's Handbook. See Also the section "Academic Dishonesty" in The Green Book.

Students wishing to receive accommodation for documented disabilities should first contact Mr. Canaan Crane in the Student Services Center GC 101. Students approved through that office should then contact one of us if an approved accommodation seems needed in the course.