Syllabi for Dr. Lake

summer 2020 Introduction to Humanities

Introduction to Humanities

Sean Lake

Office: 1-145

Phone Ext. 2054 

E-mail: slake4@valenciacollege.edu

Office Hours:

Monday 7:20 – 8:20 and 11:20 – 12:50 and 3:50 – 4:15 pm

Tuesday (Virtual) 9-1 pm

Wednesday 7:20 – 8:20 and 11:20 – 12:50 and 3:50 – 4:15 pm

Thursday (Virtual) 9-1 pm

Friday (Virtual) 9-11

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the course if he or she feels he can not complete the requirements of the course. Students may withdraw at any time until the Withdrawal Deadline and receive a W.  After the deadline, however, only I will be able to withdraw students and, then, only for excessive absences. Excessive absences in this course are defined as five or more absences.

Withdrawal from a Course Policy:

  1. A student is permitted to withdraw from a class on or before the withdrawal deadline, as published in the College calendar. A student is not permitted to withdraw from a class after the withdrawal deadline.
  2. A faculty member is permitted to withdraw a student from the faculty member’s class for violation of the faculty member’s attendance policy with written notification to the student prior to the beginning of the final exam period, as published in the faculty member’s syllabus. A faculty member is not permitted to withdraw a student from his or her class as a response to student conduct which falls under the jurisdiction of the Student Code of Conduct (6Hx28:10-03).
  3. A student who withdraws from a class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn by a professor will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn for administrative reasons at any time will receive a grade of "W" or other grade as determined in consultation with the professor. Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of "F". The grades of “WP” and “WF” are eliminated.
  4. A student who receives a grade of “W” will not receive credit for the course, and the W will not be calculated in the student’s grade point average; however, the enrollment will count in the student’s total attempts in the specific course.
  5. If a student withdraws from a class, the student may, upon request and only with the faculty member’s permission (which may be withheld at any time in the sole discretion of the faculty member), continue to attend the course. If a student is withdrawn by a faculty member or is administratively withdrawn, the student is not permitted to continue to attend the class.

 

Humanities Department Attendance Policies

 

Attendance During the First Week of Classes

Attendance during the first week of classes is mandatory. Anyone who misses both assignments during the first week of class will be withdrawn as a “No Show”—no exceptions

 

For severe medical conditions that result in excessive absences, consult the Dean of Students concerning Valencia’s medical withdrawal policy.

International students, and students receiving financial aid, should be aware of how a “W” will affect their status.

 

 http://international.valenciacollege.edu/current-students/maintaining-visa-status/

 http://valenciacollege.edu/finaid/satisfactory_progress.cfm

Online Classes

Attendance in an online class is based on a student's completion of assignments, quizzes, discussion board postings, and tests. Students who fail to complete six (6) assigned items (whether assignments, discussions, quizzes, or exams,) will receive a warning. Upon the seventh (7) missed assignment, the student will automatically be withdrawn from the course by the instructor.

o  (NOTE: The instructor does not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.)

o   Upon the sixth missed assignment, the student will be notified that missing one other assignment will result in their withdrawal from the course.

o   For severe medical conditions that result in excessive absences, consult the Dean of Students concerning Valencia’s medical withdrawal policy.

o   International students, and students receiving financial aid, should be aware of how a “W” will affect their status.

 

 http://international.valenciacollege.edu/current-students/maintaining-visa-status/Links to an external site.

 http://valenciacollege.edu/finaid/satisfactory_progress.cfmLinks to an external site.

 

 Evaluation and Grading: The following grading scale is used based on total points possible -    

A=90-100%; B=80-89%; C=70-79%; D=60-69%; F=below 60% 

READING ASSIGNMENTS – SEE CANVAS ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS AND UPDATES TO THE SCHEDULE OF READINGS

The calendar below is an overview and synopsis of the topics and texts covered each week.

This course is approximately 6 weeks long, from May 4 to June 15, with some work due on the last day, Monday (the start of the 7th week).

 

Week One = MODULE ONE: Introduction and Gilgamesh 

ALL WORK DUE FRIDAY AT 11:59pm = 5/8

ALL READING SHOULD BE FINISHED BY FRIDAY

THERE ARE SEVERAL READINGS AND SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS FOR THIS WEEK 

1. Watch the VIDEOS in MODULE ONE. Take notes for the midterm, final, and quizzes.  The content in the module is in the proper order - so watch the first video first, and so forth, clicking on each new link from top to bottom.

2. Read "Gilgames, Enkidu, and the Underworld online (instructions below).  PLEASE CHOOSE ONE PASSAGE THAT YOU THINK IS THE MOST INTERESTING, IMPORTANT, BEAUTIFUL, ETC.  Quote the passage (1-5 sentences long) and the page number. Write one sentence explaining what the passage is about and write a few sentences explaining what made you choose the passage (like why you think it is important, or interesting, or crucial to the story). This assignment, like all assignments, is found in the MODULE.

Instructions to find Gilgmas, Enkidu, and the Underworld online:

Go to the library website. Go to databases and find "E book Central." Search in E book Central for "Literature of Ancient Sumer."

Click "Read online."

The table of contents should be on the left hand side of the screen. Under "Heroes and Kings" find "Gilgames, Enkidu, and the Underworld." It starts on the bottom of page 96.

3. Read "Gilgames and Huwawa" from the same ebrary book you used for the last assignment Literature of Ancient Sumer. In the book, it starts on page 343. On the website, however, it says page 408 (near the top right of the page, below "Bookshelf"). You can find it under the table of contents below"The Decad, A Scribal Curriculum" which is near the very end of the book. Call me if you can't find it.

4. Under MODULE ONE, I have created an assignment that says "Key Passage of Gilgames and Huwawa". Like the last assignment: Pick a passage and copy it into the assignment on Canvas: cite the page number, quote the passage exactly, Write one sentence explaining what the passage is about and write a few sentences explaining what made you choose the passage (like why you think it is important, or interesting, or crucial to the story).

5. Read The Hymns of Zoroaster under Module ONE on Canvas.

6. Under MODULE ONE, complete the assignment that is called "Key Passage of Zoroaster". Write down what you think is the key passage and you must explain why you chose the passage: cite the page number, quote the passage exactly, and explain what it means, and why it is interesting or important to you.

 

Week Two = MODULE TWO

ALL WRITTEN WORK DUE FRIDAY AT 11:59pm = 5/15

ALL READING SHOULD BE FINISHED BY FRIDAY

  1. Watch LESSON 3 and Lesson 4 videos and take notes to use for the exams and quizzes.
  2. Under MODULE TWO read selections from Homer's Iliad. 
  3. TAKE THE QUIZ ON THE ILIAD in MODULE TWO using notes from the videos and your reading.
  4. Read "the Myth of Er" under module TWO. 
  5. Read the selection from Plato's Republic in module four.  
  6. Take the quiz on Plato using your notes.

 

Week Three = MODULE 3 

ALL WRITTEN WORK DUE FRIDAY AT 11:59pm = 5/22

ALL READING SHOULD BE FINISHED BY WEDNESDAY

  1.  Watch lesson 5 and 6 and 7 and take notes.
  2. For Wednesday: Read the Analects of Confucius, found under Module Three.  
  3. Read the Tao te Ching: It is found on the library website, under Databases (the same one used for Gilgamesh), Ebook Central, and search for this exact title, translator, and date of publication:Tao Te Ching by Hinton, David
  4. Read the Art of War under MODULE THREE
  5. Take the quiz on Confucius and the Tao te Ching and the Art of War

 

Week Four = MODULE 4 = 5/29

  1. Watch lesson 8 and 9 and 10
  2. Read the selections from the Bhagavad Gita under module FOUR
  3. Read the Enchiridion at E-book Central.
  4. Read the Roman poet Propertius on Ebook Central (under Library Databases). On Ebook Central Search for Propertius in Love : The Elegies

    DO NOT READ THE FOREWARD OR INTRODUCTION. 

     The poems start on page 3  (starts on page 40 of ebook central; page 3 of the actual book itself). 

    You will read the first 22 poems.  

  5. Take the MIDTERM EXAM. You MAY take it twice for the AVERAGE of the two scores. You may choose to only take it once.

 

Week Five = MODULE FIVE 

ALL WRITTEN WORK DUE FRIDAY AT 11:59pm = 6/5

1. Watch lesson 11, 12, and 13.

2. Read Ibn Khaldun under module FIVE.

3. Read Augustine The Confessions pages 20 - 26 ( IT IS ON ebook central under library databases and called Confessions of St. Augustine by Saint Augustine and Pusey, Edward Bouveri.) Start with the paragraph on page 20 that says "In boyhood itself, however..." and end with the bottom of page 26.

4. Read Augustine The Confessions: All of Book 2. 

5. Read Dante's Inferno Cantos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The text you should read is found on ebook central  and is called Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, Volume 1 : Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Durling, Robert M., Martinez, Ronald L., Oxford University Press, USA, February 1996. Canto one starts on Ebook Central in English on page 27. Take notes so I can ask you objective questions like:

6. Who is Dante's guide?

  1. What does Dante first see?
  2. Whom does he meet in Canto 3?
  3. Whom does he find in Canto 5 that we have read before?
  4. What happens in Canto 6? Provide a summary
  5. What is the name of his beloved? 

 

Week Six = MODULE 6

ALL WRITTEN WORK DUE FRIDAY AT 11:59pm = 6/12

1. Read the document called Renaissance under Content/Primary Sources.  

2. Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Paglia's Sexual Personae. Paglia's text is on Ebook Central under the library databases.

3. Read Roger Shattuck's essay under Module SIX.

 

Week Seven = FINAL EXAM (EXAM IS DUE MONDAY)

 

EXAM DUE MONDAY AT 11:59pm = 6/15

 

Course Description:

This course is a basic introduction to humanities that focuses on central concepts, historical developments, and the fundamental nature of philosophy, architecture, music, religion, and art.  Concepts from these disciplines will be integrated with contemporary American culture. There is no prerequisite for this course.

Texts: 

Available on Canvas

 

Course Policies:

Students are required to take full responsibility for their success in the course. You are responsible for taking notes on all material discussed in class, as well as changes in assignments, exam dates, etc.  This includes also knowledge of all of Valencia College’s policies; knowledge of all of this course’s policies; and to be equipped and able to use the internet, submit work through CANVAS, and view learning materials through CANVAS.

 Academic honesty: throughout this course, we will discuss our opinions and insights openly. However, when it comes to assignments, quizzes, exams, papers, or responses, you may not share answers with another classmate. Academic honesty is absolutely maintained in this course. You will receive a Zero for any assignment that is plagiarized, and may receive a failing grade for the course.

 Excused absences require documentation.

Communication with Professor: Valencia faculty and staff communicate with students through Valencia Email and CANVAS.  It is your responsibility to check your Valencia Email on a regular time frame. Failure to check your e-mail account does not excuse you from any notices that may be sent to you.

Use professional standards and etiquette. When communicating with your professors, as in all other professional and academic settings, you should use professional standards and etiquette. Emails should include a greeting and closing and should be respectful in tone.

The Professor is not responsible for any technical issues. These issues should be resolved with the help of the CANVAS Help Desk or the Academic Success Center.

Participation and contribution to class discussions are required.

Copyrighted Material: All materials provided online are copyrighted and made available for educational purposes only. Students may not reproduce copyrighted material without permission from the appropriate publisher or author.

Discussion Etiquette: Please refrain from making any disparaging or disrespectful comments to any participant in the course and limit your comments to those which directly relate to the topic of discussion. 

Deadlines: All deadlines are 11:59pm of the due date. Work submitted past that time will not be accepted.

Quizzes & Exams: must be completed once they are opened. The settings for this course do not allow you to open a quiz, save your work, and return to finish it. Once opened, you must complete it.

Interrupted Quizzes or Exams: No quiz or exam will be reset after the deadline has expired! Occasionally it happens that the internet server fails, CANVAS experiences an error, or computers simply freeze. If this happens while taking a quiz or exam, notify the instructor immediately. If the professor receives your email during office hours before the deadline has expired, she will reset the quiz or exam for you to retake it. It is students’ responsibility to take into account that technical errors do occasionally happen, to take into account the professor’s office hours, and to plan to take their quizzes and exams accordingly. 

Classroom Behavior: Valencia Community College is dedicated to promoting honorable personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for knowing and abiding by the rules articulated in the Student Code of Conduct (6Hx28:10-03). Students who engage in activities that are disruptive to the learning environment will be sent to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. The following list, though not exhaustive, includes things which are disruptive to the learning environment: preparing homework for other courses during class, engaging in private conversations with classmates while class is in session, excessive tardiness, leaving and re-entering the classroom while the class is in session. Furthermore, the use of any electronic devices is strictly forbidden (students with OSD documentation are the only exception).

 Academic honesty: All students are expected to be in complete compliance with the college policy on academic honesty as set forth in the college catalog and the student handbook. Cheating on an exam or any degree of plagiarism is zealously punished.

 

Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the instructor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with

 

Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. The East Campus Office is located in Building 5, Room 216.

The instructor reserves for himself the right to amend or alter the syllabus and/or course calendar at any time during the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to stay updated on changes announced in class. 

 

Valencia Policy on Academic Dishonesty: 6Hx28:10-16

All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia Community College. Academic

dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information,

forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of

identification with intent to defraud or deceive. All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students' individual thoughts, research, and self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged.

Students shall take special notice that the assignment of course grades is the responsibility of the

students' individual professor. When the professor has reason to believe that an act of academic

dishonesty has occurred, and before sanctions are imposed, the student shall be given informal

notice and an opportunity to be heard by the professor. Any student determined by the professor

to have been guilty of engaging in an act of academic dishonesty shall be liable to a range of

academic penalties as determined by the professor which may include, but not be limited to, one

or more of the following: loss of credit for an assignment, examination, or project; a reduction in

the course grade; or a grade of "F" in the course. At the option of the professor, the campus

provost may be furnished with written notification of the occurrence and the action taken. If such written notice is given, a copy shall be provided to the student.

Students guilty of engaging in a gross or flagrant act of academic dishonesty or repeated

instances of academic dishonesty shall also be subject to administrative and/or disciplinary

penalties which may include warning, probation, suspension and/or expulsion from the College.

 

Valencia Student Code of Conduct: 6Hx28:10-03

Classroom Behavior:

Valencia Community College is dedicated to promoting honorable personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for knowing and abiding by the rules articulated in the Student Code of Conduct (6Hx28:10-03). The instructor reserves the right to refer students who engage in activities that are disruptive to the learning environment to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. The following list, though not exhaustive, includes things which are disruptive to the learning environment:

Use of any electronic devices including but not restricted to: Cell phones, iPods, and laptop

computers (documentation from OSD will be taken into consideration); Preparing homework for

other courses during class; Engaging in private conversations with classmates while class is in

session; Excessive tardiness; Leaving and re-entering the classroom while the class is in session.

In addition, Valencia Community College strives to provide a drug-free learning environment for

all those involved in the academic experience. Our policy is as follows:

In compliance with the provisions of the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, Valencia College will take such steps as are necessary in order to adopt and implement a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by Valencia College students or employees on college premises or as part of any college activity.

 

Grading Policy:

Your grade for the course will be based on the points earned on the assignments given during the semester. The following is a guideline for the breakdown of grades, but please be aware that the outline below is approximate and  subject to change. The general point allotment is approximately the following:

 

25% Quizzes

25% Midterm

25% Final

25% Short Essays

 

 

 

You are responsible for keeping track of your progress in the class. 

Quizzes and Exams

You may use your notes and texts to answer the questions, but you may not work collaboratively with anyone while completing your work.

Occasionally it happens that your server, computer, or CANVAS has an error while you are taking a quiz or an exam. If that happens, you can contact me to help you if I am able to---only if the deadline has not passed. Please be aware and take into account my office hours. If you email me at 10pm when your quiz is due by midnight of that same day, you should not expect a response from me before the deadline. By the following morning, when I read your email, the deadline will have passed and you will not be eligible to retake or take the quiz you missed. Please plan accordingly.

 

Deadline Policy:

Late work will not be accepted. Alternative assignments are available to allow students to make up any missed points for illness, family emergencies, or other uncontrollable circumstances.

Withdrawal Policy:

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the course if he or she feels he can not complete the requirements of the course. Students may withdraw at any time until the Withdrawal Deadline and receive a W.  After the deadline, however, only your instructor will be able to withdraw students and, then, only for excessive absences. After 4 absences your grade will drop one full letter grade. After 7, you will automatically fail the course.