Western Humanities II
Course Title/Number: Humanities 2233 Term: Spring, 2008
Credit Hours: 3 Time: M&W 5:30-6:45
Room: MT CA 106
Textbook: Matthews,
Roy T. and F. DeWitt Platt. The Western
Humanities Volume II: Beginnings Through the Renaissance. Also the companion volume,
Instructor: William F. Sutschek
E-mail information: All announcements, tests, and individual communications will be made via angel.spcollege.edu. You may contact me privately via angel e-mail at any time.
Web Page: http://www.oocities.org/humanitiesf940
(There is a link to this page in Angel.)
Office Information: My office hours are fifteen minutes before and after each class, but feel free to email me at any time.
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 culture from the Renaissance through contemporary times.
Students will be assigned a project that will require a visit to a local Art Museum.
Tests and assignments will be given minimum word requirements to satisfy the Gordon Rule of 2,000 words of required writing. 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. Missed time could be detrimental to your grade. Students who miss more than four classes will be automatically withdrawn. (The college has required our firm support of this policy. Students expecting special consideration with have to speak to the Provost’s office.)
Tardiness for class will be considered the equivalent of half a class.
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, even laptop computers) 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 equal opportunity to learn and participate. Therefore, if any student has any hearing, visual, speech, or physical impairment, please let me know. I will make every effort possible to facilitate your experience in this class.
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, via Angel. The student will be responsible for any published change.
Schedule:
January 7, 9: Introduction to course and discussion of the Nature of Art and Humanism
January 14, 16: Chapter 11: The Early Renaissance (1400—1494)
January 21: No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial)
January 23: Unit Chapter 12: The High Renaissance and Early Mannerism (1494—1564)
January 29, 31: Chapter 13: Northern Humanism, Northern Renaissance, Religious Reformations, and Late Mannerism (1500—1603)
February 4: Test: Recognizing and distinguishing between Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, Northern Renaissance, and Mannerism
February 6: Chapter 14: The Baroque Age (1600—1715)
February 11, 13: Chapter 15: The Baroque Age II (1600—1715)
February 18, 20: Chapter 16: The Age of Reason (1700—1789)
February 25, continue Chapter 16
February 27: Test: Changes in Humanism, 1400-1789
March 3, 5: No School as we celebrate the Rites of Spring
March 10, 12: Chapter 17: Revolution, Reaction, and Cultural Response (1760—1830)
March 17, Chapter 18: The Triumph of the Bourgeoisie (1830—1871)
March 19: No class. Free day to compensate you for the required visit to the Art Museum.
March 24, Continue Chapter 18
March 25: Museum Report is due; Chapter 19: The Age of Early Modernism (1871—1914)
March 31, April 2: Continue Chapter 19 (If we are on schedule, supplemental material on Cinema History)
April 7, 9: Chapter 20: The Age of the Masses and the Zenith of Modernism (1914—1945)
April 14, 16: Continue Chapter 20
April 21, 23: Chapter 21: The Age of Anxiety and Beyond (1945 --)
April 28, 30: Final Examination
These will be the basic lecture topics, although supplementary audio-visual materials 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.
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.
This is the exact
policy as it appears in academic bylaws: 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:
January 11 (last day to drop with refund or change to audit)
January 21 (No School in honor of Dr. King)
February 4 (Test)
February 27 (Test)
March 2-9 (No School. Spring Break)
March 19 (Last day to withdraw with grade of W)
March 19 (No class to compensate for museum visit)
March 25 (Museum report is due at the start of class
April 28, 30 (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
