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Introduction to Humanities (HUM 1020)
Course Syllabus
Professor Areej Zufari
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CRN-23132
Spring Term 2018
East Campus
ONLINE
Contact Information:
AZufari1@ valenciacollege.edu
Please include CRN #23132
in the subject line of your emails.
Office phone: 407-582-2349
Office Hours: Online
Monday: 1:00- 3:00pm
Tuesday: 1:00-3:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am-11:00am
Thursday: 1:00-3:00pm
Friday: 2:00-4:00pm
To meet with the professor in person, please email in advance to make arrangements.
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Course Description:
This course is an introduction to humanities that focuses on central concepts, historical developments, and the nature of philosophy, architecture, music, religion, and art. Concepts from these disciplines will be integrated with contemporary culture. There is no prerequisite for this course.
Texts:
►Landmarks in the Humanities, Gloria Fiero (You can use the 5th edition, Valencia edition, or 4th edition.) Textbook Required.
CoursePolicies:
►Students must submit an assignment by January17in order to avoid being dropped from the course as a “No Show.”
►The Professor is not responsible for any technical issues. These issues should be resolved with the help of the Blackboard Help Desk or the Academic Success Center.
►Students are required to take responsibility for followingValencia College’s policies and this course’s policies
►Students taking an online course should be equipped with reliable access to a computer and the internet. There are many resources to help you become familiar with Blackboard and online courses. Please see the links in our course or visit the Academic Success Center for more information.
►Attendance/Activity Policy: 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 four (4) assigned items (whether assignments, discussions, quizzes, or exams,) will receive a warning. Upon the fifth (5) missed assignments, the student will automatically be withdrawn from the course by the instructor.
- For extremely extenuating circumstances, please refer to the Dean of Students for help with your case.
►Academic honesty is absolutely maintained in this course. Students who violate the policy will receive a Zero that assignment and may be referred for disciplinary action. Violations include the following:
- Sharing answers withanother classmate on any assignment, quiz, exam, paper, or discussion post. Sharing questions—exam and/or quiz questions with other students.
- Copying information from your textbook, book, or the Internet, even if it is “just an assignment.”
- Using others work as your own.
►Communication with Professor: Valencia faculty communicate with students through Valencia e-mail. Failure to check your e-mail account does not excuse you from any notices that may be sent to you.
- PLEASE NOTE: You can click on the <EMAIL> menu item on the left-hand side of the course. This will allow you to SEND an email only. You cannot receive email through that link.
- You will receive email responses through Valencia email.
- Please use professional standards and etiquette. Emails should include a greeting and be respectful in tone.
►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 about any participant in the course or about anyone’s work.
►Deadlines: All deadlines are 5:00 pmof the due date. Work submitted past that time will not be accepted.Deadlines are planned this way to provide opportunities for students to contact the professor before deadlines.
►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: Occasionally it happens that the internet server fails, Blackboard experiences an error, or computers simply freeze. If this happens while taking a quiz or exam send an email to the professor for help, but only if there is enough time during regular work hours for the professor to respond.
- Ifthe professor receives your email during office hours before the deadline has expired, she will reset the quiz or exam for you to retake it.
- No quiz or exam will be reset after the deadline has expired!
- It is students’ responsibility to take into account that technical problems happen regularly, to take into account the professor’s office hours, and to plan to take their quizzes and exams accordingly.
Grading Policy:
Your grade for the course will be based on the points earned on the assignments given during the semester. The general point allotment is the following:
Quizzes 10- 14 Points each
Unit Exams 50 Points each
Discussions 24 points each
You are responsible for keeping track of your progress in the class. In your grades section on Blackboard, you can find all of your graded scores as well as a current average of all graded submitted material. This is titled “Current Course Grade.” It automatically adds the points you have earned and divides them by the sum of possible points. In this way, you have access to your grades and standing in the course at all times through Blackboard.
Your work in this course will be evaluated with the following generalguidelines:
► “A” Work: the student has mastered the material of the course and has demonstrated exceptional critical skills and originality
► “B” Work: the student has demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the material and demonstrates use of critical thinking
► “C” Work: the student has demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the material and a small degree of critical thinking
►“D” Work:the student has demonstrated a marginal understanding of the basic material with little evidence of critical thinking
►“F” Work: the student has not demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of the basic material
Quizzes
Each Unit contains quizzes about the content covered. Quizzes include questions from the textbook and online reading. You may use your notes and textbook to answer the questions, but you may not work collaboratively with anyone while completing your work.
Occasionally it happens that your server, computer, or Blackboard 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 consider my office hours.
Unit Exams
You are required to take your exams with the Respondus Browser Lockdown that is available for free. To download the software, refer to the web address and directions provided on Blackboard.
You may NOT use any notes, textbook, or outside help while taking the exams. They are timed to require answers in a timely manner. No quiz or exam will be reset after the deadline has expired! It is students’ responsibility to remember that technical errors do occasionally happen, to take into account the professor’s office hours, and to plan to take their exams accordingly.
Discussion Responses:
Discussion Questions will relate to the topic we are studying and posted online-through Blackboard. You are required to post a well-written response to each Discussion Question. Your original post must be at least 300 words and be edited and articulate. Your entries are expected to be thoughtful and to show that you are engaging the higher levels of thinking. Be sure that you provide explanation for your opinion and fully discuss the topic.
The following is a grading rubric that will be used to grade your Discussion Responses.
ACTIVITY / Exemplary / Proficient / IncompleteDemonstrates an understanding of the discussion prompt/questions / 6 points
Displays an excellent understanding of course materials and concept being discussed. / 4 points
Displays some understanding of course materials and concept being discussed. / 2 points
Displays little understanding of course materials and underlying concept being discussed.
Reflections and Analysis / 6 points
Evidence of strong Critical Thinking. / 4 points
Evidence of some Critical Thinking. / 2 points
Little evidence of Critical Thinking.
Quality of writing and proofreading / 6 points
Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. / 4 points
Written responses are largely free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. / 2 points
Written responses contain several errors. The style of writing does not facilitate communication.
Quality of Responses to classmates / 6 points
Responses to classmates' postings are thoughtful and enrich the learning community. / 4 points
Responses to classmates' postings are valid, but brief and not enriching. / 0 point
Responses to classmates' postings are either not given or are not thoughtful.
Discussion Responses require an original post that must be submitted by 11:59pm of the due date. You are required to read at least 75% of all postings to all Discussion Threads. You are also required to respond to AT LEAST THREE of your classmates’ postings by the Discussion Response deadline.
Deadline Policy:
I do not accept late work. Extra credit assignments are available to allow students to make up for any missed points.
Withdrawal Policy:
Students who fail to complete 5 assigned tasks, whether discussions, assignments, quizzes, or exams will be withdrawn from the course.
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. The withdrawal deadline for this semester is Friday, March 30.After the deadline, however, only your instructor will be able to withdraw students and, then, only for excessive absences.
Introduction to Humanities Course Schedule
**Subject to Change with Prior Notice
A strong suggestion would be to print this schedule and use the boxes to check off your reading and assignments as you complete them.
Unit 1:
Read Syllabus and become familiar with course layout on Blackboard
Learning Unit on Blackboard—Course Policies
Course Policies Quiz dueby January 11
Post introduction on Discussion Board by January 12
Post responses to classmates’ introductions by January 16
Read Chapter 2 in textbook:
Learning Unit on Blackboard—Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece Quiz due January 18
Discussion Post due January 19
Discussion Responses due January 22
Review theGreek Philosophy section in Chapter 2 in textbook:
Read Learning Unit on Blackboard—Greek Philosophy
Read Chapter 3 in textbook (skip the sections on Lyrical Poetry and Roman Drama)
Learning Unit on Blackboard—Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome Quizdue January 25
Unit 1 Exam due January 31
Unit 2:
Read Learning Unit—The Medieval Era
Read Chapter 7 in textbook
Learning Unit—The Renaissance
Italian Renaissance Quiz due February 15
Discussion Post due February 16
Discussion Responses due February 19
Read Chapter 8 in textbook
Read Learning Unit—The Reformations
Northern Renaissance Quiz due February 22
Read Chapter 10 in textbook(We are skipping chapter 9)
Read Learning Unit on Blackboard-The Baroque Era
Baroque Quiz due March 1
Discussion Post due March 2
Discussion Responses due March 5
Unit 2 Exam due March 8
Spring Break March 12-18
Unit 3:
Learning Unit—The Scientific Revolution
Chapter 11 in textbook
Learning Unit—The Enlightenment
Enlightenment Quiz due due March 22
Discussion Post due March 23
Discussion Responses due March 26
Chapter 12 in textbook
Learning Unit—Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution Quiz due April 5
Read Chapter 13 in textbook
Learning Unit—The Birth of Modernity
Modernism Quiz due April 12
Discussion Post due April 13
Discussion Responses due April 16
Unit 3 Exam due by TuesdayApril 24
(There is no comprehensive final exam for this course. The Unit 3 exam is the last exam you are required to take for this course.)