CORE FOUR: Christian Impact on Western Civilization Winter 2008 (082)

Instructor:  Dr. Ilicia Sprey
Office:  Core 258
Office Phone:  (219) 866-6387
E-mail:  ilicias@saintjoe.edu
Office Hours:  MWF 9 – 11am, TR (STE only – 2.30-3:00pm and after class) and by appointment

Homepage: http://www.saintjoe.edu/~ilicias/

E-mail: ilicias@saintjoe.edu

Course Description: Core 4 is where students and faculty begin the serious examination of the development of Christianity in Europe and how, where, and why it had such a major impact on Western Civilization, and what the roots are for much of our present value system in the West. The point of this course is not for you to memorize how these developments and influences took place, but to read, listen, discuss, evaluate, and learn about the key ideas of Christianity in this formative period. The point of Core 4 is to introduce you to some great works by powerful authors that have dealt with these and other points of intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual investigation. In this Core we hope you will take the skills you’ve developed in your three semesters of the Core Program and begin to build a broader and deeper sense of the historical, mental, and spiritual development of those who, like you, were a product of Western Civilization and also contributors to it. Remember, the Core Curriculum is designed to provide you with exposure to a solid Liberal Arts education and encourages you to investigate your relationship with and role in the larger world, and this investigation into how those living in the past dealt with these issues is a vital step in that process. It also provides you with the opportunity to put into use both the intellectual and communication skills you have developed so far. Because of this, there is a significant amount of reading and writing this term.

In addition to offering you the opportunity to examine and develop your own concepts concerning your relationships to and with others in society, we will be working on important communication skills, both written and oral, that will help you be successful in your college career, but more important, in the real world at whatever jobs you hold in the future and in personal relationships, as well.

Required Reading: The books required for this class are listed in the Core 4 syllabus and are available in the College Bookstore. Additional readings will be found in the later section of the syllabus. Reading assignments are listed in the official Core 4 syllabus and on-line at http://www.saintjoe.edu/academics/core/core4.htm

Class Meetings: There are two major lectures every week and will take place in the Shen Auditorium from 10-10:50am Tuesday and Thursday by the faculty from various disciplines within the SJC community and some speakers from off our campus. You are expected to attend these lectures, listen carefully, take notes, and to think about them so that you can participate thoughtfully in the smaller discussion sections.

What you can expect from me: You can expect that I:

· will be available during office hours and by appointment to discuss any issues you might have in class.

· will be prepared for our sections and on time

· will clearly state the criteria on which your work will be evaluated

· will be interested in helping you improve as students and becoming more analytical in your thinking, and in getting as much out of this class as possible

What I expect from you: The following paragraphs explain what I expect of you in terms of work and behavior.

Attendance: It is important that students attend both lecture and section meetings on a regular basis in order to fully participate in discussions and lectures and to get the most out of the course. Roll will be taken periodically throughout the semester. If you are unable to attend class and need to reach me leave a leave a message on either my E-mail or voice mail if I am out of the office.

In our section meetings we will be discussing the lectures and reading materials. In these meetings we will explore and evaluate the different perspectives of the authors we are reading, as well as ways of interpreting the texts. You must keep up with the reading in order to contribute to the discussion and everyone’s contributions to the discussions are valuable and necessary in order to make the section a success.

Appropriate classroom behavior is required and expected of all students at all times.

Assignments: Readings and class assignments will be based on the readings listed in the Core 4 syllabus and it is imperative that students read these assignments prior to the lecture and section meetings.

Assignments not handed in on time will have 5 points deducted for each weekday they are late, not for each class session. For example, a paper due on Tuesday but handed in on Thursday will have 10 points deducted from the original grade it would have received otherwise. All papers are to be typed or produced on a computer.

It is the responsibility of student athletes to inform the instructor of any class absences due to competitions. In accordance with College policy athletes will be excused a reasonable number of absences due to competitions and reason accommodations made but all work must be turned in on a schedule set by the teacher. Student athletes will not be excused absences due to practices.

You are expected to attend all the smaller discussion section meetings, to participate in the discussions, incorporating what was discussed in the larger lecture, and to complete all the assignments given by me. In order to do this you have to keep up with the reading schedule listed in the Core 4 syllabus. Your grade for Core 4 will be determined in part by the quality of your participation in discussion.

Evaluation: There is a good amount of work expected from you in Core 4 and the following should help you understand the importance and opportunity presented by each kind of assignment. Each assignment is meant to keep you focused on the readings and ideas discussed, while allowing you to develop your own opinions and ideas and, most importantly of all, to improve your communication skills.

Participation in Section: The quantity and quality of your contribution in discussion in section will be worth 10% of your grade.

Papers: There are 3 writing assignments in Core 4. Specifics on paper topics will be given in class. All work that is turned in late will lose 5 points for each day it is late. See below for value of each writing assignment.

Presentations: Each student will make at least one oral presentation in their section. You will receive more information on this in class. Students are encouraged to be creative in these presentations which are worth a maximum of 50 points.

Exams: There will be three exams given over the course of this semester. These exams will be primarily essays but may contain some short answers, etc., and will cover lecture and reading materials and anything else we go over in our section. Each exam is worth 100 points. Dates for the exams are listed at the end of this syllabus. There is also a final exam which will be worth 100 points.

Make-up exams will only be offered in cases of documented hospitalization or sever illness. Other excuses as outlined in the College’s handbook (2005-06)will be accepted under the following conditions: 1) you notify the instructor at least 24 hours prior to the exam, and 2) the excuse specifically excuses from the exam. If these conditions are met, the make-up must be taken within three calendar days of when it was originally scheduled.

Quizzes: Over the course of the semester there will be ten brief pop quizzes on lecture and/or readings assigned. If you do the assigned readings, go to lecture, and come to class, taking good notes along the way, you should have no problems on the quizzes. Missed quizzes will not be made up and each quiz will be worth 5 points.

Academic Honesty: Neither cheating nor plagiarism (using someone else's work or words without citing the source from which they came) will be tolerated in this or any other class. The purpose of this course is to have you do your best work not to submit someone else's efforts, therefore anyone found cheating or plagiarizing the work of another will receive an automatic F for the course and the case will be referred to the appropriate academic officer. For more on this issue see the College Catalog (2005-06).

Writing Clinic: Each student is encouraged to use the resources of the Writing Clinic as they feel the need. However, if deemed necessary by the teacher, students will be required to go to the Clinic for assistance.

Students with Special needs: If you have special needs in relation to taking notes, exams, etc. you need to contact me within the first two weeks of class. If a problem arises later in the semester, talk to me as soon as possible.

Grading: Core 4 is a six-credit course and your grade will be based on the table below.

Students who have between 3 and 6 unexcused absences will lose one full letter grade from their final class grade. Students who have between 6 and 9 unexcused absences will have their grade dropped two letter grades, and those who miss more than 9 classes will automatically fail the course.

Assignment	Point value
Attendance and Participation	100 pts
Oral presentation	50 pts
3 exams @ 100 pts each	300 pts
Final exam	100 pts
Quizzes (10 @ 5pts each)	50pts
2 papers (100 pts each)	200pts
Research paper v thesis statement v working bibliography v final paper	v 25 pts v 50 pts v 125 pts
Total	1000 pts

Grade	Points	Grade	Points
A	930-1000	C	730-779
A-	900-929	C-	700-729
B+	880-899	D+	680-699
B	830-879	D	630-679
B-	800-829	D-	600-629
C+	780-799	F	599 and below

	Date		Due Date
Exam 1	SJC – January 28 STE-January 29	Paper 1	SJC -Feb. 3 STE – Feb 5
Exam 2	SJC – Feburary 25 STE - Feburary 26	Paper 2	SJC – March 18 STE - March 19
Exam 3	SJC – March 30 STE - March 31	Paper 3 v thesis statement v working bibliography v final paper	v SJC - Jan 21 STE - Jan. 22 v SJC – March 9 STE - March 10 v SJC – April 8 STE - April 9
Final Exam	SJC – Monday, April 27: 8-9:50am	STE section - TBA

Page last updated 1/18/09 by IJ Sprey.