Course Syllabus - Spring 2010

          HIST 4250 - Section 1 (23572)

          History of World Religions
 

Instructor: Dr. David Gilbert                       

E-mail: davidgilbert@clayton.edu

[Students should use GeorgiaVIEW e-mail]

Classroom: U 416

MWF:  2:00 to 2:50 p.m.

Office:  Arts & Sciences 110-J

Telephone: (678)466-4815

Office Hours:  M-W-F  11:00 to 11:55 a.m. and 1:00 to 1:55 p.m.

                         M & W 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.

                        and by appointment.  

Course Description: This is a senior-level history course required for Middle Grades Education Social Science majors, and an elective course for History and other baccalaureate programs. The course traces the origin and development of the world’s major religious traditions and examines their impact on human history. The course also explores the key beliefs and practices of each religion. (3.0 semester credit hours)

Prerequisites:  HIST 1111 with a minimum US grade of D.

Required Textbook: 

World Religions: A Historical Approach (4th Edition) by S.A. Nigosian (Bedford/St. Martins's, 2008) [ISBN 0-312-44237-8] 

Important Dates (Subject to modification):

January 11                   First day of class

January 18                   MLK  Holiday

March 5                       Last day to withdraw without academic penalty

March 6-13                 Spring Break

May 3                          Last class

May 5                          Final Exam

Mid-term Progress Report:

The mid-term grade in this course, issued on March 2, reflects approximately 50% of the entire course grade.  Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W."  Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, by March 5.

Disability:

In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Clayton State University honors all requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities.  Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, 678-466-5445, disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu

Computer Use in This Course:

Students are required to have reliable access to a computer that can utilize GeorgiaVIEW. GeorgiaVIEW will be the primary forum for posting information and announcements for the course.  This site is also the preferred method for communicating with your instructor and tracking your grade.

Please make certain that your computer is configured properly by completing the tutorial located at: http://ctl.clayton.edu/cid/tutorials/Vista/student/vistahelp.htm

Computer Skill Prerequisites:

•   Able to use the WindowsTM operating system

•   Able to use Microsoft WordTM word processing

•   Able to send and receive e-mail

•   Able to use a Web browser.

•   Able to access GeorgiaVIEW

Assessment of Student Learning:

Exams: There will be four tests during the semester.  These may include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true/false, short answer, identifications and essay questions.  Students are required to bring a SCANTRON form to each exam.  It is important to arrive on time for all exams. Students may not leave the room for any reason during an exam. Once any member of the class has finished an exam and exited the room, no late students will be allowed to begin the test.

Make-up exams will be given for valid and documented absences only.  It is the responsibility of the student to schedule make-up exams within one week of a missed exam and supply the instructor with required documentation.  NOTE:  Although make-up exams cover the same material, they may have a different format than the original test.

Writing:  To develop historical analysis and writing skills, there will be six graded in-class writing activities over the course of the semester.

Quizzes:   In-class quizzes will be utilized to encourage preparation and gauge student progress in the course.  There is no make-up for missed in-class quizzes. 

Homework:  Periodic homework assignments are used to increase student comprehension and review important material in the class. Absent students may turn in homework assignments for full credit anytime before the beginning of the next class after the assignment was due.  Other late homework will be accepted for half credit for up to seven days after the original due date.

Attendance:  Attendance will constitute 5% of the final grade for the course.  There are 100 points assigned for attendance. After five missed classes, this grade will be reduced by 10 points for each additional absence.  Excused absences require written documentation from a physician or other competent authority.  It is the responsibility of individual students to obtain any information or materials from missed classes.   NOTE: Students may also be counted absent for arriving late, leaving early, using cell phones (including text-messaging), surfing the web or sleeping during class.

Extra Credit:  Final grades are based on completion of the actual course requirements.  No "extra credit" is available in this course. 

Grade Components:

Four Tests:     20% each

Writing     :       5%
Homework:      5%
Quizzes:           5%
Attendance:      5%
 

University System of Georgia Grading Scale:

A = 90 percent or higher      (Excellent)

B = 80 to 89 percent            (Good)

C = 70 to 79 percent            (Satisfactory)

D = 60 to 69 percent            (Passing)

F = below 60 percent           (Failure)

Course Policies:

Students must abide by all policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.

University Attendance Policy:

Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students' ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.

Education Attendance Policy: 

Students are expected to attend all class sessions and be punctual. Students who miss 20% or more of the class meeting sessions due to unexcused absences will receive a WF (Withdraw Failing) grade. This policy will be applied uniformly to all students regardless of course average. Excused absences will be determined based on Clayton State University policies and the judgment of the course instructor.

Classroom Conduct:

As a courtesy to others, please turn off all pagers and cell phones before entering the classroom. Once class has begun, students may not read newspapers, send or receive text messages, hold private conversations, or engage in any activities that might be disruptive to others.  University policy prohibits students from bringing food into the classroom. NOTE: Personal computers may be used in the classroom for note-taking only. 

Disruption of the Learning Environment:

Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior.  A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class.  A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal.  If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF.

Academic Honesty:

Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and will result in failing the particular examination or assignment and/or the course based on the judgment of the instructor.  Cheating includes using unauthorized notes or copying another student's answers on a test. Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own, without proper citation. This includes direct copying or paraphrasing information from other sources, including the internet. Clayton State University Judicial procedures are described at: http://adminservices.clayton.edu/judicial/

General Education Outcomes:

HIST 4250 is designed to help develop and promote certain logical and analytical skills every college graduate is expected to have. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia mandates that every college graduate must be able to think or to reason critically, and this course is intended to help teach students to learn and to think, analytically, contextually, and diachronically, regardless of your major or future vocation. Among the skills that you will acquire and/or develop this semester are:

·        Reading comprehension: The ability to identify the ideas in something you have read and differentiate the "thesis" or major theme being presented from the evidence supporting it.

·        Listening comprehension: The ability to listen to what someone has to say and identify what is important. The sources for this are the instructions given by the instructor.

·         Identifying evidence: While it is one thing to see evidence when it is clearly labeled in a lecture or text, it is something else to analyze primary sources in which evidence is not clearly indicated.  The source for this evidence will be primary documents used in the course.

·        Selectivity: This skill includes examining relevant material(s) and leaving out extraneous information. You will do this whenever you take notes or answer a question on an exam.

·        Communication skills: The ability to write in such a way that clearly communicates your ideas to others. The sources for this are the homework and  writing assignments and written components of the exams. See Clayton State University Writing Criteria.

·        Viewing comprehension: This includes looking at various materials and identifying important ideas and concepts. The source for this material presented in the class and in the textbooks.

·        Computer Skills: Students will be introduced to on-line information dealing History through links provided on the GeorgiaVIEW component of the course. 

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The content of this course syllabus also correlates to education standards established by national and state education governing agencies, accrediting agencies and learned society/professional education associations. Please refer to the course correlation matrices located at the following web site:  http://a-s.clayton.edu/teachered/Standards%20and%20Outcomes.htm .

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In addition to helping students to improve and/or foster the above skills, this course either meets or exceeds the standard course objectives recommended by the Georgia Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).  It also addresses Program Outcomes 1, 2, 3 & 5, as adopted by the history faculty at Clayton State University.

READING SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)

See GeorgiaVIEW for updates