*HIST+101+syllabus

Robert C. Figueira Spring 2018 e-mail: figueira@lander.edu Carnell Learning Center 368 webpage: http://figueira.wikispaces.com phones: 864-388-8218 (o); 864-229-6391 (h) office hours: MW 1:45-2:45PM, TR 9:30-10:30AM

HISTORY 101 WESTERN CIVILIZATION I   (Sections -02 and -10) I. __Required reading__:
 * Kagan, Ozment, Turner, Frank; //The Western Heritage// (eleventh edition), v. I (hereafter KOTF)

II. __Course content__: This course will provide insights into the character of our western (i.e., European) heritage from its beginnings to c.1500AD, focusing on political, intellectual, cultural, and social aspects. As in all historical inquiries, attention will also be given to questions of causation or responsibility in past events. It is hoped that students will enhance their abilities to investigate history in a critical manner in order to seek a truer understanding of their own western culture. As in any course of this chronological and geographic breadth, only a limited number of topics can be treated in any detail; students should rely on their textbook for a general acquaintance with those topics not treated in depth during class meetings.

III. __Course objectives__: __This course fulfills general education requirements in History__, and thus is designed to enable students to develop (//Lander University Catalog 2017-2018//, pp. 74-75) –
 * University-level knowledge and comprehension
 * The ability to apply information
 * The ability to analyze information
 * The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately

This course also fulfills requirements in the N.C.A.T.E.-approved and C.A.E.P.-approvedLanderUniversity matrix for Social Studies secondary education (History B.S. degree).

IV. __Course requirements, formal activities, and evaluation methods__: a) Completion of three in-class examinations that will each constitute not more than 20% of the raw final grade. The examinations will be given on 1 February, 27 February, and 3 April 2018. b) Completion of three research projects due on the appropriate three examination dates mentioned in the preceding item. These projects will constitute __in total__ not more than 10% of the raw final grade. c) Completion of a final examination scheduled by the University Registrar on: 1 May 2018 (section -02; exam at 8:00-10:00AM) 1 May 2018 (section -10; exam at 2:00-4:00PM) This exercise will constitute not more than 30% of the raw final grade. __Students are required not to schedule end-of-semester travel and/or other personal matters for the day and time of their section’s final examination__. __Otherwise they are advised not to remain registered in this course and section__. d) Regular attendance at class meetings; __it is the responsibility of each student to attend__. The instructor will monitor attendance, and students shall be held responsible for any announcements made and information imparted during class meetings. Please consult pp. 19-20 of the //Lander Student Handbook 2017-2018// and p. 54 of the //Lander// //University// //Catalog 2017-2018// regarding official university policy on class attendance. __Students who miss 20% of class meetings for whatever reason will receive a grade penalty up to and including “FA”__. __Habitual tardiness is not acceptable and will be counted proportionately as attendance absences__. e) Participation in class discussions (to demonstrate the ability to speak Standard English). f) Compliance both with the Student Responsibilities and Classroom Comportment regulations distributed separately to you and with the Classroom Code of Conduct outlined on pp. 17-18 in the //Lander Student Handbook 2017-2018//.

Grading scale – all examinations and assignments will receive a precise numerical grade, percentage-based; the operative scale for these and for the course as a whole is: “A” = 90% and above; “B” = 80-89%; “C” = 70-79%; “D” = 60-69%; “F” = 59% and below.

The examinations, projects, and discussions will measure knowledge as well as abilities of application, analysis, and communication regarding course content, thereby demonstrating fulfillment of the general education goals enunciated above.

Regular attendance, classroom participation, and appropriate classroom comportment will be considered in the conversion of the raw final grade into the course mark.

A student who __without prior excuse__ does not take an exam or submit an assigned research project at the appointed time earns an “F” for that particular exercise. __Upon the student’s request, it is the instructor’s prerogative whether to permit the hitherto unexcused student to take a make-up or receive a postponement (with or without penalty)__.

It is expected that all students abide by the rules of academic honesty detailed on pp. 7-11 of the //Lander Student Handbook 2017-2018//. See also p. 45 of the //Lander// //University// //Catalog 2017-2018// regarding the Academic Honor Code.

V. __Additional Information__ If you have now or develop during this semester a physical or a learning disability and you want me to make reasonable accommodations according to federal law, you must contact the Lander University Student Wellness Center (Genesis Building, phone: 864-388-8885, email: studentwellness@lander.edu) and provide that office with appropriate documentation unless you have done so in the past. Once that office is aware of your disability, it will inform all of your instructors each semester that you attend LanderUniversity unless you ask in writing that this not be done. __Students receiving special accommodations for scheduling and supervision of examinations and other formal academic exercises must consult the instructor and the Academic Success Center (864-388-8317) on each occasion where special accommodations are sought and at least forty-eight hours before the examination or exercise__.

Audio recording of class meetings __is prohibited__ without the explicit permission of the instructor. Use of all tobacco products __is prohibited__ during all class meetings. Use of cellular phones, PDAs, and similar electronic media devices __is prohibited__ during all class meetings. __Use of computers is permitted, with one exception, during class meetings, but their use is limited only to note-taking and accessing those websites that the instructor is using in instruction during that class meeting__. Use of computers __is prohibited__, however, during examinations. The foregoing paragraph __is not intended__ to negate the reasonable accommodations accorded by federal law to students with documented physical or learning disabilities.

Student athletes whose coaches request the completion of progress reports by the instructor must, __on each occasion__, inform the instructor __at least twenty-four hours__ in advance of this need and provide the required forms and waiver agreements. As far as he is able, the instructor voluntarily will provide reasonable accommodation to such requests.

On rare occasions, extremely inclement weather might discourage road travel to and from the Greenwood campus in order to attend a class meeting. I encourage you __not to risk__ your safety in such cases of bad weather. You are also responsible for your learning in this course, and thus I am confident that you will treat such occasions in a responsible manner. Whenever Lander classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, the University will inform local public communications media. The easiest way to determine whether class meetings have been cancelled is to access Lander’s automated telephone system at 864-388-8000; any cancellation message will be announced first on the system.

The instructor uses Blackboard __only__ to report midterm course grades and __not__ for email or any other communication. Students wishing to email the instructor should carefully note his address above and use instead their internet email capability __outside__ of Blackboard. Students should also __regularly__ check their official Lander email accounts for communications from the instructor. Finally, students should consult the instructor’s webpage (http://figueira.wikispaces.com) for a copy of their syllabus and other study materials.

VI. __Teaching strategies used__: Formal lecture – interrupted often by question-and-answer opportunities – will comprise the greater part of course meetings; on several occasions, however, the teaching format will be student discussion moderated by the instructor.

VII. __Class topics and assignments__: [Topics 2-11 should last __at least__ two class periods.]
 * 1) Introduction
 * 2) The Birth of Civilization (KOTF, pp. 1-31)
 * 3) The Rise of Greek Civilization (KOTF, pp. 33-59)
 * 4) Classical and Hellenistic Greece (KOTF, pp. 61-94)
 * 5) Rome: From Republic to Empire (KOTF, pp. 97-127)
 * 6) The Roman Empire (KOTF, pp. 130-71)
 * 7) Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (KOTF, pp. 172-203)
 * 8) The High Middle Ages (KOTF, pp. 206-32)
 * 9) Medieval Society (KOTF, pp. 234-58)
 * 10) The Late Middle Ages (KOTF, pp. 265-85)
 * 11) Renaissance and Discovery (KOTF, pp. 260-64, 288-318)
 * 12) Summary and Review