SYLLABUS  WORLD CIV. TO 1650              SPRING SEMESTER  2008
INSTRUCTOR:  ROBERT S. GERLICH, S.J. Section: T122-001/002 
122/001 Starting Time: MWF 10:30 A.M.
122/002 Starting Time: MWF 11:30 A.M.
Meeting Room: Bobet 322
COURSE OBJECTIVES
TEXT AND METHOD
GRADING PERCENTAGES AND GRADE SCALE
TESTS
CLASS ETIQUETTE AND EXPECTATIONS
ACADEMIC HONESTY
APPOINTMENTS AND CONSULTATION

 


COMPANION WEBSITE


CL   DATE     TOPIC  TEXT    (Pgs.)
Jan   07 Human Culture as Evolutionary Adaptation 6-7
2         09 Early Civilizations in the Near East 7-16
3         11 Early Civilizations in India, China and the Americas 16-27
4         14 Philosophy and Religion in China and India 30-38
5         16 Philosophy and Religion among the Hebrews and Greeks 39-48
6         18 Ancient and Archaic Greek Civilization 58-66
        21 MARTIN LUTHER HOLIDAY
7         23 Major Greek States and Classical Greece 66-77
8         25 Alexander the Great & The Hellenistic World 77-83
09         28 Iran, Mauryan India, and Steppe Peoples to 200 C.E. 76-89
10         30 Roman Kingship and Republic 124-134
11 Feb  01 Augustan Principate and Empire 134-140
 04 - 08 MARDI GRAS HOLIDAYS
12         11 Christianity & Late Empire  last section included on first exam 141-151
13         13 Africa: Early History to 1000 C.E. 106-121
14         15 FIRST EXAMINATION
15         18 Ch'in and Han China 138-153
16         20 Sui and Tang China 176-186
17         22 Song & Yuan China 187-202 
18         25 Early Japan  204-215
19         27 Japan's Early Feudal Age and Buddhism  215-225
20         29 Iran and India Before Islam 228-240
21         03 Formation of Islamic Civilization 246-253
22         05 New Order: Caliphate and Islamic Culture 253-263
23         07 Early Middle Ages 266-275
24         10 Kingdom of the Franks & Feudal Europe 275-286
25         12 Islamic Heartlands and India 288-306
26         14 Ancient Civilizations in Mesoamerica 312-326
 17 - 24 EASTER HOLIDAYS
27         27 Ancient Civilizations in Andean South America  last section included on second exam
28         28 The High Middle Ages: Revival of Empire, Church and Town 326-332
29         31 SECOND EXAMINATION 338-354
30 Apr  02 Medieval Europe: Consolidation and Breakdown 350-358
31         04 The Italian Renaissance 359-364
32         07 Revival of Monarchy: Nation Building in Fifteenth Century 364-368 
33         09 On the Eve of the Reformation  374-379 
34         11 The Protestant Reformation 379-389
35         14 The Catholic Reformation and Counter-Reformation 389-392
36         16 Life of Ignatius  
37         18 Social Upheaval: Wars of Religion   393-403 
38         21 Superstition and Enlightenment 403-409
39         23 Africa ca. 1000-1800 416-432
40         25 Conquest and Exploitation of the Americas  436-446 
41         28 Slavery in the Americas 446-454
42         30 Review and Reflection

 

FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE:

Monday        05    May    11:30 - 1:30PM   (SEC. 001)
Wednesday   07    May    11:30 - 1:30PM   (SEC. 002)

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To gain a better understanding of both the elements of diversity and commonality underlying humanity's struggle to survive and achieve.
2. To “learn” from the past so as to be able to judge the nature of contemporary issues and events  better.
3. To be able to explain the events, concepts, and relationships which have contributed to social, economic, and political change.
4. To develop the critical thinking necessary to contribute effectively to class discussions.
5. To obtain a “genteel” knowledge of the peoples, events, and movements which have influenced human development.

 
 
TEXT and METHOD
1. The Heritage of World Civilizations, Volume One: To 1700 (Teaching & Learning Classroom Edition, 3rd ed.) by Craig, Graham, et. al. — ISBN: 0-13-219694-8.   
Donnelly, John Patrick. Ignatius of Loyola. Founder of the Jesuits. Library of World Biography. ISBN: 0-321-08618-X
2. Method: 
a. Preparation of the textbook material assigned on the syllabus
b. Active participation in class discussions

 
 

GRADING PERCENTAGES and GRADE SCALE

1. GRADING PERCENTAGE
a. Reading Review Quizzes 50%
b. Examinations 50%
2. GRADE SCALE
A       90-100
B+     85-89.9
B       80-84.9
C+     75-79.9
C       70- 74.9
D+     65-69.9
D       60-64.9

 
 
TESTS

1. Quizzes
a.  Reading quizzes are given daily. Quizzes are based on the review sheet materials for the assigned class day.  Review Sheets are accessed by clinking on the linked name of the assigned material provided on the syllabus page. Quizzes are in multiple choice format and are normally given at the beginning of class.  Once quizzes have been collected, class begins and no late quizzes will be administered, as we move on promptly to the new class presentation.
b. Two reading quiz will be dropped during the semester; however, no points will be lost. That is, if a student takes all the quizzes, the points obtained on the two lowest quizzes will not be dropped but added to the overall quiz score as extra credit.
c.  Reading quizzes may not be “made up.&rdquo However, because life is not perfect, and since it may be unavoidable to attend a particular class, rare exceptions to the "NO MAKE UP" policy will be considered. Special medical and personal emergencies (hospitalization, death in the family, and participation in school related activity) should be brought to my attention, if possible, prior to the necessity of missing class. Please avoid "trying" for an exception if your excuse does not meet the above-mentioned criteria. Normal aliments: colds, not feeling well, overslept, car broke down, doctor's appointment, etc. are not meant here. Should you suffer from a chronic medical condition that periodically leads to incapacitation (i.e., migraines, etc.), medical documentation should be made to the Office of Student Affairs so that letters of confirmation can be sent to all you professors. Remember two reading quizzes are "dropped" during the semester. This is meant to compensate for the more mundane but necessary reasons for missing class.
d. Graded quizzes are returned at the very beginning of class. I only bring a particular set of quizzes to class once, if a student is not there to pick up his/her quiz, the student may come to retrieve the quiz from my office where they are kept on file.

Please retain the quizzes. Some might find them useful for preparing the exam. But it is possible that, given the volume of paper moving through my hands, I might enter a grade incorrectly. In that case, the physical quiz sheet would be necessary to verify the grade and allow me to change it accordingly.
2. Examinations
a. Three examinations are given in the semester. The examinations are non-culminative in nature. Thus, each exam covers approximately a third of the semester's material. The three grades are equally weighted, consequently the average of the three grades constitute 50% of the overall grade.
b. The examinations are prepared principally from the review sheets supplied for each section on the syllabus and from materials presented in class. The exams are of a multiple choice format, unless special arrangements are made.
c. Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations in this class should contact Disability Services at 865-2990 as soon as possible so that warranted accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion. Disability Services are located in the Academic Enrichment Center, Monroe Hall 405.

 
 
CLASS ETIQUETTE AND EXPECTATIONS

1.    Attendance
a.  Since daily reading quizzes account for 50% of the grade, it is highly advisable that a student attend every class. Be prompt and be prepared to take an active part in the class discussion. Vegetative presence serves neither the learning experience nor is it a profitable use of time. If you are not in the mood to think and are not interested in contributing to the discussion, I would suggest that it would be better to use your time in some other more profitable endeavor outside of the classroom.
b. Leaving the classroom after an quiz is considered an absence! The quiz will be graded and counted IF THE STUDENT INFORMS THE PROFESSOR OF HIS/HER NEED TO LEAVE. HOWEVER, after three unexcused absences, the student's grade will be lowered one grade level, i.e., from a B+ to a B, for each additional unexcused absence.
2. Etiquette
a. If you must leave early, etiquette requires that the student inform the professor prior to the beginning of class. In my class, failure do so will result in the student being marked absent and his quiz being discarded without being graded.
b. I do not object to a student bring a morning beverage to help stimulate newly awakened brain cells, but please do not bring food into the classroom. Proper attire is required for class, please wear shoes, etc. Private conversations in class are very disruptive; please avoid them.
c. Be prompt for the beginning of class! Class begins with my asking whether anyone encountered any particular difficulty during the preparation of the previous class materials over which the subsequent quiz is based. When these problems have been addressed, the quiz immediately follows. Once papers have been given out, late-coming students have only the time remaining to the rest of the class. If the quiz papers have already been assembled it is no longer possible to take the quiz, since the class lecture will have begun.
d. In a rather new development, some individuals have begun scheduling their daily personal hygiene and phone calls after the quiz. We move quickly to cover the material assigned for each class day, and it is most disruptive whenever students enter the class five or ten minutes after the lecture/presentation has begun. Please take care of your physical necessities PRIOR TO CLASS! Of course, emergencies are excepted but they should be the EXCEPTION.
3. Electonric Equipment:  Please disable cell phones prior to the beginning of class. Moreover, do not use computers during a class presentation. Powerpoint presentations and lectures require your attention. Clicking away on a computer takes the student's away from the presentations and is distracting to me.
4. Joining Class Late:  Every semester some students (either by choice or necessity) join the class late. Since we move rapidly in this course, it is often difficult to "catch up" but it is certainly possible. Students who enter after the first quiz are responsible for "making up" all missed material and quizzes within ONE week of joining the class.

 
 
 
ACADEMIC HONESTY


It is expected that each student's work reflects the highest level of personal and academic integrity. Study groups are encouraged, but everyone is to do one's own work. Quizzes or examinations should reflect one's own performance. Copying from others is a serious breach of academic standards and carries with it negative consequences, including but not limited to the disqualification of the quiz/examination. Moreover, although there is only a small writing component in this course it is important to understand the seriousness of Plagiarism.

Plagiarism—the use of another person's ideas or wording without giving proper credit— results from the failure to document fully and accurately.  Ideas and expressions of them are considered to belong to the individual who first puts them forward.  Therefore, when you incorporate ideas or phrasing from any other author in your paper, whether you quote them directly or indirectly, you need to be honest and complete about indicating the source to avoid plagiarism.  Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism can bring serious consequences, both academic, in the form of failure or expulsion, and legal, in the form of lawsuits.  Plagiarism is a violation of the ethics of the academic community.

William G. Campbell, Stephen V. Ballou, and Carole Slade,    Form and Style: Thesis, Reports, Term Papers,    6th Edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982), p. 52
 



APPOINTMENTS AND CONSULTATION

1. Office Hours
a. Office hours are held in Bobet 425, MW 9:00 -10: am; 3:30-4:45 pm; TH 10-11:45 am; 3:00 - 4:30 pm.  On Fridays, there are no scheduled office hours, but I am normally in my office. You are welcome to stop by or phone to check and see if I am in the office. It is my great preference that we meet face-to-face to discuss class issues. Should this not be possible, phone. Use the e-mail only for informative, or emergency issues.
b. Due to meetings and extensive committee obligations, it is possible that on a given day conflicts will arise. Thus, it is prudent to call ahead and make sure that I am indeed available and in my office. Although I make a particular effort to be in my office during the scheduled hours, I do spend most of my day in the office. Please feel free to stop by any time to discuss your class grades, study habits, etc. I am always delighted to offer any help that I can.
2. Office Telephone and E-mail
a. (504) 865-2570 
b. email address: gerlich@loyno.edu