School of
Arts and
Sciences
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Number HU 202 |
Course
Title Western Tradition II |
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Fall Semester |
Spring
Semester X |
Summer Semester |
Year 2015 |
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Name
of Instructor William Miller |
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Meeting
Day, Time, and Room Number Tuesdays-Fridays, 12:15-1:30,
Gailhac G110 |
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Final
Exam Day, Time, and Room Number The final exam will be given in
our regular classroom at the time listed in the University Final Exam
calendar: Tuesday, May 5th, 2:00pm. |
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Office
Hours, Location, Phone Tuesdays
and Fridays 2:00pm to 4:00pm; Wednesdays 3:00 to 4:00pm & by appointment.
My office in Ireton G107, my telephone number is 703 284 1687, but always
email ahead of time! |
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E-mail & Website wmiller@marymount.edu (Email is the best
way to reach me!) www.millerpolitics.com (All announcements and assignments are
posted here, not on Blackboard.) |
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UNIVERSITY
STATEMENTS
Academic Integrity
By accepting this syllabus,
you pledge to uphold the principles of Academic Integrity expressed by the
Marymount University Community. You agree to observe these principles yourself
and to defend them against abuse by others.
Special Needs and
Accommodations
Please advise
the instructor of any special problems or needs at the beginning of the
semester. If you seek accommodation
based on disabilities, you should provide a Faculty Contact Sheet obtained
through the Office of Student Access Services, located in Rowley Hall.
Access
to Student Work
Copies of your work
in this course including copies of any submitted papers and your portfolios may
be kept on file for institutional research, assessment and accreditation
purposes. All work used for these purposes will be submitted anonymously.
Student
Copyright Authorization
For the benefit of
current and future students, work in this course may be used for educational
critique, demonstrations, samples, presentations, and verification. Outside of these uses, work shall not be
sold, copied, broadcast, or distributed for profit without student
consent.
University
Policy on Snow Closings
Snow closings are
generally announced on area radio stations. For bulletins concerning Marymount
snow or weather closings, call (703) 526-6888. Unless otherwise advised by
radio announcement or by official bulletins on the number listed above,
students are expected to report for class as near normal time as possible on
days when weather conditions are adverse. Decisions as to snow closing or delayed
opening are not generally made before 5:00 AM of the working day. Students are
expected to attend class if the University is not officially closed.
1. BROAD
PURPOSE OF COURSE (Include the
catalog description)
This is the second half
of an interdisciplinary humanities survey. It will focus on the seminal works
(literary and artistic), figures, and ideas of Western Civilization, from the
Reformation to the end of the Cold War. In particular, it will examine the
works, historical figures, and ideas that caused and reflected the development
of the modern national states in Europe.
2. COURSE
OBJECTIVES (For core
courses, include writing, critical reasoning, and information literacy as
appropriate)
Upon
successful completion of this course students will be expected to:
1. be familiar with
the conventional periodization of Western history: the ancient, medieval, and
modern eras;
2. demonstrate an
understanding of the essential characteristics of this High Middle Ages;
3. demonstrate an
understanding of selected works of art, literature, philosophy, and theology of
the Renaissance and following periods;
4. demonstrate a basic
understanding of the concept of “modernity” as it applies to the period of
Western culture beginning in the Sixteenth Century;
5. demonstrate
familiarity with Western cultural developments since the modern era began;
6. demonstrate a basic
ability to read texts in political theory with critical understanding—i.e.,
to grasp the author's main points, to identify his supporting arguments and
rationales, and to offer cogent internal and external criticism of the
readings; and,
7. engage in the practice of
writing and critical reasoning by composing well organized, acceptably
written, logically argued essays and papers on issues of political theory.
3. TEACHING
METHOD (lecture, laboratory,
audio-visual, clinical experience, discussion, seminar, tutorial)
The course will
consist primarily of guided discussions of the readings and secondarily of
lectures and background information by the instructor.
4. GRADING
POLICY (i.e., number of graded
assignments, weight given to each)
The final grade is
based on a possible total of 100 points that includes grades for class
assignments (which includes answering questions in class and participating in
class discussions) and quizzes, two short graded papers, two mid-term essay
exams, and a final essay exam, as follows:
20% = Two one-page papers
(each is worth 10%)
15% = Lower
mid-term exam
20% = Higher
mid-term exam
30% = Final exam
15% = Class
assignments, quizzes, constructive contributions to class discussions.
The usual scale of
90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, and 59% and below=F will be used for
all graded work.
The exams and the
papers are all based on the primary readings of the course: not on the class
lectures, which are intended to help you understand the readings and not to
substitute for the readings. No grade of "I" or
"Incomplete" will be given. If possible, papers and exams will be
graded and returned within two weeks. No
late papers will be accepted. Papers emailed to me by the due date and time
will be accepted as long as you give me a hard copy by the next class. Students
must retain a copy of each paper on their hard drive, thumb drive, or the
cloud.
ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY
Attendance: Beginning with the second week of classes,
students are allowed a total of nine absences, excused and/or unexcused.
Students who miss ten classes or more will receive an “F” in the course.
Each unexcused absence beyond three—up to the
absolute limit of nine—will result in a lowering of the final grade by one
percentage point. To be excused, an absence must be explained to and approved
by me, preferably before it occurs. Excused absences are typically those that
are documented, such as medical-, legal-, or job-related excuses. Note: Occasionally
coming to class late—even real late once or twice—is not considered an absence.
Coming to class without hard copies of the text for the day, leaving class
after taking an announced quiz without the prior permission of the instructor, or
spending time on internet sources unrelated to class, however, shall be considered
unexcused absences.
Merely informing me
ahead of time that you will be absent from class does not mean I excuse the
absence, though I appreciate your courtesy. I will not excuse your absence
because you are simply not feeling well or because you choose to do something
worthwhile other than come to class even if you inform me ahead of time. If you
are coughing and sneezing and coming down with a cold or the flu, and you don't
want to spread your virus to your classmates, your fellow students and I salute
you! Staying home may be the right thing to do, but it is not an excused
absence. You all get three unexcused absences to use as you see fit, and it is
your decision to use them to stay home when you don't feel well or want to
attend some other event or need to prepare for another class instead of going
to my class. Use them for good reasons: that's what they are for.
The limit of nine
total absences recognizes that excessive excused
absences may also be a problem. You should discuss such situations with me well
before the last month of the semester. This is not a distance learning class.
Any absence prevents you from participating in the class, but if your job or an
illness keeps you away from class, it will significantly affect the class
participation component of your grade and may be a good reason to drop the
course and take it another time. All of us find ourselves in these situations
from time to time and have to deal with them appropriately. You also have an
obligation to report this to a University office (see the section on
“Absenteeism in the 2014-2015 University Catalogue).
When in doubt about
any of these policies, please come and talk to me. They have been formulated
with our substantial commuter and working student population in mind and are
intended to be fair to everyone. You should also review the University's
policies on “Absenteeism” in the 2014-2015 University Catalogue.
Make-up Exams: The same basic rules about excused absences apply to taking mid-terms. My policy of giving makeup exams on the same day as the final does NOT mean that you may choose to take the mid-term exam on that day rather than on the regularly scheduled day: it is not an alternative test date. To be eligible for a makeup, you must qualify for an excused absence, and this you should do a reasonable time before the day of the mid-term, if that is at all possible. You may be excused from taking a mid-term if you are certifiably sick or your job prevents you from attending class or you have a serious family or personal or employment emergency on the day of the test. If one of these applies and I am informed in a reasonable time before the exam and you have written documentation to support your request, you may take the exam on the same day as the final exam. If none of these reasons apply, you may not take the exam at another time, and you will get a zero for the exam. If you are late for the exam because of events outside of your control, let me know immediately or as soon as possible that day, and I will let you take the exam later that same day if possible.
5. CLASS
SCHEDULE (List topics likely to be
covered with approximate dates of presentation. Snow, wind, hail, power
outages, and so on may make adjustments necessary)
This schedule is approximate
and subject to changes because of weather and other factors: see the link to
"Western Tradition II (Spring 2015)" in the Weekly Assignments
section of the millerpolitics.com webpage
before each class for an updated schedule and specific assignments.
Week I (1/13-16): Introduction to
the course; Palmer and Colton “The Rise of Europe.”
Week II (1/20-23): Palmer and Colton; Bobbitt on the development
of the modern state.
Week III (1/27-30):
Readings from the High Middle
Ages
Week IV (2/3-6): Readings from the Renaissance; art of the High Middle Ages and
Renaissance (Michael Wood)
February 6 - Last
day to withdraw from a class without academic record!
Week V (2/10-13): The Early Modern
Period.
Week VI (2/17-20): The Early Modern Period. First Mid-term Exam.
Week VII (2/24-27): The Early Modern
Period.
Week VIII (3/3-6): The Seventeenth
Century.
Spring Break!
Week IX (3/17-20): The Enlightenment.
March 20 - Last day
to withdraw from a class with a grade of W!
Week X (3/24-27): The Age of Science.
Modern Ideologies
Week XI (3/31): Second
Mid-term Exam.
Week XII (4/7-10): The Age of Nationalism.
Week XIII (4/14-17): The Age of Ideology.
Week XIV (4/21-24): The Cold War.
Week XV (4/28-5/1): The contemporary West.
The final exam will
be given only at the date and time prescribed by the University Final
Exam Schedule: Tuesday, May 5th, at 2:00pm. Also, any permitted
make-ups of mid-term exams will take place on the 5th. Make your
travel plans accordingly!
6. REQUIRED
TEXTS
Though not required, it is highly recommended that you obtain a copy of
any edition of R.R. Palmer and Joel Colton’s A History of the Modern World. Earlier editions were in one volume;
later editions were published in two volumes, and we will only need volume one
(until 1815).
We shall also use materials from Philip Bobbitt’s Shield of Achilles: War, Peace, and the Course of History. New
York: Anchor, 2002.
We will be using Fordham University’s Internet Modern
History Sourcebook extensively for the readings in the course, and the
course will essentially consist of the reading of primary sources.
For art history, we will use the Annenberg Art of the Western World,
narrated by Michael Wood.
As a general framework for the course, Eugen Weber’s lectures on The Western Traditon, also an Annenberg series, will be useful.
7. RECOMMENDED
OR SUGGESTED READINGS OR AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS
The following books
provide the framework for the first semester of this sequence, HU 201, which is
assumed in the early materials of the present course, HU 202.
Christopher Dawson.
Religion and the Rise
of Western Culture. New York: Image Books, 1950.
________. The Making of Europe.
Washington, D.C.: Catholic University Press, 1932, 2002.
________. The Formation of Christendom.
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1965.
________. The Dividing of Christendom.
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1965.
A
FEW FURTHER RULES
1. Turn your cell
phone ringer off during the class. If you are expecting an important call, put
your phone on “Vibrate,” sit near the door, and, when the call comes, answer it
outside the classroom.
2. It follows from the
foregoing rule, but it must be separately stated: no talking and no texting on
cell phones during class. If you do not follow this rule, I will publicly ask
you to leave the room for the remainder of the class and will do my best to have
you removed from the course for the rest of the semester.
3. No
open lap-top or other computers are allowed in class without my prior
permission.
Devices such as smart phones, tablets, Ipads, Kindles, Kobos, and Nooks that
lie flat on the desk and on to which the readings can be loaded are permitted
if approved by me, but hard copies of the readings are better. You can mark
them up and take notes on them in class.
4. Be
sure to check your Marymount email address regularly! This is
Marymount’s and my principal way of contacting you with important information.
Perhaps you rely mostly on Yahoo, gmail, or some other provider, but check your
@marymount.edu mail daily to make sure you do not miss school information.
5. Save copies of all of your papers and written
assignments until at least a week after the end of the semester.
These
rules are necessary to foster a suitable learning environment in the classroom
during class. There are enough distractions with lawnmowers, air conditioners,
and other outside forces to combat during lectures and discussions without
these controllable distractions within the room.