Tentative Syllabus

HUM 2020 - Encountering the Humanities (8-09)

Fall 2009

 

Instructor:     Dr. Harry S. Coverston          

Course Location:      

Office:            227 Psychology Building

Course Meeting:

Departmental Phone:  (407) 823-2273

 

Hours:  

                        

Email: WebCT Coursemail ONLY

(email checked by 10 p.m. on class nights (Su-W)

           

 

Course Description: This is a study of the range of ideas, research methods and approaches to scholarship, critical reflection, and creative work in the humanities. (UCF Undergraduate Catalogue). This course will be organized around the central question of the Humanities: What does it mean to be human and how do we know? This question will be examined through the lenses of human experience and expression in the expressive humanities (art, architecture, literature, music, film, drama) as well as the reflective humanities (philosophy, religious thought, political and social theory). 

 

This is NOT a Gordon Rule course.

 

Prerequisites: None for this course. This course is a prerequisite for Humanities majors.

 

Course Objectives

 

1. To identify the personal and socio-cultural aspects of individual hermeneutical lenses which shape the way individuals encounter, interpret and    experience being human

 

2. To critically consider the question of what it means to be human in the context of empire. 

 

3. To introduce humanities students to techniques of research, analysis, verbal and written expression

 

4. To introduce humanities students to the resources of the university, the college, the department and the discipline of interdisciplinary Humanities

 

5. To introduce humanities students to the faculty and staff of the UCF Humanities program and the larger Philosophy Department of which it is a part.

 

6. To pursue the foregoing analyses through the artifacts of the expressive humanities and the ideas of the reflective humanities as found in

            primary and secondary sources

 

             

Required Texts:

 

  • Richard Paul Janaro, Thelma C. Altshuler, The Art of Being Human, 9th ed. (NY: Pearson, 2009)

 

(students should order Longman’s Student Edition, ISBN-10: 0-205-60542-7  or  ISBN-13: 978-0-205-60542-2)

 

NOTE: Students will need this textbook by the first class after the drop deadline 

 

  • PDF materials provided for classroom use at password protected webcourse site

 

 

 

Ground Rules: Please follow the link to the Ground Rules. Read, mark and inwardly digest them. Your continued presence in this class after the add/drop deadline constitutes consent to be bound by the Course Ground Rules.

 

·         Covenant to Participate in a Learning Community spells out the remainder of instructor and student obligations to the course and will provide the basis for student self-evaluation at the end of the term.

 

·         Withdrawal Deadline: It is this instructor's desire and intent that every student complete this course in good standing. However, should it become necessary for the student to withdraw, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the course prior to the Friday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m. deadline

 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

There are only two components of the final grade in this class.

 

 RESEARCH/WRITING   

 

Research Assignment I  - Scavenger Hunt designed to familiarize students with Philosophy Department – 25 points

 

Research Assignment II  - Library research designed to familiarize students with resources - 25 points

 

Analysis Assignment - Students will critically analyze assigned materials - 25 points

 

Critical Precis Assignments - Students will utilize critical precis to analyze assigned materials - 10 @ 10points, 100 pts. total

 

Final Research Paper - Students will propose, research, write and discuss a topic related to class materials. Grading for this paper will include the following components:

 

            * Proposal -    25 pts.

            * Writing -       25 pts.

            * Content -     50 pts.

            * Discussion  25 pts.                                    

            TOTAL PAPER - 125 points (of final grade)

 

   TOTAL WRITING = 300 points (50% of final grade)

 

 

PARTICIPATION  

 

Students will earn participation points in a number of ways including

 

            Group Presentation 2 @ 50 pts. = 100 pts. total

 

            Attendance 40 classes @ 1.5 pt. = 60 pts. total

 

            Class Activities @  120 pts. total

 

            Self-Evaluation End of Term Participation Self-Evaluation @ 25 pts.

 

            TOTAL = 300 points  (50% of final grade)

 

 

GRADING

 

The scale for all assignments used in this class includes the following:

 

93 - 100 = A

87-89 = B+

77-79 = C+

67-69 = D+

Below 60 = F

90-92 =     A-

83-86 = B

73-76 = C

63-66 = D

 

 

80-82 = B-

70-72 = C-

60-62 = D-

 

 

            for an explanation of what these grades mean, see So, what does my grade mean?

 

FINAL GRADES (Out of 600 possible points total)

 

558 - 600 = A

522 - 539  = B+

462 - 479 = C+

402 - 419 = D+

Below 360 = F

540 - 557 = A-

498 - 521 = B

438 - 461 = C

378 - 401 = D

 

 

480 - 497 = B-

420 - 437 = C-

360 - 377 = D-

 

 

All borderline cases will be decided upon participation and attendance grades at discretion of instructor.

 

Final Comment: If something arises unexpectedly that will affect your attendance and/or performance in this class, please contact the instructor. He's a fairly understanding man but a lousy mind reader. Any departure from this syllabus is in the discretion of the instructor and depends upon the individual circumstances of the student in question. Any changes in syllabus requirements or scheduling affecting all students will occur with notice to students.