Our section meets MTWThF 11-11:50 am in Wallace 114
Course website: http://personal.monm.edu/schell_hannah/ILA/2005/ILAHome.htm
Email: hschell@monm.edu
Course Description:
This course is part of the first year seminar program at the college that is designed to introduce you to the liberal arts. We will reflect on texts whose themes allow us to consider the question of what makes a life exemplary. Our discussions will naturally include lives that are flawed and how those flaws may be woven into a life that still might be considered exemplary. Our inquiry will begin with an inward looking autobiography and then move to other modes of discovery. We will consider how others might view a life “from the outside” in a biography. We will investigate the discovery of lives in the past and how individuals have dedicated defined their exemplary lives to discovery in the physical world. To conclude the course, we will discover how exemplary lives might be understood in different cultures. This final text will also serve as a “bridge” to the sophomore course that you will take, Global Perspectives. This section is part of a learning community triad (with Professors Mato and Vivian) that will experiment with various teaching strategies to explore ideas concerning our theme. Please refer to the yellow handbook for additional information regarding this class.
Course Texts.
Unless otherwise indicated, these are available for purchase at the bookstore. They are listed in the order in which we will use them in class.
Monmouth College Introduction to the Liberal Arts Handbook, 2005 (distributed in class).
Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1998.
Obama, Barack. Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004 (mailed to you this summer).
Nuland, Sherwin. Leaonardo da Vinci. Penguin, 2000.
Lightman, Alan. A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit. New York: Pantheon Books, 2005.
Hallie, Philip. In the Eye of the Hurricane: Tales of Good and Evil, Help and Harm. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 1997.
Masur, Louis. 1831: Year of Eclipse. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
Dangarembga, Tsitsi, Nervous Conditions. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2004.
Additional materials to be distributed in class.
Attendance and participation. You are expected and required to attend all seminar classes and required meetings of this course. This includes convocations throughout the semester, usually held on Tuesdays. Since this course is a seminar that revolves about class discussion, it is particularly important for you to be in class to benefit from all that your fellow student/scholars and instructor have to offer. You are expected to not only to be physically present in class, but to come to class prepared, and to participate actively in the discussion. Excused absences are granted in the event of: a medical problem (documented by a doctor’s note), a family emergency (which must be documented by the Dean of Student’s office), or a school-sponsored event (which much be documented by the teacher or coach organizing the event). Your third unexcused absence will negatively effect your grade in the course; additional absences will cause you to fail the course.
Requirements and Expectations.
There is a great deal of writing in the first year seminar. Writing requirements include:
An introductory essay of approximately 500 to 750 words that will be assigned during the first week of class. You will go through a process of revising the essay during the second week.
Two “formal” 750-1250 word, thesis-focused essays. Specific instructions will be given during the term. For all formal writing, you must use the MLA format for essays found in The Bedford Handbook.
One formal 750-1250 word essay that is autobiographical or biographical.
Informal writing exercises every week. You will be expected to write between 500-1000 words in a variety of assignments that respond to the week’s reading or convocation material. This will be graded on a check plus, check, check minus scale.
A library-based research project that will focus on the collection, evaluation and citation of sources.
A midterm and comprehensive final exam that asks you to synthesize the course material at that point. There may also be unannounced quizzes in order to determine your reading comprehension.
Because this is a writing-intensive seminar, it is important that each assignment be turned in on time. I will not accept late papers unless an extension has been agreed upon well in advance (at least one week). Extensions will only be granted in extenuating circumstances.
Grading Guidelines In order to pass this course, you must complete all of the required assignments. Your grade will be calculated according to the following:
50%
Formal Writing, Informal Writing, and Research/Library Assignment: Introductory Essay (7); Autobiographical Essay (8); Formal Paper 1 (10); Formal paper 2 (10; Research project/Library assignment (5); Weekly Informal Writing (50)
20%
Class Participation/Oral communication in class: Regular, informed participation in class discussion (10; Presentations (10).
30%
Quizzes and exams: Quizzes (10); Midterm Exam (10); Final Exam (10)
Statement regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism is using a source’s information, ideas or words and failing to acknowledge that source. This includes unintentionally, and it will not be tolerated in any form in this class. In accordance with Monmouth College’s rules regarding academic dishonesty, I reserve the right to fail you in the course if you plagiarize, and I report all cases of plagiarism to the Dean’s office. Please understand that it is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism; “I didn’t know” is neither acceptable nor an excuse. We will discuss proper forms of citation in this course extensively.
Regarding learning disabilities. Students with disabilities should provide written notice the first week of class in order to be accommodated.
Making contact with professor. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you find yourself struggling with this class, want to discuss the material, etc. Since I am also your advisor for this semester, you should come see me if you find yourself struggling in other classes, have questions, or just want to dream and plan. You can reach me in my office at 457-2151 and by email at hschell@monm.edu. My office hours this semester are Mondays 1-2 pm, Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm and Wednesdays 10-11 am and by appointment. My office is located in 312 College Place, #2 (behind the Mellinger Center).