THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, HUMANITIESHumanities 101 (7): Classics In ConversationFall 2014

3 Credit HoursMcGivney 004MWF, 12:40-1:30

Instructor: Mr. Shaun StiemsmaMarist 332202 319 548830stiemsma@cardinalmail.cua.eduOffice Hours: W 11-12:30 and F 1:30-2:45, or by appointment

Course Description:This one-semester course gives careful attention to a selection of foundational works in western literature. Readings include Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Virgil's Aeneid, Augustine's Confessions, and Dante's Inferno. Students also complete assignments based on the study of sites including war memorials, the Supreme Court, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Gallery.

Instructional Methods:Short LectureDiscussionStudent-led Presentations

Required Texts:Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. Trans. Anthony Esolen. New York: Modern Library, 2002.St. Augustine. Confessions. New York: Modern Library, 2002. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1998.Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1998.Vergil. The Aeneid. Transl. Sarah Ruden. New Haven: Yale UP, 2008.

Additional Reading (available on Bb when needed):Alighieri, Dante. Purgatorio and Paradiso.Sophocles. Oedipus Rex.

LibrariesThe CUA Libraries' wide range of resources and services, including databases, online journals, and FAQs are on the main web site.  For assistance on papers and assignments, consult the research guides or schedule an appointment with a subject librarian.

Course Goals The course is intended to invite students to:

Discover and understand classical and medieval texts as living documents Converse about culture and ideas of the past and their relevance today Connect their own experience and calling to great works of past cultures Consider the place of culture and the humanities in the development of the individual

human being

Goals for Student LearningAt the conclusion of the course, students will demonstrate an ability to:

Read complex texts carefully, comprehend the deeply, and respond to them personally Master the cultural and literary background necessary to aid understanding of older texts Gather relevant information for a text or topic and present to other students in an

engaging way Write in response to texts, showing both an accurate understanding and an individual

point of view Engage in conversation with others about assigned texts in terms of their own interests

and knowledge

Course Requirements

Daily ReadingReading QuizzesWeekly Blackboard Posts on Reading3 Essays1 PresentationActive Daily Class Participation

Expectations and policies

Attendance:

Because active participation is such an essential part of class, students are required to present in class every day class meets. Three classes can be missed without penalty, but after the 3rd, each missed class will result in an automatic 5 point deduction from the student’s final grade.

Electronics:

Except for specific instructor approved uses of laptops, students must keep all electronics, including phones, out of sight for the entire duration of class.

Academic Integrity:Academic integrity is not merely avoiding plagiarism or cheating, but it certainly includes those things. More than anything, having academic integrity means taking responsibility for your work, your ideas, and your effort, and giving credit to others for their work, ideas and effort. If you submit work that is not your own – whether test answers, whole papers or something in-between – I have a responsibility to hold you accountable for that action. I also have a responsibility to treat you with respect and dignity while doing so.

The following sanctions are presented in the University procedures related to Student Academic Dishonesty:

“The presumed sanction for undergraduate students for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. There may be circumstances, however, where, perhaps because of an undergraduate student’s past record, a more serious sanction, such as suspension or expulsion, would be appropriate. ...In the more unusual case, mitigating circumstances may exist that would warrant a lesser sanction than the presumed sanction.”

At times, I may ask you to do group work for an in-class presentation or group project. For that specific assignment, you are allowed to share material, ideas and information; however, for any related work that is to be submitted on an individual basis, I expect your submission to be your own in its entirety. If you have any questions regarding the handling of group work, email me or see me during office hours BEFORE the material is presented or turned in.

For more information about what academic integrity means at CUA, including your responsibilities and rights, visit http://integrity.cua.edu.

Accommodations for students with disabilities: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact Disability Support (dss.cua.edu) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Academic Support ServicesThe university’s primary academic support resources are located on the 2nd floor of the Pryzbyla Center. These affiliated offices and services include:

The Undergraduate Advising Center offers guidance to all undergraduates, especially first-year students, as they move toward their academic goals. Phone: (202) 319-5545 Email: cua-advising@cua.edu Web: advising.cua.edu

The Center for Academic Success provides academic support services for all students through a broad base of programs and services, including Tutoring Services, Workshops, Academic Coaching, Individual Skills Meetings, Peer Mentoring, and more. Phone: (202) 319-5655 Email: cua-academicsuccess@cua.edu Web: success.cua.edu

The Writing Center provides free, one-on-one consultations with trained graduate

instructors for writing projects across all disciplines at any stage of the process, from brainstorming to revising. Appointments in the main location, 202 Pryz, can be scheduled in advance online (http://english.cua.edu/wc/). Drop-in appointments are also welcome based on availability in the Pryz and at the satellite location in the Mullen Library Lobby (see website for days and hours). Phone: (202) 319-4286 Email: cua-writingcenter@cua.edu Web: english.cua.edu/wc/

Disability Support Services provides programs and services designed to support and encourage the integration of students with disabilities into the mainstream of the university community. Phone: (202) 319-5211 Email: cua-disabilityservices@cua.edu Web: dss.cua.edu

The Counseling Center provides free individual and group counseling services, psychiatric consultation, alternative testing, and emergency services to CUA students.  In addition, we provide consultation services and outreach programs to the CUA community. Appointments can be scheduled in person in 127 O’Boyle Hall, or by phone.Phone: (202) 319-5765. Web: counseling.cua.edu

Assessment

Grades will be kept on Blackboard throughout the semester, and will be available at the end of the term on Cardinal Station. Grades will be determined as follows:

Essay 1 (3-4 pages): 10%Essay 2 (3-4 pages): 10%Essay 3 (5-7 pages): 15%Class Presentation: 10%Discussion Board (required each week): 25%In-Class Participation (includes quizzes, other in-class activities): 30%

University grades: The University grading system is available at http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad//gradesfull.cfm#II for undergraduates. Reports of grades in courses are available at the end of each term on http://cardinalstation.cua.edu .  

Course Schedule:Students are all encouraged to read all of each work that is assigned, but all reading below is required and quizzes, online responses, and in-class discussions will all be used to determine the care and completeness with which required sections have been read.

Date Assignment OtherMonday, 8/25

Iliad (Book 1, in class) Epic Conventions

Wed, 8/27 Iliad (Book 1, 2 (excerpts)Friday, 8/29 Iliad (Book 3, 4 (excerpts), and 9Wed, 9/3 Iliad (Book 11 (exc.), 12, 14 (exc.), & 15

(exc.)Pres. 1: Greek Myths & the Pantheon

Friday, 9/5 Iliad (Book 16, 18 (excerpts) & 19 (excerpts)

Monday, 9/8 Iliad (Book 20 and 21)Wed, 9/10 Iliad (Book 23 and 24)Friday, 9/12 Odyssey (Book 1 and 2)Monday, 9/15

Odyssey (Book 3 (excerpts), 4 (excerpts), and 5

Pres. 2: Epic & Ancient Music or Art

Wed, 9/17 Odyssey (Book 6 and 7)Friday, 9/19 Odyssey (Book 8 (excerpts), 9 and 10)Monday, 9/22

Odyssey (Book 11, 12, and 13)

Wed, 9/24 Odyssey (Book 15 and 16) Draft of Essay 1Friday, 9/26 Odyssey (Book 21 and 22) Pres. 3: Later OdysseysMonday, 9/29

Odyssey (Book 23 and 24)

Wed, 10/1 Paper 1Friday, 10/3 Sophocles (Prologue-Scene 2 Pres. 4: Classical TragedyMonday, 10/6

Sophocles (Ode 2-Exodus) Mid-Term Grades for Freshmen

Wed,10/8 Vergil (Book 1)Friday, 10/10 Vergil (Book 2)Tuesday, 10/14

Vergil (Book 4) Pres. 5: Roman Culture, Augustus

Wed, 10/15 Vergil (Book 6)Friday, 10/17 Vergil (Book 7)Monday, 10/20

Vergil (Book 9) Draft of Paper 2

Wed, 10/22 Vergil (Book 10)Friday, 10/24 Vergil (Book 12) Pres. 6: Vergil & ChristianityMonday, 10/27

Paper 2

Wed, 10/29 Augustine (Book 1 and 2)Friday, 10/31 Augustine (Book 3 and 5) Pres. 7: Augustine & CultureMonday, 11/3

Augustine (Book 6 and 7)

Wed, 11/5 Augustine (Book 8, 10, and 13)Friday, 11/7 Dante (Canto 1-3) Pres. 8: Dante & Classical

PhilosophyMonday, 11/10

Dante (Canto 4-7) Pres. 9: The Architecture of Hell

Wed, 11/12 Dante (Canto 8-11)

Friday, 11/14 Dante (Canto 12-15)Monday, 11/17

Dante (Canto 16-19)

Wed, 11/19 Dante (Canto 20-23)Friday, 11/21 Dante (Canto 24-27)Monday, 11/24

Dante (Canto 28-31)

Monday, 12/1

Dante (Canto 32-34) Draft of Final Essay

Wed, 12/3 Dante (Selections from Purgatorio and Paradiso)

Pres. 10: Dante’s Comedic Universe

Friday, 12/5 Paper Revisions Tuesday12/9 Final Paper Due