HUM 103 JA: Humanities I, Fall 2019, Session I

Instructor: Dr. Mary Wheeling

Office Location: Arts & Sciences Suite, #6, Fulmer Center Annex (top floor suite across from
water fountains)
Office Hours: drop-in visits, MW 12:30-2:30, TR 2:00-3:00, F 9:00-12:00; or we can set up
an appointment for another time
Phone: 302-225-6361 (leave voice mail)
E-mail: wheeling@gbc.edu (I check email at least once every 24 hours)
Contact Hours: 42
Credits: 3

Textbooks:
Matthews, Platt, and Noble, Experience Humanities, Combined 8th ed., NY: McGraw-Hill, 2014

You will use this book BOTH semesters of HUM 103 AND 104!
Textbook is available through GBC Online Bookstore link on left-hand side of Campus
Web homepage; also available through most other online book retailers.

Course Description:
Humanities I: Our Cultural Heritage (HUM 103) explores the cultural and intellectual roots of
Western society through an integrated study of the humanities. As defined by the course,
humanities encompasses humankind's search for meaning and expression--the journey to
know and understand the world. Students will explore this definition on the historical,
philosophical, literary, and aesthetic levels. HUM 103 covers intellectual and artistic
movements chronologically, from prehistory through the late Middle Ages. 3 credit hours.

Prerequisite:
None.

Page 1
Course Materials:
The textbook (see above), as well as handouts, Internet resources, and audio-visual materials
presented in class.

Learning Objectives/Goals:
Upon completion of “Humanities I: Our Cultural Heritage,” students will be able to

1. Identify and explain major historical, philosophical, religious, literary, and artistic trends
of the Western tradition from prehistory through the late Middle Ages.
2. Situate foundations of present-day political, economic, social, and cultural institutions in
the period from prehistory through the late Middle Ages, particularly in the Greek and
Roman eras.
3. Identify origins and growth of the three major monotheistic, Abrahamic religions,
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Topics Covered:
1. Prehistory and Near Eastern Civilizations
2. Aegean Civilizations
3. Classical Greek Civilization
4. Hellenistic Civilization
5. Classical Rome
6. Judaism and the Rise of Christianity
7. Roman Imperial Civilization and the Triumph of Christianity
8. The Heirs to the Roman Empire: Byzantium and the West in the Early Middle Ages
9. The World of Islam
10. The High Middle Ages
11. The Late Middle Ages

Course Format:
HUM 103 is taught through a combination of lecture, discussion, and individual and small-
group learning activities that include writing assignments and tests. Students will complete
course requirements meant to foster fulfillment of the Learning Objectives (see above). Most
course content will be transmitted face-to-face and on paper during class, so consistent
attendance is crucial. Course Schedule showing reading assignments and activity/assessment
dates follows:

Page 2
Course Schedule:
Depending on our needs, we may revise the schedule slightly.
NOTE: lowest in-class activity OR fact quiz OR upload score will be dropped (worth 5% each).

Week 1
Monday, 8/26
Introduction to HUM 103
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #1 (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 8/28
Chapter 1: Prehistory, Near Eastern, & Egyptian Civilizations
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #2 (5% of total grade)

Week 2
Monday, 9/2
NO CLASS TODAY: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

Wednesday, 9/4
Chapter 2: Aegean Culture
11:55pm: UPLOAD #1 DUE (5% of total grade)

Week 3
Monday, 9/9
Chapter 3: Classical Greek Culture
FACT QUIZ #1 (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 9/11
Chapter 4: Hellenistic Culture
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #3 (5% of total grade)

Week 4
Monday, 9/16
Chapter 5: Classical Rome
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #4 (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 9/18
Chapter 6: Judaism & the Rise of Christianity
FACT QUIZ #2 (5% of total grade)

Page 3
Week 5
Monday, 9/23
MID-SESSION ASSESSMENT (15% of total grade)

Wednesday, 9/25
Chapter 7: Late Antiquity
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #5 (5% of total grade)

Week 6
Monday, 9/30
Chapter 8: Heirs to the Roman Empire
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #6 (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 10/2
Chapter 9: The Rise of Islam
FACT QUIZ #3 (5% of total grade)

Week 7
Monday, 10/7
Chapter 10: The High Middle Ages
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY #7 (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 10/9
Chapter 11: The Late Middle Ages
FACT QUIZ #4 (5% of total grade)

Week 8
Monday, 10/14
END-OF-SESSION DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION (10% of total grade)
11:55pm: UPLOAD #2 DUE (5% of total grade)

Wednesday, 10/16
FINAL EXAM: “Connect Three” (15% of total grade)

Course Policies
Attendance
If you know in advance that you must miss classes for official reasons such as GBC athletics,
a business trip, a scheduled medical procedure, etc., please notify me in writing well in

Page 4
advance of the absence. It is your responsibility to submit your work or take your test BEFORE
a foreseen absence occurs.
GBC athletes must present the professor with a game schedule, showing what days and times
the students will need to miss. A test or final exam conflicting with a required athletic event
should be arranged to be taken by team members before the absence occurs.

Late Assignments
Missed assignments and/or assessments, except in the case of dire emergency, can’t be
made up after the absence occurs, and no late assignments will be accepted. However, the
student’s lowest in-class activity OR fact quiz OR upload assignment grade will be dropped
(worth 5% each)

Make-Up Assessments
As noted just above, once missed, assignments and tests usually cannot be made up. As
stated above, if you know in advance you will be absent for a scheduled event, you should
absolutely arrange to submit the work in advance of the absence.

Course Requirements
“Activities” consist of in-class activities, fact quizzes, and uploads.
Students will complete numerous graded activities in class and two outside of class, so
they should be prepared at every class meeting for groupwork, discussions, quizzes,
impromptu writing assignments, etc. Activities missed due to absence or tardiness
usually cannot be made up, due to the nature of the activity design. The student’s
lowest Activities grade (among in-class activities, fact quizzes, and uploads) will be
dropped. Each Activity is worth 5% of the total course grade, and allowing for one
dropped score, all Activities together will account for 60% of the HUM 103 course grade.
“Assessments” consist of the Mid-Session Assessment and the Final Exam.
Students will complete two graded assessments throughout the term to gauge their
understanding of and critical thinking about class readings, lectures, handouts, and
discussion content. Assessments missed due to absence or tardiness can’t be made up
except in the case of a dire emergency. (See sections above on attendance and make-
up work.) Each Assessment is worth 100 points and accounts for a possible 15% of the
total course grade; together they count for 30% of the HUM 103 course grade.
“End-of-Session Discussion and Reflection”
The next-to-the-last day of class, students will engage in a Discussion and Reflection
activity where they process and give feedback on their understanding of the course, the
methods through which it was taught, and the larger context of the Humanities in current
society. This discussion counts for 10% of the HUM 103 course grade.

Page 5
Grading Policy
Grades will be weighted as follows:
Activities will be averaged (with lowest score dropped) to count as 60% of the course grade.
Assessments will be averaged to count as 30% of the course grade.
End-of-Session Discussion and Reflection will count 10% of the course grade.
I follow GBC’s undergraduate grading scale for issuing final letter grades. Select "Grading
System" at http://catalog.gbc.edu/content.php?catoid=11&navoid=523 to see the scale.

Getting Extra Help

You are encouraged to email or see me in person with any questions about the course or our
classroom space (for ex., need to sit closer to the board). I’m available on a drop-in basis
during my office hours (see page 1 of syllabus) or at other times by appointment. Please email
ahead to schedule outside of office hours.
If you have a physical, learning, or other disability that might hinder your access to or
performance in the class, please visit your Advisor whose office is located on the first floor of
the Fulmer Center.
At the Academic Resource Center (ARC) in the Hirons Library and Learning Center, you can
schedule tutoring, reviews, or proctored tests. For location, hours, and appointment procedure,
visit the ARC website (https://www.gbc.edu/academics/academic-resources/tutoring-
support.html). Phone the ARC at 302-225-6229.

Classroom Behavior Expectations

We have to work together as a large group this session. Please show respectful behavior
toward your professor and fellow students by
1. Keeping your electronic devices and headphones silent and out of sight during class.
2. Arriving on time to class and after break and staying until class is dismissed.
3. Not talking to others during class unless part of the assigned activity.

Academic Integrity
All courses taught at Goldey-Beacom College are governed by the GBC Academic Honor
Code. A full description of the Honor Code and related procedures is available on the web at
Goldey-Beacom College Academic Honor Code (http://go.gbc.edu/honor-code).
Remember that ignorance of the proper use of sources is no excuse for a violation. Any
alleged academic dishonesty in this class will be addressed according to official procedures. It
is the professor’s prerogative to determine the appropriate penalty for academic offenses.
Penalties for violations of the Honor Code in my class can range from a zero on the work in
question to an F for the entire course.

Page 6
All my lectures and course materials are copyrighted, including student-written notes or
summaries that substantially reflect my lectures or materials. These materials are made
available only for personal use by students, and may not be distributed or reproduced for
commercial purposes without my express written consent. Students ARE able to share notes
or materials with a current classmate on an individual basis for personal use. Violation of my
copyright may result in course sanctions and violate the Code of Academic Integrity. Read
GBC’s policy on intellectual property here: https://www.gbc.edu/academics/academic-
resources/library-technology-services/copyright.html.
I require all work submitted to be produced originally for this course. Recycling old
assignments or simultaneously submitting the same work to HUM 103 and another class
defeats the purpose of our unique learning process and gives you unfair academic advantage.

College Policies & Resources

Academic Honor Code

Please familiarize yourself with the Goldey-Beacom College Academic Honor Code
(http://go.gbc.edu/honor-code). All courses are governed by this policy.

Student Accommodations
The Advisors in the Financial Aid/Advisement Office serve as the first point of contact for
students requesting reasonable accommodations at GBC. For more information, please visit
your Advisor whose office is located on the first floor of the Fulmer Center.

Mental Health and Well Being

If you find yourself struggling with your mental or physical health to the extent that it has
affected your academic performance in this class, please feel free to approach me. I try to be
flexible and accommodating.
Goldey-Beacom offers help in the form of the Health Advocate Student Assistance Program
(SAP), a confidential service that can help you manage a crisis or find the support you need to
deal with personal or psychological challenges. Keep the following services’ contact
information handy in the event that you or a peer is in need of assistance. Asking for help is a
smart, safe, and courageous thing to do.
Health Advocate Student Assistance Program (SAP) mental health support: 1-855-384-1800
Crisis Numbers:
Mobile Crisis Intervention Services, statewide: 1-800-652-2929
Crisis Line for LGBTQ Youth: 1-866-488-7386
Crisis TEXT Line: Text DE to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Domestic Violence Hotline (New Castle County, DE): 1-302-762-6110
Rape Crisis Line through ContactLifeline DE: 1-302-761-9100

Page 7
Hirons Library & Learning Center
The Hirons Library and Learning Center (HLLC), located in the Jones Center, contains a
variety resources to support your research throughout your time at Goldey-Beacom College.
 Search for information to help you complete your next class assignment using our
robust discover tool (https://www.gbc.edu/academics/academic-resources/library-
technology-services/), which includes over half a million full-text journal articles, eBooks,
print books, and government documents. We also have individual databases
(http://gbc.libguides.com/az.php) like Mergent Online and RIA Checkpoint that support
specific majors such as accounting.
 Within the HLLC, the Academic Resource Center (ARC) is available to assist you with
your tutoring needs. Visit the ARC website (https://www.gbc.edu/academics/academic-
resources/tutoring-support.html) to learn more about the services the ARC provides.
 Computers, printers, and a scanner are available for you to use to complete
assignments as well. Visit the Library and Technology Services website
(https://www.gbc.edu/academics/academic-resources/library-technology-services/) for
details regarding computing options and hours of operation within the HLLC.

Page 8