HUM 101

Term / Year

Instructor name
Instructor email

Introduction to Humanities
Text and Materials:
There is no standard printed textbook for this course. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of
the Humanities, we will explore readings (articles, e-books, etc.) on a variety of topics and from
multiple sources. Each week, your learning module will contain the links to the assigned
readings. All of these readings are free to you, the student, and many are open source
materials.
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to explore the foundations of the Humanities and to increase our
understanding of the relationship between history and philosophy and how these relate to the
issues concerning the human condition. During this course we will learn about some of the
many traditions in the humanities, including the foundations of artistic expression. One of my
main goals for this course is to demonstrate that every aspect of the humanities (art, history,
philosophy, science, etc.) are all inherently related, and that we cannot accurately study one
component of society or humanity without having a working understanding of the related
components.
Grading:
This course will be primarily lecture format, and I encourage thoughtful questions and feedback.
Participation in course discussions will be a component of your grade.
Module Reflections:
Midterm:
Final:
Discussion forums:
Total:

20 points each (200 points total)

50 points
100 points
10 points each (150 points total)
500 points

Attendance:
Since this is an online course, attendance means, primarily, participating in the discussion
forums in a timely and engaging manner. Your discussion posts (and subsequent responses to
peers) should be thoughtful and thorough.
Make-Up Work:
Be sure to have your assignments into the dropboxes on time. I will not re-open a dropbox for
anyone except in a documented emergency. Be mindful of discussion forum due dates; forums
will lock after the due date and you will be unable to provide late posts. This policy applies to
ALL work in the course. Unless you have a documented emergency, NO LATE WORK WILL BE
ACCEPTED.
ADA Statement:
If you require special assistance, please notify Student Services prior to the beginning of class
so that arrangements may be made.
Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism or cheating of any kind will not be tolerated and is grounds for receiving a failing
grade and/or further disciplinary review from the college. Sharing thoughts and ideas within the
classroom is encouraged. However, you must write your own answers on papers and tests and
give proper credit for ideas which are borrowed.
MIDTERM EXAM:
This will be online during the course in approximately week 6. I will post more information
closer to the release date of the exam. NO LATE EXAMS WILL BE SCHEDULED, YOU MUST
COMPLETE YOUR EXAM BEFORE THE DROPBOX CLOSES, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Assignments:
Readings In order to maintain the integrity of our class discussions, it is essential that you
read the chapter before class begins so that your contribution may offer additional perspective
within the context of the weeks lecture. All of our materials for the course are openly licensed
and available online. It is expected that you read all of the posted linked materials each week.
Module ReflectionsEach week you will complete a brief reflection in response to a question I
will post about the weeks materials. Typically, you will be asked to connect the readings in
some meaningful way, often integrating your own perspectives and experiences. Your answers
to these questions must be thoughtful and thorough, and representative of college-level writing.
All papers must be typed in 12-point font.

Final CapstoneInstead of a traditional final exam, each student will compile a culminating
project to highlight one area of research and interest. This project must be in either powerpoint
format, or submitted as a link to a youtube (or similar) video. I will provide a rubric for this
project later in the term. NOTE: YOU are responsible for making sure I am able to open/view
the format of your project. If you are working on a Mac or using Open Office, I STRONGLY
encourage you to double-check your file formats to make sure I can open your work. Here are
some VERY IMPORTANT things about the final project:
It is YOUR responsibility to check and make sure that your file uploaded correctly.
I WILL NOT GRADE projects that are in the wrong file format. If you upload the incorrect file
format, you will not be allowed to re-submit after the due date.
DONT wait until 11:58 to upload your work. Seriously. This project is a significant portion of
your grade. If you wait until the last minute to upload and Moodle times out, your work will be
late. The dropbox will be open for AT LEAST one week prior to the due date. Therefore, if you
wait until the very last minute and something goes horribly wrong, your work will not be
accepted.
I dont accept ANY late projects. Period. No. Matter. What. Anticipate that you will get called
into work, or your computer will crash, or your cat will get sick. Get your work done EARLY,
because life wont wait for a convenient time.
The powerpoint length limit DOES NOT include your title page or references, but only means
the meaty bits of your presentation. Dont try to fluff up the length with some fancy stuff at the
front or back, k?
I will provide a grading rubric for the project, so youll know how many points each section is
worth. Be mindful that an A grade is a combination of factors, so put forth your very best effort
and be creative.
NOTE: Each week, you will have several tasks.
Read the posted materials
Watch any Mediasite videos or view any powerpoints assigned to the lesson

Complete discussion forum(s) and respond to peers

Complete the module reflection
ALSO NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
Our week begins on Monday, and all work is due Sunday night by 11:59pm***
DO NOT submit any zipped files. You must either type your responses directly into the text
window in your assignments page, or upload a Microsoft Word or RTF document. I cannot
open non-Microsoft file extensions.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW about due dates is on this syllabus. This is your road
map to the course this term; use it.
I will give you info on your final project (the Capstone Project) usually by the 5th week of the
term.

CONDUCT CODE for HUM 101

This is a COLLEGE LEVEL course, and I expect conduct and participation that is conducive to
the collegiate atmosphere.
You must do your own work, at all times. Collaboration and teamwork are good study habits,
but all submitted work must be YOUR OWN. Do not submit the same thoughts as your
colleagues.
Additionally, if you use any outside resources to locate answers (Google, etc), you must cite
your sources. If you plagiarize (see the college Code of Conduct for specific details), you will
fail the assignment. Repeat offenders will receive an F for the term, and be reported to the
appropriate Dean for disciplinary action.
Because we discuss many concepts concerning the human experience, theres a good chance
you will be offended at some point during this term. Remember, we are here to expand our
horizons and engage in critical thought. Differences of opinion are encouraged, but making fun
of someone or lashing out in the discussion forums is not proper etiquette and will not be
tolerated.
Be mindful of how you speak to your professor and your colleagues in the discussion forums.
Every word you write is a reflection of you be engaging, be sincere, be provocativebut be
respectful, articulate, and professional. As Sartre says, we have ultimate freedom but this gives
us ultimate responsibility as well. Therefore, use your academic freedoms for good and not evil.
I have a strict NO EXCUSES policy. If you miss an assignment, work harder on the next.
Unless you are facing a truly emergency situation (death of parent, child in hospitalsomething
of that dire nature), dont email me to ask for an extension. In those situations, I reserve the right
to require documentation of illness/death before granting extension. Dont ask me to re-open the
discussion boards because you had to work late and missed them. It is YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to complete the assignments EARLY in the week so that you will be prepared
if something comes up on Sunday night. Furthermore if you do ask for some sort of
extension, please note that I am going to seriously consider your prior work ethic when making
a decision. Students who consistently work hard and complete assignments early will earn my
respect easier than someone who always waits until Sunday night at 11:58 to complete work.
I HIGHLY encourage you to do more than just the bare minimum required in a class. This is
actually good advice for ALL of your courses. Doing just the bare minimum implies that youre a

mediocre student, who just wants to get by. Put yourself 100% into the courseyou will get
more out of this course if you apply yourself completely and fully.
As are not given, they are earnedthrough hard work and dedication. If you expect an A, then
I expect you to do more than just the bare minimum.
Dont complain (either to your professor or to others in the discussion forums) about the amount
of work in the course. As an adult, you can choose to take the course or not. Take a long look
at the syllabus during the first week and decide if this course is for you. I expect total dedication
and input from each student. Your commitment and hard work in this course will be directly
reflected in your grade. Work hard, be consistent, and you are very likely to succeed.
Above all, roll up your sleeves and get dirty. Read, research, challenge, pick apart, and
explore Be provocative, daring, vocaldont be afraid to ask questions and make obscure or
off the wall points. YOUR opinions matter! YOUR perspectives and reflections give this
course substance! So let down your guard, and have fun J

Schedule
Module 1: Intro and Early Humanity
**NOTE to Instructional Designer/Review: Dates will be added to syllabus once fall quarter
schedule is published by the college
week 1 ..............human evolution
Icebreaker Forum, Discussion Forum 1, module reflection #1
Module 2: Greek Influence
week 2........Old Dead Greek Dudes
Discussion Forum 2 and 3, module reflection #2
Module 3: Early Religion
week 3Foundations of Religion
Discusson Forum 4 and 5, module reflection #3
Module 4: Medievals
week 4Medieval Philosophy/Life
Discussion Forum 6 and 7, module reflection #4
Module 5: Reformation and Renaissance
week 5...........Italy and Europe
Discussion Forum 8 and 9, module reflection #5

Midterm Exam (online)

week 6
Module 6: Baroque
week 7Protestant and Catholic

Discussion Forum 10, module reflection #6

Module 7: Romantic Era
week 8Philosophy and Culture of Industrialism
Discussion Forum 11, module reflection #7
Module 8: American Civil War
week 9..Innovations and Conflicts
Discussion Forum 12, module reflection #8
Module 9: Toward the Modern
week 10Transitions and Emerging Philosophies
Discussion Forums 13 & 14, module reflection #9
Module 10: Capstone Work Area
week 11................................................................................................Finishing up the Course
module reflection #10

Capstone Projects
******Finish up.. Due in assignment dropbox by 11:59pm *********

Unless otherwise specified, this work by the Washington State Colleges is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. The Open Course Library is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
the Washington State Legislature.