Winter 2017– JC@LISD Tech Center
Number of Course Credits: / 3 Credits
Days Class Meets: / Tuesday and Thursday
Meeting Times: / 2:30 pm to 3:53 pm
Location: / JC@LISD Tech Center
Instructor: / Susan Thames
Office: / Skype: spthames
Contact Email: /
Office Hours: / By Appointment
Course Description:
Humanities 131: Cultural Connections is an interdisciplinary course that examines contemporary issues, their human and technological components, and their historical precedents through art, music, literature and philosophy.
Prerequisite(s):
ENG 085 and ENG 090, these prerequisites may be met by successful course completion, course placement scores, or ACT scores.
GEOs and Competencies:
The courseGeneral Education Outcomes (GEOs) were established by the JC Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. These GEOs are in concert with four-year colleges and universities and reflect input from the professional communities we serve. GEOs guarantee students achieve goals necessary for graduation credit, transferability, and professional skills needed in many certification programs. The GEOs and competencies addressed in this class include the following:
- Course Goals:
- GEO 6: Understanding and appreciating aesthetic experiences and artistic creativity.
- GEO 7: Appreciating diversity.
- Competencies:
Students will be able to:
- Explain historical, cultural, and social context of selected works of Western and Non-Western art, music, and literature.
- Apply methods of analysis and interpretation, using discipline-specific language.
- Initiate and sustain a discussion of the creative contexts within which artists and authors work.
- Articulate personal critique of artistic works based on aesthetic standards.
- Approach works of creative expression with openness and interest; appreciating the world of creative imagination as a form of knowledge.
- Articulate and evaluate literary and artistic contributions of individuals from groups with which they identify.
- Articulate and evaluate literary and artistic contributions of individuals from groups other than one’s own, recognizing and evaluating stereotypes.
- Identifying examples of ethnocentrism, oppression, and dominant group privilege challenging barriers to understanding diversity; articulating benefits of interacting with individuals from groups other than one’s own.
- Relating personal experiences that have led to embracing diversity.
Textbooks and Reading Material:
Discovering the Humanities, 3rd edition, by Henry M. Sayre with REVEL access. (NOTE: Students are responsible for maintaining only one REVEL account), Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and online access to digital reading material posted to JetNet.
Extras:
Students must have daily access to the internet, their JC email account, and JetNet for announcements, updates, and receiving and turning in assignments. The internet is widely available to students at the JC campus, the public library, coffee shops, restaurants, and more. You are responsible for obtaining internet access regardless of personal internet issues at home.
- Use of JetNet: All course instruction in this class is given face-to-face, however all course materials are managed through JetNet. All assignments and need materials will be posted to JetNet, all work will be handed in and returned through JetNet, and all grading and grades management will be done on JetNet.
- Use of JC Email:Your JC email is the communication mode for this class. Students are expected to check their email daily for announcements, updates, or other important information.My expectation is that all email communication will come with student name, course name, number, and section of the course in the subject of the email.For example, Matt Smith HUM 131.l1. I do not guarantee response to email sent without identifying information. By law, I cannot discuss your work in email messages to your private accounts. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours, Monday – Friday.
Grading Procedure:
Student performance will be evaluated on an ongoing basis through the use of:
- Discussion (Formative Assessment) in class and online.
- Class assignments (Formative Assessment) in class and online.
- Quizzes on REVEL and JetNet (Formative Assessment).
- Cultural events project (Syntheses/ Summative Assessment). Requirements for this project will be introduced during week one, with three project checks during the semester.
- Final evaluation (Curriculum Mastery/Summative Assessment) for this course completion will be in the form of a portfolio and requirements will be introduced during week three of the semester and students will be responsible to keep up with the work for this assessment.
Grading Scale:
Final grades are assessed as follows:
- Discussion and Participation: 15%
- Quizzes and Class Assignments: 15%
- Cultural Events Project: 30%
- Final Portfolio: 40%
Grading Scale
4.0 / = / 94-100
3.5 / = / 89-93
3.0 / = / 84-99
2.5 / = / 78-83
2.0 / = / 72-77
1.5 / = / 66-71
1.0 / = / 60-65
0.5 / = / 55-59
0.0 / = / 0-54
Performance Policies:
Instructor Withdrawal of Student. Per college policy, instructors are required to remove students who are not active in the course for a period that equates with approximately five contact hours (Four face-to-face classes). When a learner is removed from the course, reinstatement is not likely but may be possible after discussion with the instructor.
HQV reports:Jackson College requires four formal progress and grading reports to be filed for each student in each of their classes. Referred to as HQVs, these reports are entered into your e-services transcript and serve as a record of your progress:
- V Verifies you are participating and passing the course
- H Indicates that you are working, but struggling and need some help to ensure your success. If you receive an H, a representative from the Center for Student Success will contact ou to discuss how the college can help you.
- Q Reflects that your instructor has dropped you from the class. I drop students for poor attendance, lack of participation and performance, and continued failure to turn in work.
Students with disabilities:
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Center for Student Success at 517-796-8415 as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Incomplete Policy:
In accordance with JC policy, and Incomplete or “I” grade is only issued to students who have demonstrated good standing in the class and have a passing grade at the time of an extenuating circumstance that precludes completion of the class. Documentation validating the circumstance may be required.
Academic Honesty Policy:
JC has an academic honesty policy, which will be adhered to in this class. In essence, the policy requires that,all work must be done by the student whose name it bears. The full policy can be accessed at
Plagiarism, the submission of someone else’s writing, whether purchased, borrowed or directly copied, or paraphrased, may result in a failing grade and can be grounds for removal from class.
Self-plagiarism, otherwise known as recycling a paper or work from another course is also punishable with a failing grade. Students must, upon request, submit valid evidence of writing process for each assigned formal essay (or development process for other assignments).
Attendance:
Class time is valuable and missing class can lower your final grade due to its effect on your participation and discussion grade, missing class assignments (these can not be made up), and lose of valuable content information. If you miss a class you must send me an email as soon as possible. You are still responsible for all assignment deadlines, so it will be critical that you check JetNet for assignments given in your absence. You may also want to check with other students in the class to get any content information you may have missed. Remember: missing more than four classes will result in being dropped from the course.
Late Assignments:
All assignments will be closed on the day they are due, at midnight. Late assignments will not be accepted. Failure to turn in an assignment will result in a zero for that assignment. NOTE: If you are struggling or having problems with an assignment, please contact me prior to the due date to discuss your situation and see if arrangement can be made.
Calendar:(NOTE: This course calendar is subject to changes and additions as need to improve course instruction and content.)
The course calendar will be posted to JetNet. Please be sure to check the course calendar each week for updates.
Discussion Topics / Corresponding Text Chapters
Tuesday / Thursday
January 17 / January 19
Course Introduction / What is Culture? / Chapter 1
January 24 / January 26
Social Order and Its Impact on Cultural Development / The Greeks – Art and Progress / Chapter 2
February 1 / February 3
The Greeks – The Road to Rome / Rome, China, and India Making Progress (Presentations) / Chapter 3
Cultural Project CK 1
February 7 / February 9
Progress and Religion / The Impact of Religion (T.S. Eliot) / Chapter 4
February 14 / February 16
Culture, Art, and Class Systems / Culture, Art, and Class Systems (Continued) / Chapters 5 and 6
February 21 / February 23
Gothic Art – Inquiry and Response / Wrapping up for Spring Break – Introduction to Novel: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe / Chapter 6
February 28 / March 2
SPRING BREAK / SPRING BREAK / Read Novel
March 7 / March 9
Novel Study / Novel Study (Continued) / Finish Novel – Chapter 7
Cultural Project CK 2
March 14 / March 16
Road to the Renaissance / Vermeer – The Girl w/ The Pearl Earing
f / Chapters 7 and 8
March 21 / March 23
Machiavelli and Michelangelo / Field Trip / Chapter 8
March 28 / March 30
More on the Renaissance / Shakespeare and Hamlet / Chapters 8 and 9
Cultural Project CK 3
April 4 / April 6
Secularism and Absolutism / The Enlightenment / Chapters 10 and 11
April 11 / April 13
Revolution / Romanticism / Chapter 12
April 18 / April 20
Working Class and Bourgeoisie / Challenges to Cultural Identity / Chapters 12 and 13
April 25 / April 27
Modernism / The Winds of Change / Chapters 14 and 15
May 2 / May 4
EXAM WEEK / EXAM WEEK / Cultural Project and Portfolio Due
College Closings:Spring Break is the week of February 27th
Student Responsibilities:
Prompt and prepared – You are expected to be in class on time and be prepared with all materials needed.
Participation–the expectations is that you will participate in class activities and discussions, and you are attentive to what is happening while you are in class. This includes JetNet groups, discussions, and other activities such as blogs and journals; class fieldtrips; cultural project visits; and portfolio work.
Outside class time – a good guideline for expected time per week for course work outside of class is two (2) to three (3) hours per credit. This is a three (3) credit course so the expectation six (6) to nine (9) hours per week outside of class time.