Instructor: Dr. Daniel W. Skubik, PhD JD MDiv
Office: J266 /
Voice: 951.343.4288 / Fax: 951.343.4520
Web: http://www.calbaptist.edu/dskubik
E-Mail: dskubik@calbaptist.edu
Honors Seminar VIII
Hon 450 (Main Campus)
Wednesdays,
California Baptist University
Spring Semester, 2008
This seminar is the final course in a series of eight CBU
Honors Program seminars that will investigate ideas systematically,
progressively and in interdisciplinary fashion.
All eight seminars of any single cycle will be thematically linked, so
that students will have the opportunity for intensive, focused study from
historical, philosophical, religious, sociological, political, literary,
economic and scientific/technological perspectives.
The guiding
theme for our cycle, and so for this seminar, is “liberty.” By the end of the
semester, students should grasp the fundamental associations of the term “liberty”
across the academic disciplines; understand the development and use of
categories of thought generated by the theme of reality; and be able to
demonstrate how to identify and analyze the presence or absence of reality
discourse in primary and secondary academic materials and literary works.
As developing scholars in the CBU Honors Program, students
will
·
learn how academic disciplines organize around
key generative ideas;
·
begin and develop personal academic journaling;
·
appreciate the broad impact of reality across the
disciplines;
·
learn what academic research and research
writing requires; and
·
become sensitive to
diverse disciplinary perspectives.
More
specifically with regard to this capstone seminar, students will compose and
share their major writing projects with the instructor and each other as the
works develop during the term.
Required Texts: None.
Class Readings & Discussion Schedule
|
Week #1 |
Introduction to course, requirements and
expectations |
|
Week #2 (Jan 16 )
|
no
class meeting |
|
Week #3 |
Bibliographies (standard, working, annotated,
selected) |
|
Week #4 |
Introductions & Conclusions (how’s,
why’s, and wherefore’s) |
|
Week #5 (Feb 6) |
First set of presentations by each student |
|
Week #6 (Feb 13)
|
no
class meeting |
|
Week #7 (Feb 20) |
no
class meeting |
|
Week #8
(Feb 27) |
Second set of presentations |
|
Week # 9 (Mar 5) |
no
class meeting |
|
Week #10 (Mar 12) |
Third set of presentations |
|
Week #11 |
Spring
Break |
Week #12 (Mar 26) |
Fourth set of presentations |
|
Week #13 (Apr 2) |
no
class meeting |
|
Week #14 (Apr 9) |
Fifth set of presentations |
|
Week #15 |
Concluding set of presentations (as needed) |
|
Week #16 (Apr 23) |
Concluding Class Session (location: tba) |
Assessment & Grading Scale
|
Presentations =
15% (5 x 3% each) |
90 - 100 = A
range (90-94 = A-) |
|
Discussion/Participation in Class = 10% |
80 - 89 = B
range (80-83 = B- /
87-89 = B+) |
|
Final Capstone
Submission = 75% |
70 - 79 = C
range (70-73 = C- /
77-79 = C+) |
|
|
60 - 69 = D
range (60-63 = D- /
67-69 = D+) |
|
|
0 – 59 = F |
Individual Presentations
Students should
be prepared to share some portion of his/her project work on the five designated
evenings, whether in written or outline form, detailing current progress on
themes or topics related to the individual capstone project, along with
questions or concerns outstanding that are yet to be covered and on which
specific feedback, advice or direction is sought.
Final Capstone Submission
Per the demands of one’s major discipline(s),
the student should submit a final version of the project for marking, both for
this course and, where appropriate, for completion of the capstone work in the
student’s major field(s). Each student should confirm with instructor all
separate, additional written portions that must comprise final submitted
product.
Discussion/Participation
Each student is
expected to help his/her classmates, by listening attentively to presentations
made, and offering helpful feedback in the form of specific or general
observations, suggestions, criticisms, and questions that arise from each
presentation.
To give direct
incentive to so engage, 10% of your mark for the course will be comprised of
the instructor’s and fellow students’ assessments
of your participation during the semester.
CBU Statement on Academic Dishonesty
Faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) have
been asked to include the following statement in all our syllabi. Do speak with
your instructor if at any time you have questions or concerns about this
statement and its meaning for or application in your classes.
Academic
dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, copying, and other forms) will be reported to
the Dean of Students. Judicial sanctions for offense [sic] are handled on a
case-by-case basis depending on the seriousness of the violation, prior
violations and other factors. Judicial sanctions may include, but are not
limited to, loss of a letter grade or failure in the course in which the offense
occurred, suspension, and/or dismissal from the University. A detailed
discussion of academic dishonesty is located in the Student Handbook.
[Source:
2006-2007 Undergraduate Catalog, at p.80]
Caveat
This syllabus is
composed in good faith, with a schedule of readings, assignments and
discussions which will guide us throughout the term. Still, the instructor
reserves the right to make adjustments to this schedule as deemed necessary for
the overall enterprise of the seminar. Any changes will be communicated as far
in advance as feasible, and you are responsible for knowing if and when any
changes have been made.