Instructor: Dr. Daniel W. Skubik, PhD JD MDiv
Office: J266 / Office Hours per schedule & by app’t
Voice: 951.343.4288 / Fax: 951.343.4520
Web: http://www.calbaptist.edu/dskubik
E-Mail: dskubik@calbaptist.edu

Honors Seminar VIII
Capstone

Hon 450 (Main Campus)
Tuesdays, 6:30-9:30PM

California Baptist University
Spring Semester, 2010

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 “reality.” By the end of the semester, students should grasp the fundamental associations of the term “reality” 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: Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7^th edition (University of Chicago Press, 2007)

Recommended Texts: Robert Perrin, Pocket Guide to APA Style 3^rd edition (Wadsworth, 2008); or Diana Hacker, Pocket Style Manual 5^th edition with 2009 MLA Update (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009)

Class Readings & Discussion Schedule

Week #1 (Jan 12)	Introduction to course, requirements and expectations Structure of major writing projects; writing manuals as guides
Week #2 (Jan 19 )	Bibliographies (standard, working, annotated, selected) General discussion of questions/concerns on projects
Week #3 (Jan 26)	no class meeting
Week #4 (Feb 2)	First set of presentations by each student
Week #5 (Feb 9)	Introductions & Conclusions (how’s, why’s, and wherefore’s) General discussion of questions/concerns on projects
Week #6 (Feb 16)	no class meeting
Week #7 (Feb 23)	no class meeting
Week #8 (Mar 2)	no class meeting
Week # 9 (Mar 9)	Second set of presentations
Week #10 (Mar 16)	Spring Break: no class meeting
Week #11 (Mar 23)	no class meeting
Week #12 (Mar 30)	Third set of presentations
Week #13 (Apr 6)	no class meeting
Week #14 (Apr 13)	Fourth set of presentations
Week #15 (Apr 20)	no class meeting
Week #16 (Apr 27)	Concluding Class Session (location tba) Final corrections & completed submissions due

Assessment & Grading Scale

Presentations = 20% (4 x 5% 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 = 70%	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 during each of the four 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 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: 2009-2010 Undergraduate University Catalog, at p.53

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.