This syllabus is subject to change based on specific class needs, especially the schedule. Significant deviations will be discussed in class. Individual exceptions to the policies and schedule are granted only in cases of true emergency. Please make arrangements with me if an emergency arises.
This seminar is required of all first year students and is taught by faculty from a number of different disciplines. Theme-related texts in the course raise basic questions about the variety of human experience, and about personal and shared values and goals. You are expected to think critically about issues raised, to participate in discussions, and to write papers on the works studied.
Introduction to Liberal Arts (ILA) is a transition into the Monmouth College learning community which values the spirit of inquiry in pursuit of academic excellence.
The following texts should have been provided to you:
Other sources will be posted on this webpage as needed.
In addition, you will need access to a computer or mobile with a camera and microphone for accessing Zoom class discussions, viewing online materials. A laptop/desktop computer is highly recommended over a mobile device. For virtual classes (the majority), you should have a text editor or word processor (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs) open for in-class writing activities. When we are together in-person you may type on a laptop or write in a notebook (I suggest a notebook – if we are outside there may be a glare).
The weekly workload for this course will vary by student and by week but should be about 12.3 hours per week on average. The following table provides a rough estimate of the distribution of time over different course components for a 16 week semester, as well as detailing the type, amount, and relative value of all assignments.
| Category | Final Grade Weight | Time/Week (Hours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture/Class Activities | 20% (Participation) | 3.3 | |
| Assignments | 65% | 3 | |
| Exams | 15% | - | |
| Reading | (part of assignments) | 3-6 | |
| 12.3 |
There are two basic types of assignments: reading-based assessments (45% of your grade) and experience-based writing (20% of your grade).
Your final grade is based on a weighted average of particular assignment categories. You can estimate your current grade based on your scores and these weights. You may always visit the instructor outside of class to discuss your current standing. Assignments and final grades use a standard grading scale shown below and will not be curved except in rare cases when deemed necessary by the instructor.
No extra credit will be given on an individual basis.
This is reading-focused course, so every day there will be reading assignment and a quiz, homework question(s), or writing assignment based on the reading. Examples include close-reading, annotation, or weekly mini-essay assignments.
Experience-based assignments are short written assignments about outside (non-class) events, whether in person or virtual. You’ll be expected to write a short reflection about the event and relate it to the themes of the class. At various points during the semester you’ll also be asked to reflect on your participation and what you have learned about the liberal arts.
At the end of the semester there will be an open-notes comprehensive exam, worth 15% of your grade. This exam will be held remotely after Thanksgiving break.
This is a discussion-based class, so it is essential that you come prepared to actively participate. This can take many forms, including: regular class attendance, carefully reading and annotating the assigned texts, sharing your thoughts, opinions, and insights during discussions, considering and raising opposing viewpoints, engaging in respectful dialogue with others, listening attentively to others’ perspectives, and following the discussion policies listed in the policies section.
At various points I may make use of the Socrative app, so you’ll need to install this on your phone. Participating in Socrative questions and with in-class group activities is required for a decent participation grade.
This courses uses a standard grading scale. Assignments and final grades will not be curved except in rare cases when its deemed necessary by the instructor. Percentage grades translate to letter grades as follows:
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 94–100 | A |
| 90–93 | A- |
| 88–89 | B+ |
| 82–87 | B |
| 80–81 | B- |
| 78–79 | C+ |
| 72–77 | C |
| 70–71 | C- |
| 68–69 | D+ |
| 62–67 | D |
| 60–61 | D- |
| 0–59 | F |
You are always welcome to challenge a grade that you feel is unfair or calculated incorrectly. Mistakes made in your favor will never be corrected to lower your grade. Mistakes made not in your favor will be corrected. Basically, after the initial grading your score can only go up as the result of a challenge*.
TLDR: I expect you to (1) be respectful of others, and (2) take responsibility for your own learning. You are here to learn, so work hard and be professional.
Attendance: You are allotted a total of 4 unexcused absences without penalty to your grade. Beyond this your participation grade will suffer heavily. College-sanctioned events may be excused from this policy, but only to a point. If you feel you may miss more class than this, contact Student Affairs who may then act on your behalf. In the event of a prolonged campus closure (e.g., due to a pandemic), further excused absences may be considered and other arrangements will be made.
Late assignments: You have each been allotted a total of 5 late days. You may apply these to any homework assignment as you see fit, with no penalty. However, you may use at most 2 on any individual assignment. The whole point here is to give you some flexibility that allows for things like illnesses, long trips, and the like. I am unlikely to grant further extensions. Late days cannot be applied to in-class assignments. Late assignments (beyond any applied late days) will be subject to a half-letter grade reduction for every 0-24 hour period that the assignment is late.
Discussions: The goal of a discussion is to understand and learn from the perspectives of others in order to better understand our own beliefs and the world around us. Your participation is vital both for your own learning experience and for those of your classmates. Thus participation will be grade not only on quantity, but on quality. You should respect individual differences and viewpoints – you are allowed and encouraged to disagree with other students, the professor, or the texts, but disagreement should always be expressed in a respectful manner inside and outside of the classroom (whether virtual or not).
Academic dishonesty: Monmouth College’s official policy on academic dishonesty can be found here. You are responsible for reading and complying with that policy.
In this course, any violation of the academic honesty policy will have varying consequences depending on the severity of the infraction as judged by the instructor. Minimally, a violation will result in an “F” or 0 points on the assignment in question. Additionally, the student’s course grade may be lowered by one letter grade. In severe cases, the student will be assigned a course grade of “F” and dismissed from the class. All cases of academic dishonesty must be reported to the Associate Dean who may decide to recommend further action to the Admissions and Academic Status Committee, including suspension or dismissal. It is assumed that students will educate themselves regarding what is considered to be academic dishonesty, so excuses or claims of ignorance will not mitigate the consequences of any violations
Citations: When writing, make it clear what text you are discussing. This information can be included in the first sentence of your written response, at the top of the page, or as part of your response to a specific question. ALWAYS INCLUDE A PAGE NUMBER with any information that is not yours. Signal when any information comes from a specific page of a text rather than being your original idea or personal observation/interpretation, whether that comes in the form of a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary.
Electronic devices: Do not use your phone or other devices in class except where necessary. Any computer or tablet usage should be related to the course. If a device is not being used for Zoom or Socrative it should be put away and turned on silent. Other usage is rude and distracting to others.
COVID-19: If in-person class sessions are held, you are expected to wear a mask and maintain appropriate social distance. Outside of class, the college also expects these actions, in addition to appropriate sanitizing practices, symptom tracking, and quarantining as necessary. Even if you do not personally take the virus seriously, you need to respect the learning environment of others. For students uncomfortable or unable to attend due to pandemic concerns, other arrangements will be made.
The following tentative calendar should give you a feel for how work is distributed throughout the semester. Assignments and events are listed in the week they are due or when they occur. This calendar is subject to change based on the circumstances of the course.
Note: All readings should be done before the class period in which they are listed below.
| Date | Topic | Assignments and Readings |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 08/17 (Week 1) | Introductions; Logistics; Matriculation | “Becoming a Learner” |
| Schedule 1-1 appointment | ||
| Wed 08/19 | “Only Connect” | Reading |
| Thu 08/20 | Mentor: Time Management | |
| Fri 08/21 | “How to Get the Most Out of College” | Reading |
| Mon 08/24 (Week 2) | Allegory of the Cave | Reading |
| Wed 08/26 | How to Read a Book; Annotating; The Matrix | Reading AND Bedford ch. 4 |
| Thu 08/27 | “Convo”: Growth Mindset | |
| Fri 08/28 | Writing Paragraphs | Bedford ch. 3, HH intro |
| Mon 08/31 (Week 3) | Elephant vs. Rider | HH ch. 1, 1-1 appointment |
| Wed 09/02 | Meditation vs. Medication | HH ch. 2 |
| Thu 09/03 | Mentor: Campus Involvement | |
| Fri 09/04 | Weak vs. Strong Adversity Hypothesis | HH ch. 7 |
| Mon 09/07 (Week 4) | GC 3-31 | |
| Wed 09/09 | Scholar Strike | GC 32-61 |
| Thu 09/10 | “Convo”: The danger of a single story | |
| Fri 09/11 | Scholar Strike Discussion | (See Moodle links) |
| Mon 09/14 (Week 5) | GC 62-90 | |
| Wed 09/16 | (Cancelled) | |
| Thu 09/17 | “Convo”: Sexual Assault Prevention and Title IX | |
| Fri 09/18 | Close Reading | GC 91-125 |
| Mon 09/21 (Week 6) | “How Shall I Live?” | |
| Wed 09/23 | GC 129-154 | |
| Thu 09/24 | Mentor: Self-Care and Stress Management | |
| Fri 09/25 | Speed Discussions/Debate | GC 155-174 |
| Mon 09/28 (Week 7) | GC 175-213, Via Survey | |
| Wed 09/30 | GC 214-241 | |
| Thu 10/01 | “Convo”: Mental Health | 1-1 appointment (Spring registration plan) |
| Fri 10/02 | Close Reading, Discussion | HH ch. 8, Close Reading Rubric |
| Mon 10/05 (Week 8) | GC 245-268 | |
| Wed 10/07 | Close Reading | GC 269-288, Close Reading Rubric |
| Thu 10/08 | (Open for Advising) | |
| Fri 10/09 | (No class – Pseudo-fall break) | |
| Mon 10/12 (Week 9) | HH ch. 9 | |
| (Tue 10/13) | (Mentoring Day) | Mentoring Day Assignment |
| Wed 10/14 | HH ch. 3 | |
| Thu 10/15 | Registration Presentation (Kristi Hippen) | |
| Fri 10/16 | HH ch. 4 | |
| Mon 10/19 (Week 10) | HH ch. 5 | |
| Wed 10/21 | HH ch. 6 | |
| Thu 10/22 | “Convo” Topic: Academic Integrity | |
| Fri 10/23 | HH ch. 10-11 | |
| Mon 10/26 (Week 11) | SYWTTAR intro and ch. 1 | |
| Wed 10/28 | SYWTTAR ch. 2-3 | |
| Thu 10/29 | No class – MPAACT podcast play | |
| Fri 10/30 | SYWTTAR ch. 4-5 | |
| Mon 11/02 (Week 12) | SYWTTAR ch. 16-17, 1-1 appointment | |
| Wed 11/04 | Baldwin p. 145-169 | |
| Thu 11/05 | Utilizing the Library | |
| Fri 11/06 | Baldwin p. 169-193 | |
| Mon 11/09 (Week 13) | IM: “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” | |
| Wed 11/11 | IM: “A Temporary Matter” | |
| Thu 11/12 | Close Reading Practice | |
| Fri 11/13 | IM: “This Blessed House” | |
| Mon 11/16 (Week 14) | IM: “Interpreter of Maladies” | |
| Wed 11/18 | IM: “The Third and Final Continent” | |
| Thu 11/19 | Mentor: Semester End Reflection/Closure | |
| Fri 11/20 | IM: “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar” | |
| Mon 11/23 | New Advisor Form |
Mental Health and Counseling Services: Monmouth College provides cost-free, professional mental health counseling to support you and to help you manage challenges that may impact your personal and academic success. The Counseling Center is located in the upper level of Poling Hall, offices 204 and 216, and the hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. To request a confidential appointment on-line, click here or email the center, Cindy Beadles or Tom Caudill.
Student Success and Accessibility Services offers FREE resources to assist Monmouth College students with their academic success. Programs include supplemental instruction for difficult classes, drop-in and appointment tutoring, and individual academic coaching. The office is here to help students excel academically, since everyone can work toward better grades, practice stronger study skills, and mange their time better.
Accessibility Services: If you have a disability or had academic accommodations in high school or another college, you may be eligible for academic accommodations at Monmouth College under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Monmouth College is committed to equal educational access. To discuss any of the services offered, please call or visit Student Success and Accessibility Services. SSAS is located in the ACE space on the first floor of Hewes Library, opposite Einstein Bros. Bagels. They can be reached at 309-457-2257 or via email at ssas@monmouthcollege.edu.
Writing Tutoring: The Writing Center offers unlimited, free peer tutoring sessions for MC students, available in-person as well as online. Peer writing tutors are trained to work with writers from any major, of any writing ability, on any type of writing assignment, and at any stage of the writing process, from planning to drafting to revising to editing. The Writing Center tutors will available on the main floor of the library, adjacent to the east entrance, from Sunday through Thursday, 7-9 PM. No appointments are necessary for in-person tutoring. Email Dr. Shweta Arpit Srivastava for online appointments. Scheduling online appointments may take up to 48 hours.