SHAW UNIVERSITY

Department of Humanities

MDS 216-50: Classics and Contemporaries

Fall 2007-2008

Dr. Désiré Baloubi

Office Telephone: (919) 546-8307 (Ed Building 06) & 546-8254

Syllabus
SHAW UNIVERSITY

Department of Humanities

MDS 216-50: Classics and Contemporaries

MW (8:25 p.m.-9:40 p.m.) Tupper, Room# 104

Dr. Désiré Baloubi

Office/Telephone: Ed Building 06/ (919) 546-8307/8254

E-mail: dbaloubi@shawu.edu

Office Hours: TH: 9:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. & MWF: 9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
________________________________________________________________________

Required Text:

Veit, Richard and Christopher Gould. Writing, Reading, and Research. 7th ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.

General Description:

MDS 216 is an introduction to interdisciplinary reading and writing in the liberal arts and sciences. The course covers various topics and focuses on major academic skills. It puts a specific emphasis on summaries, critiques, syntheses, and research.

Goals of the Course:

1. Fostering humanistic values and ethics, empathy, and a commitment to thoughtful, responsible social action

2. Developing sound principles and practices of critical thinking

3. Inculcating an appreciation of the benefits of liberal education and a desire for lifelong learning

4. Developing a level of skill in speaking, reading, writing, research, and time management that will serve students well in graduate study and/or career paths

5. Engaging students in interdisciplinary dialogue and demonstration of connections between the world of work and the methods and subject matters of the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, especially those of the student?s two chosen disciplines.

6. Strengthening students? abilities to perceive connections among facts and ideas and thereby to synthesize their knowledge

Terminal Course Objectives:

Through selected readings and exercises, each student will develop skills and abilities to do the following:
1. Writing a summary
2. Paraphrasing as a reading & writing strategy
3. Quoting accurately and appropriately from outside sources
4. Writing a critique of an argument
5. Synthesizing (writing an objective report, combining) multiple sources)
6. Writing an argumentative research essay

Specialty Area Standards:

Standard 1: Teachers know and understand the English Language.

Indicator 1: Teachers understand the evolving nature of the English Language.

Indicator 2: Teachers understand the conventions of Standard English, as well as dialect and register variations.

Indicator 3: Teachers understand individual language acquisition and development, recognizing the impact of cultural, economic, political, and social environments upon language.

Standard 11: Teachers foster in students awareness and appreciation of their own and others' cultures.

Indicator 1: Teachers incorporate diverse resources in context to connect global ideas to student experiences.

Indicator 2: Teachers respect students' native languages in their relation to the conventions of Standard English.

Indicator 3: Teachers enhance students' understanding of themselves and others to establish classroom cultures of mutual respect.

Student Classroom Decorum Expectations:

To enhance the learning atmosphere of the classroom, students are expected to dress and behave in a fashion conducive to learning in the classroom. More specifically, students will refrain from disruptive classroom behavior, that is, talking to classmates, disrespectful responses to teacher instructions; swearing; wearing clothes that impede academic learning such as but not limited to wearing body-revealing clothing and excessively baggy pants; hats/caps; and/or headdress. Students will turn off telephones prior to entering the classroom. Students who exhibit the behaviors described above, or similar behaviors, will be immediately dismissed from class at the third documented offense. The student will be readmitted to class only following a decision by the department chair. The student may appeal the decision of the department chair to the Dean of the College offering the course, and, subsequently, to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and then to the President of Shaw University. The decision of the President will be final. Failure to follow the procedures herein outlined will result in termination of the appeal, and revert to the decision of the department chair.

Each behavior construed by the teacher/professor as non-contributive to learning will be recorded, properly documented, and appropriately reported to the student and to the chair of the academic department offering the course.

The report will be in written form with a copy provided to both the student and the department chair. The faculty member should retain a copy for his/her own records.

Additional student behavior codes may be found in Student Affairs.

Course Requirements:

In addition to reading and presenting the assigned materials, students will have to fulfill these requirements:

1-Take-home Final Exam: a research project on a problem using a multidisciplinary

approach (10 pages): 25%

2-Two major assignments: (1) writing a summary & (2) synthesizing (6 pages): 40%

3-Take-home Midterm Exam (writing a 6-page critique of an argument): 20%

4-Participation in Blackboard Threaded Discussions (You receive 1 pt. each week you participate actively with substantive contributions): 15%

Notes: Writing and Reading, and Research = WRR

Weekly Schedule:

Week 1 (W1)-- Introduction: Course Structure
Defining general concepts: (1) summary, paraphrase, quotation,
(2) Critical Reading and Critique
(3) Introduction, Thesis, and Conclusion (4) Synthesis (5) Research
Assignment # 1: TBA (look for posting on Blackboard)

W2 -- Writing Summaries (Chapter 5). Focus on pp. 181-215

W3-- Paraphrasing (Chapter 3). Focus on pp. 123-151

* Practice on Text, pp. 150-1

W4 “Quoting from outside sources” (Chapter 12). Focus on pp. 413-436 (when, what, how?)

W5--Analyzing Texts (Chapter 7). Focus on pp. 257-287.
* Read example on pp. 280-284
* Practice on Text, pp. 285-287.

W6-- Critical Reading and Critique (Chapter 14). Focus on:
* pp. 509-520
* pp. 257-288
Midterm Exam Paper is assigned: Critique (Critiquing an Argumentative Essay, p. 536)

W7--Writing a research paper: defining concepts and sharing examples. Focus on
* a) Topic → Statement of Thesis

* b) Writing a Thesis: narrowing topic and scope of thesis (practice).

* c) Writing Conclusions (bring examples to share with instructor and classmates)

* d) Midterm is due.

W8-- Synthesizing Part I (Chapter 6) “Combining ideas and information from several sources.” Focus on:
* pp. 217-220 (end of comments on sample report)
* pp. 220-226 (from Practice Reading to Practice on three sources indicated)

W9--Synthesizing Part II (Chapter 6). Focus on:
* pp. 226-230 Objective Reports on Sources
* pp. 230-236 Acknowledging sources & Exercises on p. 236 (Share with class & Instructor)

W10--Library Week: Explanatory synthesis paper is assigned.
* Select Five Sources related to a topic and both of your disciplines
* Bibliography
* First draft of Synthesis

W11--Explanatory Synthesis (Draft is due)
* Share draft with class & instructor
* Comments on at least three classmates’ drafts

W12--Writing and Revising a Research Paper (Chapter 13)
* pp. 440-453 (from “Getting organized” to “Giving your paper a title”)
* pp. 453-489 (from “Editing and revising” to “Typing and proofreading your polished
draft”)
* Explanatory Synthesis is due.

W13--Library week: Writing an Argumentative Research Essay (Chapter 14).
* Selecting a topic: see Assignment on p. 528 (Avoid old topics commonly discussed on campus and in papers you have been writing since your freshmen year?You MUST seek Instructor?s approval. Please highlight contributions from both of your MDS disciplines). Focus on:
* pp. 490-508: Elements & Appeals of Argument
-Assumption/General Premise
-Claim/Thesis
-Support/Evidence
-Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
* Share first draft with class and Instructor for feedback.

W14--Writing an Argumentative Research Essay (End).
* Revising, editing, and proofreading. Focus on:
* pp. 524-535: Purpose, Thesis/Claim, Audience, Persona, Opposition, Organization, Fallacies, and Persuasion Strategies.

W15--Argument Paper: Final Paper is due.

W 16--Final Grades Posted

Grading scale:

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = Below 60

Please note that the University attendance policy will be enforced, and this means no student will be allowed more than 3 unexcused absences.