Course Syllabus Professor Areej Zufari
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Course Syllabus Professor Areej Zufari Rollins College CRN 10990 Spring Term 2014 Meeting Time and Location: Tuesday evenings 6:45-9:15pm Bush Science Center, Room 228 Contact Information: [email protected] Email is the best way to contact me. You can also reach me by phone for emergencies only: 407.310.1198. I ask that you only use this phone number for urgent questions. Course Description: Islamic rule of Spain during the Medieval Era has been hailed as an era of religious tolerance and respectful coexistence. Many scholars, on the other hand, dispute this view as overly positive. What is beyond dispute is that the presence and interaction of the Islamic, Christian and Jewish communities in Moorish Spain produced art, architecture, poetry, philosophy and music of exquisite beauty and ultimately helped to smooth the rough road to the Renaissance in Europe. This course will explore the reality of coexistence in Medieval Spain, an era that leaves us with the sublime Alhambra, an image of paradise, heavily fortified against the political struggles taking place just outside its walls. 2 Course Objectives: Students will analyze the culture of Medieval Spain in an integrated manner that focuses on the cultural developments and intellectual accomplishments, focusing on the following topics: . Exploring the Roman and Visigoth legacy in Spain. Analyzing the Muslim impact on Spain. Evaluating the concept of convivencia between Christians, Muslims, and Jews and their contributions . Exploring Andalusian poetry, art, and architecture. Analyzing Jewish contributions and developments. Analyzing intellectual works (philosophical and theological) of this era. Analyzing the concept of the Reconquest. Identify and Evaluate contemporary parallels with Medieval Spanish cultural developments. Course Texts: Required: . The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by Maria Rosa Menocal paperback price $11.91 on Amazon ISBN-13: 9780316168717 . A Vanished World: Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment by Chris Lowny paperback price $16.93 on Amazon ISBN-13: 978-0195311914 Suggested: . The Arts of Intimacy: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Making of Castilian Culture by Jerilynn D. Dodds, Maria Rosa Menocal, and Abigail Krasner Balbale paperback price $ 18.24 ISBN-13: 9780300142143 Course Policies: . Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes and keep up with assignments. Students who are not present in class will not earn credit for completed work. Certainly problems such as misbehaving cars, illnesses, and family emergencies come up. There is no need for students to document excused absences. Students are to take responsibility for attending all possible classes and to accept the policy that late work will not be accepted. Participation and contribution to class discussions are required. Copyrighted Material: All materials provided online are copyrighted and made available for educational purposes only. Students may not reproduce copyrighted material without permission from the appropriate publisher or author. Classroom Etiquette: Please refrain from making any disparaging or disrespectful comments to any participant in the course and limit your comments to those which directly relate to the topic of discussion. Class Partner: In order to keep up with all course material and have a study partner, you are asked to find at least one class partner. Your partner will be your source of information when you miss class. 3 . Academic Honesty. Academic honesty is absolutely maintained in this course. You will receive a Zero for any assignment that is plagiarized, and may receive a failing grade for the course. Membership in the student body of Rollins College carries with it an obligation, and requires a commitment, to act with honor in all things. Because academic integrity is fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge and truth and is the heart of the academic life of Rollins College, it is the responsibility of all members of the College community to practice it and to report apparent violations. The following pledge is a binding commitment by the students of Rollins College: The development of the virtues of Honor and Integrity are integral to a Rollins College education and to membership in the Rollins College community. Therefore, I, a student of Rollins College, pledge to show my commitment to these virtues by abstaining from any lying, cheating, or plagiarism in my academic endeavors and by behaving responsibly, respectfully and honorably in my social life and in my relationships with others. This pledge is reinforced every time a student submits work for academic credit as his/her own. Students shall add to all papers, quizzes, tests, lab reports, etc., the following handwritten abbreviated pledge followed by their signature: “On my honor, I have not given, nor received, nor witnessed any unauthorized assistance on this work.” Disability Services: Rollins College is committed to equal access and does not discriminate unlawfully against persons with disabilities in its policies, procedures, programs or employment processes. The College recognizes its obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to provide an environment that does not discriminate against persons with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability on this campus and anticipate needing any type of academic/medical accommodations in order to participate in your classes, please make timely arrangements by disclosing this disability in writing to the Disability Services Office at (Box 2772) – Mills Building, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, FL, 32789. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 407-646-2354 or by emailing: [email protected] Evaluation Method: Your grade will be calculated by adding points earned by the total of possible number of points Critical Thinking Essays (2) 100 points each Class Presentation 100 points Mid-term Exam 100 points Final Exam 100 points Below is a general grading scale for how I assess written work, including your essays and class presentation: A 90-100% The student submits superb work. The student shows an ability to offer original and insightful analysis of the facts. 4 B 80-89% The student submits solid work. The facts have been grasped, and significant moves have been made to interpret the material in an analytical fashion. C 70-79% The student has made an attempt to grasp the factual material presented. The analysis of these facts, and an attempt to contribute towards an original interpretation, however, is severely missing. D 60-69% The student offers only simplistic answers and no attempt to grasp the concepts was made. F -59% The student’s work shows no attempt to engage the material, to respect the parameters of the class and its schedule, or the turning in of assignment. Critical Thinking Essays: Please remember that these essays MUST uphold the Academic Integrity policy of the college and the course. No plagiarism will be tolerated. Any plagiarism will result in a zero for your grade. Any resources or research used MUST be documented according to MLA standards. Your sources of information must be cited within the body of the paper and at the end of the paper in a Works Cited page. Failure to do so is plagiarism, and will be treated as such. Please upload your completed essays through Blackboard. (This will save paper and facilitate grading.) On the course menu on Blackboard, you will see a menu option titled “Critical Thinking Essays.” Please click on this option. Once you have opened the folder, you will see where you can upload each of the two required essays. Please note: works cited pages should be in the SAME document as your essay. Simply insert a page break after your essay and then include your works cited page. This is standard for academic papers. For these essays, you will be required to present thoughtful, articulate essays that present your original ideas. As important as the writing skills you demonstrate are the analytical and Critical Thinking skills you develop. You will be graded on the following areas: • the quality of your writing • your command of the topic • the quality of your Critical Thinking and the manner in which you develop your thoughts The purpose of the Critical Thinking essays is to demonstrate your higher levels of thinking. The purpose of these essays is to give you the opportunity to develop your own analysis that is backed up by careful, well- developed thoughts. Your response essay should be • at least 1500 words, typed • Double-spaced, size 12 font, and formatted according to MLA standards. • You should present a formal writing assignment; therefore, it may NOT include informal words or slang. Also, you may not write in the first person, and you may NOT include first-person pronouns. • Your essays must be well-written, with special attention given to grammar, syntax, and essay structure. • Your essays must be well-edited and free of writing errors. • You should have a clear train of thought, and not simply ramble on about random topics mentioned within the readings • I expect you to back up your statements with concrete arguments of your own and/or examples from the readings. Your Essays Should Include: . An original Title . A proper heading according to MLA style 5 . a highlighted thesis—Highlight your thesis in a different color . a well-written introductory paragraph . Body paragraphs that are well developed with analysis that backs your thesis. Well developed transitions between paragraphs . Specific examples and references to indicate you have a strong command of the topic. Concluding paragraph . MLA format citations within the paper . MLA format Works Cited page at the end of the paper Class Presentations: Each person will be assigned a date and topic to lead our class discussion and give a presentation bringing into focus key aspects of the topic assigned for the day of the presentation.