World Religions Syllabus

COURSE SYLLABUS

REL 3308-005, Section 18990 • World Religions • Spring 2011

August 23 – Dec 3 • Mondays Evenings 5:15-7:30pm

 Room CPR 126 • Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D.

Instructor Contact:                     Email: CAlvarez@mail.USF.edu • Office Phone: (813) 417-4440

Office Hours:                            (7:30 - 8:30) on Monday evenings after class, in CPR 126, or before class by appt.

Required Materials:                    Textbook: Robert Ellwood and Barbara McGraw, Many Peoples, Many Faiths, 9th

edition (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008).

This classic work presents the world's religions in a way that captures the total

human experience, both factually and empathetically. It helps students gain a

sense of each religion's unique characteristics, while tackling some of today's most

critical religious issues. It is written in an engaging style and fully updated--with

fresh insights & information on each of the world’s major religions, along with new religious 

movements. Specific sections on women's roles in each of the world

religions, the world religions in America, religion, governance, and public life are

this text's special features. This text also includes a wealth of learning aids,

including practical outlines that guide students in writing and researching papers,

visits to religious sites, and information to help guide them with online research.

Please purchase two Scantrons for Midterm and Final Exams.

Reading Tips:                             Reading chapters in your text on your own is expected. The ideal is to do so before each corresponding 

                                                lecture. In this way, after the lecture and before the test you are free to concentrate on covering your     

                                                outlines, notes, and the supplemental preparation exercises I often send electronically. This is the ideal.         

                                                However, with the nature of a class such as ours (just meeting once a week), there may be times when 

                                                you have a test and new lecture directly following. In this case, it may be advantageous to read the chapter                 

                                                directly following the lecture. The bottom line is, you will need to use your best judgment based on our class                 

                                                schedule, as well as your own. Good time management, and scheduling your studies is key.       

Optional Handbook:                    MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Ed. Amazon.com, ISBN #: 978-1-60329-024-1, or another MLA college writing handbook, unless student is skilled in research papers and citation. (Please note that it may be an option to check out an MLA writing handbook, either from a local public library, or the USF library here on campus, where some titles are even available online.)

Course Description:                    This course is designed to give students a broad overview of the major religious traditions of the world, including their formative histories and later development, leaders and significant figures, sacred stories and literature, primary beliefs and value systems, religious rituals and practices, social structures, and ethical systems. The course will begin with a foundational introduction to the academic study of religion and its various methodologies as well as theories on the nature, origins, and early development of religion.

Course Objectives:                     Students will be able to identify and compare the general tenets and worldviews of the major world religions, including but not limited to Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students will be able to explain (a) the historical backgrounds and cultural contexts in which each of the world religions developed and (b) why an understanding of these issues is crucial to an understanding of each religion. Students will be able to chart the development, expansion, and diversification within each of the world religions from their origins through the modern period. Students will be able to identify the features common to all religions, and compare and contrast how they are manifested in each of the world religions. Students will show their understanding and mastery of concepts above in three essays and a term research paper.

Fills Requirements:                     6A, HP, SS: This course is 3 credit hours and can be applied to fulfill Gordon Rule (6A) Communications requirements and either Historical Perspectives (HP), or the Social Sciences (SS) Gen Ed undergraduate requirements. Because this is a Gordon Rule course, writing assignments will constitute a large part of the student’s final grade. College level writing skills, word processing skills, and experience in writing essays and research papers will be absolutely necessary to do well in this Junior-level course.

Prerequisites:                            Previous ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 freshman English Composition courses will be necessary to enable most students to fulfill the 4500-word Gordon Rule writing requirement successfully and receive passing grades. However, if a student is very confident that he/she has sufficient English composition skills and experience to be competent in writing essays and research papers with proper citations, previous completion of the ENC courses is not required.

Attendance:                                1. Class attendance is absolutely required, and students are expected to stay for

     the full duration of the class period. Late arrival and early exit must be arranged    

     with the instructor beforehand or explained afterward to avoid absence penalty.

2. Each student must sign-in for every class to receive credit for attendance, and it

    is the student’s responsibility (not the instructor’s) to make sure he/she signs in.

    Students not signing in are counted absent. Test days are an exception. The

    test is proof of attendance.

Attendance Penalties:  

                                            1. Each student is allowed 1 unexcused absence without penalty. 

                                            2. To excuse an absence, appropriate documentation is necessary.

                                            3. Every unexcused absence after the second one results in 4 points deducted from         

                                                the final grade.  

                                            4. Four total absences, excused or unexcused, will necessitate the student repeating                 

                                                the course.

Religious Observance:                Students who will miss class because of religious holidays must submit written notice of these dates at the 

                                                beginning of the semester.

Internet Access:                        1. Students should register for a student login ID and email address at

    https://my.usf.edu if this has not been done.

2. The class Blackboard website at https://my.usf.edu will be used to provide

    course documents, class outlines, quiz answers, assignments, supplementary    

    readings, class announcements, and student grades. Students should check

    the class website daily.

3. Announcements and important communications will be sent to the student’s

official USF email address. Students should check their USF email daily. USF    

also offers automatic email forwarding to another non-USF email address.

Computers:                                1. Laptops may be used to take notes in class. However, using computers for web    

                                                     browsing, emailing, social networking, games, or any other non-class purposes 

     may result in computer privileges being revoked.

Recording:                                  2. Recording devices are permitted; however, class recordings are for the    

     student’s personal use only.

Grading Policies:                        Plus and minus grades will be used as follows:

97-100=A+, 94-96=A, 90-93=A–, 87-89=B+, 84-86=B, 80-83=B–, 77-79=C+, 74-76=C, 70-73=C–, 67-69=D+, 64-66=D, 60-63=D–, 0-59=F.

Students who wish to take this course on an S/U grade basis must fill out and turn in the form for this purpose, provided by the professor upon request.

Grading Structure:                      Evaluations - 15%, Writing Component 1 – 15%, Writing Component 2 – 15%,

Writing Component 3 – 15%, Midterm Exam – 20%, Final Exam – 20%.

Short Essay Papers:                  15% of a student’s final grade will be based on five 300-word essay assignments (about 1 and a half pages, double-spaced, using 12-point standard font). These short papers will be on assigned topics, written in a reflective manner. They are to be written in the student’s own words to demonstrate comprehension of course concepts without any copying or paraphrasing. College-level writing (correct grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling) is necessary. The short papers are graded on an S/U basis. Papers that receive a U grade may be redone for credit after the professor extends feedback and makes suggestions for revisions. Please note, that late papers will not receive an S/U, but instead a standard grade, which will factor in a late penalty. A "B" will be the highest grade possible for a late Reflection, the week after the due date. The possible grade will continue to drop a letter grade each week it is late.

Research Paper:                        15% of a student’s final grade will be based on a 1500-word research paper (about 5 full pages), double-spaced, using a 12-point standard font, and including a Works Cited). The research paper will reference at least 3 scholarly sources, in addition to the course text (4 sources total with the Ellwood/McGraw text), and all sources must be cited. The MLA method of citation should be used correctly & consistently. Topics will be cleared with Dr. Alvarez in advance. Students who are not completely sure they have mastered the research paper format & citation methods should be sure to consult a college writing handbook, such as recommended on the syllabus. Dr Alvarez has also presented a writing sample for review, which was emailed as an attachment earlier in the semester and/or the Gordon Rule Writing Guide, also sent as an attachment and posted on Blackboard. As stated on this guide, pages (454-456) of your text, may also give you some good ideas on how to structure a term paper, if you are having any problems. The organizational structure suggested on page 455 is permissible but not mandatory, since I have invited you go beyond the scope of the text material. The Word Count should be documented at the end of the paper as well, to verify you have reached the 1,500-word minimum. Any comments, feedback, edits, and/or corrections made on former short papers, should be integrated into this research paper, to demonstrate writing/grammar improvement and mastery of MLA format. Please be sure that you have a clear thesis stated in the Introduction and reinforced in the Concluding paragraph. Please make sure that websites are reputable. Any websites suggested in your text, academic college/university websites, as well as online library sources are ideal, and always strive for primary versus secondary sources. Personal interviews with a member of the tradition you are writing about, especially a leadership figure, are encouraged, but not required. Finally, note that a Research Paper is more factual and impersonal than a Reflection paper, and you should have facts and evidence to back up any suggestions and/or conclusions about a given faith or tradition.

Religious Visit Paper:                  Students will visit a place of worship, in a tradition, which is different than their native or current and write a 1,500-word short research paper (around 5 pages) using pp 456-457 in the Ellwood text as a guide. During the final week of class, students will come up in front of their classmates to share for a minimum of 5 minutes, about their experience, before turning in their final product. This final project will also be worth 15% total, 10% for the writing portion and 5% for the oral presentation. 

Evaluations/Tests:                     15% of the final grade will be based on chapter evaluations derived from assigned readings, lectures and outlines. Material from DVDs shown in class may also appear, as well as any other assigned topics. These tests include Multiple Choice, Matching, True/False and Fill-in-the-Blank, with occasional short essay questions. (Please note that when and if there is a curve, make-up tests will not qualify once all the other tests have been graded and recorded.)

Exams:                                     40% of a student’s grade will be based on two exams—20% on a Midterm Exam and 20% on a Final Exam.         

                                               The Midterm Exam will be cumulative over the 1st half of the semester, and the Final exam will be     

                                                cumulative “only” over the 2nd half of the semester. Exams will contain Multiple Choice, Matching, &                                     

                                                True/False. Answers will be recorded with pencil or pen, on green 100-answer scantrons.

Missed Exams:                           1. The Midterm Exam can be made up only with a documented excused absence   

    and proper notification to the instructor, and should be done as soon as

    possible. Make up exams may be longer than regular exams, or may be  

    formatted differently. Making up a missed Final is problematic due to USF final

    grade submission deadlines.

2. ALL writing assignments must be done to pass. If all work is not completed, a

    special arrangement must be approved by the instructor for an I grade and

    extended due date, & an official contract signed or an F will follow.

Academic Dishonesty:                Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating or plagiarism will result in a zero score for the assignment, and possible failure of the course, at the instructor’s discretion. Please consult USF Student Handbook policies on this.

Disabilities:                                To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students with documented disabilities who require accommodations should contact Students with Disabilities Services (SDS), located in SVC 1133 (the Student Services building), 813-974-4309. Detailed instructions are provided on the SDS website at: http://www.asasd.usf.edu/ The instructor is committed to accommodating students with disabilities in every way possible. Any student with a disability should meet with the instructor during the first week of class and provide a copy of their current Memorandum of Accommodations from the SDS office.

Withdrawal Date:                         The last day to withdraw from this course without a grade is Saturday, March 26th.