Ancient Civ.

 

Expectations

The best path to doing well in the course and gaining a more solid understanding of the past is to engage actively with the material and with class discussions.

This website is the syllabus for this course. As with any course, you are responsible for knowing the requirements for the course. Participation in this course includes adherence to the policies and expectations in this syllabus, including rules on

Attendance and Participation

  • Participation in class discussion is a required part of the course. Missing classes will damage your grade.
    • Textbooks are designed to give you the basics; in our class meetings we try to make sense of things, and sift out what’s important. Missing classes means you miss out on a key part of our trying to put things together.
    • If you miss quizzes, it will put a big crimp in your grade for the course. Quizzes are not made up, so the quizzes you miss will count against you.
  • Religious observances that affect your class attendance should be discussed in advance.
  • If you are not feeling well, please stay home.
    • If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please contact the Health Center at med.requirements@lehman.cuny.edu as soon as possible after your positive test result to initiate contact tracing and to get connected to support services.

Guidelines

Don’t waste this opportunity! Make the most out of this class.

  • Please use me as a resource. Interact with me in class meetings online or send me emails with any questions you have—whether they relate to the requirements of the course, or to ideas we’re reading about or discussing in class.
  • Come to the class meetings prepared. By prepared, I mean you should have done the readings and videos for that day—and thought about them. Come in ready to talk about your reactions to the readings, and the questions they raised in your mind.
  • Take notes in class. You are responsible for the material discussed in class meetings, and will be expected to discuss this material on exams and in assigned essays. Taking notes in class gives you a resource to review what was discussed.
  • Check your email. Make sure I have a good email address for you and check it, as I occasionally send information and updates by email. If you have not gotten an email from me within the first week after school begins, check your spam folders. If you can’t find an email from me, send me an email to let me know how best to reach you.
  • Talk to me if you’re struggling. Reach out to me via email, and the sooner the better. Don’t wait until it’s too late to turn things around. If you’re considering withdrawing, talk with me first and see if we come up with a plan.

Submitting Assignments

  • All written assignments must be submitted via BlackBoard using the upload links there. BlackBoard is accessed through CUNY Login. If you have trouble with BlackBoard, please call the IT helpdesk at (718) 960-1111 or go the Lehman College BlackBoard support page. I won’t accept written assignments by email. If BlackBoard itself is down, I’ll announce alternative arrangements to the class.
  • Late assignments. Late assignments will be marked down. I’ll still accept late submissions, but there will be a penalty that will hurt your grade.
    • Written assignments will be marked down one letter grade per week after the assignment due date, up to a maximum of 30 points. That means you’re still better off turning in your paper late, and having it be marked down, than not turning it in at all.
    • I do not give extra credit opportunities except to the entire class. I do not grade on a curve.
    • Incompletes. I do not give incompletes unless we’ve discussed and agreed on the grounds for giving one prior to the final exam.
    • Make-ups and rewrites. Make-up assignments or exams are given only in cases of documented medical emergency or comparable life disruption. I do not accept rewritten essays after an assignment has been submitted, graded, and returned; but some deductions are reversible (see the sample grading sheet on the Requirements page).
  • Any instances of plagiarism, whether on essays, papers, quizzes, or exams, will have dire consequences. See the policies page for what counts as plagiarism and the penalties involved in presenting the work of others as your own.
  • Any student who would have received an F for the course owing to nonsubmission of assignments, but who gets a C or better on the final exam, will receive a D for the course. Any student who does not attend the final exam, regardless of prior standing, will automatically receive a WU for the course, unless excused by documented personal emergency.