Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
Fall 2011
 

Introduction to Liberal Arts

Required books

1. Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire
2. Any college-level dictionary

• Please bring both books to class everyday, unless otherwise instructed.

3. You will also need a three-ring binder for this class, and any sort of durable blank book or notebook, lined or unlined, for your journal. The wise student will also purchase some way to organize the binder--tabs, perhaps.
4. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818 Text)  ISBN:  0-19-282283-7
 

The Goals of ILA

•  Engage in the practice of reading, in order to see books as sources of pleasure as well as knowledge;
•  Engage in an effective critical thinking process;
•  Utilize an effective writing process;
•  Demonstrate proficient oral engagement and active listening skills;
•  Explain the distinctiveness and value of a liberal arts education.

ILA Attendance Policy

You are expected and required to attend all seminar classes and required meetings of this course. Since this course is a seminar course that revolves about class discussion, it is particularly important for you to be in class to benefit from all that your fellow student-scholars and instructor have to offer. No more than three unexcused are permitted. You will fail the course on your fourth unexcused absence.

•   Excused absences are:

1) A medical problem that is documented by a doctor (have her/him write a short note explaining your absence), or,

2) A family emergency that is documented by the Dean of Students Office, or

3) A college-sanctioned event (defined as a class trip authorized by an academic department or sports activity authorized by the Physical Education department).  The college-sanctioned event absence must be cleared with the instructor at least one class session prior to the absence. All work must be turned in before the student is absent.

•   Please be advised that you may not drop this course.
   

•   Let me reiterate:  after your fourth unexcused absence, you fail this course.  Period.  No appeal.  No questions asked.  Your attendance in ILA is a part of your figuring out what it means to be an adult student.
   

The Semester's Schedule

•  ILA is a four-hour class, for which you receive four hours of credit.  Therefore, like all other ILA sections, we will average four meetings a week.

Important note about the schedule:  this schedule will change continually, as I respond to your interests.  It is your responsibility to check this web syllabus frequently--daily would be best--in order to keep up with the assignments.  

Monday, 22 August:  Introduction to the class (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon)

Tuesday, 23 August: Discussion: Augustine on Education; Jefferson on Education; summer assignment "Why I Read"

•  Bring to class a quote that resonates with you about the importance of reading. It should be hand written (not typed), and should include a complete citation in Chicago style.  Check your Bedford Handbook for citation examples, or go here for assistance.  Ten points:  four for the quote, five for the perfect citation, one for following these instructions. You may use an internet source.  Be very sure you know who said (or wrote) your quote, and be able to tell us something about him or her.

Wednesday, 24 August: Discussion:  "The Value of a Humanities Degree:  Six Students' Views;" "Why Liberal Education Matters;" "Good and Risky: The Promise of a Liberal Education"

•  Bring to class a definition of the word "liberal."  It should be hand written (not typed), and should include a complete citation in Chicago style.  Check the Bedford Handbook for citation examples, or go here for assistance.  Ten points:  four for the definition, five for the perfect citation, one for following these instructions. Do not use an internet source.

Thursday, 25 August: Discussion:  Friday, 26 August:  Skill Day:  "Your First Monmouth College Weekend," followed by class discussion

•   Journal due at start of class

Monday, 29 August:  Discussion: "Only Connect" and "Humanism in an Age of Science"

Tuesday, 30 August:  Convo:  Dr. David Suda, The Liberal Arts

Wednesday, 31 August: Discussion over Monday's reading assignments and the convo; then we'll discuss the assignment for your essay due 5 September

Thursday, 1 September: Skill Day: Close Reading, using the Allegory of the Cave and your handout entitled "'Only Connect:' The Goals of a Liberal Education"

Friday, 2 September:  Pollan, Introduction

•   Journal due at start of class

Monday, 5 September:  Pollan Introduction

•  Paper due, fifty points: "What Does a Liberal Education Mean to You?"

•  What does he mean by "human bumblebee"?

•  What does he mean by "the botany of desire"?

•  Be able to point to the author's thesis, and to his restatement of that thesis.

Tuesday, 6 September: Convo--Dr. Ken Cramer on Darwin and Evolution

Wednesday, 7 September:  Pollan Introduction

•  What does "We divide the world into subjects and objects" mean? (xiv)

•  What is the importance of language as Pollan sees it?

•  Is there another way to look at this information? Can we change the lens on Pollan?

Thursday, 8 September:  no class

Friday, 9 September:  Skill Day: Getting Involved

•   Journal due at start of class

Monday, 12 September: Guest speaker, Dr. Chris Fasano

Tuesday, 13 September: Wackerle Center Speaker (5 minutes); then discussion of Dr. Fasano's message

Wednesday, 14 September:  Guest speaker, Fr. John Horn

Thursday, 15 September:  Discussion of Fr. Horn's message, then--making sense of different lenses

Friday, 16 September  [Family Weekend]:  Skill Day: Time Management:  Dr. Mishelle Banas

Monday, 19 September: Pollan, Introduction--we'll return to the questions from September 6th and 7th

•  Journal due at start of class

• Dinner with President and Mrs. Ditzler at the Quinby House--meet at tennis courts at 6:25 p.m.

Tuesday, 20 September: Pollan, Chapter 1

Wednesday, 21 September: Pollan, Chapter 1

•  Thank you note due in class

Thursday, 22 September: Pollan, Chapter 1

Friday, 23 September: Skill Day: Note Taking

Monday, 26 September: Discussion:  "The Mundanity of Excellence"

•   Journal due at start of class

Tuesday, 27 September: Pollan, Chapter 2

Wednesday, 28 September:  Pollan, Chapter 2

Thursday, 29 September: Skill Day: Studying Smart

Friday, 30 September: No class

Monday, 3 October: Pollan, Chapter 2 wrap-up

•   Journal due at start of class

Tuesday,  4 October: Convo--Prof. Nick Dobson on Apollo/Dionysius

Wednesday, 5 October: Guest Speaker: Dr. Trudi Peterson on How Men and Women Communicate

Thursday, 6 October:  Library Visit

• Journal due at start of class--please concentrate on the ideas of Dobson and Peterson and how they affect your intellectual journey

Friday, 7 October: No class

Monday, 10 October:  fall break 

Tuesday, 11 October: fall break

Wednesday, 12 October:  Pollan, Chapter 3

Thursday, 13 October:  Library Visit

Friday, 14 October:  Pollan, Chapter 3

Monday, 17 October: Skill Day:  Thinking about Careers: Stephanie Kinkaid

•  Journal due at start of class

Tuesday, 18 October:  Understanding the new Four-Four Curriculum

• Please bring your MC catalogue to class with you today

• Please read this brief article written by Dr. Connell in preparation for our discussion:  http://mccourier.com/2011/10/06/what-students-should-know-about-the-4-4-plan/

Wednesday, 19 October [Mentoring Day]: DEFERRED UNTIL MONDAY SO YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR MAJOR  Skill Day: Learning how to sign up for classes. 

• Your next semester's classes due, with a fallback plan

• Demonstration of how to log on and register

• Please bring your MC catalogue and your laptop with you to class today

Thursday: 20 October:    Convo--Alums & Their Monmouth College, in Dahl Auditorium

Friday, 21 October: No class / / Homecoming weekend

Monday, 24 October:  See Wednesday, 19 October, above

•  Journal due at start of class

Tuesday, 25 October: Pollan, Chapter 3 quiz

Wednesday, 26 October:  No class--be reading chapter 4 in Pollan

Thursday, 27 October:  No class

Friday, 28 October:  No class

Monday, 31 October: Pollan, Chapter 4

• Registration for spring classes begins

Tuesday: 1 November:    Convo--Speaker Dr. Steve Buban: Chapter Three in Pollan

Wednesday, 2 November:  Pollan, Chapter 4

Thursday:  3 November:  Harvest of Fear

•  Autobiographical Essay--this is due  on Monday, 28 November.

•  Question list for interviews8

Friday, 4 November:  Harvest of Fear

Monday, 7 November: Frankenstein

Tuesday, 8 November: Pollan, Chapter 4

•  Journal due at start of class

Wednesday, 9 November: Frankenstein

Thursday, 10 November: No class

Friday, 11 November: No class

Monday, 14 November:   Pollan, Epilogue

Tuesday, 15 November: no class and no journal due this week

Wednesday, 16 November: Guest speaker: Dr. Sara Gorchoff

Thursday, 17 November: Guest lecture, Dr. Simon Cordery on Frankenstein

•  NOTE:  Meet in the Music Building's second floor classroom for the Frankenstein lecture

Friday, 18 November:   Frankenstein--In-class quiz over the book. Make sure you've read to the end, and reviewed before class.

Monday, 21 November:  Frankenstein

•  Journal due at start of class

Tuesday, 22 November: Frankenstein

Wednesday, 23 November: Thanksgiving break

Thursday, 24 November: Thanksgiving break

Friday, 25 November: Thanksgiving break

Monday, 28 November: Frankenstein

•  Journal due at start of class

•  Autobiographical essay due in class

Tuesday, 29 November: Convo--Representative from Monsanto

Wednesday, 30 November: No class

Thursday, 1 December:  Frankenstein--topic: Romantic vs. Enlightenment ideals in 2011

Friday, 2 December: Frankenstein

•  Frankenstein exam handed out

Monday, 5 December: Frankenstein exam completed in class.

•  Last journal due at start of class

Tuesday, 6 December:  Pollan exam

Wednesday, 7 December: Vocabulary test

Saturday, 10 December:  6:00 p.m.: 317 South 8th Street