Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
Fall 2011
Introduction to Liberal Arts
Dr. Stacy A. Cordery Office phone: 457-2372 Wallace Hall L-6 |
Office Hours: MW 10 :00 to 11:00
a.m., MWF, noon to 1:00 p.m., |
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
All students who complete ILA will be able to: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.
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