REL 102
Requirements
Attendance and Academic Citizenship
Attendance is important for your
performance in this class. Since class meetings consist of lectures and discussion, students
find it very difficult to do well on my tests without attending faithfully,
taking good notes, and reviewing them throughout the semester.
Attendance is worth 20 points of
your total grade. Each unexcused absence results in a 2 point deduction
from your attendance grade. However, each
student begins with 6 points of extra credit for perfect attendance.
This means you can have three unexcused absences before losing any of your 20
pts. Moreover, if at the end of the semester your attendance and
participation have been excellent and you are within half a percent of the next
highest grade increment, I will bump your grade up (e.g., from a B- to a B, or a
B+ to an A-).
For obvious reasons, I don't want you to come to
class if you're feeling ill. Just let GA know that you didn't come to
class because you felt sick and you'll be excused.
You will need to provide documentation for
excused absences. To
paraphrase the Undergraduate Catalog, you may be excused from class without
penalty:
1) for University sanctioned activities,
2) for severe illness as
evidenced by a written doctor’s excuse (but see above), and
3) for a death in your immediate
family.
Academic Citizenship consists of scholarly
habits, i.e., characteristics and practices that will contribute immensely to your academic
success such as:
1) Coming prepared for class;
2) Paying attention to the lecture;
3) Taking notes on the lecture;
4) Paying attention to fellow students' questions and comments
during discussion;
5) Not arriving late or leaving early;
6) Not talking to your neighbor or doing anything else that is
distracting and disrespectful while class is in session.
So no knitting and no fidget spinners! :-)
7) Taking part in discussions of the papers.
Also, please note that phones are not to be used during
class. See Additional Course Policies for more on
cell phone policies. I also recommend against using tablets and laptops in
class. There is a large and growing body of research that
confirms that personal technology in the classroom is a distraction that is
making us stupider, and that the physical act of writing things down helps
increase comprehension and retention. However, I am willing to consider
making an exception for a tablet or laptop if you ask me about it.
Poor academic citizenship will affect your grade.
One point will be deducted from your Attendance and Academic Citizenship
grade for each obvious infraction.
Reading
The reading assignments are important. Your textbook is up to date on
current issues of New Testament interpretation and is written in an engaging, conversational, and even occasionally humorous style.
We will also read substantial portions of the New Testament itself. My experience
has been that even most students who have attended Sunday School their entire lives have
actually read very little of the New Testament. Some take this course, among other reasons,
to remedy this fault. So whether you are Buddhist, a Baptist, an atheist or
anything else, you should take this
opportunity to read some of one of the foundation documents of Western culture.
Required Textbooks
Sumney, Jerry. The Bible: An Introduction (3d ed.)
SBL Study Bible
Evaluations
1) Ten
short papers. These are
one to two page assignments that will provide more information
about lecture topics or engage issues raised by them. Specific directions for each assignment will appear under
Assignments at least five days before the due date. One
extra credit assignment will be included near the end of the semester.
Late
papers will be subject to a letter grade point reduction and must be submitted
within two weeks of the original due date.
2) Midterm Exam. This exam will consist of 80 objective (Multiple Choice and TF) questions covering the
first half of the semester. A detailed study guide will be provided a week for before
the exam.
3) Final Exam. This exam will consist of 70
objective (Multiple Choice and TF) questions covering the
second half of the semester, and a 30 pt. essay. A list of essay questions
will be provided a week in advance and students will pick, one to prepare and
write during the exam period. A detailed study guide will be provided a week for before
the exam. An incomplete (i.e.,
grade "I") will be given for the course if you miss the Final, have a legitimate
excuse, and request one within 24 hours after the Final was given.
4) Optional Extra Credit Final Exam Reflective Essay.
This optional essay allows you earn up to 10 extra credit points by reflecting on all you've learned in light of the specific
Gen. Ed. course goals. Specific instructions for writing your essay
will be given in advance and your essay will be submitted through
Blackboard.
Grading
Attendance
and Academic Citizenship |
20 pts. |
Ten Short Papers (20 pts. each) |
200 pts. |
Midterm Exam |
80 pts. |
Final Exam |
100 pts. |
TOTAL POINTS |
400 pts. |
Your total Course Grade will utilize plus/minus grading. As someone has
said, "Earnestly desire the higher gifts."
Percentage
|
Grade
|
94-100%
|
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+
|
60-66% |
D |
Below 60%
|
F
|
- Grades will be kept on the course's Blackboard site so that you can check
your performance in the class on your own at any time.
- Late work will be penalized a letter grade. Missed papers must be made up by Study
Day or you will receive no credit for those
assignments.
Office Hours
My office is STRO 266, but will not be
meeting with students there much this semester
because of the pandemic. Instead, I will
be available during my scheduled office hours
through Collaborate Ultra in Blackboard. Virtual
office hours are posted on the Blackboard
site. However, you will need to email me to set
up a time for a meeting. My email address
is available on the campus web and on the
Blackboard site. Please use ONLY your MSU email
when sending email correspondence to me in this
course. As I teach multiple courses each
semester, it will help me assist you faster if
you include the course name and section number
in the subject line of your email. Not including
this information could delay my response to you.
Emails sent during the week (Monday – Friday),
will be responded to within 24 hours.
Emails received over the weekend or during
breaks/holidays will be receive a response
within 48 hours.
Classes During Campus Closures
When the university is closed due to an emergency or
inclement weather situation, classes will move to remote learning.
What this means for our class is that we
will meet via Blackboard during our regularly scheduled class time, which will
be recorded and made available in for students unable to attend synchronously.
I will use Blackboard Announcements to communicate any changes to scheduled
tests, quizzes, or other assessments that may be impacted. If you are not able
to participate in the remote learning activities as described (for example, due
to a power outage), you should contact me as soon as you can so alternative
arrangements can be made.
Academic Integrity
Missouri State University is a community of
scholars committed to developing educated
persons who accept the responsibility to
practice personal and academic integrity.
You are responsible for knowing and following
the university’s student honor code,
Student Academic Integrity Policies and
Procedures and also available at the
Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any
student participating in any form of academic
dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as
described in this policy. In this course,
cheating on any assignment besides the final
exam will result in an F for that assignment and
usually cannot be made up. Cheating on the final
exam will result in an XF.
Emergency Storm Shelter and Evacuation
Information
In the event of an emergency or incident in
the classroom, the faculty member is often the
first university representative or authority
figure recognized to be in charge until
emergency first responders arrive. At the first
class meeting, students should become familiar
with a basic emergency response plan through a
dialogue with the instructor that includes a
review and awareness of exits specific to the
classroom and the emergency relocation areas for
the building. For your convenience, this
information has been provided by the Office of
the Provost and Safety and Transportation and
appears below. Students with disabilities
impacting mobility should discuss with their
instructor the approved accommodations for
emergency situations and additional options.
Faculty must include information related to
emergency response in their syllabi (see
http://www.missouristate.edu/provost/syllabi.htm).
For more information contact Safety and
Transportation (417-836-5509) or consult the
Emergency Quick Reference Guide and
Campus Emergency Response Plan.
Tornado Shelter Area Information (in case of
severe weather):
Building
|
Tornado Shelter
Area
|
Glass Hall
|
1st Floor:
Shelter in
interior lecture
Halls
2nd Floor:
Shelter in
interior lecture
Halls
3rd Floor:
Shelter in
interior lecture
Halls and
interior office
suites.
4th Floor:
Evacuate to 3rd
Floor Lecture
Halls and
Interior Office
Suites using
northeast,
northwest
southeast and
southwest
stairs.
|
Strong Hall
|
Evacuate the
fourth floor
using north and
south stairs.
Faculty office
wing occupants
may shelter in
interior halls
of their area.
All other
occupants move
to basement
level using
north and south
stairwells.
|
Emergency Assembly Point Instructions (in
case the building needs to be evacuated for
events such as fire, gas leak, etc.)
Building
|
Emergency
Assembly Point
|
Glass Hall
|
Southwest to
Strong Hall
Rooms 1, 2, 3
and 4
|
Strong Hall
|
Northeast to
Glass Hall Room
101; Overflow to
rooms 102 and
108
|
Areas of Rescue (in case you are unable to
evacuate to the ground floor, these are areas of
temporary safety until rescuers arrive)
Building
|
Area of Rescue
|
Glass Hall
|
Northeast
stairwell
Southeast
stairwell
|
Strong Hall
|
None in this
facility
|