Requirements

REL 102

Requirements

Attendance and Class Citizenship

Attendance and class citizenship are important for your grade. Attendance sheets will be circulated. 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 at least weekly throughout the semester. Moreover, if your attendance and citizenship have been excellent, I will add a point to your course grade to raise it to the next grade (e.g., from a B- to a B, or a B+ to an A-).

Attendance matters are handled by my Graduate Assistant so contact him concerning them. 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, and
3) for a death in your immediate family.

You are allowed three unexcused absences without penalty. Each additional unexcused absence will result in a 2 pt. deduction from your attendance and citizenship grade. Attendance and citizenship is worth 20 pts. of your total grade. This is a very easy way to get a few points, but if you are the kind of student who likes to skip classes, they will disappear fast.

What does "class citizenship" mean? It means realizing what you are here for and acting accordingly. When you are in class you are part of a community of scholars. You are in the classroom to learn and to act in such a way as not to distract the professor or other students. You must show respect to the professor and your fellow students. Here are some do's and don'ts of scholarly decorum:

	Do come prepared for class.
	Do pay attention to the lecture.
	Do take notes.
	Do pay attention to fellow students' questions and comments during discussion.
	Do not arrive late or leave early.
	Do not talk to your neighbor while class is in session.
	Do not display distracting and disrespectful habits like yawning out loud or annoying habits like tapping on the desk with your pen. If you're not interested, drop the course.

Provost's Statement on Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices. As a member of the learning community, each student has a responsibility to other students who are members of the community. When cell phones or pagers ring and students respond in class or leave class to respond, it disrupts the class. Therefore, the Office of the Provost prohibits the use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication devices during scheduled classes. All such devices must be turned off or put in a silent (vibrate) mode and ordinarily should not be taken out during class. Given the fact that these same communication devices are an integral part of the University’s emergency notification system, an exception to this policy would occur when numerous devices activate simultaneously. When this occurs, students may consult their devices to determine if a university emergency exists. If that is not the case, the devices should be immediately returned to silent mode and put away. Other exceptions to this policy may be granted at the discretion of the instructor.

Poor class citizenship will affect your grade. If you are unwilling to abide by these practices, drop the course.

It is your responsibility to understand the University’s procedure for dropping a class. If you stop attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for dropping the class, you will receive a failing grade and will also be financially obligated to pay for the class. For information about dropping a class or withdrawing from the university, contact the Office of the Registrar at 836-5520.

Reading

The reading assignments are very 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 or a Baptist, you should take this opportunity to read one of the foundation documents of Western culture.

Required Textbooks

Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (4th ed.)

The HarperCollins Study Bible (2d ed.)

Click here for a discussion of Bible translation theory and the strengths and weaknesses of various translations and study Bibles.

Tests, Exams and Papers

	Three Mini-Tests. These will be twenty minute objective tests on the readings and lectures consisting of multiple choice and true or false questions. Mini-Tests will be given during the first twenty minutes of class.
	One full class period Test.
	A Final Exam. It will consist of 50 objective questions covering reading and lectures since the previous test, and a major essay.

If you miss a test or exam for a legitimate reason as defined by the University Catalog (see above), you may take a make-up test or exam within one week. Contact my Graduate Assistant to arrange this. It is in your best interest to take exams on time and avoid make-up exams.

There will be two short papers (about four pages each). These are low stress written assignments that will prepare you for class discussions on the dates they are due. They must be typed double-spaced. Directions for each assignment will appear on the schedule. Late papers will not be accepted, but a make up assignment will be made available to those with a legitimate excuse.

Grading

Email Introduction/Reflection	30
Attendance and Class Citizenship	20
Mini-Test on Part One	30
Paper One	50
Mini-Test on Part Two	30
Mini-Test Part Three	30
Test on Part Four	50
Paper Two	60
Final Exam	100
TOTAL POINTS	400

Your Course Grade will utilize plus/minus grading. As someone has said, "Earnestly desire the higher gifts."

Percentage	Points	Grade
93-100%	372-400	A
90-92%	360-371	A-
87-89%	348-359	B+
83-86%	332-347	B
80-82%	320-331	B-
77-79%	308-319	C+
73-76%	292-307	C
70-72%	280-291	C-
67-69%	268-279	D+
60-66%	240-267	D
Below 60%	0-239	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.
	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. Missed papers must be made up by Study Day or you will receive no credit for those assignments.

Wiring

An email account and some basic web use are required in this course. Be sure to get your Missouri State Blackboard account set up ASAP since I will occasionally send out announcements using its distribution list.