Requirements REL 322

Attendance and Academic Citizenship

This class is mainly discussion based, so attendance and participation are crucial. 

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.

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. 

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! :-)

Also, please note that phones, tablets, and laptops are not to be used during class.  See Additional Course Policies for more on cell phone policies.  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.

Reading and Discussion Participation

The reading assignments are the life blood of a discussion based course. To be prepared for class you must read the assignments carefully and make notes.  During class I will expect to see a notebook in front of you with notes in it.  Some of your notes should be made while doing the reading with an eye toward what you can contribute to the discussion.  Part of your grade is based on discussion participation.  Your ability to earn a high mark for discussion participation depends heavily on your reading habits and thoughtful note taking.  All students are expected to participate in class discussions.  The course is designed to foster critical yet respectful discussion wherein everyone’s views get a hearing. 

Exegesis Paper

Each student will produce an exegesis paper on a passage in Romans.  We will be reading and discussing chapters in the exegesis handbook by Gorman.  Several of these chapters are the exegesis "elements" or steps in order, and by midterm you should begin working hard on your exegesis paper.

Short Papers, Quizzes, and a Final Exam

1) Two short papers.  These are four page assignments that will also prepare students for class discussions on the dates they are due. Specific directions for each assignment will appear under Assignments one week before the due date. If you know you must miss a class when a paper is due, be sure to submit it by class time.  Late papers will be accepted, but two points will be deducted from the grade.  Late papers will only be accepted without penalty for the reasons addressed by items 2 and 3 under the attendance policy.

2) Midterm Exam.  This exam will consist of 70 objective questions.  Some previously used quiz questions will be included.  If you miss the exam for a legitimate reason as defined by the University Catalog (see above), you may make it up within one week.  Contact me by email to arrange this.

3) Pop Quizzes on Readings.  There will be at least ten five to ten point pop quizzes.  Typically at least one quiz will be given each week at the beginning of class consisting of five objective questions (T/F or multiple choice) to test your knowledge of the reading assignments. Students who keep up with the assignments, and who read them consistently and carefully can expect to do well. Quizzes on the reading may not be made up if the student fails to attend class on the days they are given. The two lowest quiz scores will be dropped.

4) Final Exam. This is an essay and discussion exam.  The question will be provided a week before the exam period and your essay will be uploaded in Blackboard. During the final exam period, students will share from their papers as part of a class discussion. 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.

Required Textbooks

Cobb & Lull, Romans

Gorman, Michael J. Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (revised and expanded edition; Baker Academic, 2009)

The HarperCollins Study Bible (2d ed.) or The Oxford Annotated (4th ed.)

Grading

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