ROW Fall 2015

RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

“If I went back to college today, I think I would probably major in comparative religion, because that'ʹs how integrated it is in everything that we are working on and deciding and

thinking about in life today.” —John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State,

August, 7, 2013

By taking this course, I will…

2. Improve my Religious Literacy

3. Develop my critical thinking skills by using Historical Perspective.

1. Understand the differences between religious devotion and the academic

study of religion.

“Religious literacy” refers to one’s level of knowledge about religion. In much the same way we had to study other subjects to develop a proficiency, we will study religion in order to become more informed global citizens. We will focus on the major beliefs, devotional practices, institutions, figures and historical events influencing Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.

Our discussions of religion may be different than what you have encountered before. The purpose and method of study at a public, secular university is often different than that of a religious institution (like a church, mosque, or synagogue). We will learn what those differences are and why they exist.

As a Liberal Arts Core course, this class is designed to help you develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills—a set of skills employers in every field demand of their employees. Developing critical thinking takes time and lots of practice. We will do so by learning about how the above religions have changed over time.

Well before you stepped foot inside our classroom at UNI, I made a few choices about how we would spend our time this semester. First, I agree with our Secretary of State that knowledge about religion matters in our world. Unlike Secretary Kerry, however, I do have a degree in the study of religion (a couple of them, actually!). So, second, I created the learning goals so you can know what Secretary Kerry wishes he would have known earlier in his life. Third, I chose the readings, wrote the assignments, and created the exams so you can know more about religion and Religious Studies than when you started. This class will not cover everything there is to know (no single class could!) but it will give you a working knowledge if you decide to participate. Fourth, I don’t think it matters what major you are (right now) or what kind of career you want to have (right now) for you to benefit from the study of religion. Knowledge about religion and mastery of the study of religion can help you in any place, with all sorts of people, & in any job. If you have questions, just ask!

Email: [email protected] Office: 1095 Bartlett Office Hours: W 1:00-‐‑3:00PM or by appointment

Professor Burnidge Fall 2015

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In order to learn, we have to acquire new information. This will come primarily through the required textbook, Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis’s World Religions Today (5th Edition, 2015). I expect all students to buy or rent a copy of this textbook. From time to time, I will also post material on eLearning. PDFs, Podcasts, and other materials on eLearning are also required readings.

I expect all students to complete the required readings and any other assigned homework prior to coming to class. It is OK if you don’t completely “get it” before coming to class (that’s what I’m here for!), but I expect all students to try to “get it” by reading through the material, completing any assignments, and asking productive questions during class or during my office hours. You do not need to always know “the” answer—there may not even be one, single answer—but you do need to participate in our conversations.

Throughout the course, I will assess how well you are getting course material & how thoroughly you are striving to “get it” through a variety of in-‐‑class and take-‐‑home assignments. These should be taken seriously because they contribute to your final grade.

Course Requirements: Readings, Homework, & In-‐‑Class Discussion

Required: John Esposito, et. al. World Religions Today. 5th Edition

(978-‐‑0-‐‑19-‐‑999959-‐‑0)

PDFs, Podcasts, & other materials posted on eLearning or emailed to

the class are also required.

Attendance is necessary to do well in this class. It will be taken in some form during each class. You do not receive a grade for occupying a seat in class; instead, you are graded on your participation in class.

I expect all students to come to every class session. We cannot always meet this expectation and sometimes with reason. Reasonable absences are those that result from you or someone under your care being sick, injured, or hospitalized; from bereavement, military or civic duties; from official participation in a university event; and from observing a religious holiday. These absences won’t affect your grade so long as you inform me within 48 hours of your absence. Special accommodations (like deadline extensions) will be made on a case-‐‑by-‐‑case basis as a result of a reasonable absence when a request has been made before an assignment is due or on the recommendation of the Dean of Students. All absences should be reported via eLearning. It is the student’s responsibility to catch up on what was missed.

Attendance & Participation


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Campus Resources ADA & Student Accommodations I wish to hear from any student who has a disability that may require modification of the seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Should a student have a request or complaint, he or she is welcome to contact me at any time. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from Student Disability Services (SDS) (phone 319-‐‑273-‐‑2677, for deaf or hard of hearing, use Relay 711). SDS is located on the top floor of the Student Health Center, Room 103.

Academic Learning Center For help beyond your Instructor on any assignments, the Academic Learning Center provides free assistance with writing, math, science, college reading, and learning strategies. UNI’s Academic Learning Center is located in 008 ITTC. You can visit the website at http://www.uni.edu/unialc/ or call 319-‐‑273-‐‑2361 for more information and to set up an appointment. UNI Counseling Center The UNI Counseling Center promotes personal development and psychological well-‐‑being. All appointments are confidential with a trained counselor. Currently UNI Students who have paid the mandatory health fee are eligible for Counseling Center services. The Counseling Center is located at 103 Student Health Center. You can visit the website at https://www.uni.edu/counseling/ or call 319-‐‑273-‐‑2676 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Course Requirements Continued The class is broken up roughly into four units: Religions of South Asia, Religions of Southwest Asia, Religions of East Asia, and Religious Contact and Conflict. There will be four exams to assess your comprehension of each unit. Your performance on these exams will indicate your development of the first two learning goals. Students will also be divided into small groups that will work throughout the semester to give two, 10-‐‑minute presentations and write two essays. Your performance will be an indication of your development toward the third learning goal. At the end of the semester, there will be a cumulative final exam to assess your development toward all three learning goals. After we set our agenda for the semester and determine our small groups in the first two weeks of class, more information will be given for each of these assignments and a detailed course schedule will be distributed.


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Final Grade

Participation ______/ 300 pts This grade is determined by the points

accumulated through in-‐‑class activities and take-‐‑home assignments.

Exams ______/ 200 pts This grade will be determined by your performance

on four exams on eLearning.

Presentations ______/ 300 pts This grade will be determined by your performance on two, 10-‐‑minute group presentations and their

corresponding papers.

Final Exam ______/ 200 pts

Grading Philosophy & Policies For the next 16 weeks, I will see myself as your coach. Like other coaches, I will cheer you on and encourage you as you strive to better yourself. And make no mistake: learning requires you to strive. It requires intellectual sweat, a real effort that can be difficult and can be painful. You might not want to do it, or you might want to only do the bare minimum rather than attempt to do your best. But that’s where your coach comes in. I will push you to work harder and dig deeper so that you will be better than when you started. I expect all of my students to be different than when we met on the first day of class—to know more and to think in new ways.

I expect all students to follow the UNI Student Academic Ethics Policy. I consider violations to be a serious offense. Students who commit one of the outlined violations will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the Ethics Sanction guidelines. (http://www.uni.edu/policies/301)

Late work is not accepted in this course unless the student has been given permission prior to the deadline as the result of a reasonable absence or with the approval or recommendation from the Dean of Students.

Extra Credit will not be offered on an individual basis.

A’s A: 1,000-‐‑925

A-‐‑: 924-‐‑895

B’s B+: 894-‐‑875

B: 874-‐‑825

B-‐‑: 824-‐‑795

C’s C+: 794-‐‑785

C: 784-‐‑725

C-‐‑: 724-‐‑695

D’s D+: 694-‐‑675

D: 674-‐‑625

D-‐‑: 624-‐‑595

Total ______/1,000 pts

Final grades will be calculated according to the point system above. All points will be rounded to the nearest integer (0.5 and above will round up; 0.49 and below will round down) and assigned a letter according to the rubric below.

ROW Fall 2015

Documents

Transcript of ROW Fall 2015