Classical Mythology

EXAMS. There will be five exams in this course, each worth fifty (50) points, corresponding to the five content modules of the course (located in the relative module by clicking the Lessons tab). These exams will cover both readings and class material and will be objective in format (identification and multiple choice). The student will have 60 minutes to complete the exam. There will be a one-point penalty assessed for each minute over the time limit. The Final Exam (Exam 5) is not cumulative. The exams constitute 60% of your final grade.

The dates for the exams are listed on the Calendar. An icon linked to the exam will also appear on the Course Home page. Students have until midnight on the Tuesday or Thursday following the availability date to complete the exam (i.e., Tuesday to Thursday, or Thursday to Tuesday). Since Angel is available 24/7, there should be no reason for students to miss an exam.

VIRTUAL MUSEUM PAPER. The student will be required to make a virtual trip to at least five major museums in at least three countries and identify five (5) works of classical art, ten (10) works of post-classical art, and two (2) contemporary works of art based on classical myths. The student should discuss how the myths used in post-classical and contemporary art have been changed and adapted to new uses.

The paper will be worth fifty (50) points and constitutes 15% of your final grade. There will be a one-point penalty assessed for each day that the paper is late. The due date for the paper is listed on the Calendar. For more information about the virtual museum paper, click the Writing Assignments folder in the Lessons tab.

Note: This is not a formal paper, but errors in spelling, format, and grammar, and typographical errors, will be graded. It is strongly recommended (but not required) that students are currently enrolled or have completed Composition 1 before taking this class.

EXTRA CREDIT. The student can earn up to fifteen (15) points by making a trip to the Nelson-Atkins museum in Kansas City, MO or the Spencer museum in Lawrence (or any major museum in your area), and identify two (2) works of classical art, five (5) works of post-classical art, and one (1) work of contemporary art based on classical myths.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION. Attendance will be taken on a daily basis and will be worth twenty-five (25) points. One and one-half (1.5) points will be taken off for each absence in excess of two (2). One (1) point will be taken off for every two (2) late arrivals. Thirteen (13) or more absences will result in an "F" for the course regardless of the student's proficiency in the examinations and writing assignment.

ONLINE DISCUSSIONS. The online discussions will be worth fifty (50) points and constitute 15% of your final grade. The discussions are located in the Discussion Forums nugget located on the Communicate tab, in the relative module folder on the Lessons tab, and relative date on the Calendar.

Students will be required to reply at least twice to each discussion question posted throughout the semester. Students will receive full credit (1 point) for each discussion question if they make their initial reply within one week (for example, the student must reply by midnight on Monday to a discussion question posted the previous Monday) AND their second reply anytime within the two week open posting period. Students will receive partial credit (.5 point) if they reply only once to the discussion question. Failure to respond at all will receive no credit (0 point).

Students who post all their replies on the same day will be penalized one-half (.5) point. Also, students who post all their replies within the last two days of the two-week period will be penalized one (1) point, and thus will receive no credit for that discussion question. To help manage the total number of posts per topic, students should post no more than 4 replies per question.

Responses MUST address directly the content of the course and the comments of the respondent in order to receive credit. Short responses such as "I agree" or "Good post" will not count toward your two post minimum requirement. The discussions are editable to allow students to write additional material to short posts. Postings not relevant to the discussion question will be moved to the "Student Lounge" area.

The student's participation score will be calculated by adding points and dividing by total possible points to produce a percentage, and then applying the percentage to the 50 possible points for participation. For example, 4.5 points out of 6 possible points produces 75%, or 37.5 participation points (50 x .75).

It is important that students read through all the posts even though there is only a two-post requirement for each question. Questions you posed in an earlier post may be answered either by me or another student in subsequent postings.

FINAL GRADES. This breakdown provides a final accumulated total of four hundred (400) possible points for the class. The student's total will be divided by the total possible points to establish final grade percentages, weighted by the percentages of the relative grade categories. Final grades will be assigned as follows:

Students who are on the borderline between grades (79% for example) will receive the higher grade if the student's total participation (Attendance and Class Participation) is above 80%.

Note: Students must fulfill the following requirements of the course to receive a passing grade of "C": take 5 exams, turn in the virtual museum writing assignment, participation not less than 60 points (Attendance + Class Participation). Should you begin to have problems during the semester, either academic or personal, that might prevent you from completing the course requirements, please come see me as soon as possible. Do not wait until the last week of class.

HONORS. For those students interested and motivated to greater achievement in higher education, and have a 3.5+ GPA, an honors contract exists for Classical Mythology: Homeric Greek. After completing this one hour honors contract the student will be able to read Homeric Greek, demonstrate competence in the basic forms of Homeric grammar, and translate and recite the first 10 lines of Homer's Iliad. Interested students please see me as soon as possible. Registration forms are available in the Honors Office, COM 201.
 

1. No exam may be repeated and are available only during the dates and time ranges listed. If you are unable to take the exam within the scheduled dates and time due to illness or some other legitimate reason you must contact me by Angel email or leave an explanatory message on my voice mail at ext. 4191 within 24 hours after the initial scheduled time of the exam. The student must make arrangements with me to reschedule the exam on a specific date and time.
   
   Those failing to contact me within 24 hours of missing an exam, but who still wish to take the exam, may do so by special arrangement with me. The student will receive a grade penalty for the late exam. Those failing to make-up the exam will receive a "0" for that exam (and an "F" for the course, as a result).
    
2. Those who wish to make an appointment with me and who are not free during my office hours, contact me either by phone or Angel mail to arrange an appointment, or schedule an online chat.
    
3. An "I" (Incomplete) will be given only if special circumstances prevent the student from completing the class. Arrangements must be made before semester grades are submitted, and students must sign a contract with me agreeing to complete the class requirements by the end of the following 16-week semester (refer to the JCCC College Catalog for details).
    
4. No grade of "W" will be given unless the student has officially withdrawn from the class by completing a drop form in the Admissions and Records Office. If you simply stop attending class and do not fill out a drop form you are not officially dropped. You will receive an "F" in the course as a result. The last day to withdraw is listed on the course Calendar.
    
5. Everyone must make a reasonable effort to get to class on time. If you feel that you cannot consistently be on time, please enroll in another class or section. A constant stream of late arrivals during the first ten minutes of class will not be tolerated. Conversely, a stream of students leaving class at their own leisure will not be tolerated. If you need to leave early, please let me know before class begins. Otherwise, the student will be counted as tardy on the daily attendance sheet. Note: Students who are caught signing the roll sheet for other students will receive an "F" for the semester.
    
6. When class begins, students must put away all other material that does not pertain to this class. Do not use my time to do homework for other classes. If I or this class begin to bore you, kindly do me and the class a favor by dropping the class. Idle conversation during class with others will not be tolerated. Save yourself the embarrassment of being asked to leave the class.
    
7. Do not use this class to catch up on your sleep. I expect you to attend class to participate, not simply to show up. I want students who are willing to work hard. I have very high expectations and the subject matter is very demanding. If you cannot put the proper amount of time into this class necessary to do well, please drop the class.
    
8. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any violation of the College Honor Code will result in being denied access to Angel, an automatic "F" for the course, and referred to the academic dean for disciplinary action. Because the course materials are available online, there is a greater temptation to cheat. Just remember, Angel is Big-Brother. Every move you make while logged-in to the system is recorded and made available to the professor.
   
   Note to couples, room mates, and siblings: you can study together, but you must submit your own, independent work. You cannot share a computer for submitting exams or assignments, nor can you use computers in close proximity in a lab. The only exception to this are computers in the Testing Center. Angel registers the IP address of the machine of each user. To avoid any suspicion of cheating, my advice is for one of you to enroll in another section.
    
9. Privacy and Angel Access: Access to Angel is extended to you for the duration of your enrollment in the course, providing that you comply with class and school policies. You may not share that access with another person who is not enrolled in the course. Students who do so violate the privacy of other students as well as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA). The act may lead to the violator being denied access to the Angel shell.
   
   On occasion, I permit others to enter the course, to critique my work, to view the operations of the course, or to work on a technical problem. For the entire term, my technical consultant has access to the course to provide continuity for you should the unexpected happen to me.
    
10. If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services (202 Student Center) at 469-8500 ext. 3521(ext. 3885 TDD). The Center will recommend any appropriate accommodations to me and/or the Assistant Dean. I and/or the Assistant Dean will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.