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| Instructor
Information |
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Instructor: Dr.
James J. Bono
hischaos@buffalo.edu |
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Office:
575 Park Hall, Department of
History |
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Hours: Monday,
2:15-3:30 p.m.; and by appointment |
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Phone: 645-2282 x575 (office) and
834-7880 (home: before 11 P.M.) |
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Teaching Assistants: Molly
Herrmann mmh24@buffalo.edu |
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Tina Kibbe tmkibbe@buffalo.edu |
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Johannes Wiedemann jo.wiedemann@gmail.com |
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| Required Readings |
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See
schedule for specific reading
assignments. |
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All the
"readings" are required
and must be completed on
schedule. The readings for some
weeks are considerably
more than for others. You must plan
ahead to get all reading
assignments done on time if you
wish to pass this course. |
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The following
required books can be purchased from
the University Bookstore:
1. Natsume Soseki, Kokoro,
trans. Edwin McClellan (Regnery
Publishers)
2. Shakespeare, The
Tempest (Signet Classics)
3. The Koran (Penguin
Classics)
4. Dante Alighieri, The Inferno,
translated by John Ciardi (Signet Classic)
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In addition,
virtually all other required
readings are
available in electronic form and
can be accessed through links
found on this course website. |
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| Expectations |
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1. Students
are responsible for all required
reading materials listed in the
class schedule. Unless
otherwise informed by the
instructor, students must read
the required materials for a
particular week by the beginning
of the week or by the date
specified. |
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2. Students
are responsible for all
significant information and major themes, ideas,
arguments, and interpretive viewpoints discussed
by the instructor in class.
Because of the nature of the
approach taken in this course,
students should be forewarned
that no outside readings can
substitute for the lectures and
analysis provided by the
instructor. Students must
attend lectures and sections:
failure to attend faithfully will
leave you without the knowledge you will need to pass this course. |
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3. Students
are expected to take an active
and lively part in the course, especially the
recitation sections. |
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| Assignments and
Grades |
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See
schedule for due dates and links
to descriptions of assignments. |
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1. Response
Papers:
30% |
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2. Midterm
Examination:
15% |
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3. Final
Examination:
25%
Examinations will
cover the content of the required
readings and course lectures.
Exams will stress understanding
and interpretation as well as
essential factual
knowledge. Will combine
brief answers and longer essays.
The Final Exam will cover the
entire semester's work. |
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4. Formal Paper:
30%
Each student will be required to
write one short
formal paper [approximately 5 to 7 pages] on
texts and topics assigned by the instructors and
teaching assistants. Detailed instructions for
this assignment will be
provided on the course website
and will be discussed at
appropriate points during the
semester. |
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5. Course
Participation:
Active
participation and thoughtful
contributions to discussions
can
enhance one's grade, particularly
in situations where the
cumulative grade falls just short
of a higher letter grade. Poor
participation can lead to a
reduction in one's grade. |
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NOTE: The +/-
grading option shall be observed
in this class. |
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| Regulations |
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1. No make-ups
for examinations unless written
evidence by a physician (or
other acceptable authority)
attests to serious illness or
death in immediate family. |
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2. All other
assignments, including informal
and formal papers, must be
completed on schedule. Consult
the course schedule, the
Professsor, and your section
leader for specific deadlines,
assignments, and rules for
completion and submission. |
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| Class Attendance
and Participation |
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Students are
expected to attend all lectures
and recitation sections. I promise
that I'll design the midterm and
final exams in such a way that
poor or mediocre lecture
attendance will produce lousy
exam grades. Attendance will be
checked to keep track of chronic
absenteeism. Absence from more
than a few classes [lectures
and/or discussion sections]
during the semester may result in
a grade of "F" for the
course. The professor's
lectures will provide essential
information and contexts for
understanding the subjects
treated in this course. |
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| Incomplete Policy |
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Incompletes
will not be casually given.
University regulations stipulate
that they are to be granted only
if the instructor is satisfied
that the student will be able to
complete the work. I
interpret this regulation to mean
that the major portion of the
semester's work must already be
satisfactorily completed. The
student must consult with me
about the proposed incomplete
well in advance (except in
unusual circumstances). |
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| Plagiarism |
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Don't do
it! Plagiarism is
unacknowledged dependence on some
secondary source or on someone
else's work. Indebtedness can
range from direct (but
unacknowledged) quotation to the
use of certain key phrases, to
the paraphrase of certain central
ideas. If you do use someone
else's work, please document your
use of such work carefully.
The MLA Handbook
(available at many local
bookstores) is a useful guide in
these matters. When in doubt,
please ask me or your discussion
section instructor how to
footnote/endnote, compile a
bibliography, etc. If I suspect
unacknowledged dependence on
outside sources--including internet and world
wide web sites and source--be assured that I shall
investigate it thoroughly and
prosecute to the full extent of
university regulations. ALL OF
YOUR WORK MUST BE YOURS ALONE,
except in cases where we ask you
to work on projects with other
students. There must be no
collaboration between you and
other people on tests, homework,
or papers. We assume you to be
competent and creative enough to
do your own work and not to copy
from books or anyone else's paper
or tests. If there is a breach in
honesty, you will fail the
course. |
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| NOTE TO STUDENTS |
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The above
schedule and procedures in this
course are subject to change in
the event of extenuating
circumstances. In addition,
legitimate pedagogical concerns
may make it necessary to alter
the course schedule, content,
readings assignments, or other
aspects of this course. It is the
student's responsibility to
become aware of all changes,
specific assignments, and
requirements that may be
announced in lecture classes or
in discussion sections, or posted later to this
website. Absence
from specific classes is not an
acceptable excuse for failing to
fulfill the requirements of the
course. |
