syllabus for REL 491 directed study of Jerusalem

Course Description

This course is a Directed Study of Jerusalem in depth - geology, geography, history, archaeology, and population, 2,000 BC - AD 2,000. The course will consist of a series of weekly units of study, covering the above topics. The student and the instructor will meet each week to discuss the report from the previous week's research and readings, and to discuss the theme, reading material and other resources for the next week's topic.
This is a 3-credit-hour course, so is the equivalent of 3 one-hour lectures per week with at least another 3 hours of individual study and class assignments per week. As a general guide, students should schedule about 6 hours per week for this course, i.e. about an hour a day, Monday through Saturday, with Sunday for a brief review of the past week's work. Students who work steadily for an hour-or-so each day on this course should have no difficulty in getting a good Grade.

Objectives of the Course

To enable the student :

to be knowledgeable of the geologic and geographic features of Israel, with particular reference to Jerusalem;
to gain an appreciation for a variety of cultures, including modern Israeli, Palestinian, and Byzantine;
to gain an appreciation for a variety of religious expressions, including Jewish, Muslim Arab, Christian Arab, Eastern Orthodox, Armenian;
to be knowledgeable of the history of the Middle East with particular refernce to Israel and Jerusalem;
to be knowledgeable of the methods and findings of archaeology in the Middle East, with particular reference to Jerusalem;
to be knowledgeable of the current conditions and politics in the City of Jerusalem;
to strengthen skills in critical thinking by exposure to material from different sources and points of view

Student Expectations

Students are expected to complete the weekly assignments on time, and to be ready to discuss their work each week.
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students should refer to the university catalogue for a definition of academic dishonesty and its penalties, or they should go here and familiarize themselves with the relevant material.
Grades will be based on exams and class assignments (weekly research reports). The Final Exam will be given during Finals' Week at the end of the semester. Students are expected to take exams at the times scheduled. Students who cannot take an exam at the scheduled time are expected to take the exam at an earlier time.

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible so that necessary accommodations may be made.
ENMU Reasonable Accommodation statements:

Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations due to a disability is requested to provide an academic accommodation form from Services for Students with Disabilities within the first two weeks of the beginning of classes.
Instructors are to receive an academic accommodation form within the first two weeks of classes when there is an existing disability.
If you have a specific disability that qualifies you for academic accommodations, please provide an academic accommodation form from Services for Students with Disabilities within the first two weeks of the semester.

Course Prerequisites : None

Suggested Background Knowledge/Skills : Students should be comfortable with reading and writing at College level, and should have adequate research and library skills so as to be able to complete assignments without overstraining themselves.

The Instructor and Office Hours

The instructor is available to meet with any student regarding any matter. The instructor will be available at the office hours posted, and at other times by appointment. Students may contact the instructor by phone 9 am to 9 pm. Home phone 763-0101, with an answering machine to leave messages, or e-mail Dr. Rollinson

Grades

Grades will be based on : Assignments + Papers + Exams

Computation of Grades :
90 - 100 %	= A
80 - 89 %	= B
70 - 79 %	= C
60 - 69 %	= D
0 - 59 %	= F

Texts

There is no set text-book for the Course. Readings from books and journals available in the Golden Library, and from InterNet Web Sites will be assigned during the Course.

Course Organization

The course is divided into 15 units corresponding roughly to the weeks of the semester.
Each "Weekly Unit" will conclude with an assignment, which is to be completed and brought to the meetings with the Instructor.

Late Work - For work to be eligible for an "A" Grade, it must be handed to the instructor on time. Work may be handed in up to 2 weeks late, but will drop a letter Grade per week that it is late.
Exams - There will be a Mid-term Exam, and a Final Exam, which count towards the Course Grade.
Extensions - extensions will only be granted under grave extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. If you think that you may need an extension, you should contact the instructor ahead of time with your request, and explain the situation.