History 270.001

Course Requirements
Exams, Quizzes and Attendance

Examinations, Quizzes and Term Paper

Term Paper: Due April 10.. Students will complete a term paper (7-8 pages) on any topic related to a list of acceptable themes and subject areas pertinent to ancient Egypt located on the course Web pages. Students will be required to submit an annotated bibliography for their paper on March 13, which will be graded. The specific requirements of the paper are located below under "Paper Requirements." Completion of the paper is necessary to pass the course.

Examinations: This course includes a midterm and a final examination, each containing objective questions and essays from the lectures, readings, and videos.

Map Quiz: Students will take two map quizzes on Egypt and Nubia, respectively, on the dates indicated on the "Reading Assignments"-page. Reading quizzes will not be scheduled unless the instructor deems them desirable, in which case he will notify the students in advance.


Attendance and Participation

Discussion figures prominently in the class-program; hence, class participation and attendance do constitute a percentage of the course grade. Attendance and participation improve the functioning of the class as well as students' grades. According to College policy, attendance will be taken daily; any and all unexcused absences will result in automatic grade reductions. Absences are excused by presenting written documentation to the Office of Undergraduate Studies (Randolph Hall, Rm. 206). Running errands is not a valid excuse. Students are responsible for all the material in the readings, videos, lectures, etc., whether they are present or not. Students should never telephone the instructor on the same day to say they will be absent, nor should they ever(!) call the History Department office to report their absence.

If the instructor does not call the daily roll, an attendance sign-in sheet will be circulated. Students are also marked as absent for the following reasons: they do not sign the attendance sheet; they sign the sheet then leave class; they leave class for an inordinate period of time without valid excuse. Any student who leaves class without permission and does not return after taking a quiz or exam will be recounted as absent, and the quiz/exam will receive an automatic failing grade (0 = F).


Make-Up Quizzes and Exams

This course does not regularly provide make-up quizzes or exams. However, if students present a valid medical excuse documented in writing and processed through the Office of Undergraduate Studies, they will be permitted to complete a comparable written assignment or research paper to make up the lost work. This assignment will not be easy or convenient, and it will be graded with considered caution. Except by special arrangement with the instructor, students have only one (1) week to complete and submit the makeup assignment for the quizzes before the grade reverts to zero (unless there is continuing documented illness). It is the responsibility of the student to assume the initiative in pursuing any make-up assignment within the time deadline. If a student misses a midterm examination (worth 20% of the grade), comparable makeup work will consist of a required second term paper.


Extra Credit Assignments

From time to time, the instructior will make available to the students opportunities for extra credit.. These assignments are often in the form of attending certain pertinent public lectures on campus and writing a short prée;cis for each. However, to be eligible for such extra credit, students must meet the minimum requirements for the course, i.e., they can have no missing quizzes or exams or regular assignments without documented excuse.


Athletes and Special Needs

Participation in athletic events or varsity practices is NOT(!) a valid excuse to miss class, quizzes or exams. Any athletes who expect to miss any classes, quizzes, or exams should see the professor, and they must seriously reconsider taking this class.

SNAP-Program students enrolled in this class specifically to replace a foreign language requirement should be aware that much of the course's content pertains to foreign languages, words, and names. All students will be evaluated on how well they master proper spelling and pronunciation. Given that this course requires a facility with foreign terms (French, German, Arabic, etc.), including ancient Egyptian names, texts, teleological concepts and metaphysics, any special-needs students taking this course as an alternative to a foreign language requirement might find themselves disadvantaged. They should see the instructor immediately.

Due Dates and Topics: The dates of all assignments, including: readings, quizzes, midterm exam, and term paper, are noted on the "Reading Assignments"-Page. Paper topics are fully described on the "Required Papers"-page (see buttons in left frame).

Late papers will be penalized five (5) points for each day late (including Saturdays), up to three days, after which they automatically receive a grade of "F", and will be graded no higher than 59%. Failure to submit a paper entirely will result in an automatic failure in the course, regardless of the student's grade standing. All papers must be submitted in person to the instructor; failing that, they may be submitted to the History Department (Maybank 203), where the departmental administrators will certify and date-stamp their arrival.