GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Participation | Active participation is expected of all students, but the level or amount of your engagement is graded. Participating means coming to class having read the "Required Reading" (listed in the course schedule), prepared to ask and answer questions and to share any pertinent observations. Participation is especially important in the context of a seminar as students are expected to be fully engaged with the material and so responsive to it. Remember too that the more you participate, the more interesting the class will be not only for you but also for everyone else (prof. included). | 5 |
| Bibliographical Essays | Two bibliographical essays are due in the course of the semester. Each is worth 10% of the course grade. Each essay consists in a critical review and evaluation of a scholarly article and should be between 900 and 1400 words (3-5 pages). The essays are intended to familiarize students not only with specific areas, monuments, artworks, or object types in more depth, but to come to terms with how scholars approach the evidence and its interpretation. Students will typically be given a have a choice of two or more articles to review; students may request the permission to focus on a different publication, especially if, in addition to the general topic, it is relevant to their term paper. Additional Guidelines and specifications, including publication titles, will be posted on MYJCU and discussed in class during the second week of the term. Please also note that students will be expected to discuss the publication in class on the same day that the essays are due. In other words the assignment is designed to stimulate class discussion. | 20 |
| Presenation | The presentation consists of a 15 minute oral report to the class on an area, one or more monuments or one or more artworks. It is intended to develop your skills in research, observation, interpretation, evaluation and public speaking. Developing the ability to express yourself orally in a clear, concise and effective manner is as important as the content of the presentation (content without form undermines content itself...).
Topics -with bibliography for each- dates, and guidelines will be posted on MY JCU in the first few weeks of the term. We will review these after the mid-term (class 14), but all presentations will take place in last weeks of the semester. You will be required to choose your topic during class 15.
In some cases the topics are intended to focus in more depth on monuments already discussed in class. In other cases the topics are on monuments or artworks that we have not examined or have examined only very briefly and which warrant more attention. The key aim in every case is to critically engage with at least one scholarly interpretation on your topic. For each topic one source will already be selected for you and it is mandatory to read and present on it, but you are - of course- welcome to do further research. Please choose your topic carefully as it ideally should be a preliminary research project leading to the topic of your Term paper.
| 15 |
| Term Paper | The term paper is intended to develop skills of independent research, ability to evaluate and interpret materials and their inherent interests, and capability for discussing these in a nuanced manner in writing. The paper must combine visual analysis, iconographic and historical research and contextual interpretation. In other words, it should be a formal essay that demonstrates the skills that you have developed and honed during the semester.
Prior to completing the paper you must turn in an abstract and annotated bibliography (worth 15% of paper grade). The abstract should be c. 100 words. It is essentially a thesis statement, but it must mention what works you will be focusing on. The annotated bibliography must contain a minimum of 5 titles. Each publication must be briefly summarized and its relevance to your paper explained (150 words per title). The abstract and annotated bibliography is due class 24.
The Term Paper itself (worth 85% of paper grade) must be 4500 words (c. 15 double spaced pages), exclusive of bibliography and images. The paper must include a complete bibliography of primary and secondary sources used and all references must be fully cited in the paper itself. It is due on class 28
**Paper guidelines with suggested topics, suggestions on how to write an annotated bibliography, and other specifications will be posted on MYJCU in the first few weeks of the semester. We will review these after the mid-term (class 15), but please feel free to set up an appointment with me to discuss your paper any time before then (and/or after!). | 25 |
| Exams | Both exams are structured to assess your knowledge of essential facts about individual sites (e.g. Dura Europus), monuments (e.g. the cubilculum of the Velatio in the catacomb of Priscilla) and artworks (e.g. the Symmachi-Nichomachi diptych) and your ability to critically interpret and assess their original significance.
The mid-term exam takes place on class 13 for the duration of regular class time (75 minutes). It will cover material studied up to class 13. It consists in:
-3 identifications: 5 minutes each (15% of the exam grade or 5% each)
-2 comparisons: 10 minutes each (40% of the exam grade or 20% each)
- 1 essay: 30 minutes (45% of the exam grade). A week prior to the exam, you will be given 2 essay questions accompanied by images of sites, monuments and artworks. One of the two will be on exam. However, the other topic will undoubtedly show up in the identifications and comparisons, so be sure to prepare for both.
The final exam takes place during exam week (exact date, time and classroom TBA) and lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes. It is cumulative, although with a greater emphasis on material studied in the second half of term: generally speaking, you may expect material from the first half of term to show up in comparisons or in the essay, that is when it is relevant to the developments which are the main focus of the exam (e.g. you may get a comparison between an image of Cybele and of the Virgin Mary). The format is the same as that of the mid-term, but being a longer exam, there are more questions:
-6 identifications: 5 minutes each (25% of the exam grade or 5% each)
-4 comparisons: 10 minutes each (40% of the exam grade or 10% each)
-1 essay: 30 minutes (35% of the exam grade). Again a week prior to the exam, you will be given 2 essay questions accompanied by images of sites, monuments and artworks. One of the two will be on exam. However, the other topic will undoubtedly show up in the identifications and comparisons, so be sure to prepare for both.
Review Sheets will be provided a week before each exam. A review session is also scheduled for each exam.
| 35 (mid-term 15; final 20) |
| Honors Bibliographical Essay | Honors students will be required to write an additional Bibliographical Essay. For guidelines see "Bibliographical Essays," above | 50% of honors credit |
| Honors Presentation | Honors students will be required to present on a second topic. For guidelines see "Presentation" | 50% of honors credit |
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-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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