CLASS TIME:  THIS CLASS MEETS 8:30-11:15 WHEN HELD IN THE CLASSROOM; IT MEETS 9:15-12:05 WHEN WE GO ON SITE VISITS.

Honors Students:   Courses with an Honors component offer the opportunity for students with a GPA of 3.5 or above to enroll in the course to do an extra project which will earn them one additional credit for the course (giving four credits total for this course).  In this course, the project is a ten-page research paper on a topic related to the course themes and the interests/major of the student.  In doing the project, the student explores a concept or question, using primary and secondary sources.  The student takes part in the regular course and completes its assignments, and also meets with the instructor to develop the project and discuss the research.  The course number for honors students is the regular course number, with the addition of an "H".  For further information about Honors Courses, see:  http://www.johncabot.edu/Academics/Academics_Honors_Courses.aspx

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

- understand the particular and interdependent ways in which Christianity and the medieval period were shaped by the institutions of the papacy, the monastery, and the university;

- understand, analyze and compare the theological contributions of the writers studied in the course; and

- express the above understanding in active class discussion and carefully prepared essays, in which students demonstrate their ability to form a thesis statement and justify it with textual citation and analysis.

Summary

Students will acquire an understanding of key elements in the thinking of several prominent early Christian theologians and mystics, as well as factors in the development and characteristics of the institutions of the papacy, monastery and university.  Students will also acquire improved skills in analytical thought and expression.

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

Preparation for, attendance at, and participation in lectures and site visits are all required and will count toward the student’s final grade.  Students are allowed only two absences; each additional absence will result in a significant reduction in the final grade for the course.  Students with more than five absences will fail the course.  Students arriving in class after attendance has been taken will be counted as absent.  Students who miss class are responsible for getting class notes from another student.