1. Greek & Roman Humanities
Professor Will Adams · Wadams5@valenciacollege.edu
Osceola Campus – Building 2, Room 234
Mondays & Wednesdays, 1:00 – 2:15 PM
Course Description
§ Greek & Roman Humanities offers the student integrated examinations of dominant developments in
the Classical civilizations as expressed in art, architecture, politics, literature, music, philosophy and
religion.
§ The course will cover the period from the Paleolithic era through the birth of Russia, and will
emphasize the development and influence of classical thoughts and ideals.
§ This course is a Gordon Rule course, in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level
writing skills through multiple writing assignments. A minimum grade of C required if used to satisfy
Gordon Rule requirement.
Course Objectives
§ To understand the continuation and evolution of the human experience by thinking critically about
humanity’s artistic, cultural, and intellectual development.
§ To broaden the student’s knowledge of the ideas and personalities associated with the Greek and
Roman civilizations.
§ To learn, internalize, and utilize vocabulary specific to the period covered by this course.
§ To appreciate the legacy left behind by both the Greek and Roman civilizations.
§ To learn skills essential to critical thinking and synthesis of thought by carrying out scholarly research
and authoring thoughtful essays.
§ To attend cultural events in order to recognize the continued relevance of the sometimes-ancient ideas
being discussed throughout the class’s duration.
Required Textbook
Gloria K. Fiero, The Humanistic Tradition, Book 1.
Evaluation Formula
1. Attendance & Class Participation 35%
§ Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting, and count as part of the
attendance & participation grade.
§ The professor should hear each student’s voice at least once per class meeting.
§ Please be aware that, under Valencia’s Attendance Policy, there is no such thing as an “excused
absence”.
§ In-class activities, homework assignments, and in-class assignments also count toward this portion
of your final grade.
§ Short-form, pop quizzes may be administered throughout the course of the class.
§ The format that the quizzes appear in may vary.
2. Cultural Event with Written Evaluation 10%
§ You will be required to attend one cultural event throughout the class’s duration.
2. § A two-page “reaction” (i.e. non-research) paper is required. Be sure to answer the following
questions: What did I do? What did I think of it? What did I learn?
§ Proof of attendance at said event must be furnished (i.e. ticket stub, program, souvenir, etc).
§ The instructor throughout the class’s duration may suggest various events to you, but it is
ultimately your own responsibility to find and attend an approved cultural event.
3. Research Project 25%
§ One four-page written research project is required.
§ Proper MLA style citation should be used for all written assignments.
§ One draft may be turned in for the professor’s perusal two weeks prior to the due date.
§ Plagiarism = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ Wikipedia = A grade of zero. No exceptions.
§ All research projects should be stapled or bound by the student
§ A detailed research project description will be distributed at a later date.
4. Examinations 30%
§ Four long-form examinations will be administered.
§ Examinations will not be cumulative in their subject matter.
§ You will be given a study guide for exams, at the instructor’s discretion.
Grading Scale
100 – 90% = A
89 – 80% = B
79 – 70% = C
69 – 60% = D
59 – 0% = F
Class Meeting Schedule
Date Task
Monday, August 28 Activity: Introduce class, distribute and discuss syllabus.
Wednesday, August 30
Lecture: Paleolithic cave art
Activity: Cave painting
Monday, September 4 Labor Day – NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 6
Lecture: The earliest ancient written languages & religion.
Activity: Translation competition
Monday, September 11 NO CLASS – Hurricane Irma
Wednesday, September 13 NO CLASS – Hurricane Irma
Monday, September 18 Lecture: Embalming & Egyptian funerary architecture
Wednesday, September 20 Lecture: Greek mythology
Monday, September 25 Lecture: Dionysus & Ancient Greek Theatre
Wednesday, September 27 Watch: Medea in class
Monday, October 2 RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSIGNED & LIBRARY VISIT
Wednesday, October 4 Watch: Medea in class
3. Monday, October 9 Lecture: Ancient Greek Philosophy
Wednesday, October 11 Lecture: Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics Deconstructed
Monday, October 16 EXAM #1 & #2
Wednesday, October 18
Lecture: The Classical orders & the great temples of ancient Greece.
Homework: Classical architecture sketch
Monday, October 23 Lecture: The Roman Republic & What Is Satire?
Wednesday, October 25 Lecture: Rome’s Best & Craziest Emperors
Monday, October 30 Lecture: The Coliseum’s Bloody History & Its Legacy
Wednesday, November 1 Watch: Ancient Rome, The Modern Stadium
Monday, November 6 EXAM #3
Wednesday, November 8 Lecture: Pompeii: Roman Time Capsule
Monday, November 13 Watch: Pompeii documentary
Wednesday, November 15 Lecture: The Emergence of Christianity in Ancient Rome
Monday, November 20 Lecture: The Byzantine Era: An Empire Evolves
Wednesday, November 22 NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Holiday
Monday, November 27 Lecture: The Slavs, The Mongols, and The Birth of Russia
Wednesday, November 29 RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
Monday, December 4 CULTURAL EVENT DUE
Wednesday, December 6 FINAL EXAM – 1:00 PM
Guidelines for Written Work
§ All written work should be set in Arial 12-point font, with double spacing and standard 1” page
margins.
§ Also, minimum page totals for any written assignment require that the written page be filled in its
entirety to count as one page. In other words, if a written assignment requires 2 pages, but the student
only writes 1.5, the student will not earn all possible points for the assignment.
Class Conduct
Conduct yourself with kindness, consideration, and respect for others.
Extra Credit Policy
§ Each quiz or test throughout the class’s duration will include one extra credit question equal to 10% of
the quiz or test’s total point value (i.e. A five-point extra credit question for a fifty-point test).
§ In addition, extra credit may be earned by writing more than the required number of pages for any
written assignment. Extra credit for extra written work will be given up to a maximum of 15% of the
assignment’s total point value.
§ No other extra credit opportunities will be available.
4. Late & Make-Up Policy
§ No late work will be accepted & no work will be accepted electronically.
Attendance
§ Students are expected to attend every class. Attendance will be taken and will count as a portion of
the final grade. After the FOURTH absence, a student has missed two full weeks of class. A notice of
Excessive Absences may be issued and the student may be withdrawn at the professor’s discretion.
§ It is always the student’s responsibility to contact the professor about issues that may lead to excessive
absences. It is also the student’s responsibility to arrange to receive class notes or handouts from
missed classes from his or her fellow students.
§ Do not contact the instructor for this information without contacting your classmates or checking
Blackboard first!
§ Please note that there is no such thing as an “Excused Absence” (even with a doctor’s note, death in
the family, etc.) under Valencia’s Attendance Policy.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is intellectual theft and will not be tolerated. Presentation of the ideas and words of others as if
they are your own work constitutes plagiarism. This includes use of material from books, the Internet or
any other source. The student is expected to perform his or her own research and present his or her own
thoughts. Direct use of another author’s words or ideas, as well as paraphrasing must be cited. Each
student is expected to be in complete compliance with the college policy on academic honesty as set
forth in the college catalog and the student handbook. Plagiarism in any work will result in a grade of
zero for that assignment.
Technology Use Policy
§ Use of computers in the Business, IT, and Public Service classrooms at Valencia
§ College is restricted to those activities designated by the instructor to enhance the class materials. Any
other use is strictly forbidden. Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to:
§ Use of computer to send E-mail or access Internet sites not specifically assigned in class.
§ Use of computer for job, internship, homework or other activities not assigned in class.
§ Modifying any hardware or software system configuration or setting.
§ Activities not in accordance with the Valencia Student Code of Conduct
§ Use of computers in the departmental open lab is limited to those activities involved with
preparing homework or coursework in this department and is subject to the same restriction as
listed above.
§ Computer use is remotely monitored; any student using computers inappropriately may be
subject to dismissal from class or banishment from the lab. Subsequent offense may be sent to
the campus administration for further disciplinary action.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from the
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during
the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based
on appropriate documentation of disabilities.
5. Disclaimer
This outline may be altered, at the instructor’s discretion, during the course of the term. It is the
responsibility of the student to make any adjustments as announced.
