Instructor: Dr. Victor A. Leuci

Newnham Hall 37
592-5324
Home (573) 815-9333 (not after 10:30 pm)
e-mail: leuciv@jaynet.wcmo.edu
Web site: www.wcmo.edu/users/faculty/leuciv/entry.shtml

MWF 1:00-2:00 p.m., TuTh. 10:45-noon
And by appointment

Phone: 592-5800
e-mail: WullerMB@jaynet.wcmo.edu

CSC Suite 114 Room 121
phone: 592-5321
e-mail: laela@jaynet.wcmo.edu

Ovid, Metamorphoses, translated by Allen Mandelbaum. San Diego 1995 (Ovid)
Apuleius. The Golden Ass, translated by Jack Lindsay. Indiana 1962 (Apuleius)

     And Now For Something Completely Different …  This tag line from Monty Python describes well the nature of the two surviving works from Rome whose theme and titles are "Transformations" (Metamorphoses in Latin--though one is usually entitled The Golden Ass) which we will study throughout the semester, along with appropriate films. These works look at the nature of change as it relates to magic, love (and sex), heroic action, the divine--often/sometimes pointing out the comic, the absurd, or the ridiculous of the situation.

     The Westminster Seminar is one of the components of Tier I of the general education program. All courses offered as Westminster Seminars will provide a common intellectual experience by carefully and deliberately introducing students to the basic intellectual skills they will need to succeed in college, the tools by which liberally-educated minds go about organizing scholarly inquiry. These skills, applicable to all courses at Westminster, constitute the core of the "Westminster experience," a common approach to intellectual problem solving that will provide the foundation for work in Tier II or "Context" courses.
     All sections of the Westminster Seminar are connected by the common theme "Transformations." The transformations examined are those "profound changes that redefine the character of people, societies, cultures, and/or the natural and physical environments in which they exist." Through this common theme, each seminar seeks to give students the opportunity to explore how various disciplines of the liberal arts study the interrelated transformations that affect their lives and to develop a sophisticated understanding of a specific transformation that they find particularly intriguing.

A. Students should be more effective written and oral communicators at the completion of the course.
B. Students should develop the following critical thinking skills:
1. The ability to evaluate written material—what is the main idea/ major argument and how it is supported.
2. The ability to analyze the support and main idea for coherence with other information and/or knowledge the student already possesses.
3. The ability to apply information to one’s own life experiences and use it in written work.
4. The ability to compare and combine information from difference sources.
C. Students should develop a general awareness of how different disciplines acquire and process information.

4 Papers (with revisions 30 pts each)
1 Exam (50 pts)
2 Presentations (75/25 pts)
Class Participation (50 pts)
Portfolio (80 pts)

     Regular attendance and participation are critically important for the success of the class. In essence, the Westminster Seminar is an academic course which depends heavily for its success on student discussion, even student direction. No absences are allowed in the first week. Each student is allowed three unexcused absences with no penalty. Thereafter, one third of a letter grade will be deducted for each unexcused absence. No make-up work will be accepted for unexcused absences. A hard copy and an electronic copy of papers are due at the beginning of the class period. I expect you to abide by Westminster’s honor code. Let me repeat, no make-up work will be accepted for unexcused absences. A hard copy and an electronic copy of papers are due at the beginning of the class period. I expect you to abide by Westminster’s honor code.

    The assignments given below are not "set-in-stone," and may vary depending on how each class period goes. The syllabus will be updated as needed. Also the dates when we will be meeting with two other seminars during the semester are still to be determined.

Guidelines for Exams, Short Papers, etc.

The Exam:

The exam will be a combination of fill-in the blank or short answer with  one essay. There will be 5-8 fill in the blank questions worth 2 points each and one long essay worth 24-30 points. The essay should be well written in standard paragraph format with pertinent facts to support your thesis (or theses). The average length for a good essay should be one to two full pages depending on how large you write, what type of margins you use, etc. (a good essay is typically at least 300 words). Typically a review sheet will be available one week before the exam as an aid in your preparation.

Content:

• The papers will focus on a specific question based on your readings. The questions will be narrow in focus, and your paper should be correspondingly “narrow.” The thesis you maintain in your paper should be supported with facts from the readings and from quotes where appropriate. The paper, however, should not be one long quotation.

• Should be “double spaced” with one inch margins.
• Start with a simple heading at the top of the page giving your name, etc.—i.e. don’t start the text of page one halfway down the page!
• Papers should be 700-1200 words long
• Use a basic font such as Times, Times New Roman, Arial, Bookman, Palatino, etc; however, don’t use Courier.

 

• Clarity: How clear is the summary or presentation? How could the it be even clearer? How clear, specific, and relevant are references to texts?
• Content: How complete is the summary or presentation, and what could be added to make the it more complete and comprehensible?
• Organization: How well is the summary or presentation organized, and how could the organization be modified to make it more effective?
• Grammar: What grammatical changes could make the summary more cogent and effective?
• Miscellaneous: What other changes could make the summary clearer and more successful at conveying ideas and engaging the audience?
• Participation: (for group summaries or presentations) How well did the group seem to participate in the preparation and presentation of the material? What changes in the group's participation and interaction with one another could make the presentation even stronger and more effective?

Regular participation is critically important for the success of the class. In essence, the Westminster Seminar is an academic course which depends heavily for its success on student discussion, even student direction. I don't expect that you will necessarily "know all the answers" before class, but that you will have read the material, have reflected on it, and be prepared to discuss it with your fellow classmates.

When is it due?

The portfolio is due no later than Monday, November 22 at 11:00 a.m. Bring completed portfolios to class that day.

• All papers written for the course, including all drafts.
• Class notes and any other reflections on the readings, class presentations, films, and other class activities.
• Revising: You may revise your class notes that you turned in for evaluation.
• A 700 word essay introducing the papers you have written and the material in your portfolio
• A 700 word essay summarizing your papers and focusing on what you have learned from the study of the material.
• A letter to Dr. Leuci in which you evaluate the amount and quality of your work during the seminar and explain what grade you think your work deserves, on the basis of the following standards: A (excellent work, well above average), B (noticeably above average work), C (average work), D (noticeably less than average work), F (unacceptably lower than average work).

The portfolio will be evaluated on the basis of thoroughness, clarity, organization, and evidence of critical thinking. You will receive a letter from Dr. Leuci during the Christmas holidays responding to the portfolio and explaining the letter grade assigned for the course.