Course Syllabus

Course Information

• Instructor: David M. Perry
• Class Times: MWF 10:30-11:20
• Location: Lewis 204
• Office: Fine Arts 313
• Office Phone: (708) 524-6052
• Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30 and by appointment
• Email: dperry@dom.edu
• Course URL: http://domin.dom.edu/faculty/dperry/hist276fall/
• Instructor URL: http://domin.dom.edu/faculty/dperry/
• T.A. Email: powerobe@my.dom.edu

Course Description

In this class, we will explore an exciting moment in world history as the Mediterranean world transformed from the "Roman Lake" into a more fragmented and diverse set of societies and states. We will examine both the collapse of Roman imperial authority in the West and the emergence of various kinds of successors: Byzantium, Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Germanic kingdoms. In each case, we will discuss continuity and change, try to explain both success and failure, and see how the various societies interacted with each other.

Our primary goal, as detailed above, relates to the content that you will be asked to master. A secondary goal is methodological. This class meets the History core requirement at Dominican. That requirement reads:

History. Courses that meet the history requirement are designed to help students develop a sense of historical perspective as understood by historians. Such a perspective involves an understanding of the ways societies may change over time and of the importance of sequential occurrence, as well as awareness of complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty as intractable conditions of human society—awareness gained through study of the interactions of diverse forces and circumstances on situations in past societies (Bulletin, 24).

For many of you, this will be your first and only college history course, so we will work on developing that sense of historical perspective. We will need to work on how to interpret historical evidence in all its complexities and how to articulate an argument about that evidence.

In order to succeed at both the content-related and methodological goals, we are all going to need to read a lot of different kinds of materials and write about them. This is a reading-intensive course. You will not succeed if you are not willing to spend a certain amount of time reading and writing for every class. It's the core of what we do here.

Required Texts

Purchase the following texts from the bookstore immediately.

• Brown, P. The World of Late Antiquity
• Geary, P. Readings in Medieval History, Volume I.
• Traina, G. 428 A.D.
• Numerous reading assignments are on the web. Print them out for the day they are due in class.

The Grade

• First Paper (Monasticism) - 10%
• Second Paper (Legacy Debate) - 15%
• Midterm Exam - 20%
• Final Exam - 30%
• Primary Source Journal - 15%
• Participation - 10%

Course Requirements and Assignments

• First Paper - 10%
  • This 1000 word essay (about 4 pages) will involve a comparison of Eastern and Western monasticism and the effects that each had on the societies in which they thrived.
  • Due 2/5. Turned in via MyDU.
• Second Paper - 15%
  • This 1000 word essay will require taking a position on the subject of an in-class debate on the heirs of the Roman Empire.
  • Due 4/14. Turned in via MyDU.
• Mid-Term Exam - 20%
  • This TAKE HOME essay will feature both short answer questions and several essays. Will test completion and comprehension of the reading for the first two half of class as well as your ability to explain major course themes. A study guide identifying our themes will be provided for you. Exam is due 3/5. Turned in via MyDU.
  • Study Guide posted here.
  • Exam (posted on MyDU)
• Final Exam - 30%
  • An exam in two parts. The first part will examine the material from the second half of class. The second part will ask one or more essay questions on the entirety of the course.
  • Study guide
  • Turned in via MyDU.
• Primary Source Journal - 15%
  • We will read primary sources in preparation for at least twenty-two of the classes. On fifteen separate occasions, you will need to write AT LEAST one page (300 words) demonstrating your completion of the reading and sharing some of your thoughts on the document(s). I will usually post discussion questions for you to consider and write about.
    • I highly recommend writing for the first three or four assignments or you will regret it later in the semester.
    • I will collect these at the end of each class and return them promptly with a few comments, and a check, check-plus, or check-minus grade. Check-minuses means that they have NOT counted for credit and you will have to do another one. If you write only a few sentences or don't seem to have done the reading, you will not get credit.
    • Keep your graded entries in a separate folder so you can see how many you have written.
  • The goal of these assignments is to have you ready for class. No late assignments will be accepted.
  • You will get 1 point for each check or check-plus that you receive. When you have 15 points, stop, but keep preparing for class (for the sake of your participation grade, if nothing else).
• Participation (and attendance) - 10%
• Participation is more than just showing up, but it starts with just showing up. You cannot participate if you are not here and will be required to make up any work for each class you miss. You will need to speak to a peer to get notes then come to me with specific questions. Moreover, missing too many classes without written excuse (doctor, official Dominican event, death in the family) will directly penalize your final grade. Please read the following policy carefully:
  • Attendance Policy - You may miss three classes. I don't recommend it and you will have to make up the work on your own, but I will not ask any questions. For every class beyond three, you will need documentation to demonstrate the EMERGENCY that kept you from class. Otherwise, you will lose FIVE POINTS off of your final grade for every absence beyond three.
• But participation is about more than just showing up. It's about doing the reading, being prepared to talk about it, volunteering your input, being involved in your group work, preparing for the debates and other discussions, and generally being an asset to the class as a whole.
• Your participation is a significant percentage of your grade. Earn it. Take initiative. Do not expect to speak only when directly called upon and pass this section of the class.
• Finally, being late consistently may be counted as being absent. It will certainly lower your participation grade.

Course Policies

1. Follow all Dominican University policies in regards to Academic Honesty. If you are unsure about whether something is plagiarism or cheating, ask first. People caught cheating will be subjected to the full penalty allowable by Dominican.
2. Students must bring readings to class on the day they are assigned. Print out online materials. If we don't talk about something in class, you need to bring it to the next class too unless told otherwise. Not bringing the reading consistently may lead to you being considered absent. It means you are not prepared.
3. Writing assignments and examinations are due at the beginning of class. DO NOT EVER SKIP CLASS TO TRY AND FINISH YOUR WORK. Printing errors and lost data are a fact of life. If you wait until the last minute and encounter technical difficulties, your paper may still be counted as late.
4. For every day a paper or project is late, you lose one full grade per day (A to B, B to C, etc.). Do not test this system. Turn your work in on time.
5. All work must be typed. And Stapled. With your name on every page. Double-spaced. In a 12-point font. With room on the margins for comments. Printed on only one side of the paper (for ease of comments). Please! :) I know this seems like a hassle, but it makes grading them and reading them easier. Be merciful to my eyesight.
6. Assignments will either be turned in using paper (in class or in my office) or via the MyDU system. Assignments will only be accepted via email if MyDU has a verifiable technical error. Assignments emailed to me do not count as turned in until you receive a confirmation email.