LATIN 101: Fundamentals of Latin I Dr. A. Dwight Castro

Fall Semester 1999/12:50 MWF PH122/Ext. 7150

General Syllabus

A. Credit

1. If you wish to major or minor in Latin, you may use Latin 101 as one of the required courses for the major or minor. However, if you wish teaching certification, you may not count Latin 101 or 102 towards the minimum of 36 semester hours required in the major.

2. Any student may use Latin 101 for general elective credit. No previous knowledge of Latin is required.

NOTE: Latin 101 will not fulfill the Intellectual Perspective in Foreign Language.

 B. Required Text:

J. C. Traupman, Lingua Latina, Book I.

You are also strongly encouraged to have a small Latin dictionary. The Bookstore has copies of The Collins Gem Latin Dictionary, which the instructor recommends; however, any similar dictionary is acceptable. C. Scope and Objectives: Latin 101 has two main objectives:

1. To introduce you to the Latin language. The four basic language skills—speaking, listening, reading, writing—will be addressed.

2. To help you improve your English language skills.

These objectives will be accomplished by a systematic study of the morphology, syntax, and phonology of the Latin language, accompanied by some study of English etymology. This study will be reinforced by both written and oral exercises and by student projects. Learning strategies will include both individual and cooperative work.

 D. Course Requirements: 1. You will be expected to do all of the following: a) attend class regularly, b) prepare all as-signments and participate in daily recitations and other activities based on the assignments and/ or new lessons, c) take all quizzes and examinations, and d) do one special project.

2. No more than three unexcused absences from class will be permitted without penalty. Absences will normally be considered as excused only in cases of certified illness, other types of certified emergencies, and scheduled activities connected to another class or to inter-collegiate sports in which you participate. The penalty for excessive unexcused absences will be an automatic "D" for the class participation grade (see below, E1d) for four un-excused absences, and an automatic "F" for the class participation grade for five or more unexcused absences.

 

 LATIN 101: GENERAL SYLLABUS (FALL 99)/p. 2 3. No unexcused absences (as defined above, D2) from quizzes or examinations will be per-mitted without penalty. The penalty for an unexcused absence from an examination or a quiz will be an automatic "F" for that examination, or an automatic zero for that quiz. If an absence from an examination is considered as excused, a make-up will be offered. No make-up will be offered for an absence from a quiz; however, if the absence is considered as excused, the missed quiz will not be counted.

NOTE: It is your responsibility as a student to supply evidence of an acceptable excuse for an absence. Any such evidence must be presented no later than the first day that you resume attendance following an absence. Failure to present such evidence may cause your absence to be regarded as unexcused.

 E. Grading 1. You will be graded on each of the following activities: a. EXAMINATIONS: There will be three major examinations during the semester. The spe-cific dates, content, and format will be announced at lease one week in advance.

b. QUIZZES: There will be several short quizzes on the various lessons. Such quizzes may be announced only one day in advance.

c. SPECIAL PROJECT: There will be one such assignment, which will be due at some point during the second half of the semester. Separate instructions will be issued for this assign-ment which will explain it in more detail.

d. CLASS PARTICIPATION: The quantity and quality of participation in daily class recita-tions and other activities will be the criteria for determining the grade for this activity; but four or more unexcused absences during the semester will adversely affect this grade (see above, D2).

 2. Letter grades (ABCDF), modified (at the instructor’s discretion) by a plus or minus sign, will be used for each graded activity (see above, E1). A separate letter grade will be given for each examination and for the special project. For the quizzes, a single letter grade, based on the cumulative numerical score of the individual quizzes, will be given at the end of the semester. Likewise, a single letter grade for class participation will be given at the end of the semester. A more detailed explanation of the grading system will be given in a separate handout.

3. The final course grade will be an average of the grades earned in each graded activity (see above, E1). In computing the final course grade, the grades for each activity will be weighted as follows: EXAMINATIONS—15% each; QUIZZES—15%; SPECIAL PROJECT—15%; CLASS PARTICIPATION—25%.

 F. Academic Integrity Academic integrity is expected in all graded activities. Evidence of academic dishonesty in any graded activity (e.g., cheating on a quiz or examination or plagiarism in a special project) will certainly result in an automatic "F" for that specific activity, and may result in a more severe penalty (see the statement on this subject in the 1999-2000 Westminster College Undergraduate Catalogue, p. 79).