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Syllabus


Introduction to Liberal Studies is a required course for the B.A. and B.S. in Liberal Studies. It is meant on the one hand to orient students to the interrelationship of the various branches of knowledge that inform higher education and the inquiry into the conditions of our experience generally as human beings. It will sharpen their skills in reading perceptively, writing insightfully, analyzing ideas and discussing them in a civil exchange at a high level of discourse. On the other it will also prepare students with the cultural content and practical skills for advanced study in their chosen fields on the path to professional excellence and life-long learning.

This is an online course. For each week, you will first do some readings and watch a video lecture. You will be quizzed on these materials. Second, you will have another reading and a short essay (Preview) to write. Third, you will annotate and comment on the text as well as engage in a dialogue with your instructor and peers about the weeks’ readings. Finally there will be two exams. All quizzes, exams, and Previews will be turned in via "Blackboard Learn" (uh.edu/blackboard).

Students in Introduction to Liberal Studies will gain fundamental skills in reading works across fields, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, and in analyzing and articulating evidence and arguments in oral and written forms. Students will have an understanding of some of the principle issues in the objectives and methods of, and some points of contention within and between, the various sciences.

Previews (40%)
Quizzes (20%)
Perusall Social Reading (10%)
Midterm (10%)
Final Exam (20%)

*Note: All assessments will be graded on a 4.0 scale, according to the official UH Grading Scale.

A = 4.00
A- = 3.667
B+ = 3.333
B = 3
B- = 2.667
C+ = 2.333

C = 2
C- = 1.667
D+ = 1.333
D = 1
D- = 0.667
F = 0

It is violation of the UH Academic Honesty policy to present the work of others, including online sources, as your own. Violations of academic honesty can have serious consequences for your academic record and can result in dismissal from UH. On Academic Honesty, the Academic Calendar, Religious Holy Days, and Disabilities, see: UH Academic Honesty Policy


How to take this Online Course – Each week the course has a very clear structure, and it is up to you to be a good manager of your time in order to complete each task efficiently and excellently. Each week’s “Module” will open the previous Friday, giving you access to the readings, lectures, and assessments for the week. It is imperative that you read the entire assigned reading as well as watch the full lecture.

Quiz (20%) – Closes Tuesday (the due day) at 11:59pm. Each quiz will cover material from the current week’s Adler reading and Dr. Behr’s video Lectures. You have two attempts (in case of technical difficulties) and I will keep the higher grade. The questions are randomized and there is a 10-minute time limit on the quiz. There will be no make-up quizzes.

Preview (40%) – Submit via the Turnitin drop box. Closes Friday (the due day) 11:59pm. Previews will be based on Preview Essay that will be posted in the Module. There will be no make-up previews. Read carefully the Preview Guidelines below for more information.

Perusall Discussion (10%) – Closes Monday at 11:59pm. Each student is required to comment within the current week’s thread and base comments on the Preview Reading. Comments should be substantive, reference the current week’s Preview Essay, and remain cordial. There will be no make-up discussion board comments. I will post a wrap-up of the discussion board and the week each Tuesday.

And so, here’s a typical week in ILAS 2350:

Monday Read Adler
Tuesday Watch Lecture + Take Quiz
Wednesday Read the Preview Essay
Thursday Write Your Preview
Friday Proofread and Submit Preview
Saturday Relax
Sunday Perusall Discussions

Previews are a different kind of reading and writing assignment than you are used to! Please don’t forget that they are 40% of your grade. Missing a Preview will mean losing a big part of your grade. So, be very consistent in submitting your previews.

After carefully completing the Preview Essay and using the tools you will learn from Adler’s book, you will be identifying the author’s POINT, i.e. what it is that the author wants you to understand (not merely to know) that you may not have understood or believed before? This “point” of the reading will necessarily come down to a set of answers to one or more of the “basic philosophical-religious questions” (BPRQs) – always, in one way or another, directly or indirectly. These are the questions to which every human being must have some sort of answer, no matter how unconscious, confused, or inchoate, in order to make choices in life. They are:

  1. What is the nature of the universe?
  2. What is the nature of man?
  3. Therefore, what must we do to be happy?

Structure your Previews by writing three paragraphs, each one corresponding to one of the three BPRQs above. Each paragraph will be graded according to the following three categories:

Essential Point What is the author’s stated or implied answer to the BPRQ?
Essential Text What text supports the author’s answer?
Logical Analysis Clear and logical analysis of the textual passage(s) in question to support your interpretation.

Two additional documents will further help you with writing your Preview. Please read carefully the “Argument” and the “Basic Metaphysical Options” handouts in Module 1. The “Argument” handout will help you understand the difference between summary of the text and a logical analysis. The “Basic Metaphysical Options” handout will help you understand the possible range of answers there are to the BPRQs.

A good preview will be grammatically and stylistically sound.

Previews should be around 750 words in length, not counting extend quotations, and are to be submitted to the Turnitin drop box for the designated week, where you will receive comments and grades.