ANT 102 Exploring Culture (3)

OBJECTIVES:

      A central purpose of anthropology is to account for human biological unity and cultural diversity -- past, present and future. This course will introduce students to the vocabulary of concepts, principles and basic assumptions of sociocultural anthropology - that one discipline which more than any other illuminates human experience and organizes the whole load of the liberal education.

Texts (required):
    Kottak, Conrad Phillip (2007) Cultural Anthropology, 12th edition.
and
    Reserve/ on-line readings as assigned.

CALENDAR

FILM SERIES :

    Required film assignments are incorporated into the Calendar

EVALUATIONS:

      Students will complete five objective examinations of approximately 100 item points each, including a comprehensive final examination. These examinations will require students to integrate materials presented in all of assigned sources including the texts, the lectures, the additional readings (e.g.e-Reserves), and the films. Attendance, film reviews and other 'homework' writing exercises (see Assignment Summary) will all be awarded points.
      More than two un-excused absences can be expected to adversely affect your final grade.

Grading:  (subject to relaxation)

    The letter grade for each exam and for the cumulative final grade will be computed on the basis to total raw points (NOT the percent score as computed by the 'Scantron Scorer') and assigned according to the following scale:

Communication:

      NAU policy expects you to use your student account on dana for all official communication with and within the university. For communications regarding this course, please use the e-mail function in the course Vista shell.      

Classroom conduct:

• No sudent will wear in the classroom any secular headcover; this is a general rule but the most common offense has been baseball caps.
• Do not place book bags, back packs, etc. on the desks/ tables.
• Shut OFF all cell phones and like equipment before entering the clasroom. If you are on emergency call, please notify me for exception to this ban.
• Laptop computers may be used in class SOLEY to advance the aims of instruction; I will confiscate any laptop that I discover being used for extraneous purposes.

PROCEDURES:

      The course will be conducted according to all pertinent NAU regulations, including but not restricted to the following:

      No extra work can be considered toward the final grade.

      The responsibility for making-up a missed exam is wholly with the student, the format to be specified by the instructor and the time to be scheduled at the mutual convenience of instructor and student; the request to make-up any unexcused and missed exam must be accompanied by the appropriate University form(s).

      Cheating, including plagiarism in any written assignments, will be dealt with according to University policies.

      Due to time restrictions it is impossible to review the exams in class; students interested in reviewing the exams are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor to do this.

      If you come to a discussion period and demonstrate that you are unprepared, have not read the assignment, not seen any assigned films and not attempted to answer any assigned questions - I reserve the right to dismiss you and count you absent.

      Instructor will not, and cannot, permit a student to ADD or DROP the class in exception to current University policies, as follows:

      Policies and procedures for Drop/Add, Incomplete and Grade Change

      Students who speak English as a second language are encouraged to tape-record the lectures during class and take their notes from the tape after class. (Note: lectures are covered by U.S. Copyright law and may be used only for personal study purposes.)

      The instructor reserves the right to make announced changes in the calendar and conduct of the course to accommodate unforseen contingencies of the semester.

      This syllabus is tentative and subject to change without prior notice at the discretion of the instructor. No warranty is either stated nor implied by this document or the instructor. Course performance is the sole responsibility of the individual student, as is adherence to the dates, prerequisites, and other particulars published in the University Bulletin and Spring 2007 class schedule. Continued enrollment in this class constitutes agreement with the above noted University and course requirements and specifications.

      All members of the academic community, whether faculty, students, or administrators, have an obligation to preserve an atmosphere conducive to the freedom to learn and to teach. The expression of dissent and the attempt to produce change, therefore, may not be carried out in ways that injure individuals, disrupt their classes, or otherwise interfere with the ability to teach. Faculty have a particular obligation to maintain classrooms in which the behavior of students does not interfere with the ability of the students to learn or of the faculty member to teach. It is the responsibility of the faculty to determine the standards of acceptable behavior consistent with preserving an atmosphere appropriate for learning. Students who violate these standards will be warned that their behavior is becoming disruptive. Sanctions, up to and including removal from the class, may be imposed for continued violations. The complete policy on classroom management is in Appendix F of NAU's Student Handbook.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

      The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community , NAU's administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.
      Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix G of NAU's Student Handbook.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

      If you have a learning and/or disabilities/physical handicaps, you are encouraged to make arrangements for class assignments/exams so your academic performance will not suffer due to the disability and/or handicap. If you have any questions, you should talk with your instructor or contact Disabled Student Services, Counseling and Testing Center, 523-2261.
      It is your responsibility to register with the Counseling and Testing Center. Applications should be made at least eight weeks before the start of the semester.
      If the Counseling and Testing Center verifies your eligibility for special services, you should consult your instructor during the first [3 days] week in the semester so appropriate arrangements can be made. Concerns related to non-compliance in the students with disabilities area should be direct to the Disabled Students Coordinator in the Counseling and Testing Center.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY

      NAU's Safe Working and learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.
      You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean's office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair (523-3180), dean's office (523-2672), the Office of Student Life (523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (523-9368), or NAU's Office of Affirmative Action (523-3312). The complete policy on Safe Working and Learning Environment can be found at this site.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD

      Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU, including a class project, report, or research paper, must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and Research-Related Activities.
      The IRB meets once per month. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days prior to the monthly meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early in the semester to ascertain if your projects need to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information on appropriate forms and procedures for IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, do not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
      A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department's administrative office. If you have any questions, contact Melanie Birck, Office of Contracts and Grants, 523-8288.

last updated on 07.01.04
This page is maintained by:
Reed D. Riner, Professor,
Department of Anthropology
email: Reed.Riner@NAU.edu