This page includes:
Download a copy of the paper syllabus (pdf format) here
Instructor
Prof. Megan Williams (contact: mhw at sfsu dot edu)
Office: SCI 267B; office hours: Tu 3-5 pm and by appointment
Books
Primary sources in translation:
The Lives of Simeon Stylites. Tr. Robert Doran; Fwd. Susan Ashbrook Harvey. Cistercian Press, 1992. ISBN: 9991474277
Early Christian Lives. Tr. Carolinne White. Penguin Classics, 1998. ISBN: 9780140435269
Sainted Women of the Dark Ages. Ed. and tr. Jo Ann McNamara, John E. Halborg, E. Gordon Whatley. Duke University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0822312166
Benedict. Rule. Vintage, 1998 (repr.) ISBN: 037570017X
Secondary works:
Davis, Leo Donald. The First Seven Ecumenical Councils. Liturgical Press, 1990 (repr.) ISBN: 0814656161
Brown, Peter R.L. The Rise of Western Christendom. Blackwell Publishing Professional, 2002 (2nd ed.) ISBN: 0631221387
Note that you will be required to print and bring to class about 200 pp. of readings provided as pdfs or online texts directly from the Schedule page. Factor printing costs into your budget for taking this course.
Policies
Missed exams, late papers, attendance and excuses
Written assignments are to be submitted in class by 4:15 pm on the due date. Late papers will be penalized one full grade for every 24 hours late or fraction thereof, beginning at 4:16 pm on the due date. Papers submitted four or more days after the deadline will receive a grade of F.
One missed quiz may be made up with a 5-page paper summarizing the readings covered by that quiz (one page per reading), due no more than one week after the quiz. All other exceptions will be made only for emergencies documented in writing.
Behavior in the classroom
Do not come to class late or leave early: it is distracting to the instructor and your fellow students.
Students who engage in disruptive behavior (e.g., talking or making noise during lecture, leaving cell phones on during class, interrupting the instructor or other students, speaking at great length during discussions, viewing inappropriate material on laptop screens, etc.) will be asked to leave the room for the remainder of the class meeting.
Dishonesty in the form of cheating or plagiarism is unfair to your fellow students and is prohibited by the San Francisco State University Student Code of Conduct. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying other students’ work and helping other students to cheat. All exams in this course will be closed-book; you may have only blank blue books and pens or pencils during the exam.
YOU MUST BRING A BLANK BLUE BOOK TO EACH QUIZ.
Plagiarism means using someone else’s work without proper acknowledgment (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism for further discussion of the concept, and more resources).
Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a failing grade on the specific assignment to expulsion from the University. All cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Department Chair and College Dean. Students are responsible for knowing the SFSU regulations on cheating and plagiarism: see http://www.sfsu.edu/~helpdesk/docs/rules/conduct.htm.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation
The Disability Programs and Resources Center (DPRC) provides academic support services and specialized assistance to students with disabilities. In order to receive accommodation through the ADA, you must make a formal request through the DPRC in SSB 110 (415-338-2472). If you are registered with the DPRC, please let me know immediately so that I can be prepared to accommodate you.
Graduate students
Graduate students must complete all in-class assignments (discussions, quizzes) and write a 5000-word research paper based on primary sources (not a historiography paper) instead of the two short papers. An abstract is due by March 1 either in class or by e-mail. The research paper will be due the last class meeting. Graduate students enrolled in HIST 799 will complete a 7500-word research paper including a historiography section of approximately 2500 words.
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