WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Fairbanks Campus
SCHOOL OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Wayland Baptist University Mission Statement
Wayland Baptist University exists to education students in an academically challenging, learning-focused
and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
RLGN 1301 – FB10
Old Testament History
Spring 20134
Instructor: Wally Smith
Instructor Information
 Phone: Office 356-2403
Home 479-8530
Cell 388-0562
 Email: wallys@wbu.edu
 Office Hours: 7am – 3pm Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; 7am-12 noon Friday
 Office Location: Building 4391 Neeley Rd, Ft. Wainwright AK
Class Time and Location: Tuesday, 6-10pm, Building 2631 / Room 318 Eielson AFB
Catalog Description: An introductory survey of the historical literature with special attention to the
institutions, religion, and national life of the Hebrew people.
Prerequisite: None
Required Textbooks and Resources
 Encountering the Old Testament, Bill Arnold and Bryan Beyer;
Baker Academic, ISBN 978-0-8010-3170-0
 The Learning Bible or The NIV Study Bible, ISBN 978-1-5851668-1-7
Course Outcome Competencies:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical, religious, and social context of the Old Testament world.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of some of the critical methods used in Old Testament studies.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic content of the Old Testament and its main teachings (theological
content).
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the canonical process producing a more complete understanding of the Old
Testament.
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Attendance Requirements
 WBU Catalog – “Students enrolled at one of the university's external campuses should make
every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who
will then determine whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that
number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the
student and file an unsatisfactory progress report with the campus dean. Any student who misses
25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F in the
course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course
syllabus, are considered a part of the university's attendance policy. A student may petition the
Academic Council for exceptions to the above stated policies by filing a written request for an
appeal to the provost/academic vice president.”

Roll will be checked each class meeting. - 10 points are given each week for attendance which
becomes part of the student’s cumulative total.

The School's "no cut" policy allows for no unexcused absences.

No student missing more than 25% of the class meetings (including both excused and unexcused
absences) can pass the course. Students who need to leave class early must get approval from
the professor in advance.
Course Requirements:
Quiz / Exam Information:
1. A quiz will be given weekly over the reading assignment due on that date.
a. If a student misses a class for any reason, he/she is still responsible for the quiz given
that date. The missed quiz will be available from blackboard and the student should
submit it at the next scheduled class that they attend.
b. Any quiz not completed according to procedure may be counted as a zero.
2. There will be no extra credit work for low grades.
3. Missed exams (with prior notice and excuse) may be taken at the WBU office during regular
office hours. The student should call for an appointment and will be responsible for
scheduling the exam at a time mutually agreeable to by both the WBU staff and the student.
Writing Assignment (Journal Entries)
Description: Record your personal interaction with selected books of the Old Testament
Requirements:
Due date a. 1 journal will be due every other week beginning March 11 (see schedule)
b.
Arrangements can be made to deal with forced absences by contacting the
class instructor prior to the due date of an assignment
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Method of Presentation:
a. Typed, 12 size font, double spaced;
b. Assignment title, class information, and student’s name on document
c. Length - 1 full page per assignment
d. Submitted via blackboard (safe assignment)
e. Microsoft Office – Using Word Perfect of any other software besides MS Office is
not acceptable at this time. It is the student’s responsibility to convert any journal
written in another program into the correct type document.
Content:
a. Do not simply quote or re-state the Biblical material.
b. Write about your interaction with the Scripture. This might include your
interpretation of and/or your application of selected passages. This also
could include questions about and/or impressions of the material.
c. Right or wrong conclusions about the material are not the issue.
Grading criteria :
a. Grammar / spelling / writing skills - 1 point off for every grammatical error
b. Fulfillment of the content requirements
* Large sections of quoted or restated material will = 1 letter grade off;
c. Completion of the assignment
* On time – Journals may be turned in late during the week they are due, but
they will lose 1 letter grade. Journals more than 1 week late (past the next
class) will be graded as a zero. Late journals may be submitted via email.
* Journal entries not correctly submitted via safe assignments on Blackboard;
will be reduced by 1 letter grade;
* Journal entries not a full page will be reduced accordingly (3/4 page = 1 letter
grade, ½ = 2 letter grades, ¼ page – 3 letter grades
* All journal entries will be averaged to count as 20% of final grade
Content Requirements
New Testament books to be included in the writing assignment (see reading schedule):
#1 - the Pentateuch – Genesis or Numbers;
#2 - the History books – Judges, Nehemiah or Esther;
#3 - the Poetry books – Job 1-10, Psalms, 1-10, Proverbs 1-10 or Song of Songs;
#4 - the Prophetical books – Hosea, Amos or Malachi
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Course Outline and Calendar
Class Date
Assignment
Course Material
Feb 25
-------------------
Class Syllabus
Arnold / Beyer - Introduction to OT
Mar 4
Quiz 1 (Ch 1-2)
Arnold / Beyer - Pentateuch
Mar 11
Quiz 2 (Ch 3-6)
Journal1 – Bb
Arnold / Beyer - Pentateuch
March 17 – 21 ---------------------------------------- SPRING BREAK -----------------------------------------------
Mar 25
Quiz 3 (Ch 7-9)
Arnold / Beyer - Historical Books
Apr 1
Quiz 4 (Ch 10-14)
Journal 2 – Bb
Arnold / Beyer - Historical Books
Apr 8
Quiz 5 (Ch 15-18)
----------MID-TERM EXAM --------
Apr 15
Quiz 6 (Ch 19-23)
Journal 3 – Bb
Arnold / Beyer - Poetical Books
Apr 22
Quiz 7 (Ch 24-28)
Arnold / Beyer - Major Prophets
Apr 29
Quiz 8 (Ch 29-33)
Journal 4 – Bb
Arnold / Beyer - Minor Prophets
May 6
Quiz 9 (Ch 33-34)
Arnold / Beyer - Minor Prophets
May 13
----------------------
--------------FINAL EXAM ------------
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Course Evaluation (Method of Determining Grade)
 University Grading System
Symbol
Percentage
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
60-69
F
Below 60

Other symbols used for grading include:
CR
NCR
I**
Credit
No Credit
Incomplete
IP
In progress
X
No grade
W
WP
Withdrawal
Withdraw passing
WF
Withdraw failing
Satisfactory, but without qualitative grading.
Unsatisfactory, but without qualitative grading.
May be given to a student who is passing, but has not
completed a term paper, examination, or other required
for work reasons beyond the student’s control.
Assigned to a course indicating that at the conclusion of a
term the course will still be in progress.
No grade has been submitted by the instructor. The
course grade which will replace the X must be submitted
within 30 days from the beginning of the next full term.
Course dropped or withdrawal from the University.
Course dropped or withdrawal from the University after
deadline to withdraw with a W and prior deadline to
withdraw with a WP or WF.
Course dropped or withdrawal from the University after
deadline to withdraw with a W and prior to deadline to
withdraw with a WP or WF.
**A grade of incomplete is changed if the deficiency is made up by midterm of the next
regular semester; otherwise, it becomes "F". This grade is given only if circumstances
beyond the student's control prevented completion of work during the semester enrolled
and attendance requirements have been met.

Procedure for computations of final grade:
Quizzes Score
20 points x 9 quizzes
=
180
Journals (average) Score
50 points x 4 journals
=
200
Participation / Attendance
10 points x 11 classes
=
110
Mid-term Exam Score
=
255
Final Exam Score
=
255
1000 points total
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Academic Honesty (Plagiarism): University students are expected to conduct themselves according to
the highest standards of academic honesty. Academic misconduct for which a student is subject
to penalty includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possession of examinations or
examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism. (Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of
another as one’s own work.) It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with penalties
associates with plagiarism stated in the catalog on page 88.
Classroom Disruption
Students who disrupt a class will be directed to leave immediately and report to the external
campus executive director/dean or dean of students, who will discuss with the student the cause of
the disruption. The student will return to the class only with permission of the executive
director/campus dean or dean of students and faculty member involved.
Disability Statement
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of Wayland
Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education
program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the
coordinator of students with a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodation
requests at (806) 291-3765. Documentation of a disability must accompany any request for
accommodations.
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