I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 2/8/13)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change or
renew existing gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
II. Mathematics
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III. Language
VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * IX: American & European
if requesting
IV: Expressive Arts
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
education
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies X w/ lab  w/out lab 
group
I am seeking to renew this course as a gen ed course in Historical and
designation)
Cultural Studies.
Dept/Program Liberal Studies
Course #
LS 161H
Course Title
Prerequisite
Introduction to Asian Humanities
None
Credits
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Phone / Email
Bradley Clough
Ext.
2837/bradley.clough@mso.umt.edu
Program Chair Stewart Justman
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Renew X
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Description of change
3
Date
3/21/13
3/22/13
3/21/13
Change
Remove
Renewal is required.
Renewal as a Historical and
Cultural Studies course.
IV. Description and purpose of the general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
This course examines selected great works from four major Asian cultural spheres: the Middle
East and Persia (Iran), South Asia (“India”), China, and Japan. While these texts, of course,
cannot be regarded as fully representative of these cultures, they all could be considered
“classics” which have exerted profound influence on these cultures and are both reflective of
and productive of their cultures’ social mores, moral norms, philosophies, and ways of life at
various key points in their histories. Thus, while reading, reflecting on, and writing about these
works will not lead to full introductions to these cultures, through them we will learn much
about what has been most valued in them.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
The main criterion for this group appears to
be setting texts and ideas in their historical
and cultural contexts. For each “classic”
work that we read in this course, there is
always a substantial lecture devoted to this
very criterion.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
In this course we do look at what historical
factors in the cultural sphere in which a text
is found may have helped cause the
production of a text and what influences the
text has had on the subsequent history of its
culture. As stated above, we examine each
text within its historical and cultural
contexts and examine the text’s ideas in
these contexts as well.
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
LS 161H
Asian Humanities
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:40-11:00
SS 344
Bradley Clough
Office: LA 158
Office Phone: (406)-243-2837
bradley.clough@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours: T & TR 2:304:30 and by appointment
This course examines selected great works from four major Asian cultural spheres: the Middle
East and Persia (Iran), South Asia (“India”), China, and Japan. While these texts, of course,
cannot be regarded as fully representative of these cultures, they all could be considered
“classics” which have exerted profound influence on these cultures and are both reflective of
and productive of their cultures’ social mores, moral norms, philosophies, and ways of life at
various key points in their histories. Thus, while reading, reflecting on, and writing about these
works will not lead to full introductions to these cultures, through them we will learn much
about what has been most valued in them.
Required Readings (all are available for purchase at the campus bookstore):
T.B Irving (translator), Selections from the Noble Reading: An Anthology of Passages from the
Qur’an
Abolqasem Ferdowsi (Dick Davis, translator), The Legend of Seyavash
Naguib Mahfouz, The Time and the Place and Other Stories
Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator), In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali
Canon
Barbara Stoler Miller (translator), The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War
Stephen Alter and Wimal Dissanayake (editors), The Penguin Book of Modern Indian Short
Stories
Philip J. Ivanhoe and Bryan w. Van Norden, Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy
Tsao Hsueh-Chin (Chi-Chen Wang, translator), Dream of the Red Chamber
Matsuo Basho (Sam Hamill, translator), Narrow Road to the Interior and Other Writings
Banana Yoshimoto, Kitchen
Grading
1. Class Participation: Class Preparation and Participation: completion of and reflection
upon the reading assignment for the day, as well as consistent attendance and oral
participation in regular discussions. No more than two absences will be accepted
without written authorization from the Health Service or an advisor, counselor, or
administrator. (20% of the final grade)
2. Four 4-5 page Papers. A choice of topics will be assigned for each paper, but there is
also the opportunity to develop your own topic, with the instructor’s approval (each
paper is 20% of the final grade; thus the papers are worth 80% of the final grade in
total)
Class Meetings and Assignments
I.
I.
THE MIDDLE EAST and PERSIA (greater Iran)
Tues. 1/29
Introduction to the Course
Thurs. 1/31
Selections from Selections from the Noble Reading (The Qur’an)
Tues. 2/5
Selections from Selections from the Noble Reading (The Qur’an)
Thurs. 2/7
The Legend of Seyavash, pp. 1-50
Tues. 2/12
The Legend of Seyavash, pp. 51-130 and “Translator’s Afterword”
Thurs. 2/14
Selections from Mahfouz’s The Time and the Place
Tues. 2/19
Selections from Mahfouz’s The Time and the Place
II. INDIA
Thurs. 2/21
Selections from the Buddha’s sermons. In the Buddha’s Words, pages 26, 29-30,
31-37; 75-76; 88-91, and 96-103
Tues. 2/26
No class; professor away.
Thurs. 2/28
Selections from the Buddha’s sermons. In the Buddha’s Words, pages 116-118,
126-128, 130-132, 137-139; 155-156, 166-167, 171-172, 172-174; 191-192,
203-205, 213-214, 218-219; 239-240.
Tues. 3/5
Selections from the Buddha’s sermons. In the Buddha’s Words, pages 267, 269272, 278-279, 281-290; 322-323, 335-337, 341-345, 364-365; 402-406, 410412.
**Wed. 3/6
First Papers Due by 5:00 PM in the Professor’s Mailbox, LA 101**
Thurs. 3/7
Bhagavad-Gita, First-Fifth Teachings
Tues. 3/12
Bhagavad-Gita, Six-Eleventh Teachings
Thurs. 3/14
Bhagavad-Gita, Twelfth-Eighteenth Teachings
Tues. 13/19
Selections from Modern Indian Short Stories
Thurs. 3/21
Selections from Modern Indian Short Stories
III. China
Tues. 3/26
Selections from The Analects of Kongzi/Confucius (Readings in Classical
Chinese Philosophy)
Thurs. 3/28
Selections from the Book of Mengzi/Mencius (Readings in Classical Chinese
Philosophy)
**Fri. 3/29
Second Papers Due by 5:00 PM in the Professor’s Mailbox, LA 101**
Tues. 4/9
Selections from the Book of Zhuangzi/Chuang Tzu
Thurs. 4/11
Selections from the Book of Zhuangzi/Chuang Tzu
Tues. 4/16
Dream of the Red Chamber, Part I, Chapters 1-6
Thurs. 4/18
Dream…, Part I, Chapters 7-18
Tues. 4/23
Dream…, Part I, Chapters 19-25
Thurs 4/25
Dream…, Part I, Chapters 26-33 and Part II, Chapters 34-40
IV. Japan
Tues. 4/30
Basho, The Narrow Road to the Interior
Thurs. 5/2
Basho: Select Haiku Poems
Tues. 5/7
Yoshimoto, Kitchen, pp. 3-74
**Wed. 5/8 Third Papers Due by 5:00 PM in the Professor’s Mailbox, LA 101**
Thurs. 5/9
Kitchen, 75-105
**Friday 12/17: Fourth Paper Due by 5:00 PM in the Professor’s Mailbox, LA 101**
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.