HUM 402 L00.A American Culture
(3 Credit Hours)
Criswell College – Fall 2016
Professor Contact Information:
Dr. Brandon W. Seitzler
Office: E323
My cell phone number will be given in class
bseitzler@criswell.edu
Office Phone: 214.818.1309
Course Description
Using literature as primary tool, this course will explore the richness and trajectory of
American Culture, particularly after the Civil War through the mid-Twentieth Century.
The Fall 2016 offering of “HUM 402 American Culture” will trace the relationship between
American religious and political culture from an historical perspective.
Course Objectives; Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives
Students will learn to use qualitative data to analyze the relationship between religious and
political culture in the United States.
Required Course Texts and Materials
Note that each of these texts might be available used for discounted prices.
 Cosmos Crumbling: American Reform and the Religious Imagination. Robert H.
Abzug. 1994. ISBN 978-0195045680
 The Democratization of American Christianity. Nathan O. Hatch. 1991. ISBN 9780300050608
Course Requirements
 Discussion Questions to Blackboard (10%) – Each week students will post two
questions to Blackboard for others to consider before class.
 Research paper (40%) – Students will write a four-part research paper on religious
and political culture in the United States.
 Exams (40%) – Students will take two non-cumulative exams.
 Additional in-class quizzes and assignments will not count toward your final grade.
Expectations of Students
The exams are based on material presented in class and in the required readings. Therefore
careful reading and active class participation and attendance are required to succeed in this
course. Students should have carefully read the material at least once before class.
Blackboard
This course will utilize Blackboard and each student must ensure he/she has access to the
course Blackboard site. Each student is required to make sure she/he has access to her/his
Blackboard account and can log into the course page. If you are unable to access the course
on Blackboard or have any login issues, please send an email to blackboard@criswell.edu
and provide a detailed description of your problem.
Grading Scale
A
97-100
A93-96
B+
91-92
B
88-90
B86-87
C+
83-85
C
80-82
C78-79
D+
75-77
D
72-74
D70-71
F
0-69
4.0 grade points per semester hour
3.7 grade points per semester hour
3.3 grade points per semester hour
3.0 grade points per semester hour
2.7 grade points per semester hour
2.3 grade points per semester hour
2.0 grade points per semester hour
1.7 grade points per semester hour
1.3 grade points per semester hour
1.0 grade point per semester hour
0.7 grade points per semester hour
0.0 grade points per semester hour
Incomplete Grades
Students requesting a grade of Incomplete (I) must understand that incomplete grades
maybe given only upon approval of the faculty member involved. An “I” may be assigned only
when a student is currently passing a course and in situations involving extended illness,
serious injury, death in the family, or employment or government reassignment, not student
neglect.
Students are responsible for contacting their professors prior to the end of the semester, plus
filing the appropriate completed and approved academic request form with the Registrar’s
Office. The “I” must be removed (by completing the remaining course requirements) no later
than 60 calendar days after the grade was assigned, or the “I” will become an “F.”
On-Campus Class Attendance
Students are responsible for enrolling in courses for which they anticipate being able to
attend every class session on the day and time appearing on course schedules, and then
making every effort to do so. When unavoidable situations result in absence or tardiness,
students are responsible for acquiring any information missed. Professors are not obliged to
allow students to make up missed work. Per their independent discretion, individual
professors may determine how attendance affects students’ ability to meet course learning
objectives and whether attendance affects course grades.
Academic Honesty
Absolute truth is an essential belief and basis of behavior for those who believe in a God who
cannot lie and forbids falsehood. Academic honesty is the application of the principle of truth
in the classroom setting. Academic honesty includes the basic premise that all work
submitted by students must be their own and any ideas derived or copied from elsewhere
must be carefully documented.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
• cheating of any kind,
• submitting, without proper approval, work originally prepared by the student for
another course,
• plagiarism, which is the submitting of work prepared by someone else as if it were
his own, and
• failing to credit sources properly in written work.
Learning Disabilities
In order to ensure full class participation, any student with a disabling condition requiring
special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special notetaking or test-taking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the instructor at the beginning
of the course or if a student has a learning disability, please inform the professor so
assistance can be provided.
Auditing and Sit-in Students
Any on-campus course may be audited if there is space available in the classroom. Audit
students do not receive grades from professors. A student’s permanent transcript will
reflect which courses have been completed as audits.
Sit-in status is offered only if space is available in the classroom and when approval is given
by the Registrar’s Office. Sit-in students are not given grades by professors and their
transcripts will not reflect enrollment in the course. Taking tests and participation in course
activities are at the discretion of the professor.
Course Outline – Note: the course schedule will be provided at a later date and is
subject to change at the Professor’s discretion
These descriptions and timelines contained in this syllabus are subject to change at
the discretion of the Professor.