Mission: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
VIRTUAL CAMPUS
SCHOOL OF RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE: HIST/RLGN 5307 Church History
TERM AND DATES: Winter 2013, Nov 11, 2013—Feb 15, 2013
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION:
Dr. Paul Sadler
Dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy
Lester James, Sr., Professor of Religion
Wayland Baptist University
1900 W. 7th Street
Plainview, TX 79072
806-291-1163 sadlerp@wbu.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Flores Bible Building, Plainview campus, Mon – Fri, 9:00am-4:00pm CDT/CST
CLASS MEETING TIME AND LOCATION:
Asynchronous interaction; Virtual Campus Blackboard website
CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: The history of the Christian church.
PREREQUISITES:
1. Application or admission to the Wayland graduate program and completion of any required leveling.
2. The student must have constant access to the internet and be able to use Blackboard. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with Blackboard, if necessary. Tutorials are available on Blackboard for the student.
3. Each student must have a valid, working email address. The primary means of studentinstructor communication is through email and Blackboard. Emails sent by the instructor are sent to the student’s wayland.wbu.edu email address. Students should regularly check
“Announcements” on the course page in Blackboard as well as their wayland.wbu.edu email.
When the student has read this entire syllabus, the student should send an email from her/his wayland.wbu.edu email address to the instructor with the following message: "OK, Prof." This initial email message sent by the student is interpreted to mean that the student has read and understands the entire syllabus.

REQUIRED RESOURCE MATERIALS:
1. Required Texts – Bruce Shelley, Church History in Plain Language
Mark Noll, Turning Points
2. Class handouts posted to Blackboard and online resources
Become familiar with WBU MABEE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER for research papers; additional personal study
LRC website: http://library.wbu.edu
.
Distance learning resources (e-books; books sent via priority mail; online articles): http://www.wbu.edu/academics/academic_resources/wayland_learning_resource_center_library/ default.htm
Questions on LRC and research texts: lrcref@wbu.edu
.
COURSE OUTCOME COMPETENCIES:
The student will:
1. Be able to identify the major periods, movements, and trends in the history of western
Christianity.
2. Be able to describe the life and work of selected persons who are significant in the history of western Christianity.
3. Be able to interpret the relationship of Christianity to the evolution of western culture.
ATTENDANCE POLICIES:
1. Student “attendance” in an online course is defined as active participation in the course through discussion boards and submitting weekly assignments on time. Students aware of necessary absences must inform the professor with as much advance notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent 25 percent or more of the online course, i.e., non-participatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may receive an F for that course.
2. Any student who has not actively participated in an online class prior to the census date for any given term is considered a "no-show" and will be administratively withdrawn from the class without record.
3. To be counted as actively participating, it is not sufficient to log in and view the course. The student must be submitting work as described in the course syllabus.
When a student reaches a number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will submit a Report of Unsatisfactory Progress to the student’s WBU student email account and to appropriate university personnel.
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 educational 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.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: All assignments can be found by clicking “Assignments” tab on

the Blackboard course page.
1. The student must complete assigned reading and submit reading reports as scheduled. A reading report containing questions over the reading will be posted each week. Follow instructions on the reading report for answering the questions and submitting the assignment.
The reading schedule is included in this syllabus.
2. The student must participate in class discussions on the Blackboard discussion board.
Participation in discussion is evaluated for both quality and quantity. Quality responses should be substantial (relates to the course material), concise (two or three paragraphs), provocative
(encourages others to respond), analytical (expands concepts or connects ideas in new ways), timely (occurs in the time period allowed for discussion), logical (supports point of view with reasons and evidence), well written (grammatically correct), and respectful of all participants.
Each student is expected to make at least three responses to each topic in each forum posted for the week unless otherwise noted.
3. The student must write brief essays as scheduled. Brief essays are personal reflection and/or response statements by the student. The student should take these essays seriously and show careful thought in writing. These essays are 1 - 2 pages in length, at least one full page but no more than two pages. Brief essays are not research papers requiring a certain form, but the essays should be well written and grammatically correct. Essays are submitted as email attachments.
4. The student must submit an acceptable research paper with a minimum of 10 pages in the body of the paper. Guidelines for the paper and research topics are posted in Blackboard. The due date for the research paper is Sunday, January 26, 12:00 midnight CST.
5. If a student believes that there are reasons that she/he cannot meet these course requirements, the student should consult with the instructor as soon as possible.
6. Computation of final grade
Reading reports
Weekly discussion
Brief essays
Research paper
20%
30%
20%
30%
7. Academic Honesty - 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.)
Disciplinary action for academic misconduct is the responsibility of the faculty members assigned to the course. The faculty member is charged with assessing the gravity of the case of academic dishonesty, and with giving sanctions to any student involved. Penalties may be applied to individual cases of academic dishonesty. See catalog for more information about academic dishonesty.

COURSE SCHEDULE:
Full schedule will be available at the beginning of the term.
Important dates:
Course begins, November 11
Thanksgiving holidays, November 25-December 1
Christmas holidays, December 23-January 5
Research paper due, Sunday, January 26, 12:00 midnight CST