Writing Course Review Form (4/14)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Subject
Course Title
MCLL
Course Number
CLAS 191
(i.e. WRIT 200)
Writing the Legends of Afghanistan: Then and Now
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
9/22/14
Matthew Semanoff
Phone / Email
243-5637 /
matthew.semanoff@
umontana.edu
Program Chair
L. Ametsbichler and
J. Montauban
Dean
C. Comer
III. Type of request
New
Renew
Reason for new course, change
or deletion
One-time
X
Change
Remove
Only
CLAS 191 is being offered as a GLI Freshman seminar for AY
2015-2016.
IV. Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description:
to the subject matter and course content.
Provide an introduction
Writing the Legends of Afghanistan is a case study of history as a construct of
memory: how events are remembered and re-imagined over time. Students will
begin by studying the Eastern Campaign of Alexander the Great. Through the
examination of the history of the first Western campaign in Afghanistan, students
will examine the range of sources and will be introduced to the rhetorical
purposes and strategies used in compiling a historical narrative from disparate
and fragmentary sources. Students will then turn to the recent history of US
involvement in the region, considering the history of insurgencies and withdrawal
through the lens of the historians of Alexander. Putting to work what they have
learned about writing historical narratives, the participants of this seminar will
become the curators of sources that will contribute to the historical narrative of
the first decades of the 21st century. This seminar culminates in an oral history
project, in which students will be paired with student veterans to record the
experiences and reflections of participants in events that continue to shape our
lives.
This class is meant to introduce first-year students to the difficulties of writing a
narrative of historical events which arise from limitations of the sources. In the
case of ancient events, historians often deal with sources limited by perspective
and bias, or sources which are preserved imperfectly. In the case of writing
narratives of recent events, students will be introduced to similar issues, but will
also consider the challenges resulting from the proliferation of perspectives, the
broadening of what constitutes source material. The discussion about
documentary and filmic history will return to the questions of the “historian’s” bias.
V. Learning Outcomes:
Provide examples of how the course will support students in
achieving each learning outcome.
Use writing to learn and
X Yes
synthesize new concepts
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students will be introduced to the history of Alexander’s
campaigns in the region that corresponds to Afghanistan and
Pakistan. Reaction papers will require students to integrate this
historical information with ideas regarding historiography (e.g.
the limitations of ancient source material). Students will be
introduced to the methodology and theory of oral history and
will be required to write about the how oral history can
contribute to an understanding of historical events from a
multiplicity of perspectives.
Formulate and express written
opinions and ideas that are
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
developed, logical, and
organized
Compose written documents
that are appropriate for a given
audience, purpose and context
Revise written work based on
constructive comments from the
instructor
Find, evaluate, and use
information effectively and
Formal paper assignments (e.g. The Historiography of
Operation Enduring Freedom assignments) will require
students to reflect on the process of writing historical
narratives using a range of source material. The assignment
will require a systematic, logical, and organized analysis of
what constitutes a historical source when dealing with
contemporary events (i.e. the proliferation of mainstream news
sources, news aggregation web-sites, social media providing
immediate and first hand eye-witness accounts, etc.).
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Reaction paper topics will often require students to consider
their audience as well as the audience of the ancient sources.
The “What is Missing?” Paper will require students to consider
how writing history is a dynamic process that changes over
time and is often dependent on the author’s aims (purpose), the
cultural context, and the audience’s expectations. Students will
be asked to reflect on these differences by asking what
question remains even after reading an ancient source (i.e.
what did the author leave out and why?).
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
The Historiography of Operation Enduring Freedom Paper will
be submitted as a rough draft. Students will meet with the
instructor in tutorial sessions to discuss drafts. Final drafts will
be resubmitted together with the previous draft and a cover
letter describing the process of writing the paper and, in
particular, with attention to the drafting and revision process.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
ethically (click for a
description of information
literacy outcomes appropriate
for each class level)
Subject librarians are available
to assist you embed information
literacy into your course
Megan Stark will meet with the class to provide an
informational session about finding appropriate sources and the
proper use of sources in academic writing.
The Oral History Project will also require students to reflect on
the ethical use of sources. Although they will be working with
oral sources the same ethical issues are relevent as well as
other.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
Begin to use discipline-specific
writing conventions
Demonstrate appropriate
English language usage
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
All formal writing assignments and reaction papers will require
students to use appropriate writing conventions for history
(University of Chicago Manual of Style).
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
X Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Student papers will be graded by a rubric that takes into
consideration standard English usage, mechanics, and
argument. Additionally, students will receive brief lectures
on English usage, including discussions targeting the most
common errors and how to avoid them.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25
students.
If not, list maximum course
enrollment. Explain how
outcomes will be adequately
met for this number of students.
Justify the request for variance.
Which written assignments will
include revision in response to
instructor’s feedback?
Yes
The Historiography of Operation Enduring Freedom
paper.
VII. Writing Assignments:
Please describe course assignments. Students should be
required to individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the
course grade should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression,
quality, and accuracy of content are an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
“What is Missing?” Paper: a 3-5 page paper that
describes the process of producing history. In this paper,
students will choose an episode from Alexander’s
campaign in Bactria and Sogdiana described in one of the
ancient historians (Arrian, Quintus Curtius Rufus,
Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, etc) and explore the
limitations of the surviving historical accounts. Students
will focus on the questions that remain even after reading
ancient sources that overlap this episode. The paper will
require students to consider what types of sources would
be required to answer those questions remaining, and
posit whether such sources were likely to exist in
antiquity, and draw conclusions contrasting the interests
and aims of historians in antiquity and today.
The Historiography of Operation Enduring Freedom
Paper: Also during the course the Student Veterans Oral
History Project, students will be required to write a 5-7
page paper based on the experience of veterans in
Operation Enduring Freedom. Students will be required
to use the oral histories produced by the seminar as well
as other sources (e.g. University of Oregon Veterans’
Oral History Project, From Combat to Kentucky). In this
paper, students will be required to analyze the historical
value of the memories of participants in historical events,
how these memories compare to other traditional
historical sources, and how they contribute to the writing
of history. This paper will also address the variety of
documents (journalists “embedded in combat units”,
memoirs of high ranking military officers, documentaries,
etc.) which scholars will eventually call upon to write the
history of the events in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014.
In this paper, students will consider the theory behind oral
history, its advantages and disadvantages. More details to
follow.
Informal Ungraded
Assignments
Students will also be required to write six two-page
informal reaction papers over the course of the semester.
Topics will be assigned based on the readings and
discussion topics. Papers will be required to have a clear
thesis statement and argue a specific point relying on a
close reading of the text for support. Refer to the
Reaction Paper handout for a full schedule of topics, the
dates due, information on appropriate source citation, and
a rubric for grading. If discussion seems particularly
sluggish, I may ask for several volunteers to read their
responses to the reading as a starting point for our
discussion. Students may drop their lowest score.
Paste or attach a sample writing assignment. Include instructions / handouts provided to students.
Dates:
11/19
Abstract Due
11/24 First Draft Due
11/30-12/4
Individual meetings
12/10
Final Draft Due
This paper is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between history
and memory. The Student Veterans Oral History Project provides the opportunity to
witness the transformation of personal experiences into history. Such a transformation,
however, is mediated through memory. The relationship between history and memory
also works in the other direction: history becomes the means of creating cultural and
societal memories. Although we often strive for objectivity in establishing a historical
narrative, such a goal is challenged in a variety of ways.
For this assignment, students will write a 6-8 page paper analyzing the role of individual
memories in the construction historical narrative and the effect that history then has on
cultural (collective) memory. Students will be required to use the oral histories produced
in this seminar as well as other oral histories from projects such as those at the
Universities of Oregon and Kentucky, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Army
Heritage Center Foundation. The central element of the paper will address how these
particular accounts reflect the theory of Oral History as a supplement for traditional
historical sources (i.e. how the memories of individual participants contribute to our
understanding of the events). From here, however, the direction that the paper takes is
largely up to the author.
Students will develop an argument that considers Oral History in light of other types of
sources. Students may wish to consider the potential subjectivity of an individual
participant’s memory, the difference between oral history, memoir, autobiography. Firstperson accounts such as these may also be considered in light of first-hand witnesses to
events (embedded journalists), emphasizing the how sources may change depending on
whether recorded by a participant or a witness. Another possibility is to consider the
relationship between documentaries and oral histories (i.e. the juxtaposition of interviews
with scenes from the events), the ability of a filmaker or documentarian to alter audience
emotional reponse and interpretation of an event by manipulation of imagery, time, or
through the incorporation of music and sound. Alternatively, students may wish to
consider the relationship between time and memory. For example, does the immediacy
with which we are able to learn of events effect the historical interpretation of the events
(are “tweets” from the theater of war more, less, or equally reliable than/as later
reflections of events after the fact, whether a month, a year, or ten years)?
This paper will be written in a number of stages:
(1) Class “brain-storm”: The class will discuss the types of issues that are arising in
the course of recording the oral histories. We will have the opportunity to discuss
patterns that are developing, questions that have been considered successful and
unsuccessful, what constitutes a good or bad response or, more generally, a good
or bad interview. This will help serve as a starting point for the process of
developing the general argument of the assignment.
(2) Individual meetings with instructor: Students will meet one-on-one with the
instructor to discuss their thoughts about the range of sources available for
documenting history. The goal of these meetings is to begin to tease out the types
of issues that interest the student.
(3) Abstract: a 300-500 word description of the paper. Students should strive for a
preliminary thesis in the abstract. It is likely that the argument of the final paper
will be strikingly different from the thesis presented in the abstract. Students will
be expected to introduce some of the ideas about the sources used in writing
historical narrative and the use of oral histories. Additionally, students should
introduce some preliminary thoughts about the challenges and advantages of using
certain types of sources. The abstract is meant to be a “prose outline” of the full
paper.
(4) First Draft: a first complete draft will be workshopped in class. During the
workshop, students will complete a guided peer-editing assignment. The
comments from peers will be incorporated into the final draft. The instructor will
read and comment on this first draft. Students will then meet one-on-one with the
instructor to discuss the comments and strategies for revision. The discussion
during this meeting will focus on global issues such as organization, strength of
the argument, and support of the argument.
(5) Portfolio (Final Draft and Cover Letter): For the final submission, students will
be required to turn in a portfolio including all preliminary steps of the paper
(abstract, first draft marked by instructor and peer group, final draft). Students
will also write a cover letter (1-page) that reflects on the process of writing the
paper. Students are required to address the process of developing a thesis and
aspects of revision that brought the paper to its final form.
VIII. Assessment
I will participate in the University-wide Program-level Writing Assessment by
Yes
requiring students in this course to upload a sample paper to the designated Moodle
location. Please clearly communicate the requirement to your students and include
language on your syllabus (sample below).
This course requires an electronic submission of an assignment stripped of your personal
information to be used for educational research and assessment of the writing program. Your
paper will be stored in a database. A random selection of papers will be assessed by a group of
faculty using a rubric developed from the following writing learning outcomes.

Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or purpose






Formulate and express opinions and ideas in writing
Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
Revise written work based on constructive feedback
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions (largely style conventions like APA or
MLA)
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
The rubric score points are: (4) advanced, (3) proficient, (2) nearing proficiency, and (1) novices
This assessment in no way affects either your grade or your progression at the university.

IX. Syllabus:
Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
CLAS 191: Writing the Legends of Afghanistan: Then and Now
Instructor information
Instructor: Matthew Semanoff
Office: LA 425
Email: matthew.semanoff@umontana.edu
Phone: 243-5637
Office hours: MWF 2:00-3:00
Course information:
Time: 12:40-2:00 TTh
Place: LA 207
Course description:
Writing the Legends of Afghanistan is a case study of history as a construct of memory:
how events are remembered and re-imagined over time. Students will begin by studying
the Eastern Campaign of Alexander the Great. Through the examination of the history of
the first Western campaign in Afghanistan, students will examine the range of sources
and will be introduced to the rhetorical purposes and strategies used in compiling a
historical narrative from disparate and fragmentary sources. Students will then turn to the
recent history of US involvement in the region, considering the history of insurgencies
and withdrawal through the lens of the historians of Alexander. Putting to work what
they have learned about writing historical narratives, the participants of this seminar will
become the curators of sources that will contribute to the historical narrative of the first
decades of the 21st century. This seminar culminates in an oral history project, in which
students will be paired with student veterans to record the experiences and reflections of
participants in events that continue to shape our lives.
Learning Outcomes:
Learning Goals:
Upon completion of this class, a successful student will
1. become familiar with the major events of the campaign of Alexander the Great in
Afghanistan and Pakistan
2. begin to understand the limitations of ancient historical sources;
3. develop skills to overcome limitations of historical sources and to use even
imperfect sources to create a historical narrative;
4. evaluate texts or artifacts within their historical and/or cultural contexts;
5. synthesize ideas and information regarding Alexander’s campaign with a view to
understanding the causes and consequences of historical developments and events
in the region arising in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom
6. analyze human behavior, ideas, and institutions within their respective historical
and/or cultural contexts by considering the US involvement in Afghanistan from
2001-2014 in light of similar the political and military experiences during
Alexander’s 4th century BC campaign.
7. begin to develop an historical narrative of US involvment in Afghanistan based on
the first-hand experiences of veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Writing Outcomes:
Throughout the semester, students will develop their writing skills and practice
using writing as a vehicle for critical thinking. This course is an approved writing
course, and therefore upon completion of the course students should be able to:







Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
Formulate and express opinions and ideas in writing
Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or
purpose
Revise written work based on constructive feedback
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
Required textbooks:



Holt, Frank, Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan.
Berkeley: Univ. of California Pr, 2005.
Arrian. Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica. Trans. M.
Hammond. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Pr, 2013.
Quintus Curtius Rufus. The History of Alexander. Trans. J. Yardley. London:
Penguin, 2004.
Additional Readings will be available on Moodle.
Course Calendar: (H2)
Week 1: Introduction, Historical Overview
9/1
Tues
Introductory Material
9/3
Thurs
Ionian Revolt, Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis
The Behistun Inscription of Darius I
Readings from Herodotus' Histories: 1.1-6; 5.97-126; 6.101122; 7.1-145; 7.195-233.
Week 2
9/8 Tues
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7
The Aftermath of the Persian Wars
Aeschylus' Persians
9/10 Thurs Macedonian Background: Rise of Philip II and Panhellenism
Isocrates' Panegyricus
Overview of Alexander's Campaign in the East
9/15 Tues Alexander and Insurgencies in Central Asia
Holt pp. 1-65
Reaction Paper #1
9/17 Thurs Afghanistan and Pakistan: Geography and the People
Facilitated by Prof. Sarah Halvorson (Geography)
Holt pp. 66-124
Sources: Primary, Secondary, and Otherwise
9/22 Tues The Problems with the Alexander Histories
Holt, Appendix: Ancient Sources, pp 165-172
Worthington "The Sources" pp. 1-6
Bosworth, "Introduction: Some Basic Principles" in
Worthington, pp. 7-16.
9/24 Thurs Ancient Sources: The Road to Afghanistan
Arrian's Alexander: Alexander at Troy, the Gordian Knot,
Issus, and the Oracle of Ammon
Arrian Anabasis 1.11.5-12.1; 2.3-2.13; 3.1-3.19
Alexander in Afghanistan and Pakistan
9/29 Tues Insurgencies, Conspiracies, and "The Great Digression"
Arrian Anabasis 4.1-4.30
Reaction Paper #2
10/1 Thurs Conspiracies, Massacres, and Fusion
Quintus Curtius, Books 6-8
The Legend of Alexander
11 10/6 Tues Alexander's Ancestors: Dionysus and Heracles
Arrian Anabasis 5.1-5.29
10/8 Thurs The Alexander Romance
Selections from Pseudo-Callisthenes The Greek Alexander
Romance
10/13 Tues
Legends of Alexander
Selections from Iskandarnamah
Southgate, "Portrait of Alexander in Persian AlexanderRomances of the Islamic Era
Reaction Paper #3
10/15 Thurs Alexander the Great in the Qur'an
Boyle, "The Alexander Legend in Central Asia" Folklore etc
Week 8: Understanding Alexander's Historical Impact
10/20 Tues Worthington, "How 'Great' was Alexander?"
Distribute Take Home Examination
Alexander the Great Today: In the Interests of Historical
10/22 Thurs Accuracy?
Week 9: Beginning of Oral History Module
10/27 Tues Example of Military Oral Histories
Interview of Lt. Gen. David W. Barno in Koontz, pp. 13-93
Interview of Maj. Gen. Peter Gilchrist of British Army in
Koontz, pp. 96-118.
Interview of Maj. Gen Eric T. Olson in Koontz, pp. 243-267.
Interview of Col. Terry L. Sellers in Koontz, pp. 366-399.
Take Home Examination Due
10/29 Thurs Introduction to Oral History
A. Portelli. "What Makes Oral History Different" in Perks and
Thomson, pp 32-42
A. Nevins. "Oral History: How and Why it was Born." in
Dunaway and Baum, pp. 29-38.
L. Starr. "Oral History" in Dunaway and Baum, pp. 39-61.
Week 10: Oral History Methodology
Ethics in Social Research (facilitated by Prof. Christopher
11/3 Tues Muste, Political Science)
Babbie, "The Ethics and Politics of Social Research" The
Practice of Social Research
Yow, "Legalities and Ethics" in Recording Oral History: A
Guide for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Fry, "Reflections on Ethics" in Oral History: An
Interdisciplinary Anthology
The Interview: Asking Questions, Listening to Answers
11/5 Thurs (facilitated by Prof. Christopher Muste, Political Science)
Anderson and Jack "Learning to Listen: Interview Techniques
and Analyses" in The Oral History Reader
Slim and Thompson "Ways of Listening" in The Oral History
Reader
Borland, "'That's Not What I Said': Interpretative Conflict in
Oral Narrative Research" in the Oral History Reader
Week 11: Planning the Interview
11/10 Tues Developing Questions
Reaction Paper #5
11/12 Thurs Mock Oral History Interviews Assignment
Week 12
11/17 Tues Student Veterans Oral History Project
11/19 Thurs Student Veterans Oral History Project
Week 13
11/24 Tues Student Veterans Oral History Project
11/26 Thurs Thanksgiving
Week 14: Documentary vs Oral History
Memory and Image: Filmic History (Facilitated by Prof. Sean
12/1 Tues O'Brien, Film Studies)
Screening Restrepo (2010)
Reaction Paper #6
Discussing Documentaries (Facilitated by Prof. Sean O'Brien,
12/3 Thurs Film Studies)
Readings from Baudrillard (TBA)
Week 15: The End Game, Withdrawing from Operation Enduring Freedom
12/8 Tues Afghanistan in Global Politics
Facilitated by Prof. Karen Adams, Political Science
12/10 Thurs
Presentation of Student Veterans Oral History Project
Required assignments and tests: (H2)
Student Veterans Oral History Project: From weeks 9-15, students will be building
towards recording (video and audio) the accounts of personal experiences of returning
veterans currently enrolled at the University of Montana. Seminar students will be
required to formulate interview questions, submit those questions for approval, complete
training on the use of human subjects for social research (as required by UM Institutional
Review Board), and conduct interviews. These oral histories will follow the Principles
and Best Practices established in 2009 by the Oral History Association (http://
http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices/). This project is also required
to comply with Veterans History Project sponsored by the American Folklife Center of
the Library of Congress, to which the accounts of UM Student Veterans produced by the
students of this seminar will be submitted and archived. The final project submitted will
be a video or audio recording of the interview, written transcription of the interview, the
informed consent form and release form signed by the veteran interviewed and
biographical data form for the veteran interviewed.
There will be a number of assignments leading up to the completion of the Student
Veterans Oral History Project:
1. Reading Section 6 on Human Participation in Research from the UM Institutional
Review Board Online Research Ethics Course and successful completion of the
Section Assessment
(http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/montana_round1/human.html).
2. Submit interview questions for approval for use prior to interview (as required by
the IRB).
3. “What is Missing?” Paper: a 3-5 page paper that describes the process of
producing history. In this paper, students will choose an episode from
Alexander’s campaign in Bactria and Sogdiana described in one of the ancient
historians (Arrian, Quintus Curtius Rufus, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, etc) and
explore the limitations of the surviving historical accounts. Students will focus on
the questions that remain even after reading ancient sources that overlap this
episode. The paper will require students to consider what types of sources would
be required to answer those questions remaining, and posit whether such sources
were likely to exist in antiquity, and draw conclusions contrasting the interests
and aims of historians in antiquity and today.
4. Practice Oral History Project: Students will demonstrate understanding of the
process and requirements for ethical collection of Oral History, as well as
demonstrate facility for the use of recording equipment by working in groups to
record a fictional oral history based on a participant from Alexander’s campaign.
Groups will be assigned an identity, research and study any surviving references
to that person, and create a persona based on the historical sources. The groups
will be required to go through the complete process of conducting an interview
(explain the informed consent form, review the interview questions, record a 10
minute interview, explain the legal release document, and produce a recording
that meets the standards of the LOC Veterans History Project. Personae will
include major figures in the Alexander histories (Callisthenes, Cleitus, Bessus,
Spitamenes, Rhoxane). But many of these personae are described only from
Alexander’s perspective. Also groups may be assigned a generic persona
(participant in a particular battle, a Bactrian involved in the resistance
movements, etc.). It is likely that groups will be required to elaborate on the
existing ancient sources and fill in the gaps of what we know. This assignment
will be assessed based on (1) technical skills required for conducting oral
histories, (2) accuracy of the representation of the ancient sources, and (3)
creativity/empathy of interpretation of ancient events.
The Historiography of Operation Enduring Freedom Paper: Also during the course
the Student Veterans Oral History Project, students will be required to write a 6-8 page
paper based on the experience of veterans in Operation Enduring Freedom. Students will
be required to use the oral histories produced by the seminar as well as other sources (e.g.
University of Oregon Veterans’ Oral History Project, From Combat to Kentucky). In this
paper, students will be required to analyze the historical value of the memories of
participants in historical events, how these memories compare to other traditional
historical sources, and how they contribute to the writing of history. This paper will also
address the variety of documents (journalists “embedded in combat units”, memoirs of
high ranking military officers, documentaries, etc.) which scholars will eventually call
upon to write the history of the events in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. In this paper,
students will consider the theory behind oral history, its advantages and disadvantages.
More details to follow.
Reaction Papers: Students will also be required to write six two-page informal reaction
papers over the course of the semester. Topics will be assigned based on the readings
and discussion topics. Papers will be required to have a clear thesis statement and argue
a specific point relying on a close reading of the text for support. Refer to the Reaction
Paper handout for a full schedule of topics, the dates due, information on appropriate
source citation, and a rubric for grading. If discussion seems particularly sluggish, I may
ask for several volunteers to read their responses to the reading as a starting point for our
discussion. Students may drop their lowest score.
Examinations: Students will take two essay examinations (a midterm and a final
exam). These will be take home examinations. Students will be expected to make full
use of the primary sources studied to develop clear and concise responses.
Course guidelines and policies:
Grading policy
Students’ grades will be determined by the following breakdown:
 Participation: 5%
 Examinations: 10%
 Reaction Papers: 15%
 “What is Missing?” Paper: 15%
 Historiography of Operation Enduring Freedom: 25%
 Student Veterans Oral History Project: 30%
Expectations
In addition to these written assignments, students are expected not only to attend but also
to participate actively in class discussion. Repeated absences or tardiness will affect
your grade. I expect you to make every effort to attend class. If you are unable to do so,
please contact me; you are responsible for making any necessary arrangements for what
you missed in class. Late papers will be penalized by one grade per day, unless prior
arrangements have been made.
Please note that repeated tardiness and absence will have a detrimental effect on your
participation grade. Text-messaging, phone calls, or any other indications that you are
distracted, distracting, or otherwise not participating will also affect your grade. Please
not that digital interruptions disturb not only your ability to attend but your classmates
and professor as well.
There will be a Moodle Course Supplement for this class. I will use this to make periodic
announcements, to post copies of handouts and assignments, and to make various
electronic resources available. Through this course supplement, students will also access
a majority of the readings for the class. Please note that I will also use Moodle to send
email. The Moodle system requires the use of your university student email account; if
you prefer to use a different account, you must set the university account to forward.
Even if you do not login to the Moodle Supplement, you are expected to check you email
regularly.
Although classical authors had different attitudes regarding what constitutes plagiarism,
you are expected to use contemporary standards for citing sources. Whenever you make
reference to any idea that is not considered common knowledge – whether in a direct
quotation or paraphrase – you must cite your source according to the Univeristy of
Chicago Manual of Style. If you have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism,
please ask.
Disability modifications
The University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through collaboration
between students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability Services for Students. If you
think you may have a disability adversely affecting your academic performance, and you
have not already registered with Disability Services, please contact Disability Services in
Lommasson Center 154 or call 406.243.2243. I will work with you and Disability
Services to provide an appropriate modification.
Student Conduct Code
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an
academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the
University. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is
available for review online at http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php.