COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY
SPRING 2014
Dr. R. Stephen Krebbs
PHIL 4330-001 PHIL 5320.001 Tuesday 6-8:45
Office Bus. 245, Ph. 566-7456 (voice mail); email: skrebbs@uttyler.edu (most efficient)
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9:00-9:30; Tuesday 4:45-5:45 or by appointment.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through readings, discussions, & research students will:
 learn to read, speak, and write clearly, effectively and critically about the questions raised;
 learn the difference between the disciplines making up the study of philosophy
 acquire a historical sense of Western philosophy;
 learn the issues and practices inherent in the world’s major religions, as well as their
critical differences
Course Books:
Huston Smith's The World's Religions,
The Bhagavad Gita,-- translator Swami Prabhavananda
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/rel/tao/TaoTeChing.html#1
Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, trans. Hilda Rosner
Final Grade: I determine this according to:
--4 of 5 exams = 40%,
--a guided book report = 10%,
--plagiarism statement, class attendance, preparation, and informed participation = 10%.
--and a research paper = 40%, The research paper (using MLA writing format) will be 10 pages in
length, typed, double-spaced plus 2 pages of critical comments. Minimum overall length will be 12 pages
for undergraduates (20 plus 3 pages for graduate students)., (23 pages for graduate students).
Topics are chosen by student's choice though it must focus on a religion or religious issue and the topic
must be approved by instructor. The approval requires writing a 250 abstract due
(I will provide a more detailed writing guide instruction sheet later in the semester).
Important Dates to Remember
(Exam dates and content may change as necessary)
January 14th—First day of Class-Introductions
January 19th—Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty statement due:
email me at skrebbs@uttyler.eduthe following statement:
I realize that plagiarism or academic dishonesty in any form will
result in a semester grade of “F” for this class.
January 28th—Siddhartha Guided book report due
February 4th—1st Exam over Hinduism
February 11th—Abstract for research paper project due
February 18th—2nd Exam over Buddhism
March 4th—3rd Exam over Confucianism and Taoism
March 8-17th—Spring Break
March 26th—Last day to drop
th
th
April 15 —4 Exam over Judaism and Chrisitianity
May 6th—5th Exam over Islam
Further Reminders
Students Rights and Responsibilities
To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at
UT Tyler, please follow this link:
http://www.uttyler.edu/wellness/StudentRightsandResponsibilities.html
Cell phones and pagers: All cell phones and pagers must be turned off at the beginning of
class. If messages are so important, leave the class. Texting in class is simply rude.
Attendance and Make-up Policy
Attendance is required for this course and non-attendance will cause a semester grade
reduction. No exam make-ups are allowed; one exam missed will count as the lowest grade
dropped. All written assignments (for example, book reports, abstracts and/or research papers)
are due on the date assigned. Late papers will not be excused without serious justification.
Broken printers or computers do not count as serious justification. Students need to back up all
written data.
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to receive
grade forgiveness with the registrar by the 12th day of class. Failure to do so will result in both
the original and repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average.
Undergraduates will receive grade forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three course
repeats; graduates, for two course repeats during his/her career at UT Tyler.
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy
Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from
dropping more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses
dropped at another 2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this
rule, a dropped course is any course that is dropped after the 12th day of class (January 26th).
Exceptions to the 6-drop rule include, but are not limited to, the following: totally withdrawing
from the university; being administratively dropped from a course; dropping a course for a
personal emergency; dropping a course for documented change of work schedule; or dropping
a course for active duty service with the U.S. armed forces or Texas National Guard.
Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to the Registrar's Office and must be accompanied
by documentation of the extenuating circumstance. Please contact the Registrar's Office if you
have any questions.
Disability Services
In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodation must provide
documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. If you have a
disability, including a learning disability, for which you request an accommodation, please
contact Cindy Lowery Staples in the Disability Support Services office in UC 3150, or call (903)
566-7079.
Student Absence due to Religious Observance
Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to
inform the instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities
If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event
sponsor) must notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence.
At that time the instructor will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be
completed.
Social Security and FERPA Statement:
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social
security numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students
have an identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks
violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted
electronically.
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