BLINN COLLEGE • BRYAN • HUMANITIES • PHILOSOPHY - PHIL
INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC PHIL-2303

Summer I 2015

Section SECTION_301 CRN-30135

3 Credits

06/04/2015 to 07/02/2015

Modified 06/02/2015
Meeting Times
Lecture
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 12:10 PM to 2:05 PM, G 241
Contact Information
Professor: Mr. Samuel Pry
Email: spry@blinn.edu
Office: A 245
Phone: (979) 209-7381
Website: http://www.blinn.edu/brazos/humanities/spry/index.htm
Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 2:15 PM to 3:15 PM, A 245
Description
3 lecture hours per week; 48 total contact hours. Credit: 3 semester hours
The purpose of the course is to introduce the student to symbolic logic, including syllogisms,
propositional and predicate logic, and logical proofs in a system of rules.
Requisites
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
ASSESSMENT
Both direct and indirect measures are used to measure success in the course, including a post-test
(course inventory) and test essays graded according to department grading criteria.
Core Curriculum Statement
This course is not a core curriculum course.
Outcomes
Students who succeed in this course will:
Determine the logical structure of English arguments by identifying premises and conclusions.
Understand basic concepts in logic, such as truth functionality, validity, soundness, counterexamples, tautology, self-contradiction, logical equivalence, logical contradictoriness, and logical
consistence.
Translate English statements into propositional and/or predicate notation.
Determine the validity of symbolic propositional or predicate arguments using such methods as
direct/indirect truth tables, natural deduction, and/or the finite universe method.
Materials
Patrick J. Hurley. A Concise Introduction to Logic: Custom Edition for Blinn College. 12th ed.
Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2015.
Course Requirements
Major Assignments
A minimum of four major assignments including a comprehensive final examination. The grade on a
course inventory (post-test) will count as part of the final exam grade; ratio will be determined by
individual instructor.
Minor Assignments
Class participation and minor assignments will count for at least ten percent of the course grade.
Online Course Integrity
Humanities Division online instructors implement a variety of strategies to ensure scholastic integrity,
including but not limited to: Turnitin originality checks, timed testing, Respondus browser lockdown,
randomized test questions, ProctorU, webcam, Tegrity test capture, and/or completing coursework
at approved testing centers. Individual instructors will provide more information.
Contact Hour Requirement
In compliance with ACGM and THECB rulings:
Face-to-face courses require a minimum of 48 contact hours per semester or three contact hours
per week.
Blended courses require 51% (about 25) of those 48 hours to be face-to face and 49% (about 23)
to be online hours.
The number and type of contact hours per week are stated on the course reading and assignment
schedule below. In addition to in-class hours, all faculty hold five to ten office hours per week for
individual consultations.
Evaluation
Major Tests
There will be four (4) major tests. Each of the tests is worth a maximum of 100 points toward your
final point total. The three highest tests will count at their full face value toward your final point
total. Points earned on the lowest test will be treated as extra credit points counting toward your
final point total at one-tenth their face value. Treating the tests thus, given the way the final course
grade schedule is set up, essentially lets you drop your lowest test grade. The formats for the tests
may vary. Some of the tests may be “objective,” i.e. multiple choice; others may be “subjective,” i.e.
the working out of logic problems, or a combination of both formats. All tests will be closed book
tests. Students will be permitted to use only the official note sheets provided by the instructor. If a
student receives a zero on a test because of Scholastic Dishonesty, that test may NOT count
as that student’s lowest test grade.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will be comprehensive. Three fourths of the points on the Final Exam will be
taken from the last unit, while only one fourth of the points will be taken from units one through
four. The Final Exam will be worth a total of 100 points. The Final Exam will be a closed book
test. Students will be permitted to use only the official note sheets provided by the instructor. The
Final Exam may NOT count as a student’s lowest test grade.
Homework
At the end of each class period I shall assign homework. The homework will consist in doing part or
all of the exercises given in the text at the end of the section covered during that day’s class
period. At the beginning of the next class period I might or might not collect the homework assigned
the previous class meeting. Homework will be collected ten (10) times during the semester. Each
collected homework assignment will be worth a maximum of 25 points.
Only the top eight homeworks will count toward your final point total at full face value. Points
earned on the lowest two homeworks will be treated as extra credit points counting toward your
final point total at half their face value. Treating the homework thus, given the way the final course
grade schedule is set up, essentially allows you to drop your two lowest homework grades.
Team Exercises
Students will be divided into teams of approximately four to five students; once the class roster is
finalized, permanent team assignments may be made. Teams will work on logic problems that will
build on the homework and class lecture and discussion. Team exercises are credited on a
participation basis, 10 points per exercise. There will ten team exercises worth a total of 100
points. Students who are present and participate in a given team exercise will receive full credit,
while students who miss the exercise receive no credit. Students who are present but not
contributing to the team’s work will not receive credit for the team exercise. Furthermore, team
exercise credit requires that the student be participating with the team and present until the end of
the class.
DETERMINING YOUR FINAL COURSE GRADE
If no extra credit points are earned, the maximum number of points a student can earn is 700. The
maximum number of points that can be earned from the three highest tests is 300 (100 points
each). The maximum number of points that can be earned from the Final is 100. The maximum
number of points that can be earned from the eight highest homeworks is 200 (25 points per
homework). The maximum number of points that can be earned from the team exercises is 100 (10
points per exercise). Any extra credit points earned will be added to those earned from the three
highest tests, the eight highest homeworks, and the team exercises.
Your final course grade will be determined by the total number of points you earn throughout the
semester according to the following schedule.
700 – 630 points — A
629 – 560 points — B
559 – 490 points — C
489 – 420 points — D
419 – 0 points — F
The above schedule is based upon the percentage scale. 630 is 90% of 700, 560 is 80% of 700,
and so forth.
EXAMPLE GRADE
Student John Doe has the following test/final exam scores 90 (Test 1), 80 (Test 2), 72 (Test 3), 89
(Test 4), and 90 (Final Exam). Doe’s homework scores are 20, 21, 20, 20, 16, 14, 20, 14, 18, and
20. Doe’s team exercise scores are 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, and 10. In order to determine
Doe’s final course grade we first add, his team exercise scores, his eight highest homework
scores, his three highest test scores, and his final exam score to one another. Doing this yields a
sum of 604.
We now take half of the points Doe earned on his two lowest homeworks, 14 points, and one
tenth of the points he earned on his lowest test, 7 points, and add them as extra credit points to the
points he earned on his six highest in class assignment scores, his eight highest homeworks, his
three highest tests, and his final exam. This gives us a sum of 625 as Doe’s Final Point Total, which
is technically a B.
If a student’s final point total is within five (5) points of the next letter, I reserve the right to
“bump” the student’s grade to the next letter. Whether or not I “bump” a grade depends on
such things as class participation and “effort.” Thus, if Doe had participated well in class
and displayed superior effort, I would be inclined to “bump” him to an A.
Criteria
Type
Major
Assignments
Weight Topic Notes
A minimum of 4 major assignments including a comprehensive final
80exam. The grade on a course inventory (post-test) will count as part
90%
of the final exam grade.
Minor
Assignments
1020%
Grading
System
Participation/Minor assignments.
A
90-100%
Excellent
B
80-89%
Good
C
70-79%
Average
D
60-69%
Poor
F
Below 60%
Failure
I
Incomplete
Q
Dropped
QF
Dropped Failing
W
Dropped For Good Cause or Withdrew from College
Blinn College Policies
Blinn College policies on civility, class attendance; scholastic integrity; students with disabilities; final
grade appeals; and electronic devices as stated in the Blinn College Faculty Handbook, Blinn
College Catalog and specific technical program handbooks. All policies, guidelines and procedures
in the Faculty Handbook, the Board Policy and Administrative Procedure Manuals are applicable to
this course.
Civility Statement
Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff and students, are expected to
act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members
accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to
behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect and demonstrates concern for the personal
dignity, rights, and freedoms of every member of the College community, including respect for
College property and the physical and intellectual property of others.
Civility Notification Statement. If a student is asked to leave the classroom because of uncivil
behavior, the student may not return to that class until the student arranges a conference with the
instructor; it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for this conference.
This statement reflects step one in a possible four step process. The Incivility Protocol is
detailed in the Blinn College Administrative Procedure Manual.
Attendance Policy
The College District believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore,
students are required to promptly and regularly attend all their classes. The faculty shall require
students to regularly attend class and shall keep a record of attendance from the first day of classes
and/or the first day the student’s name appears on the roster through final examinations. If a student
has one week’s worth of unexcused absences during the semester, he or she will be sent an e-mail
by the College District requiring the student to contact his or her instructor and schedule a
conference immediately to discuss his or her attendance issues. Should the student accumulate two
weeks’ worth of unexcused absences, he or she will be administratively withdrawn from class.
There are four forms of excused absences recognized by the institution:
1. observance of religious holy days—The student should notify his or her instructor(s) not later
than the 15th day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student will be
absent for any religious holy day(s);
2. representing the College District at an official institutional function-If a student is asked by the
College District to be an official representative of the College District at any function approved
by the institution, the student shall be excused from any classes missed and must be allowed
to complete all work without penalty for that absence(s) in a timely manner as directed by the
faculty member;
3. a high school student representing the independent school district at an official institutional
function- If a high school student is asked by the independent school district to be an official
representative of the school district at any function approved by the institution, the student
shall be excused from any class missed and must be allowed to complete all work without
penalty for the absence(s) in a timely manner as directed by the faculty member; and
4. military service- If a student can prove he or she is serving on active duty to which he or she
is called with the Armed Forces of the United States, the student shall be excused from
attending classes and allowed to complete an assignment or take and examination from
which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence.
Other absences may be excused at the discretion of the faculty member. A student enrolled in a
developmental course is subject to College District-mandated attendance policies. Failure to attend
developmental classes shall result in removal from the course as defined by the College
District. Board Policy FC (LOCAL)
It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop a class he or she is no longer attending. More
information on drop limits and withdrawing can be found in the Blinn College Catalog. The last day to
drop with a Q is according to the Academic Calendar.
Scholastic Integrity
Blinn College does not tolerate cheating, plagiarism, or any other act of dishonesty with regard to the
course in which you are enrolled. The following text defines the faculty member’s responsibility with
regard to the scholastic integrity expectation for this and all courses at Blinn College. In a case of
scholastic dishonesty, it is critical that written documentation be maintained at each level throughout
the process.
It is the responsibility of faculty members to maintain scholastic integrity at the College District by
refusing to tolerate any form of scholastic dishonesty. Adequate control of test materials, strict
supervision during testing, and other preventive measures should be utilized, as necessary, to
prevent cheating or plagiarism. If there is compelling evidence that a student is involved in cheating
or plagiarism, the instructor should assume responsibility and address the infraction. Likewise, any
student accused of scholastic dishonesty is entitled to due process to resolve the allegation as
outlined in Blinn College Board Policy FLDB (Local). The Scholastic Integrity Policy is located in
the Blinn College Catalog.
Students with Disabilities
Non-Discrimination Statement
Blinn College does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment
and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, or the operation of
any of its programs and activities, as specified by applicable federal laws and regulations. The
designated coordinator for Blinn College’s compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Amendment Act (ADAAA) is Patricia E. Moran, M.Ed., 902 College Avenue, Brenham, TX 77833,
(979) 830-4157. The College’s facilities are accessible to students and visitors with disabilities.
Designated parking spaces, ramps, handicapped restroom facilities, elevators, and assistance from
College employees are readily available on all campuses. The College’s faculty and staff work
closely with students with disabilities to meet their individual needs.
Services for Students with Documented Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities must self-identify and provide current, appropriate
documentation of the disability to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) prior to receiving services.
Students are encouraged to contact this office as early as possible to initiate services. Direct
services to students with disabilities are provided in the following areas:
• Assessment of needs and appropriate services
• Provision of classroom and testing accommodations
• Assistance in orientation and registration procedures
• Counseling on disability related issues
Information, education, referrals, and consultation about specific disabilities are available to
interested parties on request. For answers to specific questions or to request an information packet,
contact the Office of Disability Services on the specific campus you will be attending.
Bryan Campus: (979) 209-7251; Brenham, Sealy, Schulenburg Campuses: (979) 830-4157
Final Grade Appeal
If a student wishes to appeal a final grade in a course, Blinn College Board Policy FLDB (Local),
Course Grade Complaints, outlines the timeline and steps for appeal. This policy is located in
the Blinn College Catalog.
Electronic Devices
Cellular telephones and beepers/pagers must be disengaged while the student is in the Blinn
College Library or any classroom/lab, unless otherwise instructed. Any noncompliance with this
policy shall be addressed in accordance with the Blinn College Administrative Procedure ManualIncivility Protocol.
Adding / Dropping Courses
Adding: No courses may be added later than the official calendar add date. A student adding the
course must make up the work missed within two weeks after a course is added.
Dropping: Students may drop, or withdraw from, courses by notifying Admissions and Records in
person or in writing. The official drop date for a regular semester is the Friday of the 12th week of
that semester. A student who drops on or before the official drop date may receive a grade of W or
Q. A student who drops after the official drop date will receive a grade of QF. If the student’s work
was passing at the time of withdrawal, he or she may petition the instructor to file a grade change
from QF to Q. Students may not drop or be dropped from classes once the final examination period
begins.
Incomplete Grade: A grade of “I” may be given only in emergencies, such as the serious illness of
the student or a close family member. This grade is not for students who fall behind in their
work. To receive a grade of incomplete the student must have satisfactorily completed all but one or
two of the final requirements of the course. The instructor and student must agree on this grade
before it can be assigned, then a course completion contract must be signed by student, instructor,
and division chair. All work must be made up within 90 days of signing the course completion
contract, or zeroes will be assigned for the uncompleted work.
Textbook: The assigned textbooks are essential for your learning, especially in classes focusing
on the study of the written word. You must provide yourself with the books from the very beginning
of the semester. You are required to bring the textbook with you every day unless otherwise
notified. You may not share the textbook during class or use photocopied pages instead of the
book
Student e-mail accounts: Every Blinn College student is assigned an email account to facilitate
official College correspondence. Students need to check their Blinn accounts regularly for important
communications, including excessive absence reports and emergency announcements.
Course Policies
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES
Blinn College Attendance Policy Absences Policy
For the purposes of reporting for the Blinn College Attendance Policy only, ALL of a student’s
absences will be Unexcused, unless the student can provide the Instructor written, documented
proof that he/she was absent for one the following reasons:
1.) Observance of religious holy days. The student should notify his or her instructor(s)
not later than the fourth day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student
will be absent for any religious holy days.
2.)
Representing the College District at an official institutional function
3.) High school dual credit students representing their independent school district at an
official institutional function
4.)
Military service
5.)
Significant Personal Illness
6.)
Death, illness, or other significant problems in a student’s immediate family
It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to document and prove to the Instructor that an absence should
be excused. Documentation for excuses Nos. 1 – 4 must be provided before the class is
missed. Documentation for excuses Nos. 5 – 6 must be provided the first day the student
returns to class. The Instructor will NOT inquire of the student whether any absence should be
excused. If the student fails to document and prove to the instructor that an absence should be
excused, the absence will remain Unexcused and will be liable for reporting by the Instructor to the
Administration for the purposes of the Blinn College Attendance Policy. Whether a student has
sufficiently documented and proved that an absence should be excused is completely left to the sole
discretion of the Instructor.
Note: A student must inform his/her doctor’s office or clinic that his/her instructor might call to verify
a medical excuse. If the appointment cannot be verified, the excuse will not be accepted. Falsifying
such documents is prohibited under the Blinn College Discipline Code. Penalties for violating this
code can include measures such as suspension or permanent expulsion from the College. The
Registered Nurse in the Health Clinic S-163 is qualified to advise on health issues.
If a student comes to class late, it is his/her responsibility to inform me of this immediately after
the class is over to make sure he/she is counted as present for the class. Any student who leaves
class early, without the prior permission of the instructor, will be counted as absent for the class.
Late Homework Policy
Homework will NOT be accepted late, for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, even if the student did
not turn the homework in when it was collected in class because he/she was absent from class that
day and, for the purposes of the Blinn College Attendance Policy only, received an excuse for that
absence. In truly extraordinary circumstances, e.g. a student cannot turn in a homework because he
was in the hospital for several days, at his sole discretion, the Instructor may allow a modification to
this policy.
Missed Team Exercise Policy
NO ONE, FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, WILL BE PERMITTED TO “MAKE-UP” A MISSED
TEAM EXERCISE. If, for any reason whatsoever, a student does not do one of the team exercises
at the time it is done, the student will receive a ZERO for that exercise, even if the reason the team
exercise was not done was because the student was absent from class on the day the team
exercise was done and, for the purposes of the Blinn College Attendance Policy only, the absence
was excused.
Missed Major Test Policy
Before a student will be allowed to make up a missed Major Test, the student must provide written
documentation that one of the following excuses was operative AT THE TIME THE EXAM WAS
GIVEN:
1.) Observance of religious holy days. The student should notify his or her instructor(s) not
later than the 15th day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student will be
absent for any religious holy days.
2.)
Representing the College District at an official institutional function
3.) High school dual credit students representing their independent school district at an
official institutional function
4.)
Military service
5.)
Significant Personal Illness
6.)
Death, illness, or other significant problems in a student’s immediate family
Documentation for excuses Nos. 1 – 4 must be provided before the exam is
missed. Documentation for excuses Nos. 5 – 6 must be provided the first day the student
returns to class. ALL make-up exams will be given at one time and place during the week of June
29. The time and place of the make-up exams will be announced one week in advance. A student
MUST make-up up any exam for which he/she has an excuse at the time and place
announced. Students who have an excused absence for an exam must wait until the week of week
of June 29 to make the exam up. Students are responsible for seeing that they are prepared for a
make-up exam. The Instructor will NOT provide any special tutoring or other assistance for make-up
exams.
Note: A student must inform his/her doctor’s office or clinic that his/her instructor might call to verify
a medical excuse. If the appointment cannot be verified, the excuse will not be accepted. Falsifying
such documents is prohibited under the Blinn College Discipline Code. Penalties for violating this
code can include measures such as suspension or permanent expulsion from the College. The
Registered Nurse in the Health Clinic S-163 is qualified to advise on health issues.
It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to document and prove to the Instructor that his/her missing of a
major exam should be excused. If the student fails to document and prove to the Instructor that
his/her missing of a major exam should be excused, the student will NOT be allowed to make up the
exam. Whether a student has sufficiently documented and proved that his/her missing of a major
exam should be excused is completely left to the sole discretion of the Instructor.
Schedule
Dates
Week 1 Meeting Details
Contact in min
( 1 Hr 55 Min)
Thursday,
June 4,
2015
Sections 1.1 & 1.5
115
WKLY HRS
4.6
Friday,
June 5,
2015
Section 6.1
115
Dates
Week 2 Meeting Details
Contact in min
Monday,
June 8,
2015
Sections 6.2 & 6.3
115
Tuesday,
June 9,
2015
Section 6.4 & 6.5
115
Wednesday,
June 10,
2015
Major Test No. 1
115
Thursday,
June 11,
2015
Section 7.1
115
Friday,
June 12,
2015
Section 7.2
115
Dates
Week 3 Meeting Details
Contact in min
Monday,
June 15,
2015
Section 7.3
115
Tuesday,
June 16,
2015
Section 7.3
115
Wednesday,
June 17,
2015
Major Test No. 2
115
HRS
11.5
HRS
11.5
Thursday,
June 18,
2015
Section 7.4
115
Friday,
June 19,
2015
Section 7.4
115
Dates
Week 4 Meeting Details
Contact in min
Monday,
June 22,
2015
Section 7.5
115
Tuesday,
June 23,
2015
Section 7.6
115
Wednesday,
June 24,
2015
Major Test No. 3
115
Thursday,
June 25,
2015
Section 8.1
115
Friday,
June 26,
2015
Section 8.2 & 8.3
115
Dates
Week 5 Meeting Details
Contact in min
Monday,
June 29,
2015
Major Test No. 4
115
Tuesday,
June 30,
2015
Section 8.4
115
Wednesday,
July 1, 2015
Section 8.5
115
Dates
Final Exam
Contact in min
HRS
Thursday,
July 2, 2015
Final Exam -- Regular Class Time
NO early or late Finals are allowed
100
2.0
TOTAL CONTACT HOURS
Note: In the Carnegie Hour system 50
minutes = 1 contact hour.
HRS
11.5
HRS
6.9
48
Important Dates
June 4:
June 9:
Last day to register or add/change classes
Fourth Class Day — Last day to drop a class with no record
June 24:
LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A ‘Q’ — NO PENALTY Drops after
June 24 will be on a ‘QF’ basis.
July 2:
FINAL EXAMS
July 5:
Final Grades due by 5 PM