Heartland Community College
Humanities & Fine Arts
Course Syllabus for Students Spring 2011
Course Prefix and Number: HUMA 101-06
Course Title: Introduction to Humanities
Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3 Laboratory Hours: 0
Days, Meeting Time, and Room: MW, 3:30-4:45 PM, Room ICB 1706
Catalog Description:
Prerequisite: None
An introduction to major art forms, including music, literature, theater, film, painting, sculpture, and
architecture. Each of these arts will be considered by examining the constituent elements and formal
qualities that are characteristic of the art form, as well as by studying their relationships to one another
and to the societies from which they developed.
Instructor Information:
Instructor name: Melanie Scott-Dockery
Phone Number to contact instructor: N/A
Instructor e-mail address: Melanie.Scott-Dockery@heartland.edu
Location of Instructor's Office: N/A
Instructor Office Hours: by appointment or email
*Please note: If you need to schedule a meeting contact me by email or talk to me in class. We will
schedule a time and place. I will usually have some free time directly after class if you need to talk
then. Thank you.
Textbook:
Martin, David F. and Lee Jacobus. The Humanities Through the Arts 8th ed., New York, NY: McGraw
Hill, 2010.
Book’s Website: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073376639/student_view0/index.html
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transferability:
HUMA 101 fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required for the A.A. or
A.S. degree. It may be used to satisfy either the Humanities or the Fine Arts component of this
requirement. HUMA 101 should transfer to other Illinois colleges and universities as the equivalent of
the General Education Core Curriculum course HF 900, described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative.
However, students should consult an academic advisor for transfer information regarding particular
institutions. Refer to the IAI web page for information as well at www.itransfer.org.
Student Learning:
Learning is not an easy task, and it cannot be done passively. Learning is an activity that takes time
and patience. As a student you must be prepared for in class and out-of-class work by completing
reading assignments and homework on time. Come to class ready to discuss topics and prepared to
take notes. Always bring a writing instrument and paper. Keep this syllabus on hand. I will refer to it
when giving more details about assignments. Plan on spending approximately six hours per week
outside of class to prepare and complete work for this course. Learn not only from the instructor, but
also, from one another. Discussion is an important part of this class so be willing to share your
thoughts and opinions. To fully understand a work of art multiple points of view must be considered,
including yours. Your active participation will make this class enriching for yourself and your
classmates.
Instructor’s Role:
First of all, know that if you have any questions about the class or problems with assignments contact
me. This includes difficulty understanding the material as well as tackling the workload. The best way
is through email. I check messages almost every weekday. If you contact me with a problem I will
respond as soon as possible so that we can resolve any issue. I am here to challenge and assist you in
learning art theory. To fully challenge you, I will sometimes challenge your assumptions about art, and
to assist you I will honestly evaluate your performance. Remember the purpose of this class is to study
the humanities through art.
Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
Through study during this course, you should learn to:
1. Identify the works of art that are considered to represent the greatest achievements of various
cultures and civilizations and that have defined these civilizations' cultural traditions (D2).
2. Articulate and communicate major ideas that have informed the principal intellectual and
aesthetic movements within the history of the arts (C1, P7).
3. Be able to recognize various periods, mediums, and subjects in all the art forms.
4. Identify the principal artists, writers, philosophers, and other intellectuals who have made major
contributions to the arts (D5).
5. Compare non-Western cultural and artistic values to those of the West, recognizing nonWestern adaptations to and influences on Western culture and aesthetics (D3).
6. Articulate both in speech and in writing those personal thoughts and observations that have
come about due to class assignments and discussions (C4, C7).
7. Demonstrate awareness, tolerance, and appreciation of the extent and impact of cultural
diversity in our society as reflected in the arts (D1).
8. Interact with other individuals and in groups to come to a consensus about an aesthetic problem
and to solve it (P7).
9. Identify appropriate topics for scholarly research in the arts and humanities, utilize standard
bibliographic and other research tools, select suitable sources and methodology, and write
papers presenting the results of their research while observing the conventions of scholarly
discourse (C6).
Course Outline:
1. The Humanities: An Introduction
2. What is a Work of Art?
3. Being a Critic of the Arts
4. Painting
5. Sculpture
6. Architecture
7. Literature
8. Drama
9. Music
10. Dance
11.
12.
13.
14.
The Film
Photography
Almost-Art
The Humanities: Their Interrelationships
Method of Instruction:
Instruction will take the form of class discussions and projects, demonstrations, fieldtrips, individual
and small-group projects, and lectures.
Blackboard Supplement:
You will find a copy of the syllabus, assignment dropboxes for papers, and grades recorded in
Blackboard. However, please send messages to me through email rather than the Blackboard message
system. I will check email messages on a regular basis, but not Blackboard messages.
Course Policies:
Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Student assessment will be based on the scores of writing assignments, quizzes, objective tests,
components of a research project, and additional reading/study questions.
25% (200 points)
4 Objective Tests
25% (200 points)
1 Final Exam
25% (200 points)
4Two-page papers
25% (200 points)
Other classroom assignments
Total = 800 points
Grading Scale:
90 to 100% = A (716-800 points)
80 to 89% = B (636-715 points)
70 to 79% = C (556-635 points)
60 to 69% = D (476-555 points)
Below 60% = F (475 points and below)
Specifications for Written and Other Assignments:
 Use MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting. Refer to OWL at Purdue for guidance
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/), pick up a guide at the HCC library, or contact a representative
of HCC’s Writing Center. Please ask if you have any questions.
 Please let your reader (usually me) know from where you retrieve information. If you cite
quotes or ideas from any sources, include a works cited page.
 To save paper when possible please submit your two-page papers through Blackboard. We will
go over how to use the assignment dropbox in class.
 Grammatical errors and misspellings will affect grades so use spellcheck and proofread.
 Do not use websites for reference unless the site is created by a professional in the field of art or
humanities, for example, a museum. Use sources that will give you accurate and good
information. The HCC library has a great handout on evaluating sources.
 Please punctuate titles of artworks. Sometimes this calls for italics and sometimes apostrophes.
 Do not use Wikipedia as a source. You can use it as a reference to get started, but you cannot
trust the information on Wikipedia because it is user driven. That means those creating the
content are not always experts in the field of art. Here is a web address to a brief article about

Wikipedia and academia from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131018359
You will receive detailed instructions as the due dates of these papers approach
Incompletes Policy:
Please keep up with the work. If you are struggling or foresee a complication in completing this course
contact me as soon as possible. It is best to avoid an incomplete. In the event of an emergency, I will
assess whether or not an incomplete would be helpful to a student in their education endeavors.
Deadlines and Make-up Work:
If you have been a diligent student in class, but a problem arises due to illness or other unforeseen
circumstances I reserve the right to negotiate deadlines and make-up assignments with you. This does
not guarantee that I will accept make-up work or late assignments. Medical verification or other proof
of your need to be absent or have a deadline extended will assist in negotiation of missed or late
assignments.
Extra Credit:
Depending on class progress, I may offer the class an opportunity to earn extra points. I will announce
this to the entire class when appropriate.
W at Midterm:
I reserve the right to withdraw any student not progressing towards completion of the class when
midterm grades are recorded. If you have questions about this please ask.
Required Writing and Reading:
Students will write one long paper (12-15 pages or equivalent in shorter papers) presenting the results
of students’ independent library research.
Students will engage in extensive readings from both the required text and from other sources relevant
to the arts and the humanities.
Student Conduct:
Please display courteous behavior while in class. Do not make noise or talk while someone else is
addressing the class. Put your cell phone and/or other electronic devices away when class begins. If
you arrive late or must leave early do it without disrupting the class. Please refer to the Democratic
Ethic description in the Course Guide and the College policies in the Heartland Community College
Catalog.
Notice of Cancelled Class Sessions:
Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed under Cancelled Class Meetings in the A-Z
Index and under Academic Information in the Current Students page on the HCC Web site. Go to
http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what classes have been cancelled for that day and
the upcoming week. Be sure to check the last column, which might contain a message from the
instructor. Also, logging on to myheartland displays cancelled class information.
Additional Information about Heartland Community College:
Disability Support Services
Heartland Community College offers Disability Support Services (DSS) with offices
located in the Academic Support Center. DSS ensures that students with disabilities have
equal access to the college’s programs, services and activities through the provision of
reasonable accommodations as outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the
Americans with Disabilities Act. DSS offers a wide range of services to support students
with disabilities, including: assistive technology, document conversion services,
personnel, classroom and testing accommodations. Students with a documented disability
who wish to discuss academic accommodations can contact disability support services at
(309)268-8259.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College
and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because
grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of
their fellow students. The College, therefore, views any act of academic dishonest as a serious
offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course failure, suspension, and even expulsion
from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen effects far
beyond any officially imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or suborning
cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, falsification
of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to computerized academic or
administrative records or systems. Definitions of these violations may be found in the college
catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper,
create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work,
except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is
considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:
• Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
• Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
• Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
• Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
• Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it
were your own.
• Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it
were your own.
[Adapted from the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Plagiarism, Specifics for HUMA 101-05 Spring 2011:
Most cases of plagiarism arise from carelessness or haste. Violators often attempt to excuse themselves
by saying that they were not told of the nature of plagiarism. You have been told. You must not include
either the phrases or ideas of another in your papers without acknowledgment. Please inform your
reader from where the information you are using comes. Don’t be daunted by citing sources which are
not books. You can cite everything – including pamphlets, maps, cereal boxes, telephone
conversations, movies, television shows, interviews, and world-wide web sites. If I discover a case of
plagiarism in this class I will take into account the nature of offense. The student may be asked to redo
an assignment, may fail that assignment, or may fail the class depending on the severity of the offense.
Take your time and when in doubt cite your source and you will be okay.
On-Line Course Evaluations
On-line course evaluations are completed by selecting the link in your myHeartland account.
Philosophy of Grades
The Heartland Community College grading philosophy grows out of our vision of
educational excellence. This common philosophy provides a framework for each
academic division and instructor as they establish their own individual course grading
system, evaluation methods, and course policies using the shared general rubrics for letter
grades given below.
Letter grades serve as a vehicle to promote meaningful evaluation of student
achievement, to inform students of academic progress, and, as necessary, to improve
student performance, habits, and practices. Using a letter grade as a prerequisite for
subsequent courses means we believe that the grade was assigned through a conscious
judgment about a student’s readiness to proceed to more advanced study.
At Heartland, students’ academic achievement is measured by their mastery of course
objectives and content. We challenge students to meet these recognized standards of
achievement and we assign grades based on their success in doing so. Simply stated, we
believe that the responsibility for academic achievement rests with the student and that
holding students responsible for their learning promotes their academic growth.
Letter Grade Rubrics
“A” This grade represents consistently outstanding performance that demonstrates
superior understanding and skillful use of important course concepts. Performance at this
level signifies that the student is extremely well prepared to continue with more advanced
study of the subject.
“B” This grade represents performance significantly beyond the level necessary to
achieve the course objectives. Work is of high quality but not consistently at an
outstanding level. Performance at this level signifies that the student is well prepared to
continue with more advanced study of the subject.
“C” This grade represents an acceptable achievement of the course objectives.
Performance at this level signifies that the student is reasonably well prepared to continue
with more advanced study of the subject.
“D” This grade represents less than adequate performance. It signifies questionable
readiness to proceed with more advanced study of the subject.
“F” This grade reflects unacceptable performance. The student is not yet ready to
proceed with more advanced study of the subject, and must repeat the course successfully
to receive credit.
Syllabi disclaimer:
If the need arises, because of College closings; severe weather; class progress, or other unforeseen
circumstances changes may be made to this syllabus and/or course calendar. The class will be notified
of changes at the earliest possible time.
Course Calendar:
Date
Reading and Assignments to do
Before Class
1/10
1/12
1/17
1/19
Chapter 1
Before and After: Reflections on
Guernica
MLK Day no Class
Work Done in Class
Review Syllabus in Class
Do Ice Breaker
Review Ch. 1 and Discuss Homework
Look for “Pledge of Service” Cards at HCC
Review Ch. 2 and Discuss Homework
1/24
Chapter 2
Comic Strip Alterations
Chapter 3
1/26
1/31
2/2
2/7
2/9
2/14
2/16
2/21
2/23
Write a Critique Outline
Chapter 14
Study for Test #1
Chapter 15
Connections and References
Chapter 16
Values Revealed
Chapter 13: Photography
Prepare for Fieldtrip
2/28
ISU Gallery Review Due
Chapter 4: Painting
Study for Test #2
Spring Break Week
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 14
Test #1 (Ch. 1-3 & 14)
Review Ch. 15
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 16
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 13
ISU Galleries Tour
(Write Gallery Review: Due Feb. 28)
Review Ch. 4
3/2
3/7
&3/9
3/14
3/16
3/21
3/23
3/28
3/30
4/4
4/6
4/11
4/13
4/18
4/20
4/25
Chapter 5: Sculpture
Discover a Public Sculpture
Native Dancers
Public Art Written Response Due
Chapter 11: Film
Education and Entertainment
Chapter 7: Literature
Howl Review Due
Chapter 8: Drama
Study for Test#3
Chapter 9: Music
What does it Mean?
Chapter 10: Dance
Movement and Communication
Chapter 6: Architecture
Review Ch. 3 and Practice Critiques
Test #2 (Ch. 15, 16, 13, 4)
Enjoy
Review Ch. 5 and Start Discussing Public
Art
Public Art: How to Choose a Work
(Written Response: Due March 21)
Review Ch. 11
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 7 and Start Howl
Finish Howl and Write Review Due April 4
Discuss Ch. 8
Test #3 (Ch. 5, 11, 7, 8)
Review Ch. 9
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 10
Discuss Homework
Review Ch. 6
4/27
Prepare for Fieldtrip
5/2
M of H Gallery Review Due
Chapter 12: TV and Video Art
Study for Test
Study for Final Exam
5/4
5/11
Museum of History Visit & Tour Quiz
(Write Gallery Review: Due May 2)
Review Ch. 12
Test #4 (Ch. 9, 10, 6, 12)
Final Exam (Comprehensive) 2:00-3:50pm
Important Dates for Spring 2011:
Jan 10 ................. Classes Begin for 16-Week Session
Jan 17 ................. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (College Closed)
Jan 24 ................. Final Day to Drop with Refund for 16-Week Session
Mar 7-12 .............. Spring Break
Mar 14 ................. Midterm Grade Rosters due by Midnight for 16Apr 7 ................... Final Day to Withdraw for 16-Week Session
May 4 .................. Classes End for 16-Week Session
May 6-12 ............. Final Exam Week for 16-Week Session
May 13 ................ Commencement
May 17 ................ Final Grade Rosters due by Midnight for 16-Week Session