PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORLD SINCE 1800

Course description/objectives:

This introductory course on modern world history will survey the major social, political, economic, and intellectual developments that shaped our contemporary world during the past two centuries.  Among the key issues we study are political and social revolution, colonialism and empire building, patterns of agricultural and industrial development, the causes and consequences of global migration, and the struggles for self-determination, democracy, and equality that punctuated the history of the 1800s and 1900s.  Our geographic focus will be less on individual countries on more on broad global regions like the Americas, Sub-Sahara Africa, Europe, and South and East Asia. 

Perspectives on the World will introduce students to the common features and key distinctions of the cultures and modern histories of these major world civilizations.  The course is also designed to develop students’ skills of critical and comparative analysis, improve their writing proficiency, and enhance their capacity to organize and express their thoughts.  Students will sharped these skills through a variety of assignments: analyzing historical documents, writing short papers, engaging in classroom discussions, and preparing for quizzes and examinations. 

Required readings:

• Richard Bulliet, et.  al., The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History (2^nd Ed.)  

• A. Andrea and J. Overfield, The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Vol. II: Since 1500  

• Elie Wiesel, Night  

This syllabus, the course schedule, class announcements, weekly lecture outlines, study questions, assignments, and grades will be posted to Oncourse (https://oncourse.iupui.edu/).  Students unfamiliar with Oncourse may find a “Getting Help” guide at the website or come to the professor for assistance.

Course requirements and grading (based upon 1,000 total points):

Final grades will be determined by student performance on two exams (250´2, or 50%), two book reviews (150´2, or 30%), quizzes on reading assignments (100, or l0%), and class participation (100, or l0%).  Graduate students enrolled in H521 will write an 8-10 page historiography essay in lieu of the second examination.

Regular attendance is required and will be recorded.  Students who miss more than 3 classes without prior notification and without valid and documented excuses will be penalized as follows: 10 points will be subtracted from semester point total for each absence in excess of three. 

Final grade scores: A (1,000-930),  A- (929-900), B+ (899-880), B (879-830), B- (829-800), C+ (799-780), C (779-730), C- (729-700), D (699-600), F (599 or less).

Remember...

* Persistent absenteeism results in lower class participation grades, inferior quiz results, and poor test preparation.  Students must make prior arrangements with the professor if extraordinary circumstances cause them to miss one of the two exams.  In-class quizzes may not be made up under any circumstances.

* It is expected that all students will 1) read,  2) think critically about, and 3) arrive to class prepared to discuss and be quizzed upon assigned readings.  Preparation is the key to effective participation.  Students must not only read the assigned material.  They must do so actively by   a) taking notes and b) preparing comments, critiques, or questions that the readings provoke.  Passively outlining the text is not an effective means of critical reading and thought. 

* All late assignments will be penalized as follows: 1/3 grade for assignments not turned in on due date (B to B-), one full grade for first week late (B to C), two full grades thereafter (B to D).

* Students who do not complete the two book reviews and two exams will not pass. 

* University policy states that incomplete grades may be taken only by students who have completed 75% of course requirements. 

* Plagiarism and cheating will be punished in accordance with university policy, as outlined in the Indiana University Academic Handbook (p.123) and the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002 (p.36).  Following is the School of Liberal Arts official statement on plagiarism:

“Plagiarism is the use of the work of others without properly crediting the actual source of the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, entire articles, music or pictures.  Using other students’ work (with or without their permission) is still plagiarism if you don’t indicate who initially did the work.  Plagiarism, a form of cheating, is a serious offense and will be severely punished.  When an instructor suspects plagiarism, he/she will inform the student of the charge; the student has the right to respond to the allegations.  Students whose work appears to be plagiarized may be asked to produce earlier drafts of work or all the books/articles used in a paper or speech.  Students should, for this reason and as a protection in cases of lost papers, retain rough drafts, notes, computer files and other work products for three weeks after the end of each semester.  The penalties for plagiarism include reprimands, being failed for a particular take-home exam, paper, project or the entire course, disciplinary probation, or dismissal.  Faculty, after consulting with their chair and/or the School of Liberal Arts Dean of Students must notify students in writing of their decision.  Students have the right to appeal such decisions by submitting petitions to the Academic Affairs Committee.  Petitions can be obtained in CA 401.  For further information, see “Code of Student Ethics, available in CA 401.”