Below is a link to our syllabus. I've checked it for errors and I believe it I've caught them all. Read through the document carefully, because you will be held accountable for its contents. Be sure that this is a class you truly want to be in.
http://www.box.net/shared/s0lpbbh7sc
I've been a somewhat popular and successful teacher over the years. But certainly not in every single case. I realize my way of doing things is not the only right one, nor is it in line with everyone's needs and tastes. If anything looks out of line or confusing to you, please drop me a line and I'll be happy to clarify information or advise you. As you read through the syllabus and familiarize yourself with my methods and expectations, decide if you are willing and able to be an active participant in class.
Wilhelm von Humboldt, chancellor of the world's first state-sponsored research institute, the University of Berlin, insists that it is our capacity for language which makes us truly human. He clearly aligns the evolution of the vocal apparatus with the development of the human intellect, and consequently sets the study of language and public speaking at the very heart of the university's curriculum. In line with von Humboldt's thought, I require all my students to participate regularly in class discussions. Failure to speak in class has significantly lowered many of my students’ grades in the past. These students were shocked to receive C’s for their final grade. And yet they had been clearly and continuously warned of this consequence throughout the entire semester. If this requirement, as well as any other you find on the syllabus, looks like it will make you miserable, do yourself and me a favor and find a section that will better suit your needs. (In keeping with university policy, I will gladly make necessary accommodations for any student showing proper and timely documentation of medical disability.)
Here is a link to our course journal.
http://ensarkosis.blogspot.com/
The Blogspot journal is where we will do much of our communicating and a very substantial part of our learning. Take the journal seriously. As the great philosopher G.W.F. Hegel stated authoritatively and definitively in his Phenomenology of Spirit, it is impossible to master texts, artworks and ideas of the sort we will be studying, without writing about them; writing is the means through which brute physical substance is transformed into knowledge. Look at the tips I've provided on the syllabus for how to write and communicate successfully with me. I will add to these in the coming days, and I will do my very best to provide you with examples of clear and effective writings through my own examples. Try to learn from them on every level.
On the journal I will post links to assigned readings, all in the form of digital files and all clearly indicated. Click on them and you should be good to go. Also, I will regularly include supplementary materials which will explain to you who these writers are and why they are important. Any highlighted text is a link to helpful supplementary materials. Most images are also live links to other learning opportunities. Please avail yourself of these. You are warmly invited and strongly encouraged to make comments and ask questions on what I post on the blog. Wise and dedicated students will open their own blog accounts and get cracking.
The more you speak in class and write to me on line, the more I will get to know you, and the more I will be able to provide a course which is custom-tailored to your specific needs. I have almost 150 students this semester. If you want to be recognized as truly outstanding, the kind who actually earns and not simply expects an A, you must take the initiative and establish early, consistent and appropriate professional contact with me. Do not wait for me to discover you.
I will leave it at that for now. I'm very glad to have met you all. I hope we will get off to very positive and energetic start. Good luck with everything. Enjoy the semester.
Best wishes to you, Dr. Brian Kubarycz
