Course Syllabus

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LAT1120: Beginning Latin 1

 Our class meets MWF 6 (12:50pm-1:40pm) in Matherly 15.

 Contact Information

For questions about course content, your grade, or other personal issues, use the Canvas mail tool. Expect a response within 24 hours (or 48 hours over the weekend). I will likely not respond between 6pm and 6am, or on Saturdays, but you can reach out whenever you need!

 Course Description

This is the first course of a three-part beginning series at the University of Florida. The course covers the topics in chapters 1-14 of Wheelock’s Latin and aims to introduce students to the basic vocabulary, grammar, syntax, pronunciation, and conversational skills of the Latin language. To do so, students will practice translation between both Latin to English and English to Latin and engage in basic conversational Latin. Students will leave this class prepared to succeed in Latin 2.

 Course Objectives

Students will learn the inflectional patterns of the Latin language and be able to easily recognize different forms of declensions and conjugations. Students will also acquire, from the beginning, a rich vocabulary, which will constitute an introduction to Roman culture, as well as an aid in memorization and familiarization with the grammatical structures of the Latin language. Along the way students will practice basic conversational Latin as well.

 Course Requirements

Required Textbook

Wheelock, Frederick M., and R. A. LaFleur, Wheelock’s Latin. 2011. ISBN-10: 0061997226.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

If you took more than one year of Latin in high school, you should discuss with the instructor or the Undergraduate Coordinator of the Classics Department whether a higher-level Latin course may be right for you.

Minimum Technology Requirements

To complete your tasks in this course, you will need access to Canvas and Google Chrome. You should also download the Padlet app on your cell phone. You may also need access to a cell phone camera for an assignment. Students with technology trouble can speak with the instructor about university resources which may be available to them.

Students will need an electronic device to complete some homework or in-class assignments, but there will also be course activities without access to technology allowed. Please speak with the instructor if you have an accommodation for technology use.

Cell phone use in class is not allowed unless expressly stated for a class activity. Students are welcome to take important calls in the hallway outside of the classroom. Cell phone use in the classroom will result in deducted points from the Participation category.

Minimum Technical Skills

Students should be familiar with Canvas and able to check it on a regular basis.

Materials/Supply Fees

There is no supply fee for this course.

 Course Policies

All students are expected to complete 100% of the required course activities. Completion of the final exam is required to receive a grade in the course. 

If a student misses a quiz or homework due to an excused absence (having provided the appropriate documentation), they will be expected to make it up in a timely manner after contacting the instructor with appropriate documentation.

Students are also expected to check Canvas and email regularly, and to respond, when needed, within a reasonable time.

Attendance

Perfect attendance is expected. For every unexcused and/or undocumented absence over three, you will lose up to a point from the final course grade. If you miss a class, please check Canvas for what was missed and contact the instructor if you have further questions.

For absence due to participation in an official university activity, observance of a religious holiday, performance of a military duty, or any other conflict (e.g., jury duty) as per university policy that the student knows about in advance of the scheduled assignment, the student is required to notify the instructor of the conflict before the assignment is due, and if possible at the start of the semester in order to arrange make-up time and procedures.

No make-ups will be allowed for unexcused absences except in extreme circumstances.

Late or Make-up Assignments

Homework assignments and quizzes not completed because of unexcused, unannounced absences cannot be made up except in extreme circumstances. No-questions-asked extension requests are allowed on a limited basis if completed more than 12 hours before an assignment's due date.

If a student misses class for a university-approved reason, just let the professor know (ahead of time when possible).

Further requirements for make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with these university policies.

Content Notice

In our course, we will read the language and literature of the ancient Romans, whose society had different viewpoints on gender, race, sexuality, etc. than our own. We will approach our study through a critical lens. Should any challenging topics or coarse language arise, the instructor will mention them ahead of time. Students are encouraged to maintain professionalism and kindness during class conversations.

 Land and Labor Acknowledgment

The University of Florida acknowledges the Timucua, Seminole, and all other Indigenous peoples who live, have lived, and recognize their ancestral connection to these lands since time immemorial. We further acknowledge the enslaved peoples, primarily of African descent, whose labor was exploited to fund the construction of the East Florida Seminary School, the historical forerunner institution to the University of Florida.

To learn more about the significance of the Indigenous peoples in this region and throughout the nation, we encourage all to inquire more at Know the History of the Land You Inhabit and explore native-land.ca for additional insight. Additional sites for further education can be found here, here, and here.

 Grading Policy

Course Grading Policy

This course will be based on a 1000-point model falling under the general categories of conversation (10%); participation (25%); homework assignments (30%); and tests, quizzes, and exams (35%):

• 100 points: Colloquia (Conversations)
• 100 points: Auditiōnēs Videndae (Video Lectures) [on Canvas]
• 150 points: Industria (Participation and Attendance)
• 250 points: Praescrīpta (Homework Assignments) [on paper]
• 50 points: Locūplētantia (Enrichment Activities) [on Canvas]
• 25 points: Exāmen Domī (Take-Home Test) [on paper]
• 25 points: Exāmen Commūne (Group Test) [in class]
• 200 points: Exāmina Vocābulōrum (Vocabulary Quizzes) [on Canvas]
• 100 points: Exāmen Ultimum (Final Exam) [on paper]

Assignment details are provided by clicking on the Canvas page and assignment links in the schedule below.

Grading Scale

C- and lower is not a passing grade for courses in the major, General Education, or Gordon Rule credit. See the current UF grading policies for more information.

 UF Policies

University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter that must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation.

Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

University Policy on Academic Conduct

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge, which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code." On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." The Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor of this course.

In-Class Recording

Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposes for which these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited. Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the instructor.

A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions, student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving solely student participation, assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class session.

Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share, transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third-party note/tutoring services. A student who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040 Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code.

Course Concerns

All course concerns should first be directed to Instructor, and, if further discussion is necessary, you may direct your concerns to the TA coordinator, Dr. Robert Wagman, at rsw@ufl.edu.

 Academic and Student Support

• Career Connections Center: For career assistance and counseling services, visit the UF Career Connections Center website or call 352-392-1601.
• Library Support: For various ways to receive assistance concerning using the libraries or finding resources, visit the UF George A. Smathers Libraries Ask-A-Librarian website.
• Teaching Center: For general study skills and tutoring, visit the UF Teaching Center website or call 352-392-2010.
• Writing Studio: For help with brainstorming, formatting, and writing papers, visit the University Writing Program Writing Studio website or call 352-846-1138.
• Student Complaints Campus: Visit website.

 Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available on the GatorEvals Providing Constructive Feedback FAQ page. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via the GatorEvals website. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at the GatorEvals Public Results page. More information about UF's course evaluation system can be found at the GatorEvals Faculty Evaluations website.

 Getting Help

Technical Difficulties

For help with technical issues or difficulties with Canvas, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk at:

• http://helpdesk.ufl.edu
• 352-392-HELP (4357)
• Walk-in: HUB 132

Any requests for make-ups (assignments, exams, etc.) due to technical issues should be accompanied by the ticket number received from the UF Computing Help Desk when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You should email your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Health and Wellness

• U Matter, We Care: If you or someone you know is in distress, please email umatter@ufl.edu, call 352-392-1575, or visit U Matter We Care to refer or report a concern, and a team member will reach out to the student in distress.
• Counseling and Wellness Center: Visit the UF Counseling & Wellness Center website or call 352-392-1575 for information on crisis services and non-crisis services.
• Student Health Care Center: Call 352-392-1161 for 24/7 information to help you find the care you need, or visit the UF Student Health Care Center website.
• University Police Department: Visit the UF Police Department website or call 352-392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies).
• UF Health Shands Emergency Room/Trauma Center: For immediate medical care in Gainesville, call 352-733-0111, or go to the emergency room at 1515 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32608; Visit the UF Health Shands Emergency Room/Trauma Center website.

 Course Schedule

The schedule below is subject to changes from forces beyond our control. Adequate communication will be provided in the case of alteration.