Course Syllabus
Contact Dr. Wolpert
Andrew Wolpert, Associate Professor of Classics
352-273-3702
138 Dauer Hall
Wednesday 2:00-3:00, Thursday 1:00-2:30 pm, and by appointment
I am available to meet with you during my office hours either in person or by Zoom. To meet me during my office hours via Zoom, please call or email me, and I will send you a link. If you want to meet with me at another time, please email me to schedule an appointment.
Class Meetings
Thursday Period 8 in Little 119
Course Description and Objectives
Homer's Iliad resonates with us today because the work explores what it means to be human, what we need to do for ourselves and for each other, and what we ought to do when society does not work the way we think it should. Homer reveals all the greatness of humanity and exposes all of its foibles. In his telling of the Trojan War, Homer invites his audience to ask who is and who is not a hero, how to judge what is right and what is wrong, and how to deal with a world turned upside down. We will spend the semester carefully reading, thoughtfully analyzing, and simply enjoying the majesty of Homer's Iliad.
By the end of the semester, students will be able to describe and explain Homer's Iliad and analyze and evaluate clearly and effectively the major artistic themes and elements of the poem.
This course is part of the "Uncommon Reads" of the UF Honors Program, which students complete to earn Honors credit (see Grade Scale and Grading Policies section for more information).
Required Text
Homer, The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles (New York: Penguin Books, 1990). Copies of the required textbook are on reserve in Library West.
- Although there are other translations of the Iliad, students are required to use and bring Fagles' translation to class so that we can refer to the same passages in our discussions.
- When purchasing the Iliad, especially in the case of online resellers, you need to make sure that the edition that you have selected is the translation by Robert Fagles.
There is no M&S Fee for this course.
Course Requirements*
- Attendance: 100 points, 10% with a 20% deduction for arriving more than 10 minutes late or leaving early. Deduction of 7.7 points for every unexcused absence.
- The App in Canvas is used to track attendance. It shows what will be your final attendance grade based on your current attendance percentage. So, if you have one unexcused absence after 2 class meetings, it will show your attendance percentage as 50% (i.e., 1/2). At the end of the semester, if you have no more unexcused absences, your final attendance percentage will be 92.3% (i.e., 12/13 or 100 minus 7.7 points).
- 12 Notebook Entries: 55 points, 5.5% (each); 660 points, 66% (total). Before each class, you will submit a short notebook entry into Canvas in which you discuss your reaction to that week's reading assignment. For each notebook entry you will be asked to do the following:
- Identify two sections of the reading that you found to be especially noteworthy, compelling, or striking (e.g., the language, imagery, setting, character development, or plot) and explain what was so compelling or striking about those two sections of the reading
- Identify two sections of the reading that you found to be confusing or puzzling and explain why those sections were confusing or puzzling to you.
- Reflection Essay: 240 points (24%), 500-750 words. Briefly describe and explain your reaction to Homer's Iliad. What did you enjoy about the poem? What did you find most moving? What part of the story did you connect most with?
*Students are not permitted to use AI to complete course assignments.
Weekly Schedule
January
January 16: Introduction
- No Assignment
January 23: Books 1-2
January 30: Books 3-4
- Notebook Entry on Books 3-4
February
February 6: Books 5-6
- Notebook Entry on Books 5-6
February 13: Books 7-8
- Notebook Entry on Books 7-8
February 20: Books 9-10
- Notebook Entry on Books 9-10
February 27: Books 11-12
- Notebook Entry on Books 11-12
March
March 6: Books 13-14
- Notebook Entry on Books 13-14
March 13: Books 15-16
- Notebook Entry on Books 15-16
March 20: Spring Break
- N/A
March 27: Books 17-18
- Notebook Entry on Books 17-18
April
April 3: Books 19-20
- Notebook Entry on Books 19-20
April 10: Books 21-22
- Notebook Entry on Books 21-22
April 17: Books 23-24
- Notebook Entry on Books 23-24
- Reflection Essay
Grade Scale and Grading Policies
| A = 100–93% | B = 86-83% | C = 76-73% | D = 66-63% |
| A- = 92–90% | B- = 82–80% | C- = 72-70% | D- = 62-60% |
| B+ = 89-87% | C+ = 79-77% | D+ = 69-67% | E < 60% |
Grades are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g., 89.4% = 89% and 89.5% = 90%).
A minimum grade of B is required to earn Academic points towards your Honors Completion Requirements. Once you have earned your final grade in this course, please upload the course information and final grade from your Unofficial Transcript into your Honors Canvas Cohort: Honors Completion module to earn Honors Milestone / Completion credit.
For more information on UF grades and grading policies, please consult the Undergraduate Catalog.
Course Policies
Academic Honesty
University of Florida students are bound by the Honor Pledge. On all work submitted for credit by a student, the following pledge is required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Student Honor Code and Conduct Code (Regulation 4.040) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code, as well as the process for reported allegations and sanctions that may be implemented. All potential violations of the code will be reported to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. If a student is found responsible for an Honor Code violation in this course, the instructor will enter a Grade Adjustment sanction which may be up to or including failure of the course.. See the UF Conduct Website for more information.
Attendance
Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/
Canvas indicates the deadline for each assignment, the "grace period" during which an assignment may be submitted after the deadline, and the deduction for submitting an assignment during the "grace period." Students may not submit an assignment after the grace period without an acceptable reason, such as an illness or serious family emergencies, in accordance with university policies on absences.
Course Accessibility
Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center by visiting https://disability.ufl.edu/students/get-started/. It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester.
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 at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. 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 https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.
In-Class Recordings
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.
Resources and Services
Students experiencing either health or personal problems that interfere with their general well-being are encouraged to seek assistance through the university’s health care and counseling centers. Resources are also available on campus for students who wish to explore their career options.
- Honors Program, 201 Walker Hall, 352-392-1519. Quick question for an Honors advisor? Email advisor@honors.ufl.edu. Need an Honors advising appointment? Schedule via Microsoft Bookings.
- Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, shcc.ufl.edu
- University Counseling and Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road, 392-1575, counseling.ufl.edu
- U Matter We Care, 294-care, umatter.ufl.edu
- The Teaching Center, https://teachingcenter.ufl.edu/
- Ask a Librarian, https://uflib.ufl.edu/contact-us/, is a quick way to get outside expertise on finding or using library resources.
- The UF Writing Studio, https://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/
- Career Connections Center, Suite 1300 J. Wayne Reitz Union, 392-1601, career.ufl.edu
You can also check out Whole Gator for the many other university resources, services, and support that are available to you.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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