My goals for you as students in this course are to achieve a higher degree of confidence, fluency, and speed in reading prose; to improve your facility in applying literary and cultural criticism to topics in the study of the ancient Mediterranean world; to broaden your comprehension of classical literature beyond the recognition of varieties of artistic expression; and to develop your knowledge of the critical methods and scholarly traditions in classical philology.
I expect you to attend class promptly and actively, to complete the daily reading assignments conscientiously, to contribute to in-class activities thoughtfully, and to treat your classmates and teacher respectfully. Failure to meet these basic expectations will directly influence your participation and effort grade and generally impact your performance on graded assignments (see below).
If you foresee any absence or lateness for valid reasons (religious holiday, family emergency, illness or injury, school-sponsored event), let me know well beforehand. The unexcused lateness of assignments brings a penalty of roughly 10% (one letter grade) per day. In the event of absence or lateness, you are responsible for contacting other students who attended class to find out what you missed.
I uphold the policies and regulations of Macalester College pertaining to the observance of religious holidays, assistance to the handicapped, plagiarism, sexual harassment, and racial or ethnic discrimination. I expect you to know and uphold these policies and regulations as well. They are discussed in the section of the Student Handbook entitled “Community Standards.”