Perspectives: Art, Science and Spirituality

Lee Honors College, Western Michigan University
Dr. Lynn Underwood, Adjunct Professor
Course Practicalities


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Course Practicalities

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Goals of Course:

1) Increase ability to use a scientific perspective appropriately in order to better understand ourselves and the world. This includes doing science and reading scientific results and interpreting those results.

2) Increase capacity to enjoy and practically benefit from the arts, through a contemplative approach. This includes practice in communicating and creating through the arts.

3) Enable use of both perspectives in conjunction, to enhance effective decision-making, especially judgments concerning time and love.

Class attendance is crucial

The following week's assignment materials will be handed out, and presentations and discussions cannot be made up easily otherwise. Techniques will be practiced that are necessary to do assignments well. This is especially true as there is no central course textbook. With one class a week, one week's work is almost one-tenth of the course The class meets every Monday, from 2 to 4:20 in room 1030 Lee Honors College.

Weighting of assignments

25%  Weekly journal entries and class discussion participation, quizzes. journal entries not graded--points given for submission. (To keep up with the course these need to be handed in on time.)

20%  Additional assignments (e.g. class presentation on a poem, sharing of music, mini arts assignments or discussion of a science article for class, brief essay).

20%  Science project.

15%  Art (fiction, poetry, visual art, music, dance, video, photography) project.

20%  Final exam--essay - Expected to be able to address the themes and use the tools learned in the course in a complementary way. Ability to apply tools to your own life situations. Ability to refer to various articles and resources (e.g. film) presented by the course, and articulate use.

Grading

90-100% A
87-89 B/A
80-86 B
77-79 B/C
70-76 C
60-69 D
59% and below is failing

All art projects are graded on intention and ability to articulate intention and the effort put in, rather than by artistic talent or skill.

Weekly Assignments

Get in the habit of doing the journals early in the week. I will expect them to be handed in at the following class. Date each assignment.

a) Journal entries. One page personal response to a poem, essay, piece of art or exercise. Often the materials for this will be handed out the week before it is due, unless the materials are in your purchased texts or on reserve in the library. Three or four per week. These will not be graded.

b) Assigned reading. Keep notes on assigned reading. Keeping up with assigned reading is very important and it may also be evaluated by pop quiz or individualized class discussion assessment.

c) Keep a loose-leaf notebook dedicated to this class. Put in handouts, journal entries, and article responses and class notes.

I am available via email:
lynnunderwood@researchintegration.org

I will collect your email address on the first day of class. I need you to have an active email address as I use email to communicate between classes.

I will give out my home phone number in class, in case you need to call or have any questions or concerns.

If you have questions or would like to meet with me, contact me and we can set up a time. I will set up individual times to meet before the art project is finally chosen.



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