William Cumiford- Ph. D, Associate Professor, Instructional Faculty, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Department of History
FFC 100A-03 (M W F, 11am-11:50am)
This course engages students in interdisciplinary, university level inquiry and reflection. The FFC course focuses more on critical engagement, exploration and communication related to complex issues rather than on mastering a body of material. The section topics vary, and students select a topic according to their academic and personal interests. Some sections of the course may allow students with more than 30 credits to enroll, and the course must be taken for a letter grade. Once classes begin, students can add classes to their schedule through the end of the second week of the fall term. Please be aware that this is a GRADED COURSE, with no option for Pass/No Pass.
This course emphasizes the classical (i.e., ancient Greece and Rome) influence on the formative years of the United States (18th-19th centuries). As such, early American history will be viewed through the prism of classical ideals and values, in particular examining how the Greeks and Romans provided models for American values, ideals, culture, and institutions. Areas of specific concentration will include classical influences on politics and government, obligations of civic duty, education, race and ethnicity, literature and culture, and distinct American conceptions of special mission and providential design. The format of the course will be lecture, general class discussion, small-group in-class discussion, student panel presentations, and selected videos. THE ASSESSMENT OF COURSE PERFORMANCE WILL BE DETERMINED BY ATTENTIVE PARTICIPATION IN CLASS SESSIONS, DILIGENT MASTERY OF COURSE READINGS AND, FINALLY, DEMONSTRATION OF CRITICAL THINKING EVIDENCED BY PRODUCING UNIVERSITY-LEVEL EXPOSITORY WRITING.
While this course offers some detailed historical content regarding classical civilizations and early modern America, the central focus of the class is to challenge students to think critically and judiciously in assessing the traditions of these societies, particularly in sensing the many values held by Americans that reflect the customs, beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Therefore, rather than merely chronicling the respective histories of Greece, Rome and early America, students will be required to demonstrate a broad and nuanced comprehension of the Classical Age and the formative era of the United States. The course assignments are designed to encourage students to cultivate careful reading practices, astute concentration and focused critical thinking and writing. Finally, this is an interdisciplinary course requiring students to appreciate and understand the intersection of classical art and architecture, philosophy, literature, society, gender, slavery and race relations and government that connect the ancient western classical world with the early development of the American Republic.