Course Policies & Schedule
(view printable PDF version)

DESCRIPTION: Examines in cultural and historical perspective, drawing on both ancient and contemporary sources, the key practices and ideas of Buddhist traditions in India, China, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Japan, & other surrounding regions [view map of Asia]; as well as the more recent spread of these practices and ideas to Europe, North America, & Australia. (GE Area: C1)

THIS SECTION emphasizes the influence of not only settled monks and wandering ascetics, but also laypeople, considering in three aspects of the way Buddhists have transmitted & modified their traditions: (1) reflection regarding supernatural realities (i.e., spirits, gods, & spiritual forces); (2) the specific rituals & customs that have inspired and supported such reflection; and (3) the diverse communities, from particular families to broader institutions, in which such reflection and practices have taken place. [Read more about this focus.] Team-based learning will be the primary mode of engaging with art, literature, and ritual created by Buddhists themselves; these are the primary sources for the course (see www.teambasedlearning.org).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attentively engaging with the materials presented in this course, you should be able to:

1. (a) effectively answer basic questions, posed by a peer unfamiliar with Buddhist traditions, regarding key terms, images, and primary sources related to Buddhist religious life throughout Asia; and
   (b) locate reliable scholarly sources that address aspects of Buddhist religious life you don't understand fully, and formulate questions to guide your reading of those sources.
2. (a) precisely and accurately describe, again for a peer unfamiliar with Buddhist traditions, the way that sources created by Buddhists themselves feature the the key terms and images referred to in #1(a); and
   (b) present a balanced selection of excerpts from those sources that supports your statements about them.
3. (a) compare and contrast, for class members as well as peers outside the classroom, the different viewpoints and rituals of the Buddhist traditions mentioned above; and
   (b) compare and contrast the Buddhist traditions you study in class with those you observe directly at local worship sites.
4. effectively communicate with peers while refining the skills listed in #1-3.
5. appreciate both the emotional impact and intellectual fascination of Buddhist culture.
6. continue asking questions and gathering insights about your own and other people's religion and culture throughout your life.
   

SOURCES: You are responsible for obtaining the sources listed below, and for bringing assigned readings to each class meeting, both of which are printed by & available from students.universityreaders.com/store, or call 1-800-200-3908. The schedule provided below refers to these sources using the BOLD CAPITAL abbreviations next to each

Joël Dubois, Explorer's Guide to Buddhist Traditions (EGBT)
"HRS 147: History of Buddhism" Course Pack (CP)

Sources to be used for the required reading summaries at the end of each unit will be drawn from the following texts, also referred to in the schedule by BOLD CAPITAL abbreviations next to each. These have been placed at the reserve book room, and a limited number of copies are also available for purchase at the Hornet Bookstore.

John Strong, The Experience of Buddhism (EOB) [Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2007: ISBN #9780495094869]
John Strong, The Legend and Cult of Upagupta (LCU) [Princeton University Press, 1992: ISBN #8120811542]
Donald Lopez, ed., Buddhism in Practice (BIP) [Princeton University Press, 2007: ISBN #9780691129686]
Reginald Ray, Buddhist Saints in India (BSI) [Oxford University Press, 1994: ISBN #0-19-513483-4]

ATTENDANCE: Evaluation of your attendance in this course is built into other parts of the grade. Roughly two thirds of the class sessions involve the completion of a graded activity for which you cannot receive credit if you are absent; this includes team readiness assessments scored for each individual and team assignments for which attendance will be taken within each team. (See "Grading Policies" below regarding credit for missed assignments.) The remainder of class periods are study sessions designed to guide you in making sense of the assigneed readings; missing these will make successful completion of in-class assignments more difficult.

Regarding FLU & COLDS, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms or a severe cold, please stay home. We will work out a way to make up missed work once you return; see below under "Absences " and "Grading Policies."

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: I ask students who arrive late to wait outside the door for a break following opening announcements (usually 10-15 minutes), at which point the door will be opened. If I am talking when you enter, take a seat near the door rather than crossing everyone's field of vision. To avoid distracting others once your are in the classroom, please:

• keep cell phones turned off and stowed away for the entire duration of the class.
  
• put away all laptops, except if you have documented disabilities requiring one.

** NOTE: STUDENTS FOUND TEXTING, EMAILING OR SURFING THE INTERNET IN CLASS WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE.**

• put away food & drink before entering the classroom (water OK).
• avoid crossing the front of the room while the instructor is talking; sit by the door if you need to leave early.
• stop all side conversation with neighbors whenever anyone is speaking to the class as a whole.

Please contact me during the first two weeks of the term if you have a disability or other special circumstance that merits an exception to any of the above guidelines.

ABSENCES: Due to the amount of emails and calls I must process, I cannot provide information about every missed class to every absent student. If you miss a class or any part of one, please follow the steps below before contacting me by email or phone, which in many cases will not be necessary.

1. Consult the syllabus to determine what activities you missed. If you missed a team assignment, you can still write the notes for it; see #4 below.
2. Contact other members of your team ASAP to find out about any announcements, you may have missed, which are usually made during the first 10-15 minutes of a given class session. (You can use the "browse" function in SacCT mail (see below) to select student names from a list, or gather direct email addresses from team members you know best during the first weeks of the term.)
3. When you return to class, approach me before or after class to retrieve any graded assignments that may have been returned during your absence. (I am not responsible for low scores on assignments resulting from failure to collect or read comments on earlier, similar assignments.)
   
4. If you were absent during a team assignment, you may also submit notes for the missed assignment. (See below under "Grading Policies" for details regarding credit on missed team assignments.)

SACCT: Class emails and grade posting will be handled through SacCT, the university's on-line instructional system; for academic integrity & archiving purposes, you will also be required to post an electronic copy of all papers on SacCT, in addition to the paper copy you submit. In order to be registered for this course in SacCT, you will need a valid saclink username and password; if you do not currently have one, call (278-7337); visit the Saclink Desk (Academic Information Resource Center, Room 2005, just behind the library); or simply go to www.saclink.csus.edu and follow the instructions for "Set up Saclink" in the left-hand column.

EMAIL: in order to receive updates regarding class sessions throughout the term, you are required to check the email included in your SacCT account on a regular basis for the duration of the course. Unless you log in to SacCT on a daily basis, please set your SacCT email to forward messages to your regular email address. To do so, (1) click on the "My Settings" link in the upper left hand corner; (2) selecting the "My Profile" tab and updating the profile to include the email address you actually use; and finally (3) selecting the "My Tool Options" and checking the "Mail Forwarding" option.

To contact me, please EMAIL ME DIRECTLY (not in SacCT) at jdubois@csus.edu; include the abbreviation "HOB" or "HRS 147" in the subject heading. I typically respond to student emails on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and usually sometime end of week or weekend, as time allows. For queries that require immediate attention, please call or leave a voice mail at 278-5332.

IMPORTANT: before contacting me by phone or email regarding an absence, which in many cases is not necessary, see the steps outlined above under "Absences."

ASSIGNMENTS: In order to successfully finish this course you must complete:

1. four (4) in-class, on-line TRAs ("team readiness assessments")
   [lowest score dropped; 3 x 25 points for each individual & team = 150 points total]
   
2. seventeen (17) in-class team assignments (400 points total)
   [participation requires bringing notes to a minimum of
       9 team assignments & attendance a minimum of 14 assignment days;
     extra points for each assignment distributed via a peer evaluation system]
   
   **view diagram of sequencing for TRAs and team assigments**
   
   
3. four (4) source analyses, drawing on additional readings listed for each unit
   [1-2 pages each, lowest score dropped; 3 x 50 points = 150 points total]
   
4. one (1) observation reports (200 points)
   [5 page worksheet, peer review, and final 5 page product]
5. one (1) follow-up analysis (100 points)
   [serves as preparation for the final team assignment]
   
   [OVERALL SCALE: 940-1000 points=A, 900-939=A-, 870-899=B+, 840--879=B, 800-839=B-, etc.]

IMPORTANT: students needing to skip assignments due to time constraints are advised to choose from #3 & 4. Skipping TRAs and team assignments (#1 & 2) makes completing higher level assignments very difficult.

GRADING POLICIES:

• Barring a genuine emergency that leads to extended absence, no make-ups are available for TRAs; but note that the lowest score is dropped, so missing one TRA will not in itself lower your grade.
• If you are absent during a team assignment, you may receive half credit for turning in thorough notes when you return to class. If your absence is the result of a genuine emergency, illness, or some other compelling reason, which except for flu symptoms must be verified in writing by a medical or some other professional, you may receive full credit for those notes. (See above under "Absences" regarding procedure for submitting notes.)
• I generally do not accept rewrites of analyses and reflections; however you may wish to show me prelimary drafts, submitted for review at least three days prior to the deadline. I DO accept late assignments during the term,, but subtract 5% from your overall score for each class day late; I will however not accept late submissions for the final assignment. Assignments submitted via email to meet a deadline must be delivered in printed form at the next class, without which they will not be graded.
• If you have a disability that requires some accommodation, please contact me to discuss such accommodation within the first two weeks of the term. I consider extreme difficulty with social interaction and interpersonal communication a legitimate disability, which should be brought to my attention as soon as possible, since team work is such an integral part of the course. If you are unsure about whether you have a disability, I encourage you to speak with me and/or also to contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (Lassen Hall 1008, 278-6955).
• I will generally impose severe penalties for academic dishonesty: a ZERO SCORE for the TRA or assignment in question, and AN "F" FOR THE COURSE for a second offense. You are responsible for reading my comments regarding the importance of academic honesty in FAQ, #10-13, and for requesting clarification if there is anything you do not understand. You may also want to check out the library's tutorial on plagiarism.
• Finally, students needing extra time to complete their work for the course must submit to me an application for an incomplete, available in MND 2011. As stated above, I will not accept a late final assignment or give an incomplete grade without this form in hand.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS: All readings in this schedule should ideally be completed by the day under which they are listed, although this requirement is only assessed during TRAs and team assignments. All numbers in the schedule are page numbers unless otherwise noted; readings in EGBT begin at the section heading on the assigned page. Additional readings in print are available at the Reserve Book Room (RBR), some in on-line form; videos are available at either the Library Media Center (LMC) or local video stores such as Blockbusters, as indicated.

CAUTION: I reserve the right to make revisions to on-line materials prior to their discussion in class at the relevant point in the semester. Therefore WAIT until that time to print out materials you wish to have on hand, such as terms, excerpts and assignment guidelines.

Introduction: Buddhist Asia, Contemporary Sacramento, & Team-Based Learning

Unit 1: Solitary Bhikshus & Early Buddhist India (5th BCE - 1th CE)

Unit 2: Indian Buddhist Expansion & Monastic Bhikshus (2nd BCE - 10th CE)

Unit 3: Lay Buddhists & Bhikshus in East Asia (5th - 21st century CE)

Unit 4: Lay Buddhists & Bhikshus in Northeast India & Mainland Southeast Asia (7th - 21st century CE)

WARNING: Barring submission of a petition for an incomplete and in contrast to my late policy during the semester, no assignments will be accepted after Wednesday, December 15.

Also, if you wish to retrieve your final observation analysis, please attach to your paper a self-addressed stamped envelope (4" x 9" is usually OK if unless your paper is unusally thick) with sufficient postage for 3 ounces (currently $0.76 or two first-class stamps). Papers submitted without an envelope will receive only minimal comments and eventually be recycled without shredding.

OTHER COURSES OF INTEREST: • "Asian Civilization" (HIS 006) • "Art of India, Southeast Asia, China & Japan" (ART 117A & B) • "The Asian-American Experience" (ETHN 110)

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