Course Syllabus
To view the list of assignments, you can click the Jump to Today link in the top right corner of this page.
This page is printer-friendly. You can also find a more detailed PDF version of the syllabus here.
Class meets on TR 12:30-1:45 in Haley 1403
Dr. Buchanan will be holding office hours on Tuesdays, 2-3pm in Haley 7018.
Your GTA for the class is Farzana Zinnat. She will have office hours on Wednesdays 10am - 1pm through Zoom. You can access her Zoom room here, and the passcode is Ef2bTh
Course Description
Anthropology is the study of all aspects of the human experience, including our evolutionary origins, our genetics, our history (and prehistory), our languages, and our cultural worlds. This class aims to provide students with a generalized background into the holistic discipline of anthropology. ANTH 1000 fulfills the Social Science I Core requirement.
Through a combination of lecture, readings, assignments, and quizzes, students will develop an understanding of and respect for the diversity of human experiences throughout time and across the globe. ANTH 1000 will tackle 3 main topics/themes this semester:
How Do We Study Us? What Makes Us Unique?
What do anthropologists actually do? Why do modern human populations look different? Are we still evolving? What is culture and what does it do? How do we understand the world? Where does our capacity for communication and language come from? How does how we speak communicate more than words? What is the Theory of Evolution?
Where Do We Come From? How Do Our Societies Work?
Who are our evolutionary relatives and what can we learn from them? Where do modern humans come from? When, where, and why did humans change their relationships with the natural world? Why do some people live in cities? What is social complexity? Why and how do people exchange objects/money/ideas with each other?
How Do We Make Meaningful Worlds?
What does it mean to have local culture in a global world? Where does power and inequality come from? How are political, economic, and food-based systems integrated? What do religions do? How do we make families? What are sex and gender? What does a comparative approach to culture reveal about humanity?
Prerequisite: None
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Course Objectives
Materials and Resources
TextBook:
- Robert L. Welsch, Luis A. Vivanco, and Agustin Fuentes. Anthropology: Asking Questions about Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture.
- Applied Exercises in Anthropology manual
- both can be found in the RedShelf Module
What is All Access?
All Access is Auburn’s program of delivering course materials to you digitally. Sometimes this will be a textbook, sometimes an access code. Your instructor has coordinated with the Bookstore to deliver this content for the course and help make sure you have what you need. All Access makes sure you are ready the first day of class, and the material is so much cheaper with this delivery that it’s the best way we can help you succeed in your courses at Auburn…financially and academically.
What content am I getting?
For this course, ANTH 1000, you’re getting access for the semester to two items: Anthropology:Asking Questions about Human Origins by Welsch and the Lab Manual. Both are required content for the course.
How do I find it?
Totally easy to find….look on the left hand side of the course page in Canvas and you’ll find the content under the RedShelf link. If you have any trouble, check out this link: https://solve.redshelf.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007684453-How-to-Access-Through-Canvas
What does it cost?
For the first two weeks of class, everyone gets this content for free. All students in this course start as opted in to pay for the content for the course. The discounted price you’ll be billed is $39.50 for the Welsch book and $16.95 for the lab manual. The print price used to be over $90 for both.
- If you want to opt out and not be charged, all you have to do is follow these instructions. You’ll lose access at the end of the two weeks, unless you’ve purchased it on your own.
- For this course, you can opt out of one or both items, if you need one and not the other.
How do I pay?
If you’re still opted in on Sept 6, then we’ll send the charge to your next ebill. This will be labeled as the course on your ebill so you’ll know. You’ll get a reminder on Sept 3 to remind you about the deadline.
What if I’m on scholarship?
We can charge All Access content to any scholarship that we charge at the Bookstore. Those will be done automatically when we bill. If you are a scholarship student and would prefer print, please email the bookstore and they can order print copies for you. These are done as requested, and take three to five business days to arrive. Most scholarships will not pay for All Access and a print copy of the book.
What is the refund policy?
After the opt out deadline, we can only offer refunds to students who have dropped the course or withdrawn from the university. That’s why the opt out deadline will be crucial for you to decide if you want to be charged or not.
What if I need help?
- RedShelf customer service is always an option at http://solve.redshelf.com
- For most digital content in All Access, Google Chrome works best as a browser and you’ll want to make sure it’s up to date.
- I’m always happy to help as well, especially if you have a question about All Access or something doesn’t look right.
Russell Weldon books@auburn.edu or 844-1352
- You can also come see us at the Bookstore for in-person help.
Also, http://aub.ie/allaccess has more info as well.
Additional Readings:
Additional readings pertinent to certain topics will be posted for students on Canvas on the Course Reading List in the Library Resources Module.
Assignments
Attendance
Please note: college classes require regular attendance as well as careful preparation. Make sure you are setting aside an adequate amount of time for completing assignments and attending class.
I will be taking attendance randomly 13 times throughout the semester. You get three free misses, no questions asked. Use them wisely!
Assignments/Exercises
Graded assignments consist of exercises from the Applied Exercises in Anthropology manual. These assignments are intended to show you how concepts discussed in the textbook are applied or played out in real world situations.
Quizzes and Exams
There will be a short (10 question, 5 point), multiple choice quiz for each chapter of the textbook you read this semester. The quizzes will be timed. 16 total quizzes this semester - you get to drop your 2 lowest scores, so only 14 quizzes will receive grades. You are encouraged to take detailed notes while reading chapters and use your notes during the quiz. These quizzes are timed - you will have 15 minutes to complete them.
Exams will be at the end of each module and are not cumulative. Exams will consist of multiple choice questions. All 3 exams are scheduled to be in person.
You can view assignments by accessing your Calendar.
Grading and Evaluation
Achievement in this course will be assessed through completion of the following activities:
| Assignment Type | Points | Grade % |
| Attendance | 40 | 7.8% |
| Assignments/Exercises | 105 | 20.4% |
| Quizzes | 70 | 13.6% |
| Exams | 300 | 58.3% |
| Total | 515 | 100% |
Grading Scale
Grades are determined on straight percentages as follows:
| Letter | Points | Range |
| A | 463.5-515 | 90%+ |
| B | 412-463.4 | 80-89% |
| C | 360.5-411.9 | 70-79% |
| D | 309-360.4 | 60-69% |
| F | 308.9 and below | 59% or less |
*Grades will NOT be rounded up at semester end.
At Auburn University, a 4.0 grade scale is used. An A equals 4.0; B, 3.0; C, 2.0; D, 1.0; and F equals 0.0. Students must maintain a 2.0 average GPA in all courses in order to progress in this program. If addition, students must earn at least a D in each individual course in order to earn credit and progress to the next course.
For more detailed information about university grading standards, please refer to information on the following link: Auburn University Undergraduate Academic Policies on Grades
Posting/Appealing Exam and Assignment Grades
All exam and assignment grades will be posted to Canvas. Students will have five business days from the date that the exam/assignment scores are posted on Canvas to send an email to the instructor requesting grade adjustments on their work. To appeal a grade that you have received, please compose and send an email to your instructor writing out the exam or assignment in question, indicating the answer you submitted, and providing a written justification from the reading/class notes/etc. on why you think your answer is correct.
Once received, the instructor may or may not communicate with you regarding your appeal. Ultimately, the instructor will render a decision. If no appeal is sent to the instructor after five business days, the assignment score is final. Failure to monitor your progress as the semester progresses does not warrant a re-grade on assignments evaluated earlier in the semester. Once the 5-day appeal period has passed, students forfeit their right to have the graded material reassessed at a later date.
Course Policies
Late Assignment Policy
It is very important that students submit work on time, or they will find it very difficult to catch up. Any assignment that is submitted after the due date will have one letter grade deducted from it per day late. Students should reach out to their instructor immediately to discuss any concerns. In situations where you are experiencing technical difficulties submitting your assignment near the deadline, please consult the Canvas help desk resources available in left navigation. Please work to avoid encountering technical difficulties near the assignment due dates by completing your work ahead of deadlines.
Make-Up Policy
Students who miss the normal exams will need to contact the instructor and turn in the valid excuse within 48 hours from the time that the exams were given. The makeup exam schedule is determined by the instructor and will need to be done within ONE week (5 work days) from the time that the exams were given. Students will need to check the class email for the makeup details. Students who miss the makeup without valid excuses will get zero on the exam.
The format, questions and difficulty-level of make-up exams are not guaranteed to be same as the normal exam, which are at the discretion of the instructors. Students are not allowed to choose the make-up dates, formats on their own.
Valid excuses include: 1). illness documented by a physician. 2) evidence of personal or family emergency. 3) official university excuses.
Excuses are only accepted for the exams. No excuses needed for missing in person or live streamed classes.
Faculty Communication and Feedback
At the beginning of each course, make sure that you understand the instructor’s preferred mode of communication and any specific communication protocol; my preference is communication through email or inbox messages on Canvas (which will generate an email). One of the best ways to be effective as a student is to understand the instructor’s expectations and operate within those boundaries. Students should give the instructor 48 hours to get back to them on any communication, and one week for grading turnaround time on major assignments. I do not check my email after 7pm, so if you are expecting a quick response at night, it will not happen. I reserves the right to alter these feedback parameters due to contingencies such as holidays, course progress, campus emergencies, weather, holidays, professional activities, etc. with notice provided. If students have concerns about communication or feedback, they should always go to the professor first. Students should explain their concern as clearly as possible without judgment or emotion. Effective communication is an important skill, and every interaction in their program is an opportunity to develop this skill.
Your Auburn University email address is the university-approved form of communication between instructors and students. Follow the steps in the video linked here to set your notifications preferences and specify that all course alerts are routed to your Auburn University email address. You can contact Auburn University's OIT Help Desk for assistance forwarding mail sent to your Auburn email address to a different email address that you regularly check. Additionally, it is your responsibility to read course announcements sent by your instructor. These are posted in Canvas, and you can configure your notification preferences to receive an email each time a new announcement is posted.
This course will be supported by Auburn University’s Canvas platform. The syllabus, class assignments, occasional lectures, test grades, final grades, and important announcements will be posted to the Canvas site for this course. Check the Canvas site for this course frequently.
Instructor Assistance with Course Performance
If you are struggling academically with this class, do NOT wait until the end of the semester to ask for help. I am here to help you, but cannot provide help unless you communicate the problem. You are strongly encouraged to reach out to me (via email) early in the course and follow-up whenever you encounter challenges with the material.
Diversity Statement
- Ruth Benedict (an American anthropologist) said, "The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences."
- Anthropology, as a discipline, is devoted to understanding the diversity of human thought, experience, and practices around the world. This classroom is a safe and open space for topics that some may find controversial or sensitive, like race, gender, sexuality, inequality, etc. – you may find some course topics troubling or uncomfortable. Part of being in college (and part of growing in general) means being exposed to new and different people, places, and ways of life. Encountering difference is how we learn to cultivate empathy, even if we disagree.
- Students come from diverse backgrounds and have different experiences/strengths/needs. Everyone will maintain a respectful and professional attitude towards classmates and their views. You are encouraged to participate, share, and listen while being respectful to others, and mindful of your own emotions. You are always welcome to come privately speak to me in order to address anything. If you do not feel comfortable speaking to me, you may seek out an academic advisor, another faculty member, or one of your peers.
- I want to create a learning environment that supports diversity of thought, perspectives, and experiences and honors your identities. Please let me know if you have a name and/or use pronouns that differ from official university records. If your performance in class is being impacted by things outside of class, you are welcome to talk to me or I can point you towards other resources on campus.
Program Policies
Academic Integrity
Auburn University has adopted an Honor System proposed by its students and faculty to promote academic integrity and has enacted the following code:
“We, the faculty, instructors, and students of the (University course here) pledge to fulfill our mutual responsibilities to each other and the academic community at large with honor and integrity in order to build and maintain a climate of respect and trust that will enhance our research, teaching, and learning. We will support the Honor System of the School, and will not tolerate activities that undermine academic integrity.”
Academic dishonesty is an offense that will be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee. Please refer to the following document for further information regarding academic honesty: Auburn University Student Academic Honesty Code
Accessibility
Students who need accommodations are asked to electronically submit their approved accommodations through AU Access and to arrange a meeting during office hours the first week of classes, or as soon as possible if accommodations are immediately needed. If you need accommodations but have not established them, make an appointment with the Office of Accessibility, 1228 Haley Center, 334-844-2096.
COVID Related Policies
To support our reentry to the classroom, the University is implementing important safety measures that align with state and federal recommendations, and we are enacting protocols that prioritize health and wellness. Standard practices, such as face coverings and increased sanitation are just some of the required measures this spring. Additional information and resources can be found at the AU COVID-19 Resource Center.
Student Support Resources
The following resources are available to assist students:
- Auburn Cares helps students find campus and community resources http://aucares.auburn.edu (Links to an external site.)
- Health Promotion and Wellness: http://wp.auburn.edu/healthandwellness/ (Links to an external site.)
- Academic Support Services: http://academicsupport.auburn.edu (Links to an external site.)
- Student Counseling and Psychological Services: http://wp.auburn.edu/scs/
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|