Online
An introductory survey of selected teachings, practices and institutions of major Eastern and Western religions. May include the role of history; appreciation for forms of expressions; and criticism of their origins, rituals and forms of religious knowledge and destiny.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Responsibility
Faculty Contact Information
While I have no set office hours, I am available for phone or video conference appointments as needed. Simply email me to schedule; I will work to match your availability.
I will respond to emails received Monday through Saturday within 24 hours. I will check email on Sunday, but responses may be delayed, so plan your weeks accordingly.
Dr. Jeremy Van Kley
Ed.D. - Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Management, Capella University
M.Div. - Master of Divinity, Nazarene Theological Seminary
B.A. - Bachelor of Arts - English, Olivet Nazarene University
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe basic religious responses and the questions they address
- Demonstrate knowledge of the world’s major religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- Identify key moments in the development of religious movements, including founders, basic principles, lifestyles, theologies, and worldviews
- Articulate an understanding of the philosophical and practical implications of various religious perspectives
- Articulate an appreciation for the varieties of religious expression and a respect for the accomplishments of multiple perspectives
Online materials provided by the instructor and incorporated into the Canvas course
This course relies heavily upon discussion and student participation. As such, final grades will be calculated accordingly.
Discussions - 40%
- 1 Personal Introduction - 10 points
- 8 Check-in discussions - 5 points each
- 13 Weekly discussions - 25 points each
Quizzes - 20%
- 2 Quizzes - 20 points each
Final Paper and Reflection - 40%
- 1 Final Paper and Reflection - 100 points
Overall course grades are calculated based on the following scale:
- A: 90-100%
- B: 80-89%
- C: 70-79%
- D: 60-69%
- F: 0-59%
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Late Work Policy
Because this course is accelerated and based heavily in discussion and student participation, late work is generally not accepted. However, if you miss a deadline due to an emergency and need more time to complete the work, you must have documentation and contact me beforehand, if possible, or as soon as possible after the deadline. Those not meeting these will be eligible to receive only up to half credit for the assignment.
Questions about Grades
If you have a question about a grade on an assignment, follow the “1 day, 1 paragraph, 1 week” policy: wait one day before you contact the instructor, write one paragraph explaining why your grade should be changed, and contact the instructor within one week of the date on which you received your grade. The instructor will then consider your explanation and get back to you as soon as possible.
Incompletes
Incompletes are designed to help a student who is successfully completing a course deal with a personal emergency that arises at the end of the semester. A grade of Incomplete will only be assigned in the case of emergencies such as a death in the immediate family or an illness that requires hospitalization. The student must currently have a passing grade and must still meet the attendance requirements of the course. Official documentation will be required to verify the validity of the student's need for an incomplete. Incompletes will NOT be given in the case of vacation plans, job conflicts, apartment lease problems, social engagements, missing too many deadlines, or forgetting to take exams. If you need an incomplete, you must speak with me and provide the necessary documentation so that I can make the decision.
Academic Honesty
Plagiarism is defined in Code of Conduct in the KCC Catalog as "taking, reproducing, and/or using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, paraphrases, data, reports, graphic designs, or computer codes of published or unpublished work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course." All instances of intentional plagiarism on any assignment for this course will lead to the failure of the assignment. The instance of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Student Development. If the student has a second instance of plagiarism reported to the Dean of Student Development, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Cheating (including using artificial intelligence tools on assignments in ways not allowed by the instructor), fabrication, intellectual property dishonesty, and facilitation of academic dishonesty are also violations of the Code of Conduct and have the same consequence as plagiarism. You are encouraged to review the KCC catalog for more information. Search for the section on "Academic Misconduct."
Penalties for plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence tools on Essential Assignments:
- First instance during the semester: student receives a zero but can revise the assignment
- Second instance during the semester: student can receive a maximum grade of C in the course; the student still must revise it to pass
- Third instance during the semester: student fails the course
Students are expected to follow all courses policies and interact with each other respectfully at all times. Discussion posts that contain explicit, insulting, hurtful, racist, sexist, or otherwise demeaning content will be deleted and the student will receive no credit for their post.
Persistent disrespectful behavior may result in removal from the course and an automatic course grade of F.
All assignment due dates are posted in Canvas. Generally, initial posts for discussion boards are due by Day 3 of the particular week (Wednesday, 11:59 pm), and replies to classmates are due by Day 7 of that same week (Sunday, 11:59 pm). Other quizzes and assignments are due by Day of the week in which they are assigned.
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.