Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

History Seminar (Online)

HIST 3090-SW1

Course: HIST 3090-SW1
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: HSOC
CRN: 32932

Course Description

3 Credit(s)

An examination of history through literature and an interdisciplinary humanities approach. The literature examined will concentrate on historiography and biography. Biographies will include major and minor historical and political figures. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

  1. Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 14th ed. (MacMillan, 2019) Ebook ISBN 9781319109714 or Paperback 9781319109707
  2. Joseph J. Ellis, His Excellency George Washington (Vintage, 2004) Paperback ISBN 9781400032532 (also available in Kindle edition)
  3. James M. McPherson, Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief (Penguin, 2009) Paperback ISBN 9780143116141 (also available in Kindle edition)
  4. Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Crown, 2010; multiple editions) Paperback ISBN 9781400052189 (also available in Kindle edition)
  5. Student's Choice: historical biography selected by student in consultation with and approval of instructor

Consider as Recommended text(s):

  • Other readings on Biography as Methodology, Craft, History (in Canvas)
  • Barbara Caine, Biography and History (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) ISBN 9781403987266

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate appreciation, understanding, and respect for the study of history throughout biography.
  2. Evaluate historical evidence and interpretations while improving your ability to craft critical written book reviews.
  3. Demonstrate your communication, analytical, research, and writing skills through diverse and challenging assignments.

Course Requirements

All assignments are due on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This is 8 modules in a 7 week course, so please check due dates carefully. If it is Tuesday or Saturday, you will have at least one assignment due!

Weekly Discussions

Each week, students are expected to participate fully in online discussions and activities that allow them to interact with other learners and to demonstrate their knowledge of course materials. Discussion prompts will focus on prompts from the instructor about the readings. All discussion posts are required by the assigned due date, and ALL must be completed with a passing grade to earn a final grade of 100 for this assignment. Any late or missing discussion posts will earn a grade of 0 (zero) for this portion of the final grade.

Reading Summary, Evaluation, and Discussion

Students are expected to read several articles by historians that examine the use -- and usefulness -- of biographies as a source of historical information and interpretation. Available in Canvas, all readings are required, and students will select ONE (1) of the readings to summarize, evaluate, and post as a Discussion no later than the end of Week 5. These summaries and evaluations of at least 500 words should be well-written and will be graded on a standard 100-point grading scale, with a rubric. This assignment will count toward 5% of the final grade, and any late or missing summaries will earn a grade of 0 (zero).

Critical Book Reviews

For each of the required books, students are expected to write a critical review of about 1200 words in line with criteria and guidelines explained in more detail in Canvas. These book reviews must be submitted by the assigned due date, and each should offer a thorough summary of the book's contents along with an appraisal of the book as a work of biography and historical interpretation. These book reviews will be graded on a standard 100-point grading scale, with a rubric, and any late or missing book reviews will earn a grade of 0 (zero). Each book review is worth 20% of the final grade.

Course Assessment Table

Course AssessmentsCourse Outcomes
Quizzes3
Discussions & Posts1, 2, 3
Reading Summary, Evaluation, & Discussion1, 2, 3
Book Reviews1, 2, 3

Grade Scheme

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

Course AssessmentsPercentages
Discussions, Quiz, & Posts (All Required)15
Reading Summary, Evaluation, & Discussion5
Book Review 120
Book Review 220
Book Review 320
Book Review 420
Totals100
GradeRange
A100 % to 93.0%
A-< 93.0 % to 90.0%
B+< 90.0 % to 87.0%
B< 87.0 % to 83.0%
B-< 83.0 % to 80.0%
C+< 80.0 % to 77.0%
C< 77.0 % to 73.0%
C-< 73.0 % to 70.0%
D+< 70.0 % to 67.0%
D< 67.0 % to 63.0%
D-< 63.0 % to 60.0%
F< 60.0 % to 0.0%

Course Outline

This Canvas-based semester-long and writing-intensive course focuses on history through biography.  This particular version of History 3090 is new and explores the United States, and it builds upon the successful and sustained efforts of several colleagues, most notably Professors Ping and Bostick.  Specific readings will depend on the instructor and semester, but fundamentally this course will examine history through an interdisciplinary humanities approach.  Biographies will include major and minor (or famous and less famous) historical figures that will examine the social contexts and historical impacts of different individuals. Students will be provided with plentiful opportunities to hone their writing, analytical, and communication skills.  In addition to weekly online discussions and activities, students will be expected to write four detailed critical book reviews. 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Online classes provide unique challenges for interaction. For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning; please look for feedback on your assignments in the specified amount of time. To find feedback, see: How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor.

It is my goal to:

  • Respond to student messages within 2 business days
  • Provide grades and feedback within 2 - 5 days from the due date

Late Policy: All deadlines are explained within this course. Any submission after the deadline will result in a permanent grade of zero or "incomplete."

Make Up Work/Extra Credit: This course does not have any options for make-up work or extra credit.

Attendance Policy

This is an online course with regular weekly deadlines.

Canvas Information

Extra Co-curricular Activities

Required Extra Co-curricular Activities: None.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.