Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Major Authors and Topics (Face-to-Face)

GERM 4640-01

Course: GERM 4640-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: FLPH
CRN: 12401

Course Description

May be repeated once for credit on different topics/authors. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): GERM 2020 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D- Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 6 
This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the introductory and intermediate language sequence (or the equivalent) and wish to continue their study of German language and culture. 

Required Texts

Hier sind Löwen, by Katerina Poladjan (ISBN: 3596523435)

Learning Outcomes

Course Goals:
Course participants will: 
1.     acquire a nuanced vocabulary for discussing the history and representation of the Holocaust.

2.     learn to discuss and analyze written and filmic texts in German.

3.     continue their acquisition and increase their command of the German language through a variety of reading, speaking, listening, and writing activities. 

4.     gain confidence in reading and viewing authentic German-language texts as they begin to recognize and comprehend more complex discursive structures in written German. 

5.     begin to gain historical awareness of the discourses that have developed in the German-speaking world since 1945, especially since the 1980s and 90s.

Student Learning Outcomes: 
Communication: The successful student will continue to develop fluency in the four primary communicative skills in second language acquisition (reading, writing, speaking & listening) and will be able to express ideas in written and spoken German appropriate to the 3,000-level.
Critical Thinking: The successful student will demonstrate active and skillful conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information gathered from, or generated by, observing, experiencing, and/or reflecting on German-language poetic texts encountered over the course of the semester. 
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: The successful student will demonstrate that (s)he possesses cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of German-language cultural and social contexts.
(Learning outcomes will be evaluated through in-class activities, the midterm examination, written and oral projects, and the final project).

Course Requirements

Course Requirements and Grading:
 
            Participation/aktive Teilnahme                                 20%
            Homework/schriftliche Aufgaben + Quizzes              25%
            Journal Entries /Tagebücher                                     15% 
            Midterm exam/ Zwischenprüfung                              15%
            In-class presentation /Referat                                 10%
            Final project/Schlussprojekt                                     15%                               = 100%
 
    

Course Outline

Aktive Teilnahme (Attendance and Participation):
A major factor in the steady progress of acquiring proficiency in a foreign language is sustained practice. It is therefore imperative that you attend every class and complete all reading and written assignments. Your participation in the class means that you arrive on time, are prepared for the day’s work, and contribute to a positive learning environment by your active participation. 
»You may miss two (2) classes (the equivalent of one week’s worth of instruction) unexcused without penalty. After that, each missed class period will drop your participation grade by a half full grade unless accompanied by a valid excuse. 
Participation in this class means: 
·      Active participation in class discussions, group or partner work; effort to speak only German and to remain on task during group activities. 

·      Texting or the use of a device for any purpose other than direct class participation will lead to your receiving a “0” in class participation for that day. I reserve the right to ask students who engage in texting to leave class. Should you find yourself in an emergency situation that necessitates the potential use of your cellular device during class, you must alert me at the beginning of class in order to gain permission to be exempt from this regulation. Engaging in texting during class constitutes an affront to both me the instructor and your fellow students. We can all help foster a productive classroom environment by showing each other respect and being present rather than perpetually distracted. As far as I am concerned, Benjamin’s concept of Zerstreuung does not apply to text messages.

 
Note: Reading/Homework assignments listed under a specific day in the weekly plans (Wochenpläne) should be completed by class time on that day. 
 
Schriftliche Aufgaben (Readings and Study Questions/Homework): 
All assigned texts and study questions/daily homework assignments for this course will be available on Canvas. You should anticipate spending up to five hours of work outside of class. This time includes reading the assigned text for a given class session, composing answers to study questions (worksheets on Canvas) and preparing questions and observations (in German) for class discussion. In order to help consolidate the information we are obtaining, there will be occasional vocabulary, grammar & content quizzes. 
 
Tagebücher (Journal Entries):
In addition, you will be asked to compose regular diary/journal entries throughout the semester. Tagebuch entries are meant to be informal, handwritten, and semi-private reflections (some related to the course’s environmental theme). The weekly plans (Wochenpläne) will establish for specific dates for turning in Tagebuch entries. Grading of the Tagebücherwill generally be based on completing the exercise on time and with the correct length; grammar will generally not be taken into account in grading UNLESS the text overall is unclear. More information about the Tagebücher will be distributed in the second week of the semester.
 
Referat (In-Class Presentation):
In the second half of the semester, I will ask students to prepare and deliver a short (approx. 8-10 mins.) presentation in German related to the course’s theme. More information on this assignment will be available later in the semester.
 
Zwischenprüfung (Midterm Exam):
The midterm examination will be an in-class exam based on the material covered up to that point in the semester. 
 
Schlussprojekt (Final Projekt):
The final project provides students an opportunity to engage with the material and themes of the semester in a creative and analytical manner. Like a final exam, it is cumulative, but unlike a regular written final, it allows you flexibility and creativity as you construct your project. Examples of final projects include, but are not limited to, annotated translations from German into English, the composition of your own German-language poetry or short story, and many other possibilities.  
 
Some basic ground rules for the course:
»You may ask me (or a German tutor) for help with your written work. All other outside assistance is considered plagiarism. Plagiarizing ideas from books, websites, or other sources and submitting written work that is not your own is a violation of Southern Utah University’s Honor Code. 
»If you are experiencing any difficulties in this class, please communicate with me—I can help! Please feel free to come see me in person: my office hours are listed at the top of the syllabus, and I am also available to make an appointment with you. 
»If you feel unprepared on any given day, please contact me. Do not miss class because you feel unprepared.        

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

Aktive Teilnahme (Attendance and Participation):
A major factor in the steady progress of acquiring proficiency in a foreign language is sustained practice. It is therefore imperative that you attend every class and complete all reading and written assignments. Your participation in the class means that you arrive on time, are prepared for the day’s work, and contribute to a positive learning environment by your active participation. 
»You may miss two (2) classes (the equivalent of one week’s worth of instruction) unexcused without penalty. After that, each missed class period will drop your participation grade by a half full grade unless accompanied by a valid excuse. 
Participation in this class means: 
·      Active participation in class discussions, group or partner work; effort to speak only German and to remain on task during group activities. 

·      Texting or the use of a device for any purpose other than direct class participation will lead to your receiving a “0” in class participation for that day. I reserve the right to ask students who engage in texting to leave class. Should you find yourself in an emergency situation that necessitates the potential use of your cellular device during class, you must alert me at the beginning of class in order to gain permission to be exempt from this regulation. Engaging in texting during class constitutes an affront to both me the instructor and your fellow students.

Note: Reading/Homework assignments listed under a specific day in the weekly plans (Wochenpläne) should be completed by class time on that day. 

Attendance Policy

You may miss two (2) classes (the equivalent of one week’s worth of instruction) unexcused without penalty. After that, each missed class period will drop your participation grade by a half full grade unless accompanied by a valid excuse. 

Course Fees

$12

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.