L911 Contemporary Perspectives - Dinero

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Contemporary Perspectives will help you to understand some of the major economic, cultural, and political issues that have developed since World War II. We will analyze these patterns of change, and their impacts on the profession that you will enter. In this way, you will be asked to make connections between your career and wider "liberal," "general education" issues, in order to enhance your understanding and gain a critical perspective both of your profession and your society.

Another important part of this course, which accounts for its 4^th credit, is to further your understanding of intercultural issues. We examine how other nations impact upon our lives, and seek to gain an appreciation of how other cultures may respond differently to the issues raised by such trends as globalization. We also will consider how our own understanding of other cultures and societies might enhance our ability to function in a pluralist society and in an increasingly interdependent world. Intercultural understanding will be emphasized throughout the course discussions, readings, and written work.

Course Perspectives and Goals

a) First, we will explore international issues and trends at the "macro" level in order to gain some understanding of what forces and factors globally are likely to affect our perspectives. We will examine the phenomenon of globalization. Assignment #1 will allow you to explore these issues.

b) Secondly, the course will focus our attention more closely on how these global trends and issues affect a particular region of the world or a country in a region, so that you will have experience in researching and analyzing these kinds of issues in the future. Assignment #2 will focus on changes in this region and its place in international affairs.

c) The third perspective of the course is at the "micro" level of analysis, the level of individuals and groups. Assignment #3 will be based on local and cultural issues raised by the book chosen by your instructor.

d) The fourth perspective of the course is the liberal/ professional connection. The final seminar paper allows you to combine all of the perspectives integral to the course with significant issues in your profession.

This course is the "capstone" course in your College Studies program. Students enrolled in the course must be within the final 30 credits of fulfilling graduation requirements, and must have completed at least one of the Level II (L66-, 670, or 68-) College Studies Courses and Writing Seminar II. Students will be expected to use and demonstrate research and writing skills appropriate to a senior-level course, drawing upon skills learned earlier both in College Studies and majors courses.

This is a writing-intensive course, designated as part of the University’s effort to ensure that you graduate with good oral and writing communications skills. You will use writing to help you conceive new ideas and new ways of thinking about problems through a process of multiple drafts and revisions. Moreover, writing leads to clearer thinking, and the University is committed to helping you use writing to learn.

This is also a four-credit course. Therefore, you should expect to devote at least 9 hours a week to preparation for the course. You will need to budget your time carefully taking into account your assignments in other courses as well. Work must be submitted on time or a penalty is attached.

Documentation: All work must include full, correct citations of all sources, within the body of the paper and in a works cited list, using APA or MLA style. Improper documentation constitutes plagiarism that will result in a failing grade for the assignment as well as possible other penalties. Please check the university policies on academic plagiarism and if you have any questions about this, ask your professor.

All assignments must be completed for you to pass the course. You cannot choose to omit any assignment. In addition, the process for the final project is an important aspect for its evaluation; failure to adhere to this process will be reflected in the final grade for your seminar paper.

Your regular attendance in class is an important responsibility that affects your performance in this course. Attendance is imperative in a course that depends upon discussion of the readings. This course is not a lecture course, and you must be in class to participate. Note that a percentage of the final grade depends upon class participation. If any changes are made in the schedule or assignments, it is your responsibility to find out and to meet appropriate deadlines.

Your final course grade will be calculated as follows:

Assignment #1 (ERes readings)                                    15%

Assignment #2 (India on the Ascent)                                                             15%

Assignment #3 (Instructor’s choice of reading; for this section, This is Not Civilization)                                                                                                   15%

Final Seminar Paper (may be divided into distinct components by the instructor; 

for this section, includes Section IV Research, meeting with Professor,

two meetings at Learning Center, and two drafts of the actual Seminar Paper)     30%

Class participation, short assignments, in-class work                                           25%

(This may include various reports, assignments using databases, intercultural

assignments. Weight of each individual assignment determined at instructor’s discretion)

                                                                                                            Total = 100%

Reading should be completed before, not after, assigned date.   You can not participate effectively in the Seminar if you haven't done the reading.

Required Texts/Readings:

Kelleher, Ann & Laura Klein.  Global Perspectives.  2006

India Readings, available at http://faculty.philau.edu/L911

 “Instructor’s Choice” - A book chosen by each individual instructor  (for this section, This is Not Civilization  by Robert Rosenberg, Houghton Mifflin, 2004).

 Reading selections on electronic reserve (ERes).

2.    Attendance, Participation & In-Class Exercises

All are mandatory. You are responsible for attending and participating at every class meeting, and for completing all assignments on time. There will be no makeups for In-Class Exercises missed due to undocumented (ex. Dr.'s note) absences. You will receive an F (0/100) for any such missed exercises.

3.    Writing Assignments

In addition to the In-Class Exercises, each student will be required to complete a variety of writing assignments during the term (descriptions below). Some general rules always apply:

1. Papers/assignments must be properly researched using an adequate quantity and quality of information culled from academic texts, articles, or other publications, and not by using an encyclopedia. The Gutman Library has numerous databases for this purpose.  Information from the Internet is of course acceptable, but you must bring to my attention any questionable Web pages you plan to use prior to submitting papers for grades.

2. Traditional endnotes and/or footnotes are not acceptable. Footnoted quotes or ideas, are to be "imbedded" in the text (author, date:page) as follows:

The frustrations of joblessness, a sense of weakness in relation to the government (Billsom, 1990:206), and other aspects of displacement may be played out violently by a Bedouin male upon those to whom he is closest.

NOTE: Failing to cite direct quotes or ideas will be considered an act of plagiarism. Any acts of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in an F for the assignment in question, and may lead to additional disciplinary action.

3. All assignments must be clearly presented and well organized. I expect and assume that you will spend a significant amount of time at the Learning Center working on some/all of your assignments. One of the goals of the course is to ensure not only that you understand contemporary global trends, but that you can discuss them cogently and concisely in well-structured, grammatically correct, spellchecked essays. Failure to achieve this goal will directly impact your final grade (not to mention your ability to succeed in whatever career you pursue).

4. All papers are to be backed up at least twice (ex. hard drive plus additional floppy disk). A "LOST" FILE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO COMPLETE/SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME.

5. Papers should be emailed only when submitting a hard copy is impossible due to illness or a similar legitimate explanation. If emailed, papers must be sent as an attachment in Microsoft Word. An emailed paper must be sent by the starting time of class on the date that it is due, or it will be considered late (see Late Paper Policy below).

FAILURE TO SUBMIT AN ASSIGNMENT WITHIN ONE WEEK OF ITS ORIGINAL DUE DATE WILL RESULT IN AN F IN THE COURSE.

5.  Paper Rewrite Policy

Written Assignments #1 and #2, and the Movie Review may each be rewritten once in the hopes of improving an assignment grade.  Rewrites are due exactly one week after the assignment is returned.  No rewrites will be accepted without written proof from the Learning Center that the student sought out help in revising their paper.  The original grade and the revised grade will be averaged together in determining the final grade for each rewritten assignment (50% for the original draft, 50% for the rewrite). 

Please note that this is a rewrite policy, not an extension policy.  Original drafts which are submitted on time, but which are obviously incomplete, do not qualify under this rewrite policy, and will be assigned an F (0/100).  Note that late papers do not qualify under this Rewrite Policy. 

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