GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE PROPOSAL
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY
HUMANITIES
Area: HUMANITIES
Date: ____February 17th, 2011__________________________
College: ______Honors Program_______________________
Department: ___Honors Program____________________
Catalog Abbreviation: _____HNRS____________
Title of Course for Catalog: Exploring Key Concepts in the Humanities: "Immigration in late 19th and Early 20th Century America"
Course Number: ____2010_________________
Credit Hours: _3____
New: __X____
Renewal _____
Changes in Gen Ed courses should be done on a course proposal form.
Course description as you want it to appear in the catalog:
HNRS HU: 2010: Exploring Key Concepts in the Disciplines: Humanities (3 credits of Humanities General Education Credit)
This course will focus on the history and development of a central concept in
the Humanities, using original sources as the primary class texts.
If this course proposal changes the requirements for any existing program, a program change form that reflects the change must be completed and submitted with this course proposal.
ARTS & HUMANITIES GENERAL EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT
Becoming a well-educated person requires growing, evolving, enriching and refining oneself as a human being and contributing to a better world. Becoming well educated involves learning to interact with the world around us as well as preparing for a career.
A General Education in Creative Arts & Humanities motivates us to:
be curious about ourselves and others
value learning
listen respectfully to the stories of others and recognize the value of differing interpretations
recognize multiple pathways to knowledge and their interconnectedness
reflect, analyze, and think critically about complex issues
act from a basis of knowledge to effect needed change
The Weber State University Creative Arts and Humanities general education requirements help all students discover their uniqueness and individuality while recognizing the common bonds that unite people everywhere.
Students taking courses that satisfy the Humanities general education requirement will gain skills and/or increase understanding in three areas.
Please justify explicitly how the course satisfies each learning outcome checked below.
Please note: The selected learning outcomes are consistent with all Honors General Education courses in the Humanities.
Area 1: Students will address at least two of the following skills:
__X_ oral, written, or graphic communication
____ reason at an abstract level
____ approach issues from multiple perspectives
__X__ use the library, online databases, and other research sources
____ critical thinking, cognitive learning, and problem solving (both individually and in groups)
Justification:
oral, written, or graphic communication
Students in this course will write two position papers and a literary analysis paper, as well as making an oral presentation in class.
use the library, online databases, and other research sources
Students will use research sources to prepare their papers and to make their oral presentations.
Area 2: Students will improve or develop at least two of the following skills:
__X__ gain knowledge and understanding of key themes and principles in a
particular discipline in the humanities
____ gain knowledge and understanding of key terminology in a particular discipline in the humanities
____ gain knowledge and understanding of the history, underlying theory, and applicable ethical standards in a particular discipline in the humanities
__X__ gain knowledge and understanding of the methodologies used throughout the humanities
Justification:
gain knowledge and understanding of key themes and principles in a particular discipline in the humanities
Immigration to the U.S. in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century profoundly shaped this country, and it’s an issue we both live with and struggle with today. This course approaches a central North American idea through the humanities, and in particular by reading the literature by and about those immigrants.
gain knowledge and understanding of the methodologies used throughout the humanities
The two position papers, the class discussions, and the literary analysis paper will act as the main ways for students to learn the methodologies of the humanities.
Area 3: Students will improve their ability to do at least two of the following:
__X__ identify broad themes and issues in the humanities
____ recognize and appreciate diverse thought and traditions (and their effects)
____ gain proficiency in a second language
____ identify and judge key elements of the humanities
__X__ forge relationships with other disciplines and breadth areas
____ recognize biases and influences that shape thinking
Justification:
identify broad themes and issues in the humanities
As Dr. McShane says in her syllabus, "As you study, interpret, analyze, and discuss various texts, you will identify broad themes and issues in American Studies."
forge relationships with other disciplines and breadth areas
Dr. McShane goes on to say that students will "discover links between disciplines such as English, History, Sociology, Film, and Politics."
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
1. Has this proposal been discussed with and approved by the department?
Yes. I have discussed this course with the Honors Steering Committee, who have approved it.
2. List those general education courses in other departments with similar subject matter and explain how this course differs.
There are no interdisciplinary courses such as this in other departments.
3. If the proposed new general education course affects course requirements or enrollments in other departments, list the departments and programs involved and attach comments from each.
This new course will not affect requirements or enrollments in other departments.
4. Attach a course syllabus. Include the number of contact hours per week and the format of these hours (e.g., lecture, lab, field trip, etc.).
The syllabus is embedded in the course proposal for the Curriculum Committee. I will attach it to this document, too.
New Courses Only:
5. Discuss how you will assess student learning outcomes associated with this course
We will assess the student learning outcomes through an assessment sheet we administer to all classes in the Honors Program. The assessment is organized around the learning outcomes listed above.
Current General Education Courses and Existing Courses Seeking General Education Status:
6. Discuss how you have assessed the applicable or identified student learning outcomes associated with this course.
The learning outcomes associated with this course are those approved by the Curriculum Committee and the General Education Committee for all Honors Humanities courses.
7. How has this assessment information been used to improve student learning?
At the end of the semester, I read all the student assessments, and also give the relevant information to each teacher. I also write a formal letter to the faculty member, quoting from the student comments. The student assessment enables me to open up a conversation with faculty if there’s a need for change or improvement, to drop faculty who earn poor ratings, and to encourage faculty who fulfil well their obligations to the students.
Immigration in late 19th and Early 20th Century America
Dr. Becky Jo McShane
Class meetings: MWF 12:30 – 1:20 pm (EH 217)
Office: Elizabeth Hall 449
Office hours: MW 9:00 – 10:30 am & T 10:30 am –
12:00 pm & R 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Phone: 801-626-7083
Email:
bmcshane@weber.edu
= best way to reach me in an emergency
From the mid 1800s through the early 1900s the United States experienced an intense period of migration and industrialization. How did people (both newcomers and natives) react to this event? How did they express their concerns and anxieties? Although we know many of the political and economic interpretations of this key period in American history, we often overlook the individual human view, the view of the average person, during this time. The humanities offer us a closer vantage point from which to perceive the human experience.
Recent debates about immigration in the U. S. reinforce the importance of studying the primary texts from, about, and by people who moved to this country seeking a better life. These texts can provide a useful context for our experiences today. Specifically, we will explore immigration through the texts of activists, reformers, journalists, poets, essayists, novelists, and photographers who lived in or around New York City—the city that witnessed the greatest increase in population at the turn of the century.
Since this is Humanities class, you will practice writing and reading/viewing texts from multiple perspectives (Cuban, European, American, Russian, Jewish, Italian, and so on). You will gain knowledge about key themes and principles in American Studies, which in this case includes literature, history, and film. Moreover, you will come to understand the history, underlying theory, and applicable ethical standards in this field. As you study, interpret, analyze, and discuss various texts, you will identify broad themes and issues in American Studies and discover links between disciplines such as English, History, Sociology, Film, and Politics.
· Jose Marti, Selected Writings (1880s-1890s) – correspondence, essays, poetry
· Emma Lazarus, The Poems of Emma Lazarus (1888) – poetry
· Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890) – photo-journalism
· Stephen Crane, Maggie, A Girl of the Streets (1893) – novel
· T. R. Roosevelt, American Ideals (1897) – essays
· Lillian Wald, The House on Henry Street (1911) – autobiography
· Abraham Cahan, The Rise of David Levinsky (1917) – novel
· Anzia Yezierska, Hungry Hearts (1920) – short stories
· Pascal D'Angelo, Son of Italy (1924) – autobiography
· Library of Congress, “The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906” – 43 films available online through the American Memory Project (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/papr/nychome.html)
If you require accommodations or services due to a disability you must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Services Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including the syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary. For more information about the SSD, contact them at 801-626-6413, ssd@weber.edu, or http://departments.weber.edu/ssd.
According to PPM 6-22 IV, students are to “[d]etermine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with a student's core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, the student should consider dropping the class. A student who finds this solution impracticable may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. This request must be made to the instructor in writing and the student must deliver a copy of the request to the office of the department head. The student's request must articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's beliefs.”
Plagiarism is a violation of the WSU Student Code and is not acceptable in this course (IV.D.2.b). If your writing appears plagiarized, or if sources are not documented properly, you may receive an E on the assignment. If repeated offenses occur, you will receive a failing grade for the class and I will notify the WSU Due Process Officer.
If for any reason the university is forced to close for an extended period of time, we will conduct our class via WSU Online. Look for announcements through the class website and your Weber email account.
All assignments must be submitted on or before the deadline! You will be penalized for late work unless you have had a genuine emergency and have worked out an alternative arrangement with me before the assignment is due. Please see the attached schedule for due dates.
|
Assignments |
Points possible |
|
Participation (attendance, small group work, discussion, etc.) |
20 |
|
Position papers (10 @ 2 points each) |
20 |
|
Literary analysis paper |
10 |
|
Presentation to class (with partner) |
10 |
|
Midterm exam |
20 |
|
Final exam |
20 |
Specific criteria will be provided for each assignment. At the end of the semester, I will add up the points you’ve received on the above assignments and convert them to a letter grade based on the following scale.
A = 95-100
A- = 91-94
B+ = 88-90
B = 85-87
B- = 81-84
C+ = 78-80
C = 75-77
C- = 71-74
D+ = 68-70
D = 65-67
D- = 61-64
E = 0-60