Mon Dec 1 12:59:37 2008
| Effective Term: |
New:
1109 - Fall 2010 Old: 1089 - Fall 2008 |
|---|---|
| College: |
New:
TIOT - Institute of Technology Old: TIOT - Technology, Institute of |
| Department: |
New:
11142 - Science & Technology, Hist of Old: 11142 - IT Hist of Sci & Tech/Prog in |
| Course Title Short: |
New:
Am Sci & Tech in Past Century Old: 20th Cent Am Sci & Tech |
| Course Title Long: |
New:
Honors Course: Issues in American Science and Technology in the Past Century Old: Honors Course: Issues in Twentieth Century American Science and Technology |
| Editor Comments: |
New:
Title change LE Requirement: CORE: Historical Perspective THEME: Civic Life and Ethics Old: This is a copy of HSCI 3333V: Honors Course: Issues in Twentieth Century American Science and Technology |
| Proposal Changes: |
New:
Title change LE Requirement: CORE: Historical Perspective THEME: Civic Life and Ethics Old: <no text provided> |
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Faculty Sponsor E-mail Address: |
New:
sgk@umn.edu Old: |
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Requirement this course fulfills: |
New:
HIS
- HIS Historical Perspectives
Old: C/PE - C/PE Citizenship and Public Ethics Theme |
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Other requirement this course fulfills: |
New:
CIV
- CIV Civic Life and Ethics
Old: HP - HP Historical Perspective Core |
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Criteria for Core Courses: |
Describe how the course meets the specific bullet points for the proposed core
requirement. Give concrete and detailed examples for the course syllabus, detailed
outline, laboratory material, student projects, or other instructional materials or method.
Core courses must meet the following requirements:
New: Historical Perspective History is a window on human dynamics in particular settings, allowing us to understand decision making under quite specific circumstances even as we watch how such decisions play out overtime. In this course, you will undertake a number of assignments using on-line materials that present visual and textual primary sources that you will use for historical analysis. Your own conclusions may or may not coincide closely with secondary readings assigned for class, and we will discuss how sources, historiographical methods, and the outlook of the historian may influence conclusions about historical events. Our readings will also allow us to evaluate the variety of ways history is written, and they will include biography, case studies, and even advocacy accounts using historical materials in order to build critical skills for reading history. Old: Historical Perspectives. A major premise of this coruse is that science as practiced is deeply embedded in culture even as it develops distinctive social, ethical, and profession norms. The class will use a chronological approach to understanding aspects of the development of science in the United States, with brief attention to historical origins but concentrating on the rapid and intensive development of science and engineering during the twentieth century. Some assignments will be from primary historical sources (readings and films), while others will depend on histories of science and technology or on work in the current periodical section of the library. The list of topics for the course reflects, I believe, its fundamental historical orientation. Citizenship and Ethics. Throughout the course, students will encounter scientists and engineers who, in particular times and places, were called upon to tackle problems and to provide advice and expertise; in some cases the potential outcomes were ambiguous (conservation policies and practices) while in others the experts needed to make profound ethical decisions with immediate impact (the recommendation to drop the bomb). The student will write microthemes in order to puzzle through such situations and to begin to understand the choices that faced historical actors; class discussion should demonstrate that problems may have more than one solution and that consensus was not always easy or even possible. A premise that undergirds my teaching about community responsibility and ethical behavior is that scientists and the public make decisions that influence the nature and direction of practice; that is, the pace and shape of scientific and technological practice are not predetermined. Often the focus is on short-term results, but history allows us to understand longer term products of decision making as well. In retrospect we may applaud certain initiatives (warfare protocols) or challenge past practice (eugenic sterilization), but history requires us to situate such events in political, intellectual, and cultural context. Because the course is directed at future engineers and scientists who will operate in public culture, who may be asked to elucidate technical problems, whose work will involve research and development, and whose decisions will be made individually and collectively, I will ask each student to do an oral interview with a current scientist or engineer. The guided oral history will include questions about the citizenship sensibilities of such practitioners and the ways in which they may have faced and resolved ethical decisions; it will also include much more straight forward questions about training, work experience, and career planning. A major purpose of the course is to alert students to the multiple dimensions of their future careers, equip them to gain information and make informed choices, and provide them with a long-term historical perspective on contemporary situations. |
|
Criteria for Theme Courses: |
Describe how the course meets the specific bullet points for the proposed theme
requirement. Give concrete and detailed examples for the course syllabus, detailed outline,
laboratory material, student projects, or other instructional materials or methods. Theme courses have the common goal of cultivating in students a number of habits of mind:
New: Civic Life and Ethics The course meets the Liberal Education requirement for Civic Life and Ethics because woven throughout the course, in every unit, there is a discussion of the way in which normative, legal, and professional ethics intersect with the policies and practice of science. The class will consider how, in the increasing professionalization in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, professional organizations began to elaborate codes of ethics, and then each student finds a code of ethics that relates directly to his or her career aspirations (typically engineering, science, medicine, as well as education, journalism and other fields). These are brought to class for a discussion of common characteristics and the particularities relating to particular professional arenas. One major component of the class is a group ethics project in which students investigate an actual historical case (such as Pinto, Tuskegee, and Challenger), do an in-class presentation and a final written paper that explicitly discusses the ethical issues and outcomes. In our final class discussion of contemporary issues in science and technology, we will talk about how ethics, personal and social, play into the decisions being made today. Old: <no text provided> |
| Question 1: |
What
types of writing (e.g., reading essay, formal lab reports, journaling)
are likely to be assigned? Include the page total for each writing
assignment. Indicate which assignment(s) students will be required to
revise and resubmit after feedback by the instructor or the graduate TA. New: The includes diverse writing assignments, three opportunities for rewriting assignments, a group writing project on ethics, plus essays for the midterm and final exam. These total between 20 and 25 pages of writing for each student and include microthemes, on-line essays in response to on-line assignments, a short research project with annotated bibliography, plus informal communication on exam preparation and other projects. A teaching assistant typically works closely with the students on writing as well. There are a total of at least eight writing assignments and students will be required to rewrite two of the early microtheme and on-line assignments as well as the group ethics project. There are also several opportunities for peer review. The goal is to enhance students' abilities with various methods of written communication on topics where science and society intersect. Old: The course has been redesigned for semesters, and in that process I have been able to include more diverse writing assignments, opportunities for rewriting certain assignments, a group writing project on ethics, plus essays for the midterm and final exam. These total between 20 and 25 pages of writing for each student and include microthemes, on-line essays in response to on-line assignments, a short research project with annotated bibliography, plus informal communication on exam preparation and other projects via the on-line discussion board. There are a total of 10 writing assignments and students will have the opportunity to rewrite the first microtheme, the take-home examination and will be required to rewrite the group ethics project. The goal is to enhance students' abilities with various methods of written communication on topics where science and society intersect. |
| Question 2: |
How does assigning a significant amount of writing serve the purpose
of this course? New: Most of the students in this class will be majors in science and engineering. The assignments are intended to encourage them to think reflectively about the practice of science, the intersections of science with culture, and the importance of ethical decision-making for individual scientists, their collective communities, and the public more generally. Thus, writing becomes one essential way of responding to important issues and communicating to others about them. The assignments are designed to address concerns that become more complicated over the course of the semester and to create more opportunities for students to learn from working with each other on writing. An underlying goal is to demonstrate how important writing is for scientists and engineers. Old: Most of the students in this class will be majors in science and engineering. The assignments are intended to encourage them to think relflectively about the practice of science, the intersections of science with culture, and the importance of ethical decision-making for individual scientists, their collective communities, and the public more generally. Thus writing becomes one essential way of responding to important issues and communicating to others about them. The assignments are designed to address more complicated concerns over the course of the semester and to create more opportunities for students to learn from working with each other on writing. An underlying goal is to demonstrate how important writing is in these scientific and technical fields. |
| Question 3: |
What types of instruction will students receive on the writing aspect
of the assignments? New: Both within the lecture format of the course and within the discussion groups, we will be talking about each individual assignment before the students begin their work. It is also my practice to return student work with commentary on the text and to discuss in class any issues that seem common to a number of students. The general writing assistance will include presentations about ways to approach the assignment, expectations about content, and guidelines about style. The teaching assistants have typically found that students use TA office hours primarily as a way to get assistance with writing assignments, and I have found a somewhat similar pattern. Old: Both within the lecture format of the course and within the discussion groups, we will be talking about each individual assignment before the students begin their work. It is also my practice to return student work with commentary on the text and to discuss in class any issues that seem common to a number of students. The general writing assistance will include presentations about ways to approach the assignment, expectations about content, and guidelines about style. The teaching assistants have typically found that students use TA office hours primarily as a way to get assistance with writing assignments, and I have found a somewhat similar pattern. |
| Question 4: |
How will the students' grades depend on their writing performance?
What percentage of the overall grade will be dependent on the quality and level of the students'
writing compared with the course content? New: Because the written work constitutes a majority (75%) of evaluated work in the class (with 10% on the ethics project which is both oral and written; 15% on class participation, including the on-line discussion board), writing performance will be the critical part of their final grade. I take notes on all class assignments and comment on both content and presentation in my grade book, which allows me to watch for progress in both. Improvement matters are taken into consideration in the final grade, and so writing improvement will be important. Old: Because the written work constitutes a majority (75%) of evaluated work in the class (with 10% on the ethics project which is both oral and written; 15% on class participation, including the on-line discussion board), writing performance will be the critical part of their final grade. I take notes on all class assignments and comment on both content and presentation in my grade book, which allows me to watch for progress in both. Improvement matters are taken into consideration in the final grade, and so writing improvement will also be important. |
| Question 5: |
If graduate students or peer tutors will be assisting in this course,
what role will they play in regard to teaching writing? New: Graduate assistants will do some of the grading, although I have found with this much writing that I also must share the responsibility. I meet weekly with my TA to discuss the class, goals for the weekly discussions, and multiple matters of grading including how to work with the written assignments. Old: Graduate assistants will do some of the grading, although I have found with this much writing that I also must share the responsibility. I meet weekly with my TA to discuss the class, goals for the weekly discussions, and multiple matters of grading including how to work with the written assignments. |
| Question 6: |
How will the assistants be trained and supervised? New: All graduate students in our program are required to take the TA training program when they enter (even those coming in on fellowship, because they will eventually TA) and each year they need to take at least two of those classes. Most of our students take the two-day course offered by the Writing Center because they have found it useful and recommend it to each other. I also talk about my expectations for the course with the TAs and look over all assignments before they are returned to see the ways in which the TA is evaluating the work and writing. Old: <no text provided> |
| Question 7: |
Write up a sample assignment handout here for a paper
that students will revise and resubmit after receiving feedback on the initial draft. New: Group project assignment: The ethics project is a group assignment. Below you will find a list of topics (including such things as Three Mile Island, the Challenger incident, Tuskegee, and the Pinto) that you can use or you may choose to do one on your own. This project will culminate in a written report of eight pages and an oral presentation in class. This may be a project where using the chat room or discussion board will be helpful for working within your group and we will provide some time in class for group discussions as well. Project Guidelines: The final written report from the group should be no more than eight pages including bibliography. The first draft will be shared with the entire class, and several specific classmates will be asked to comment from outside the group. With these suggestions and those of the instructors, the group should meet again to discuss the final report; supply a disk and signatures from all participants indicating their willingness to have the paper on the web site, if the group wishes. Oral group projects should be presented in class for no more than 10 minutes. Plan ahead if you need a slide projector or video display of any sort (we can arrange and/or pay for such equipment). The written report must be a product of group discussion and review and show the integration of the ideas of all of its members. Old: Group project assignment: The ethics project is a group assignment. Below you will find a list of topics that you can use or you may choose to do one on your own. Read through the very short descriptions and check out the additional information on the linked website for those that interest you. This project will culminate in a written report of 5 pages and an oral presentation in class. This may be a project where using the chat room or discussion board will be helpful for working within your group and there will be time in class for some discussion as well. Project Guidelines: The final written report from the group should be no more than 5 pages including bibliography. The first draft will be shared with the entire class, and several specific classmates will be asked to share their responses. With these suggestions and those of the instructors, the group should meet again to discuss the final report; supply a disk and signatures from all participants indicating their willingness to have the paper on the web site, if the group wishes. Oral group projects should be presented in class for no more than 10 minutes. Plan ahead if you need a slide projector or video display of any sort (we can arrange and/or pay for such equipment). |
|
Provisional Syllabus: |
Please
provide a provisional syllabus for new courses and courses in which
changes in content and/or description and/or credits are proposed that
include the following information: course goals and description;
format/structure of the course (proposed number of instructor contact
hours per week, student workload effort per week, etc.); topics to be
covered; scope and nature of assigned readings (texts, authors,
frequency, amount per week); required course assignments; nature of any
student projects; and how students will be evaluated. The University policy on credits is found under Section 4A of "Standards for Semester Conversion" at http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/senate/documents/policy/semestercon.html . Provisional course syllabus information will be retained in this system until new syllabus information is entered with the next major course modification, This provisional course syllabus information may not correspond to the course as offered in a particular semester. New: HSCI 3333V (FALL, 2008) AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PAST CENTURY Instructors: Professor Sally Gregory Kohlstedt Barbara Reiterer (TA) 204B Pillsbury Hall (East Bank) 167 Social Science Bldg. (West Bank) Phone: 624-9368 Phone: 626-8722 Email: sgk@umn.edu reite053@umn.edu Office hours: TTh 10-11; by appt. Office hours: Tues. 1:30-2:30; Wed. 1-2; appt. Class Meetings: TTh 9:05- 9:55 am in Ackerman 390, plus weekly section meetings Course Description: The primary goal of this IT Honors course on the history of science and technology over the past century is to reveal the fundamental framework of institutions and ideas that have taken us as a nation into the twenty-first century. Specific assignments will highlight ethical, political, and social issues that give meaning to and in turn are shaped by science and technology. Beginning with the role of scientists as professional experts in the Progressive era, we consider how ideals of scientific management impacted animal lives and workers’ bodies. Fundamental concepts of expertise and control were intimately linked and extended broadly to human society. Using eugenics as an example, we will reflect upon the interplay between science and social concerns and the legacy of eugenics in light of contemporary genetic testing. Technology, too, seemed to offer great promise during the interwar years, and we will compare large-scale engineering projects in the Soviet Union and the United States, looking particularly closely at the massive dams constructed in both countries. Not everyone was equally enthusiastic about the futuristic visions of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, for example, and existing realities of the depression led some to question the impact of technology in film and other forms of protest. Still, the unprecedented applications of science in World War II furthered faith in science and technology and created an era of “big science.” Military patronage had implications for research directions and created a climate of secrecy within even a democratic society, as witnessed by human radiation experiments and nuclear testing. Citizens struggle to find policies and practices that continue technological and genetic innovations but limit the risks and sometimes inhumane outcomes. Issues of individual and group ethical behavior and accountability will be a continuing sub theme of the course, as the class considers the intellectual, social, political, economic, and private components of choice in the context of professional expectations of scientists and engineers. Historical Perspective History is a window on human dynamics in particular settings, allowing us to understand decision making under quite specific circumstances even as we watch how such decisions play out overtime. In this course, you will undertake a number of assignments using on-line materials that present visual and textual primary sources that you will use for historical analysis. Your own conclusions may or may not coincide closely with secondary readings assigned for class, and we will discuss how sources, historiographical methods, and the outlook of the historian may influence conclusions about historical events. Our readings will also allow us to evaluate the variety of ways history is written, and they will include biography, case studies, and even advocacy accounts using historical materials in order to build critical skills for reading history. Civic Life and Ethics The course meets the Liberal Education requirement for Civic Life and Ethics because woven throughout the course, in every unit, there is a discussion of the way in which normative, legal, and professional ethics intersect with the policies and practice of science. The class will consider how, in the increasing professionalization in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, professional organizations began to elaborate codes of ethics, and then each student finds a code of ethics that relates directly to his or her career aspirations (typically engineering, science, medicine, as well as education, journalism and other fields). These are brought to class for a discussion of common characteristics and the particularities relating to particular professional arenas. One major component of the class is a group ethics project in which students investigate an actual historical case (such as Pinto, Tuskegee, and Challenger), do an in-class presentation and a final written paper that explicitly discusses the ethical issues and outcomes. In our final class discussion of contemporary issues in science and technology, we will talk about how ethics, personal and social, play into the decisions being made today. Writing Component Because I know from experience that writing is an important way to learn and to communicate, I have been involved in the writing intensive programs offered at this university through the Writing Center. You will have opportunities to write very short, informal papers in class that are intended to help you learn by writing. Short microthemes and response papers are intended to help you read and analyze visual content and to communicate what you discover. There will also be a project paper based on a visit to the Mill Museum to reflect on re-presented history as experience. After doing this individual writing, you will be part of a team to produce a longer research paper as well as an in-class presentation that will involve investigating an event that raised ethical issues. Some papers will involve at least one and sometimes two revisions. All of these assignments are intended to help you deepen your understanding of history and historical writing and continually enhance your writing abilities. Learning Outcomes History courses typically teach students content, in this case an understanding about how science and technology have become embedded in and influenced by the social and cultural life of the United States, as well as skills that can be applied broadly. This course in history, particularly in its group project on ethics, is intended to help students identify and solve issues, locate the relevant information, and communicate your results effectively orally and in writing. By keeping the Soviet Union (Russia at the beginning and again by the end of the twentieth century) in view as a comparison, the course both situates the United States in global perspective and makes its own developments place specific. Science and technology are implicated in innovation and social change, and discussions will take into account the complexity and interdisciplinarity of activities that are often best characterized as technoscience. Requirements Students will be expected to complete readings as assigned on the syllabus and come prepared to discuss these in class or to participate in on-line discussions or postings. Short in-class response papers will be considered part of the discussion process. There will be three on-line assignments with brief papers (15%), two microtheme assignments (10%), a group project (20%), as well as an hour exam (10%) and a final exam (20%); there will also be brief in class writing tasks throughout the course. Written assignments are due at the beginning of the specified class period. Class participation will be included as part of the overall evaluation of each student in the class based on contributions during the lecture class (10%) and, primarily, that in smaller sections (15%). There will be short written work in lecture and in discussion groups that will get a check, check plus, or check minus and these will also be folded into the class participation grade. Late assignments will be reduced in grade, and an incomplete in the course is possible only in unusual circumstances and with explanations documented in writing. This course meets the historical perspectives, citizenship and public ethics, and writing intensive requirements of the university requirements as defined by the Council on Liberal Education. Courtesy in the Classroom When you join a class, you make an implicit contract with the instructor and your fellow students to be on time to class, to listen when others are speaking, to turn off cell phones, and to use any electronic devices only to further classroom work and not for personal communication with others outside the class. Required texts: Thomas P. Hughes, American Genesis: A History of the American Genius for Invention (New York: Penguin Books, 1990). Diane B. Paul, Controlling Human Heredity, 1895 to the Present (Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press International., 1995). Loren Graham, The Ghost of the Executed Engineer: Technology and the Fall of the Soviet Union (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994). Jane Maienschein, Whose View of Life? Embryos, Cloning and Stem Cells (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004). On-line class assignments at www.umn.edu/scitech/3333assignments.html Assignments and Outline for HSCI 3333V INTRODUCTION Sept. 2 Welcome, introductions, and background Shaped by Writing (short film) Sept. 4 Science, Technology, and National Aspirations Reading: Hughes, American Genesis, pp. 1-52 Intake writing assignment Sept.4/5 Science and Invention Reading: Hughes, American Genesis, pp. 53-95, 150-183 I. MODERNISM AND PUBLIC LIFE Sept. 9 Experts, Efficiency and Control in the Progressive Era Reading handout: Cowan, pp. 201-219 Writing Assignment #1 DUE Sept. 11 Scientific Management in Theory and Practice: Taylor and Ford Reading: Hughes, pp. 184-248 Sept. 11/12 Technocrats and Scientism in the Early Twentieth Century Reading: Hughes, pp. 248-294 Sept. 16 The World of Tomorrow (film) II. ENGINEERING LIFE Sept. 18 Social Engineering: An Overview of Eugenics Reading: Paul, Controlling Human Heredity, pp. 1-71, and Susan Lederer, “Political Animals: The Shaping of Biomedical Research Literature in Twentieth-Century America” Sept. 18/19 Fitter Families Online Assignment I (Fitter Family Exhibit) DUE; rewrite due Oct. 2 Sept. 23 Tomorrow's Children (film) Sept. 30 The Practice and Fate of Eugenics in International Context Reading: Paul, pp. 72-114 Oct. 2 Ethics: Formal Codes and Personal Practices Find a code of ethics relative to your possible career and bring a copy to class. Oct. 2/3 Eugenics and the New Biology Reading: Paul, pp. 115-135 III. TECHNOCRATIC OPTIMISM IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXTS Oct. 7 Valley of the Tennessee (film) Hughes, pp. 353-381 Oct. 9 Exam - based on Units I and II Oct. 9/10 No regular class but you will spend two or three hours visiting the Mill Museum on West River Road north of campus (free passes will be provided) Oct. 14 Engineering in Service to the Nation Hughes, pp. 353-381, Graham, pp. 1-65 Writing Assignment #2 DUE Oct. 16 The Great Competition: American and Soviet Engineering Projects Reading: Graham, 67-97 Oct. 16/17 Soviet Science in Perspective Reading: Review Graham; discuss ethics projects IV. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND WARFARE Oct. 21 Decision to Drop the Bomb (film) or The Day after Trinity (film) Oct. 23 World War II and Science Reading: Hughes, 381-442 Oct. 23/24 War and Ethics Reading handout: Rhodes, “Tongues of Fire” Oct. 28 Post-War Science and the Goal of Internationalism Reading handout: Jessica Wang, ACompeting Political Visions for Postwar Science@ from American Science in an Age of Anxiety Oct. 30 NASA and the Space Race Reading handout: McCurdy, Inside NASA, pp. 1-24, 133-158 On-line Assignment IV (Space Race) DUE Oct. 30/31 Science and Warfare Preparation for the ethic project oral and written reports VOTE Nov. 4, 6, 11 Ethics Projects in class Substantial drafts of your final project papers are due Nov. 16 at 6 pm via internet. Nov. 6/7 Class time to work on papers and discuss format and editorial details V. SCIENCE IN THE POST-MODERN ERA Nov. 13 Loss of Confidence and the Critiques of Science Reading handout: Hughes, American Genesis, pp. 443-472 Reading: Graham, pp. 81-97 (review) plus 99-106 Reflection Assignment 1 DUE Nov. 13/14 Rethinking the Nature and Practice of Science: A Physicist’s Perspective in Reading handout: Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Nov. 18 Computers and the Cold War: Reading handout: Paul N. Edwards, The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America, pp. 43-73 DRAFT Papers Due - in class peer review Nov. 20 Physics in the Late 20th Century Reading handout: Daniel Kevles, “The Death of the Superconducting Super Collider in the Life of American Physics” Nov. 20/21 Discussion of revisions for the team projects. Nov. 25 The Matrix (Class will being at 8 am to accommodate the feature-length film; independent showing available in library) Nov. 27 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Dec. 2 Biology and Genetics Reading: Maienschein, chapters 1- 5 Ethics Project Papers DUE Dec. 4 Challenges and Possibilities of Biomedical Research Reading: Maienschein, chapters 6-8 On-line Assignment III (Genetics) DUE Dec. 4/5 Who is in Charge? Science, Engineering, and Public Policy Reading: Maienschein, chapters 8 through Epilogue Sally Smith Hughes "Making dollars out of DNA: The first major patent in biotechnology and the commercialization of molecular biology, 1974-1980." Isis 92 (2001): 541-575. Dec. 9 Science and Technology in the News Reflection Assignment: Find a recent newspaper or magazine article that discusses some aspect of public policy relating to science and engineering. What is the public perception of the responsibilities and limits of government with regard to science and scientific products? You might look for environmental, consumer, health or other issues. What are the presumed sources of authority and appropriate sanctions for violation of implicit or explicit public policy? On a 3x5 card highlight what drew you to this article and how it relates to themes in the course. Optional review session scheduled. Final Exam, Thursday, December 18, 8-10 am No electronic devices of any kind are allowed in examinations. Appendix on Student Services Student Writing Support The Center for Writing’s Student Writing Support (SWS) is available to all students at any stage in their writing process. Students can schedule up to two consultation sessions each week. Writing Resources Student Writing Support (SWS) offers free writing instruction for all University of Minnesota students—graduate and undergraduate—at all stages of the writing process. In face-to-face and online collaborative consultations, SWS consultants help students develop productive writing habits and revision strategies. SWS consultants are teachers of writing: graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants and professional staff. Some consultants specialize in working with non-native speakers, and others have experience with writing in specific disciplines. Consulting is available in available by appointment online and in Nicholson Hall, and on a walk-in basis in Appleby Hall. More information: http://writing.umn.edu/sws | 612.625.1893 In addition, SWS offers a number of web-based resources on topics such as avoiding plagiarism, documenting sources, and planning and completing a writing project. See http://writing.umn.edu/sws/quick_help.htm. University Libraries: The ultimate resource for research, the University library has five major facilities and eleven branch sites with a wealth of reference materials, online resources, books, articles, newspapers, microforms, government documents, maps and more. Librarians are available and happy to help orient students to all aspects of the library system. You can find research assistance at http://tutorial.lib.umn.edu. The library tutorial, QuickStudy, is a self-paced tutorial covering the research process at the University of Minnesota Libraries. It starts with selecting a topic for a paper and ends with citing sources for a bibliography. Through this tutorial, students can also learn how to use RefWorks (www.lib.umn.edu/site/refworks.phtml). RefWorks is a web-based citation manager that allows you to create your own databases of citations by importing references from MNCAT (the library catalog) and other databases or by entering them using a template. RefWorks automatically generates bibliographies in all major styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, etc.) in seconds, and then exports them as several document types (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.). Hands-on research tutorials with a research librarian are also available. Sign up at http://www.lib.umn.edu/registration. These workshops focus on effectively using MNCAT, the library catalogs, the Expanded Academic Index, and more. The library website also has an assignment calculator at http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/calculator/. This tool allows students to break down any assignment for any course into manageable steps. After entering a due date and the academic department in which the course is being offered, students are given a series of suggested stages and deadlines to follow as they complete the assignment--the newest version of this tool will even provide email reminders if students request it. University of Minnesota Counseling & Consulting Services: 109 Eddy Hall (612.624.3323) http://www.ucs.umn.edu/ UCCS helps students with their concerns and offers an opportunity to talk with an experienced counselor who can help students select and achieve goals for personal and career development. The center offers three types of counseling: personal counseling, academic counseling, and career counseling. The Learning and Academic Skills Center offers classes, workshops, and individual assistance aimed at helping students achieve academic goals. Standard Statement on Course Requirements 1. The two major grading systems used are the A-F and S-N. Departmental majors must take major courses on the A-F system; non-majors may use either system. The instructor will specify criteria and achievement levels required for each grade. All students, regardless of the system used, will be expected to do all work assigned in the course, or its equivalent as determined by the instructor. Any changes you wish to make in the grading base must be done in the first two weeks of the semester. 2. The instructor will specify the conditions, if any, under which an "Incomplete" will be assigned instead of a grade. An "I" grades will automatically lapse to "F" at the end of the next semester of a student's registration, unless an instructor agrees to submit a change of grade for a student during a subsequent semester to maintain the grade as an "I". 3. Inquiries regarding any changes of grade should be directed to the instructor of the course; you may wish to contact the Student Dispute Resolution Center(SDRC) in 321 CMU (625-5900) for assistance. 4. Students are responsible for all information disseminated in class and all course requirements, including deadlines and examinations. The instructor will specify whether class attendance is required or counted in the grade for a class. 5. A student is not permitted to submit extra work in an attempt to raise his or her grade, unless the instructor has specified at the outset of the class such opportunities will be afforded to all students. 6. Scholastic misconduct is broadly defined as "any act that violates the right of another student in academic work or that involves misrepresentation of your own work. Scholastic dishonesty includes, (but is not necessarily limited to): cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, which means misrepresenting as your own work any part of work done by another; submitting the same paper, or substantially similar papers, to meet the requirements of more than one course without the approval and consent of all instructors concerned; depriving another student of necessary course materials; or interfering with another student's work." 7. Students with disabilities that affect their ability to participate fully in class or to meet all course requirements are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the instructor so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged. Further information is available from Disabilities Services (30 Nicholson Hall). 8. University policy prohibits sexual harassment as defined in the December 1998 policy statement, available at the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Questions or concerns about sexual harassment should be directed to this office, located in 419 Morrill Hall. You may contact SDRC at 625-5900 for more information on the above services or to find out if any would be helpful in solving your problem. Old: <no text provided> |