Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus

HUM 3320 - Contemporary and Multicultural Studies (8-07)

Instructor: Dr. Harry S. Coverston	Phone: (407) 823-2905
Office: 227 Psychology Building	Message: (407) 823-2273
Course Location: CLB I - 307	Course Meeting: MWF 11:30 - 12:20
Hours: MWF 11:30 - 1:20 p.m. R 1:00-3:00 p.m.	Email: WebCT Coursemail (email checked by 10 p.m. on school nights (Su-R)

Course Description: This is a course which examines the confluence of diverse cultures making up North America in the Information Age, focusing on complete primary sources in philosophy, religion, literature, visual arts and music. This is a Gordon Rule course as defined by the College of Arts and Humanities requiring college level writing demonstrated in at least four assignments.

Prerequisites: HUM 2230, Junior standing, or consent of instructor

Course Objectives

1. To identify the personal and socio-cultural aspects of individual hermeneutical lenses which shape the way individuals encounter, interpret and experience being human in North America in the Information Age

2. To critically examine ideas surrounding issues of diversity, multi-culturalism and identity in the 21^st CE North American context.

3. To understand and appreciate the various identifiable cultural groups and their cultural contributions to 21^st CE North American life.

4. To understand and demonstrate the ability to apply Critical Theory to notions of justice in 21^st CE North American culture.

5. To critically examine ideas surrounding issues of technology and its impact on 21^st CE North American life

6. To critically examine possible future trajectories of North American and global peoples and their cultures.

7. To pursue the foregoing analyses through the artifacts of the expressive humanities and the ideas of the reflective humanities as found in

primary and secondary sources

Required Texts:

Kessler, Gary, ed. Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural Reader (6^th ed.) (Wadsworth Pub., Belmont, CA)

ISBN 0-534-21630-7

Crow Dog, Mary and Erdoes, Richard. Lakota Woman (Harper, NY)

ISBN 0-06-097389-7

Dyson, Michael Eric, Pride: The Seven Deadly Sins, (Oxford U. Press, NY) ISBN 0-19-516092-4

Garcia, Cristina. Dreaming in Cuban (One World Book, Ballantines Books, NY)

ISBN 0-345-38143-2

Course Ground Rules: Please follow the link to the Ground Rules. Read, mark and inwardly digest them. Your continued

presence in this class after the add/drop deadline constitutes consent to be bound by the Course Ground Rules.

· Covenant to Participate in a Learning Community spells out the remainder of instructor and student obligations to the course and will provide the basis for student self-evaluation at the end of the term.

· Withdrawal Deadline: It is this instructor's desire and intent that every student complete this course in good standing. However, should it become necessary for the student to withdraw, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the course prior to the

Friday, October 12 deadline

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

There are three components of the final grade in this class.

WRITING

Students will obtain a passing grade (60% or >) on four college level writing assignments (minimum compliance for Gordon Rule credit)

Unit Paper I - Hermeneutical Lens

An opening self-reflective essay in which students will identify, critically examine and reflect upon

the cultural matrix from which they have arisen and the resulting presumptions they bring to this class

Unit Paper II - Observation/Analysis I (Expressive Humanities) -

Students will observe, analyze and reflect upon one example of the expressive humanities

(visual arts, performing arts) from a cultural experience new to you

Unit Paper III - Observation/Analysis II (Reflective Humanities) -

Students will observe, analyze and reflect upon one example of the reflective humanities

(religion, philosophy) from a cultural experience new to you

Unit Paper IV - Research -

Students will research, analyze and write a paper about a chosen topic of contemporary and/or multi-cultural humanities. The

topic should develop one of the Course Objectives listed above.

A format for each paper will be provided.

The 100 points possible for each paper will include the following components:

* Content - 50 points

* Writing - 25 points

* Class Discussion - 25 points

TOTAL EACH PAPER - 100 points

Four Unit Papers @ 100 = 400 points total ( 50% of final grade)

CAVEAT: Gordon Rule credit requires

A grade in the course of at least a C or higher (not C-)

Completion with a passing score of the minimum number of writing assignments

PARTICIPATION

Students will earn participation points in a number of ways including

Group Presentations 10 @ 20 pts. = 200 pts. total

Evaluations 10 @ 10 pts. = 100 pts. total

Film reviews 13 @ 5 pts. = 65 pts. total

Attendance 35 classes @ 1 pt. = 35 pts. total

TOTAL = 400 points (50% of final grade)

The final grade will be composed of the writing and participation grades combined.

GRADING

The scale for all assignments used in this class includes the following:

93 - 100 = A	87-89 = B+	77-79 = C+	67-69 = D+	Below 60 = F
90-92 = A-	83-86 = B	73-76 = C	63-66 = D
	80-82 = B-	70-72 = C-	60-62 = D-

for an explanation of what these grades mean, see So, what does my grade mean?

FINAL GRADES (Out of 800 possible points total)

744- 800 = A	696 - 719 = B+	616 - 639 = C+	536 - 559 = D+	Below 480 = F
720 - 743 = A-	664 - 695 = B	584 - 615 = C	504 - 535 = D
	640 - 663 = B-	560 - 583 = C-	480 - 503 = D-

All borderline cases will be decided upon participation and attendance grades at discretion of instructor.

Final Comment: If something arises unexpectedly that will affect your attendance and/or performance in this class, please contact the instructor. He's a fairly understanding man but a lousy mind reader. Any departure from this syllabus is in the discretion of the instructor and depends upon the individual circumstances of the student in question. Any changes in syllabus requirements or scheduling affecting all students will occur with notice to students.