Global Languages, Global Issues |
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Attendance and Participation: Attendance in the Freshman Seminar is crucial. The instructors will take attendance at each regularly scheduled class meeting. You will be assigned a participation grade based on our observations of your work in class. Attendance at one-on-one meetings with your instructors will also be counted as part of your participation grade; failure to attend these meetings may result in a grade of NC for the course. If a student misses more than two classes, s/he must see the instructors. Should the student accrue three absences or more, s/he may risk a grade of NC for the class. You may earn up to 15 points for attendance and participation.
Cultural Autobiography: Your first writing project in "Global Languages, Global Issues" will be to write what one might call a "cultural autobiography" in response to the question, "Who am I, culturally?" We'll be talking about various aspects of your "cultural" identity in class, but you can start thinking about them in advance by taking the surveys found on pages 21, 22 and especially 23 of your course packet. Where do you come from, and how has it shaped the person you are? How might you have worked to define yourself against the culture(s) in which you grew up? Do you consider yourself as belonging to a variety of different cultures? How do they support or contradict each other, and how do you resolve those contradictions? How do you suppose living in your most recently acquired culture -- Sonoma State -- might add to or alter your cultural identity? This writing project, which is due September 11 in class, should be 3-4 pages typed, 12-point font (Times or New York), 1-inch margins. Consider contacting the Writing Center if you're unsure about how to begin, or if you want help with syntax or other technical aspects of your writing. (It's free!) To read Suzanne and Jacki's "cultural autobiographies," click here.
Library Workshops: During the weeks specified in the course calendar, you will attend two library workshops. The first is a general introduction to the library (the physical space, the catalog, etc.) and is ideal for all freshmen. The second is a searching workshop which will help you begin to do the research for your project in this class. Check out the library's website for more information! These workshops are mandatory; any student not attending the workshops may not receive credit for the course. You will earn five points for each workshop attended. Be sure to bring proof of attendance (ask the librarian in charge) to class on the day specified!
Professor Interview: During the semester, you will conduct an interview with one of the professors teaching your classes or a professor from the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures or a professor who teaches in the Global Studies program. We will discuss interviewing techniques and brainstorm possible interview questions in class. Your written report on this interview will consist of two parts: a paragraph-long description of the person you interviewed (pertinent biographical information, interests, etc.) and another paragraph providing your own personal commentary on the experience. You may earn up to 5 points for this project. This project is mandatory; any student not completing the interview and corresponding written work will not receive CR for the course.
Other-Culture Responses: Over the course of the semester, you will be asked to attend and comment on three "other-culture events." We are defining an "other-culture event" as an event which takes you out of your familiar setting, out of your comfort zone, so that you experience what it is like to be the "other." The event may be a cultural event, a religious service, a sporting event, etc. For example, if your background is Catholic, you might want to attend a Jewish service or a Buddhist Temple service or a Black Church service. If you are heterosexual, you might consider attending a meeting of the campus BI-GLASS club. In other words, think about who you are and where you come from, and then find three events where you may not be entirely comfortable. We strongly encourage you to complete this activity in pairs and to negotiate with your partner the specifics of the what, where and when of the activity.
Immediately after attending the event, we suggest you jot down notes about what you saw or did and about your reaction to the event. You will then write (individually, even if you attended the event with a partner) a one-page self-reflective paper which discusses your expectations, any previous notions or potential biases you may have had before attending the event, and the knowledge you gained after attending the event. We also encourage you to share your experiences with the class. You may earn up to 15 points for this activity (5 points for each event attended and responded to in writing). Response papers are due on the date indicated in the course calendar.
Listserv Postings: At various moments throughout the semester (see the calendar), you will be asked to post a response to a question on our class listserv through the WebCT course management page. We will post a question, usually related to the issues we've been talking about, and then you will respond to the prompt, or to someone else's answer (thereby creating a dialogue with your classmates on-line). In addition, you will also be asked to e-mail one of the SSU students studying abroad, to get feedback on their experiences in other countries, and you will be posting your questions and their answers to the listserv. We'll be keeping track of all of these responses, and in the end, you may earn up to 20 points for your listserv activity over the course of the semester. We will have study abroad student e-mail addresses available later on this semester for you to choose from. To access our WebCT page directly by clicking here.
Research Project: The research project for the Global Languages, Global Issues Freshman Seminar will allow you to identify and explore an issue of concern to your international peers, either natives of another country or students studying abroad. You may choose the issue and country or countries to explore, subject to approval by Suzanne, either by e-mail or in person. (An "issue" may be defined as, "a point, matter, or dispute, the decision of which is of special or public importance.") We will work closely together over the course of the semester as a group and with a librarian to insure that this project is developing appropriately over time. In particular, we will devote class time or one-on-one time to each of the following tasks:
You will also schedule meetings with Suzanne to discuss your progress and planning. During the classes of December 4 & 6, you will present the fruits of your research in a 4-5 minute presentation before the class. (This presentation may be videotaped for the purposes of the grant.) Don't hesitate to be creative in your presentation techniques! You will also prepare a 4 to 5-page paper which effectively presents the results of your research; this paper is due December 6 in class. You must work with the SSU Writing Center (Schulz 2024) during some step in the preparation of the written portion of this assignment; a Writing Center consultant will sign a draft of your work as proof that this consultation took place. This project will count for 25% of your final grade in the class.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of the project, you will be able to:
Week of September
11: Brainstorming and defining
topics Week of September
20: Attendance at a general
freshman library workshop Week of September
27: Attendance at a searching
workshop in the library October 2 &endash; October
18: Gathering
information October 23 &endash;
October 25: Evaluating information
gathered November 13 - November
29: Organizing information for
your oral presentation November 27 - December
4: Drafting your written
report December 4 &
6: Oral Presentations in
class December 6: Final Written Report due
in class
Meetings with Suzanne to discuss topics
chosen
Meetings with Suzanne to discuss
presentation
Consultation with the Writing Center
This project has been funded by an Information Competence grant from the CSU Chancellor's Office.
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