The University Colloquium

UC 101 -- Spring, 2002

3 Credits - This is a required liberal studies course for all first year students at NAU
Lectures – T TH Bldg. 65 Rm. 241 4:00-5:15
Intructor: David Ostergren, PhD.
Office: Hanley Hall 107 and SBS 346
Phone: 523-0701, e-mail: david.ostergren@nau.edu

Office Hours: T TH 2:00-3:00 in SBS (Bdlg 65) Room346, (sign-up sheet on door)
W 2:00- 3:00 in Hanley Hall (Bdlg 7) Room # 107 (sign-up sheet on door)
or by appointment. Ph. 30701 E-mail david.ostergren@nau.edu

Course Description: Many students enter the university curious about what it means to be a student, about what will expected of them, and unsure how to negotiate the demands and expectations of a university curriculum. This course is designed to provide students with a seminar type class in which they work with full time faculty to arrive at clearer understandings of the university and of their roles as students.

This course will introduce students to the intellectual challenges that characterize the university community through common readings and experiences. It will also help them become more cognizant of their own strengths and of the areas in which they need more work, and to understand the role of a strong liberal education for all students regardless of their major. The aim of the course is to help students succeed by helping them to understand the kinds of skills, abilities and competencies they will need to develop as students. The colloquium will describe the challenges and standards inherent in our intellectual and academic work at the university. In doing this, the course will help each student develop a stake in their own education, set their own goals, and to gain a clearer picture of how the university can help them reach those goals.

As the first required course of the NAU Liberal Studies Program, the University Colloquium will teach the following essential skills: effective writing, critical reading, and critical thinking. In addition, this course will cover the following Liberal Studies Theme(s): Environmental issues on the Colorado Plateau.

General Course Goals

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of liberal education.
2. Students will describe the value of liberal education in relation to their intellectual and personal development.
3. Students will demonstrate an awareness of citizenship in the communities in which they learn, live, and work.

Course Objectives:

1. To develop critical reading skills through reading, re-reading and discussing articles.
2. To develop writing skills through writing and revising essays over the course of the semester.
3. Familiarize themselves with the qualities of a liberal education by investigating and using those qualities to write, read and think through one debate and six quizzes.
4. To become familiar with environmental issues on the Colorado Plateau
5. To understand the elements and actors in the environmental policy making process such as federal, state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations and business interests.
6. To develop public speaking skills with the goal of being able to present conflicting ideas or opinions in a civil and respectful manner.
7. To prepare and deliver a revised, well-written introspective essay on their own strengths.

Teaching style:

The student has the daunting task of investigating the challenging subjects of liberal studies, university citizenship and environmental issues. To that end, I employ a "no-holds barred" teaching methodology. Papers, quizzes and exams will encourage you to master the material. Lectures and in-class discussion will explore difficult material. Students are expected to think and speak in class. Small group projects, video, slides, overheads, outside research and in-class presentations are all utilized. You should expect to learn from each other as well as the instructor. The instructor expects to learn from the students. My expectations for your performance are very high, but my general approach is merciful. There is one optional field trip to Siberia in July (really--$3600 includes nearly everything from July 19^th-August 14^th.).

Textbook, and readings:
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire: a season in the wilderness (1968) Touchstone 1997.
McBride, James 19996. The Color of Water. New York. Riverhead Books.
Woods, Gioia E. Editor 2002. University Reader: preparing citizens of the 21^st Century. Boston Pearson Custom Publishing.

You are responsible for regularly attending this course. Should an absence from class be unavoidable, you are responsible for reporting the reason to your instructor. In addition, you are responsible for making up any work or information you missed. Your instructor is under no obligation to make special arrangements for you if you are absent. Make-up work will be allowed at the instructor's discretion for "pop" quizzes, response essays or other unannounced assignments you missed on the day(s) of your absence. As a result, absences can lower your final grade. If you must be absent for an exam day, you must notify me and make formal arrangements with me (i.e. not just leave a message on a phone machine) at least 24 hours before the exam.

Institutional excuses permit students to be absent from classes to represent the University at athletic, extracurricular, or academic activities. These must be approved and signed by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, and the Dean of the pertinent College, and presented to the instructor before the absence.

Late assignments—assignments are due by 4:00 PM on the day indicated in the syllabus. Part of professional life is having to meet deadlines. 10% of the possible points will be deducted for the first 24 hours, 20% for 48 hours and 5% per day after that.

cheating: any evidence of cheating or plagiarism on any assignment, exam or lab will at the very least result in a 0 score. At the discretion of the professor and department, the student may receive an "F", and/or be expelled from the program. Please see the Student Code of Conduct and the section on Academic Dishonesty in the Northern Arizona University Student Handbook.

written assignments : ALL PAPERS WILL BE TYPED AND FOLLOW A STANDARD FORMAT OF 1" MARGINS, 1.5 TO DOUBLE SPACING, 11 OR 12 FONT, NO PAPER CLIPS OR PLASTIC COVERS-A SIMPLE STAPLE WILL DO.

All students in the University Colloquium will develop learning portfolios through which they will demonstrate their ability to meet the outcomes in the Objectives part of this syllabus.

All students in the University Colloquium will begin to compile a learning portfolio that will stand as a record of their work and development in this course. This portfolio will form the basis for the learning portfolio which students will keep throughout their undergraduate careers at NAU. The portfolios completed as part of the University Colloquium will include:

• Initial essay on The Color of Water
• Essay based on interdisciplinary content
• Final reflective essay on citizenship or personal development

See the guidelines for writing well in your "Reader."
Quizzes may be multiple choice or short answer. You may miss one quiz (or take them all and throw out the low score.)

Your final grade will be based upon the following point schedule:
Two Essays (100 points each)            200 points
Assignments (take home questions,
debate, news updates, readings).      100 points
Final Exam                                        50 points
Quizzes                                             90 points
Contribution to Community               50 points
Participation and attendance              60 points

Prelude The prelude stands as a general introduction to the notion of academic community and to citizenship by raising explicit issues regarding this larger theme and by delineating the standards and challenges students will need to work toward.

This syllabus is subject to change at the instructors discretion.

Several Important Policies

safe environment policy

NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university. You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean ’s office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean ’s office, the Office of Student Life (523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (523-9368), or NAU ’s Office of Affirmative Action (523-3312).

students with disabilities

If you have a learning and/or physical disability, you are encouraged to make arrangements for class

assignments/exams so your academic performance will not suffer because of the disability or handicap. If you have questions about special provisions for students with disabilities, contact the Counseling and Testing Center (523-2261). It is your responsibility to register with the Counseling and Testing Center. Application for services should be made at least eight weeks before the start of the semester.

If the Counseling and Testing Center verifies your eligibility for special services, you should consult with your instructor during the first week in the semester so appropriate arrangements can be made. Concerns related to noncompliance with appropriate provisions should be directed to the Disabilities Support Services coordinator in the Counseling and Testing Center.

The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAU’s administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.

Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAU’s Student Handbook.