UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
GENED 140 - Global Perspectives
Fall 2009
Section 7X, MWF 9:55-10:45, Hyland 2302
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
GENED 140 - Global Perspectives
Fall 2009
Section 7X, MWF 9:55-10:45, Hyland 2302
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Announcements (you should check this space regularly for announcements):
INSTRUCTOR
Prof. Jeff
Heinrich
Hyland 4304C
Phone: 262.472.5583 (UWW)
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 10:45-12noon,
1:30-3:30; Tuesday, 1:30-3 (electronic by email); or by appointment.
e-mail: heinricj@uww.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to key terms, concepts, issues and relationships in economics, geography, and political science. The course investigates how increasing globalization impacts issues such as the authority and competence of the nation-state, population growth and migration, economic development and trade, and patterns of international cooperation and conflict. May not be taken on an S/NC grade basis.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course strives to enhance students’ ability to do the following:
- Think critically and analytically, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and draw conclusions from complex material.
- Understand and appreciate American and other cultures, both contemporary and historical; appreciate cultural diversity; and live responsibly in an interdependent world.
- Acquire a base of knowledge common to educated persons, the capacity to expand that base over their lifetime by understanding the way that knowledge is generated, organized, tested, and modified, while recognizing the past and present limits to understanding.
- Develop problem-solving skills using maps, graphs, and tables of descriptive statistics.
- Identify countries of the world and basic geographical features and patterns of resource distribution.
- Understand the origins of international problems and the changing role of the U.S. in the world.
- Understand contemporary population concepts and trends.
- Compare political and economic systems and their effects on international relations and U.S. foreign policy.
COURSE MATERIALS
A. Readings indicated on syllabus, on electronic reserve in the library and on the world-wide web. This course will require you to make heavy use of the Internet, where you can also get maps from the University of Texas Perry-Canstañeda Library Map Collection . Blank outline maps are available online from About.com that you can use for practice on map quizzes; these are precisely the same maps that are used for the quizzes themselves - click < here >.
B. Highly recommended: News sources with significant international coverage.
This includes the international sections of the
New York Times
, the Washington Post
, The Economist
magazine (London), and the
BBC World News
. OnlineNewspapers.com
provides links to newspapers from around the world, which are likely to
provide perspectives rather different from the U.S.-based news sources you
are probably used to. Links to other sources of news and (generally economic) information can
be obtained by visiting Dr. Heinrich's
Interesting Sites
page.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
A. MAP QUIZZES (15% of your grade in total): There will be 4 map quizzes that will require you to both show the location of a country on a blank map, and also to give the name of a country indicated on a blank map. The map quizzes are broken down by continent: Americas; Asia; Europe; and Africa. The map quizzes will be given in the first half of the course. Click here for a sample map quiz (MSWord format). Maps can be obtained from the University of Texas Perry-Canstañeda Library Map Collection , and you can get blank maps from About.com to practice with (those outline maps are the exact same ones that will be used on the map quizzes. The tentative schedule for map quizzes is as follows:
| Quiz Day | Continent(s) |
| Wednesday, Sept. 9 | Africa |
| Monday, Sept. 14 | North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean |
| Friday, Sept. 18 | Europe |
| Wednesday, Sept. 23 | Asia (includes the Arabian Peninsula & Middle East) |
B. EXAMS (50% of your grade in total, divided evenly): There will be three or four exams each covering a different part of the course. There will be no exam make-ups. You will have a full class period to complete the exams, which will be a combination of multiple choice and true/false/explain. The exams will each cover 2 or on occasion 3 modules, so the dates of the exams will depend upon how long it takes to get through the modules. There are not fixed dates for the exams, but you can expect at least week's prior notice. The last exam will be held during the regularly scheduled final exam period (Wednesday, December 16, 10a-noon), but it will not be cumulative. There will be no study guides provided for the exams beyond the materials already available. Students are expected to be available for every class period! It is the student's burden to be available for whenever the exams are scheduled!
C. SHORT PAPER(S) (20% of your grade): Two short papers. Assignment details will be forthcoming.
D. CITIZENSHIP (15% of your grade): Citizenship includes such items as attendance, participation, contribution to the learning environment, and general classroom demeanor. There will also be several reading reaction assignments on discussion readings that will count here, as well as any in-class exercises that are graded. Class attendance is required and recorded.
E. Extra Credit (0%). Don't expect or ask for any. If any such opportunities arise, I will let you know.
GRADING POLICY
This course will use the extended grading scale. Students should not expect a 'curve', but if there is one in no case will any 'curve' give you a worse grade than what you would get under the following grading scale: 93%-100% = A; 90-92.x = A-, 87-89.x = B+; 83-86.x = B; 80-82.x = B-, 77-79.x = C+; 73-76.x = C; 70-72.x = C-, 67-69.x = D+; 63-66.x = D; 60-62.x = D-; <60% = F. There will be no rounding.
Attendance and Make-ups: Your enrollment in this course is taken as a commitment to attend class regularly and complete all tasks in the time allowed. It is expected that you have arranged or will arrange all other activities in a way consistent with your being able to submit assignments on time and take quizzes and exams when scheduled. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain any materials or information missed due to absence. I do not allow make-up of missed assignments, but I may excuse you from an assignment if you can offer evidence of significantly debilitating adversity or *prior* notice of participation in a University sanctioned event.
Suggestions for Doing Well: Don’t fall behind. We are going to move at a fast pace, and you will find it difficult to play catch-up. Also, plan on spending about 5 hours per week outside of the classroom studying the material. When you have difficulty grasping a concept, you should come talk to me for assistance. Take extensive notes in class...that's code for "write stuff down!". I can tell you from experience that the students who don’t write things down don’t do nearly as well in class as those who do. A basic outline of course notes is usually available in the form of PowerPoint Slides - you should print off these slides before class and flesh them out with your own observations in class.
If you are concerned about your grade in the class, the last half of the course is the worst time to come to me about it. Step forward early so that there will be time to turn things around. Students may wish to read through a little piece I wrote called What First-Year Students Should Know About Their Own Education - you may gain some useful perspectives.
COBE STUDENT HONOR CODE:
As members of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater College of Business & Economics community, we commit ourselves to act honestly, responsibly, and above all, with honor and integrity in all areas of campus life. We are accountable for all that we say and write. We are responsible for the academic integrity of our work. We pledge that we will not misrepresent our work nor give or receive unauthorized aid. We commit ourselves to behave in a manner that demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights and freedoms of all members of the community. We are respectful of college property and the property of others. We will not tolerate a lack of respect for these values.
This code originated at Wheaton College.
Instructor's Note: Everything you write should be solely in your own words, with the exception of quotes which should be few in number and clearly attributed to the author. Cutting and pasting from any source with or without proper citation is expressly prohibited. Academic dishonesty of any sort will be met with the harshest available measures.
UWW POLICY STATEMENT
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive
and non-discriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of
all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with University
policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodations,
Discrimination and Absence for University-sponsored events. (For details
please refer to the Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the "Rights and
Responsibilities" section of the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Academic Requirements
and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Bulletin;
and the "Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures" [UWS Chapter 14]; and
the "Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures" [UWS Chapter 17].
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Below is a tentative schedule of topics and assigned readings for this semester. You are responsible for all assigned readings, and I reserve the right to amend this schedule as I deem necessary. You will be notified of any changes well ahead of time.
PowerPoint Slides are made available to students for some material. To get multiple slides on a single sheet of paper, on the menu click on "File" then "Print." In the lower left-hand portion of the print dialog box, you will see "Print What:". Choose "Handouts," and to the right you can select how many slides you want on a page. 3 per page will provide plenty of room for notes. NOTE FOR MS INTERNET EXPLORER USERS: left-clicking on the links opens the file in IE - you can either use the print instructions above from there, or right-click on the link and "Save Target As..." on a disc or hard-drive, from which you can open the file in PowerPoint or the PowerPoint Viewer. By the way, did you know students can get the whole MS Office Suite (and other software) at a substantial discount? Google "Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog". Open Office is a free open-source business application package.
Several selections are in PDF format and require
Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free program) for viewing.
Accessing Articles in University Library Electronic Databases: Lexis-Nexis articles available through University Library - Articles and Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers. The reading entry in the schedule below will provide tabs and keywords that will help you access the article with a low number of hits. Students should also be mindful of the date of publication during retrieval. If an article is available through a different database, it will be indicated after the entry though without similar detail.
NOTE: You do not have to print out the readings for me! How you choose to read and study them is up to you.
Module 0 - Introduction to the course, generating a perspective consciousness, and contemplation of "general education".
SECTION 1 - Geography Focus
Module 1A. Changing Global Context
SECTION 2 - Economic Focus
Module 2A. Poverty and Development AssistanceModule 2B. Globalization and the Economic Rise of China
Module 2C. Global Climate
SECTION 3 - Political Science focus
Module 3A. Religion, Democracy, and International Security
Module 3B. The Changing International Security Environment: Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
3C. International Cooperation - The United Nations and Multilateralism vs. Unilateralism and the Preservation of Sovereignty.