MAKE SURE TO 'REFRESH' YOUR SCREEN EACH TIME YOU VISIT THIS SITE TO BE SURE YOU HAVE THE MOST RECENT PAGES [updated 12/28/13]
Office: Par 132. Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:15-1:45, and by appointment. Office Phone: 471-8747.
Course Web Site: www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/30214/
Overview: This seminar course is designed, first of all, to help students meet the goals of the new curriculum which is designed so that students will "graduate with the flexible skills they need to be leaders in our communities." Those skills include ethics,along with critical thinking, independent inquiry, time management, digital literacy (multimedia and web skills), information literacy, and print literacy. In other words, to prepare students for their college and later careers we will practice college-level speaking, listening, and discussing, informal writing (blogs) . Grades will be based in part on meeting the two expectations employers have of college graduates: time management, and the ability to read, analyze, and follow complex, detailed directions. See goals for details.
Flags: **"This course carries the Writing and the Ethics and Leadership flags.
Writing: This section is not appropriate for ESL students who are not willing to work hard to perfect their English. A reading and writing comprehension test may be administered in the first week or so to determine how much extra work each student may require to be able to master college-level writing. If a student fails to do the required extra work and master college-level writing, the student will not be able to pass the course.
Ethics: We will focus on three values of UT: leadership, discovery learning, and diversity. In addition, Ethics and Leadership courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for making ethical decisions in your adult and professional lives. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments involving ethical issues and the process of applying ethical reasoning to real-life situations. " Official topic description of this particular UGS 302: "Focuses on making real-life ethical choices concerning our use of animals (for food, clothing, pets, etc.). Our ultimate ethical goal is to consider Einstein's suggestion that we “widen the circle of compassion” to not only all kinds of people but to other species as well. Because our primary approach to ethics will be emotive (compassion) rather than philosophical ethics (rights), we will cultivate emotional literacy, especially the three nonbinary feelings of biophilia (love for all forms of life); inner peace; and joy of being. We will do so primarily in our brief weekly feedback sessions, during which we identify the "Best and Worst" feelings of the previous week.
Two of our basic ethics questions are [1] What would I have done about the Holocaust if I had been in Germany and known what was going on at the time? [2] What would I have done about slavery if I had been in east Texas and known what was going on at the time? To make these questions come alive for us, we will make our ultimate ethical goal to “widen the circle of compassion,” as Einstein put it, to not only all kinds of people but all other species as well. Analogies between factory farming, slavery, and Nazi concentration camps will challenge us to become more mindful of ethical decisions we make daily about food, clothing, entertainment, etc. These analogies will be presented in various texts and in the shocking documentary Earthlings, which is required.
Another unusual aspect of this course is use of experiential and service learning, REQUIRING VOLUNTEER WORK WITH ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY. Every student will be required to visit Austin Pets Alive! or a similar institution.The student's primary activity will be to write essays about animals up for adoption that may be used to save their lives. To do this each student will be required to participate in some activities off campus and to accept some flexibility in the course schedule to coordinate with this nonprofit organization.
Digital Literacy. Writing projects will require digital literacy (multimedia and web skills) as well as print literacy. Because the "Five Characteristics of a Successful Student at U.T." include "Good computer skills" as well as "Strong writing skills," students will be expected to check their email frequently (maintaining the correct email address in the U.T. Direct system) along with the course Blogs and the Online Gradebook, especially the day before class. Students will use multimedia to fulfill all the writing requirements. There will be a closed Facebook site "to help students develop a small community within the larger whole" (CRUE).
Texts will be included in the course anthology, which is a collection of xeroxed materials. It will be available from Jenn's, 2000 Guadalupe (basement of the Church of Scientology at 22nd and Guadalupe, 473-8669). It will cost about $60. Jenn’s takes major credit cards, of course. (If you don’t get there within the first few days you might want to call ahead to make sure they have a copy reserved for you.)
Books on Reserve in the PCL for The First Writing Assignment: Animal spirit guides : discover your power animal and the shamanic path / Chris Luttichau. -- BF 1275 G85 L88 2009; Power animals : how to connect with your animal spirit guide / Steven D. Farmer. -- BF 1275 G85 F37 2004 TEXT ; Animal-speak : the spiritual & magical powers of creatures great & small / Ted Andrews. -- BF 1623 A55 A53 1993; Power animals : how to connect with your animal spirit guide / Steven D. Farmer. -- BF 1275 G85 F37 2004 CDROM
Schedule: dates of assignments, and the subjects of each discussion. 1-14 Introduction; 1-16 Emotive Ethics; 1-21 Sympathetic Imagination; 1-23 Animals in Native American Culture; 1-28 Animals in World Religions; 1-30 and 2-4 Earthlings; 2-6 What is Your Totem Animal?; 2-11 P1A DUE; 2-13 Native American Rebirth and Vision Quest; 2-18 Universities, U. T., Liberal Arts; 2-20 U.T Leaders; 2-25 P1B DUE; 2-27 Gender, Diversity, and Family Dynamics; 3-4 Cats;3-6 P1 Hard Copy due; 3-18 Holocaust Analogy;3-20 Sadism; 3-25 Carnism; 3-27 P-2A DUE; 4-1 Racism, Sexism, Speciesism; 4-3 What ELSE Can You Do?; 4-8 Research Animals 1; 4-10; P2B DUE; 4-15 Research Animals 2; 4-17 Research Animals 3; 4-22 P2C DUE; 4-24 Paradise Regained 1; 4-30 Paradise Regained 2; 5-2 Awards, Evaluations. For more details go to http://www.la.utexas.edu/users/bump/30214/schedule.html
Grades. About 50% of the final grade will be determined by multimedia web projects (250 points each), 26% by informal writing such as Blogs (260 points); 14% by the daily quizzes (140 points), and at least 10% by class discussion and attendance (100 points). To pass the course students must demonstrate college-level writing and complete all basic requirements of all three projects. 1200 points (out of 1,300 or more) are required for an A+ (unofficial grade); 1100 for an A; 1000 for an A-; 965 for a B+; 945 for a B; 900 for a B-; 865 for a C+; 845 for a C; 800 for a C-; 765 for a D+; 735 for a D; and 700 for a D-. Because more than 1200 points will be available, students can emphasize formal over informal writing or vice versa. However, at the end of the course, students will receive exactly the grade recorded in the online gradebook, even if it is one point short of the next higher grade.
Writing Grades:
Informal writing: class discussion will be conducted to some extent by writing about the readings in course blogs, which will be graded by the instructor.
Your formal writing assignments will be three essays. The first two must be at least two pages of polished, college-level writing. The first, on an animal, will be graded by the instructor to evaluate your writing level and your information literacy, The second will be a revision and expansion of the first, with emphasis on leadership. Students' brief "power animal" essay (no. 1) and probably their leadership visions (no. 2) will require discovery learning. For these assignments especially, students should be prepared to think for themselves. Discovery learning means that there will be fewer instructions for the content of the projects than what students may be used to from other courses. This can be frustrating for some, especially those who want a detailed formula that will guarantee them a good grade. Instead students will be encouraged to be creative and write about what is most important to them. However, while the specific subject varies, all students will be expected to follow very detailed instructions about the form and format of the essay.
The third essay, a major project on ethics, will be a minimum of four pages. Both essays two and three will be revised in response to peer critiques before the instructor's grading and critique.You cannot pass the course without satisfactory essays. However, you can get help from me, your classmates, and the Undergraduate Writing Cente.
FERPA: students will be asked to give written permission to share certain graded documents with other students.
Grades for projects especially will be based in part on meeting the two expectations employers have of college graduates: time management, and the ability to read, analyze, and follow complex, detailed directions.
Class participation grades: up to nine points per class for being on time, bringing the right materials, etc.
Our training in practical ethics will also include evaluation of student behavior as it affects other students, especially coming late to class and not responding adequately with peer critiques.
Class discussion penalties: students who talk to others while the speaker is talking and/or encourage this rude behavior with a willing ear, will have fifteen points deducted from their class participation/attendance grade for each incident. Egregious behavior such as sleeping in class, reading materials other than ours, using your cell phone, iPod, or computer during class, acting out, disrupting class, etc. will be subject to a thirty-point penalty for each incident. Students who insult, threaten, or harass others will have fifty points deducted from their grade for each incident, and be referred to the Dean of Students.
Being on time: Students prepare for class discussion by being on time. There will be heavier penalties for being late than for being absent. Why? Basically, because being absent does not disrupt the class and coming in late does.
There are in fact three important reasons for penalizing lateness in this way: [1] To prepare you for the real world. Employers will not tolerate this kind of behavior. [2] To be courteous and respectful of your colleagues. [3] To avoid "enabling," tht is, to encourage repeat offenders to learn the lessons they need to learn.
The ultimate reasons are found in the essay by Dr. Carl Pickhardt on the website. The key sentences in that document for a teacher are: “Maintain adult demands and expect young people to meet them. Accept no excuses, make no exceptions, and attempt no rescues. Listen respectfully and empathetically and do not criticize the young person for not measuring up to what college expected. Encourage learning more responsibility from facing consequences of how one chose to act. And support the courage to keep growing forward in life.”
Hence, there will be no attendance or class participation credit for the first late appearance, -5 points for the second, double the penalty for the third, triple for the fourth, etc. If anyone chooses to open the door for someone who comes late for the third time or more, they will receive the same penalties as the one who arrives late.
Policies:
Honor Code. The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.
Plagiarism and other lapses in ethics will be punished severely. See “Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism " in the course anthology.
Our training in practical ethics will include evaluation of student behavior in the course, including lying to the instructor about absences etc., but especially actions that hurt other students' educational opportunities, including interrupting class by coming late or not completing peer critiques.
Academic Integrity: Our training in practical ethics also means that any work, any paragraph, any sentence submitted by a student in this course for academic credit must be the student's own work, unless the source is explicitly acknowledged. Plagiarism will be punished severely (See "Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism" in the course anthology). For additional information on academic Integrity, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php
Disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd
Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify the instructor of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
About the Professor. Jerome Bump has been awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, a N. D. E. A. Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and the Jeanne Holloway Award and the Chad Oliver Plan II award for undergraduate teaching. He was an editor of Texas Studies in Language and Literature and has written Gerard Manley Hopkins and over sixty articles. For more information about him, his teaching philosophy, or his courses see http://www.la.utexas.edu/users/bump/ and facebook.com/jbump. Feel free to email him at bump@utexas.edu.
**In 2004 the Commission of 125 recommended a new undergraduate core curriculum: so that students would be better prepared for a changing world: "Our students live in a world that has undergone a technological revolution. They live in closer proximity to other nations and cultures. They live in a state and country that are more culturally diverse. And they study in an intellectual world where long-established boundaries between scholarly areas are less distinct. The core curriculum should . . . ensure that all of our students, whatever their areas of specialization, graduate with the flexible skills they need to be leaders in our communities." The new curriculum includes required freshman signature courses to "expose each entering UT student to the broad goals and possibilities of a university education, while promoting a greater sense of intellectual community among undergraduates. They will make students aware of the high standards necessary for college-level academic work and help students cultivate skills to meet those standards." Also required are courses marked by "flags" in six categories: 1. Writing; 2. Quantitative reasoning ; 3. Global cultures; 4. Multicultural perspectives and diversity 5. Ethics and leadership; 6. Independent inquiry.
"This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and you may be asked to read and discuss your peers’ work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work. Writing Flag classes meet the Core Communications objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility, established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Critical Thinking Skills include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.
Communication Skills include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
Teamwork includes the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
Personal Responsibility includes the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making."
*Signature Courses (UGS 302) are "small, 18-student classes that offer first-year students the opportunity to interact closely with a faculty member and their peers through class discussion. These courses have an expansive array of topics taught by faculty from almost every college and school at the university. In these seminar-format classes, students acquire knowledge through the symbiotic relationship of interdisciplinary study. For example, science will inform your interpretation of a painting and vice versa, or you will see how law, foreign policy, marketing, and education all influence the economy. Information literacy and research will play a major role in the fulfillment of the course’s writing flag, which counts toward lower-division writing requirements. Seminars also introduce you to the resources of the university and assist you in identifying interesting subjects for further research and future careers. "
The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation are from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ :
- Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires
exiting and assembling outside.- Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building.
- Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class.
- In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors.
- Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office.
- Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050- Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency
FEELING STRESSED?
Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, once wrote, "to allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times.
More than that, it is cooperation with violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys her own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful."
One interpretation: The fear of failure and the need to get things done create this downward spiral of the spirit. To break this "circle of violence" we must step back, reflect, meditate. While at rest we may be able to see things anew, which will increase our "fruitfulness at work" and at home.
Stressed by papers? Tests? Relationship issues? For these and other stressors, take a few minutes to check out a new interactive website called “Stress Recess” at
http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/stressrecess, a component of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center. This site is loaded with videos, animation, video games, body scans, quizzes, clickable charts and graphics and practical information tailored to YOU. Learn what causes stress, signs of stress and—most importantly---what you can do to manage stress in healthy ways!