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COURSE SYLLABUS
SENIOR SEMINAR
Interdisciplinary Studies
IDST 4490
Hours: 3 Semester Credit Hours
I. PRERE
I. PREREQUISITE
Senior standing (90+ credit hours
successfully completed) and 31 general education program hours
(including ethics)
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an opportunity for
students to place their chosen fields of study in an
interdisciplinary context with intellectual, ethical, and historical
perspectives. The seminar focuses on the synthesis and integration
of various concepts by applying them to the analysis and solution of
problems viewed in the context of their academic disciplines.
The seminar topic will be determined by the instructor.
The following is a summary of the seminar course.
Summary Information
(a) Research on an approved topic
(b) Class participation and mini-presentations of assigned
readings
(c) Development of a thesis statement and defense of it in
class
(d) Final oral and written presentations of seminar papers
(including abstracts)
(e) Completion of GEP assessment forms
III. COURSE GOALS
Senior Seminar, the
senior-level capstone requirement of the University's General
Education Program (GEP), is designed to benefit students from all
four-year majors. This course seeks to:
(a)
Provide students with the opportunity to improve critical thinking
skills by writing and orally defending a persuasive research paper
in which arguments counter to the stated position are addressed.
(b) Provide students with the opportunity to
improve oral communication skills by giving two formal oral
presentations.
(c) Provide students with the opportunity to
develop skills in writing to a general audience as opposed to
writing to a specific audience as typically occurs in courses for
the major.
(d) Provide students with the opportunity to
strengthen information literacy skills in order to be able to
recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and
use effectively the needed information.
(e) Provide students with an
opportunity to view their own disciplines, their intended careers,
and their lives in the larger contexts of life-long learning,
society at large, and their place in, and responsibilities to, the
biosphere.
(f) Bring together students and faculty members from diverse
academic fields to reflect on their college careers, to
integrate what they have learned with the experiences of others, and
to apply their education to the study of a significant national or
international condition, problem or event.
IV. COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
a) Assignments:
1. Readings: A seminar
topic will be determined by the instructor. Students will be
required to give mini-presentations of readings, related to the
seminar topic, as directed by the instructor.
2. Thesis statement and
outline: The student will prepare a thesis statement and
outline of the paper topic for discussion in class and submission
with the final paper.
3. Consultations: Students will
consult with the instructor, both in and out of class, at each phase
of development of the seminar paper.
4. Seminar paper: The student
will develop a major paper relating to the seminar theme and present
it in oral and written form. The oral presentation time will be
scheduled by the instructor.
(b) Class Participation:
All students are expected to participate
in the discussion of topics throughout the course. It is
recommended that students read their assignments and make notes on
issues they want to raise in class before each session.
(c) Attendance Policy:
Regular attendance is expected; more
than 9 hours of missed class will result in dismissal from the
seminar with a failing grade.
(d) Assessment:
During the course, assessment forms,
possibly including an essay component, will be distributed to each
seminar student. All students are expected to complete the forms in
class and return them to the directing faculty member.
V.
METHODS OF EVALUATION
Students are expected
to take Senior Seminar for a grade.
Students must receive a passing grade on
the final paper to pass the course.
The final grade will be based on
the following:
Class participation 15%
Seminar oral report 25%
Seminar paper 60%
VI. COURSE SCHEDULE
The seminar course will begin with
an overview of the seminar topic by the directing instructor. There
will be a hands-on computer lab session to acquaint students with
advanced electronic data search techniques. Various guest faculty
members may make presentations. Immediately, students will begin
reading from selected sources relating to the theme chosen for the
seminar and begin thinking about the selection of the specific
topics for their own papers and oral reports. Research for the
bibliography for the topic will encompass much of the first two
weeks. Open discussions of the readings and thesis statements will
occupy some of the early and middle portions of the semester. As
needed, students will consult with the directing instructor or other
cooperating faculty to solve problems and finalize details relating
to their own presentations. During the latter part of the
semester,
students will deliver oral presentations of their seminar papers
with questions and discussions following each report. Submission of
the written paper will be required by or before the end of the
semester.
VII. SEMINAR PAPERS
Students choose topics according to
their interests and/or disciplines within the seminar theme, subject
to the approval of the directing instructor. The topic, thesis
statement and outline of the paper must be approved by the directing
instructor.
The seminar paper is expected to
be an interdisciplinary exercise. The analysis of the topic should
integrate knowledge or ideas from more than two disciplines and be
written in your own words. Quotations, tables, etc. must be
acknowledged by complete references to their sources. The papers
must be persuasive essays, include counter arguments,
and be written to a general audience.
Plagiarism is the act of presenting
another's words or ideas as your own writing without acknowledging
your debt to the original source. Plagiarism can include not only
quoted material that is not cited and credited but also summaries or
paraphrases of material that are not cited and credited. Plagiarism
can also include submitting a paper that someone else wrote or a
paper that was substantially revised by someone else. Plagiarism
can be unintentional as well as intentional. To avoid plagiarism,
submit your own work and be sure to credit sources and properly cite
them.
Plagiarism constitutes academic
misconduct according to university policy. The consequences of
plagiarism include a failing grade for the Senior Seminar paper and
a failing grade for the course.
Note:
Seminar Paper Awards
Outstanding seminar papers will be selected by a faculty committee
for special recognition. Each paper submitted in any given
academic year, to any Senior Seminar section, will be considered for
this honor.
(a) Written seminar paper:
The written seminar paper includes an
outline, a body of analysis, and a bibliography. It can also
include appendices. It should be typed in double space and include 5,000 words or more
of essay text without counting
the outline, bibliography, and appendices. Students must
submit an electronic copy of the final paper to the professor along
with two paper copies.
(b) Oral presentation:
Students, faculty members,
administrators, and staff are invited to attend the oral
presentations. The presentations will be for 20-30 minutes,
followed by comments and questions by the attendees. All seminar
students are expected to make comments and raise questions.
Each participant will submit a one page
typed abstract of the seminar paper to the faculty member in
charge before the presentations begin. The student presentations
follow a short lecture format. They are not to be treated as
readings from the papers. No oral presentations will be
scheduled for students who fail to follow the prior requirements of
the seminar presentations.
VIII. SEMINAR
PAPER SCHEDULE
1. General research on a paper topic
2. Written submission of topic for
instructor approval
3. Development of a thesis statement
4. Written submission of thesis
statement for instructor approval
5. Mini-presentations of readings
6. Development of a paper outline
7. Written submission of outline and of
bibliography
8. Continuing research and consultation
with instructor
9. Submission of typed abstract before
presentation
10. Oral presentation of
paper topics
11. Submission of written
paper
Library Link:
http://library.shawnee.edu/clarklibinfo/infoliteracy.html
Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 require Shawnee State University to provide
reasonable academic adjustments or accommodations for students with
documented disabilities which would not compromise the integrity of
the academic program. Examples of documented disabilities include
physical, psychiatric, and/or learning impairments that
substantially limit one or more major life activities of the
student. Students seeking academic adjustments or accommodations
must self-identify with the Coordinator of Disability Services,
Student Success Center, Massie Hall, 740-351-3276. After meeting
with the Coordinator, students are encouraged to meet with their
instructors to discuss their needs, and if applicable, any lab
safety concerns related to their disabilities.
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