Hey Team Belize:
Here is the syllabus, as an FYI. Next week, no class due to MLK Day. Celebrate with some community service and reflect on King's Dream!
I pulled out charts/rubric, etc--it didn't paste well. Refer to your paper copy if you cannot read clearly here--or contact Jessica or Melanie.
Have a great week!
Jessica
Micro-lending: An Answer to Poverty?
The Belizean Experience
IDC 301 KM
SPRING 2009
Course Schedule: Mondays 6:00 PM-8:45 PM
Meeting Location: Horrigan 110
Instructor: Melanie Evans, MEd Jessica Randall, MBA, MEd
Office: Horrigan 2nd Floor, Anniversary Hall
Phone: 452-8150 473-3275
Email: mevans@bellarmine.edu jrandall@bellarmine.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Fridays 10-11 AM Mon. 3:30-4:30 & Weds. 8:30-9:30
Required Texts:
Yunus, M., & Jolis, A. (1999). Banker to the poor, micro-lending and the battle against world poverty. New York, New York: PublicAffairs.
Yunus, M., (2007). Creating a World without Poverty: Social business and the future of capitalism. New York, New York: Public Affairs.
Additional readings will be made available to students.
BELLARMINE MISSION:
Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university serving the region, nation and world by educating talented, diverse students of all faiths and many ages, nations, and cultures, and with respect for each individual's intrinsic value and dignity. We educate our students through undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and professional studies, within which students develop the intellectual, moral, ethical and professional competencies for successful living, work, leadership and service to others. We achieve these goals in an educational environment committed to excellence, academic freedom, and authentic conversations not dominated by particular political or other single perspective and thus to thoughtful, informed consideration of serious ideas, values, and issues, time-honored and contemporary, across a broad range of compelling regional, national and international matters. By these means, Bellarmine seeks to benefit the public interest, to help create the future, and to improve the human condition. Thus we strive to be worthy of our foundational motto: In Veritatis Amore, In the Love of Truth.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
IDC 301 courses are designed to provide students with strong interdisciplinary study of cultures beyond that of the United States. Whatever the focus of any individual course section, it will be studied through approaches provided by more than one discipline of thought. For example, a course on Latin American Culture and Civilization might approach its subject through art, music, and history; another might combine the disciplines of theology, history, and art in studying the lives of St. Francis and St. Robert Bellarmine, and the Italian culture that frames their work.
This class is unique. We will be exploring the concept of micro-lending as a tool to eradicate poverty. In addition, we will explore the country of Belize, its history, government, economy, people and culture. Our study of and travel to Belize will act as a case study of micro-lending practices and possibilities. We will explore issues of social justice and our role in improving the human condition through acts of service, personal choices, and successful partnerships with local civic groups and participation in institutions. This course has a required field experience in Belize over Spring Break. A lab fee of $1,520 is required to cover travel expenses.
ATTENDANCE & LATE WORK POLICY:
Attendance in a seminar course is mandatory. It is particularly important to this course, which involves building relationships essential to the international travel experience. Students needing to miss class should contact the instructors in advance. Unexcused absences will result in the loss of 20 points per absence. In addition, students in this course will be required to participate in 2 - 3fundraising activities. These will be created in the class contract created the first day of class. A trip to Belize during Spring Break is also required to complete this course.
SEVERE WEATHER:
Refer to the current student handbook for details regarding changes in schedule due to bad weather. Faculty will arrange class schedules to meet course objectives in the event classes will be cancelled.
ACADEMIC HONESTY:
We strongly endorse and will follow the academic honesty policy as published in Bellarmine’s Catalog 2007-2009 (pp. 48-49) and in the 2007-2008 Student Handbook (pp. 16-19); both documents are available online via the student portal on the University’s intranet. Students must be fully aware of what constitutes academic dishonesty; claims of ignorance cannot be used to justify or rationalize dishonest acts. Academic dishonesty can take a number of forms, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, aiding and abetting, multiple submissions, obtaining unfair advantage, and unauthorized access to academic or administrative systems or information. Definitions of each of these forms of academic dishonesty are provided in the academic honesty section of the 2007-2008 Student Handbook. All detected instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and sanctions will be imposed as dictated by the policy. Penalties range from failing an assignment or test to dismissal from the University, depending, in part, on the student’s previous record of academic dishonesty. On the second offense during a student’s academic career, as a minimum additional penalty, the SVPAA will immediately suspend the student for the semester in which the most recent offense took place. On the third offense, the SVPAA will immediately dismiss the student from the University.
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER (ARC):
Bellarmine University is committed to providing services and programs that assist all students in further developing their learning and study skills and in reaching their academic goals. Students needing or wanting additional and/or specialized assistance related to study techniques, writing, time management, tutoring, test-taking strategies, etc., should seek out the resources of the ARC, located on the A-level of the W.L. Lyons Brown Library. Call 452-8071 for more information.
DISABILITY SERVICES:
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Disability Services Coordinator. Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor. The Disability Services Coordinator is located in the Counseling Center, phone 452-8480.
LEARNER OBJECTIVES:
We will build community by participating in readings, conversation, and out of classroom experiences thereby developing more critical thinking skills and a deepening consciousness of social issues.
We will describe the basic tenets of micro-lending as seen through the lens/context of Belize.
We will explore the history, systems and people of Belize through study and our travel experience.
We will examine fundamental contributing factors which lead to poverty and analyze our role in creating this condition, while exploring ways in which we can help alleviate it.
We will demonstrate an enhanced cultural competency (QEP Goal 2)
We will “apply a global perspective to analyses of social, economic, political, and environmental issues” (QEP Goal 4).
Learning Objective
Gen Ed Objective(s)
IDC Skill(s)
Assessment(s)
We will build community by participating in readings, conversation, and out of classroom experiences thereby developing more critical thinking skills and a deepening consciousness of social issues.
Facility in oral and written communication, Critical thinking skills.
Writing, Reading, Research, Reflection, Speaking
(1) Participation
(2) Journal Blogs
(3) Research Paper
(4) Presentation
We will describe the basic tenets of micro-lending as seen through the lens/context of Belize
Facility in oral and written communication, Critical thinking skills, Comparative understanding of the world’s peoples, place, and cultures.
Reflection, Research, Writing
(1) Participation
(2) Journal Blogs
(3) Research Paper
We will explore the history, systems and people of Belize through study and our travel experience.
Comparative understanding of the world’s peoples, places,
and cultures; Facility in oral and written communication; Critical Thinking, Understanding of the historical development of the modern world.
Writing, Reading, Technology, Research, Speaking, Reflection
(1) Participation
(2) Journal Blogs
(3) Research Paper
We will examine fundamental contributing factors which lead to poverty and analyze our role in creating this condition, while exploring ways in which we can help alleviate it.
Critical thinking skills, Comparative understanding of the world’s peoples, place, and cultures, Understanding of the historical development of the modern world.
Reading, Writing, Reflection
(1) Presentation
(2) Journal Blogs
We will demonstrate an enhanced cultural competency (QEP Goal 2)
Facility in oral and written communication, Critical thinking skills, Comparative understanding of the world’s peoples, place, and cultures.
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Research, Reflection
(1) Participation
(2) Journal Blogs
(3) Research Paper
(4) Presentation
We will “apply a global perspective to analyses of social, economic, political, and environmental issues” (QEP Goal 4).
Facility in oral and written communication. Critical thinking skills,
Comparative understanding of the world’s peoples, place, and cultures, Familiarity with principles and practices in the social sciences.
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Research, Reflection
(1) Journal Blogs
(2) Presentation
ASSESSMENT:
Attendance 150 Points
Participation 250 Points
Research Paper 200 Points
Blog Reflections 100 Points
Final Presentation 300 Points
Blog
Each student will set up a blog (using blogger.com) where they will reflect on class topics and discussion, fundraising efforts, their experience in Belize and their post-trip reflections about their trip. This blog can be set to private, allowing only course instructors to read it, or can be made public and also shared with family and friends. Although the online format encourages a personal touch, students should remain aware that entries will be graded and should be edited as such and be appropriate for the classroom. General topics will be provided but students are expected to include personal reflections beyond responses to the basic questions posed. Each entry should be approximately 250-500 words.
Blog Entry 1: What are your expectations for this class? The trip? What concerns or questions do you have regarding travel to Belize? What will you contribute to Team Belize this year and what do you others to bring to the table?
Blog Entry 2: What is your reaction to Yunus’ ideas? How do you connect or differentiate this ideology with a) philanthropy and b) service?
Blog Entry 3: How do you connect the service you engage in to your faith or personal beliefs? How does the Belize Mircolending project fit in? Conduct a short interview with a member of the clergy or spiritual advisor about service and spirituality. Reflect on this conversation in your entry.
Blog Entry 4: Compare your observations and experiences in Belize to your chosen major or discipline and career aspirations. Include at least two of your favorite photos from the trip.
Blog Entry 5: How do you think a microlending program may work in the United States versus a developing nation? How did your experiences in Belize help you draw these conclusions?
Research Paper
This paper will be an in-depth exploration about a topic related to Belize. Students may choose from a wide variety of subjects (to be approved by instructors) such as an area of history, culture, politics or environmental issue. All student papers will be compiled and distributed to classmates as a pre-travel briefing document.
The paper must:
be 12 typed pages, 12 pt font, double spaced with 1” margins
be research-based, using a minimum of 5 sources of which only 3 may be electronic sources
use of critical lens (argument of rigorously researched position)
include a 2 page executive summary
Final Presentation
Students will present a critical issue related to a social justice.
Class members may present as individuals or in pairs. Individual presentations must be 20 minutes in length, group presentations must be 30 minutes in length.
Topics may be global issues, but must also incorporate the travel experience to Belize. The issue must be considered with Belize as a potential case study.
Presentations must critically examine the factors which have created the injustice. Students should present and critically examine potential tools to address the social justice issue and how those tools can be accessed by their classmates to promote justice.
Presentations must include at least one handout.
At least 4 sources must be utilized
Students will participate in peer review of presentations, based on the following criterion (also used by instructors)
Criterion for Presentation
Organization: Presentation format included clear introduction and conclusion, flowed professionally, time was used appropriately
Content: Issue presented clearly and logically, with demonstrated critical analysis of problem and solutions, appropriate sources and citations used
Presentation: Spoke clearly, made appropriate eye contact, used professional language, demonstrated teamwork in group presentations, dress was appropriate
Style: Creativity, handout effectiveness, use of group participation
GRADES:
A 940-1000 B+ 880-899 C+ 780-799 F <700
A- 900-939 B 840-879 C 740-779
B- 800-839 C- 700-739
TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR (Calendar is subject to change where identified by the instructor an/or as agreed to by the class and the instructor)
January 4
Introductions/ Expectations/ Class contract & introduction to library research and Blogger.com
January 11
Itinerary planning
History of BU’s Microlending Program in Belize
Suggested Reading: Banker to the Poor: Introduction
Blog Entry 1
January 18
No Class
MLK Day
January 25
Belize: History, Government, Culture & Social Conditions
Readings: Blackboard Readings 1&2
Research Paper thesis statement &sources
February 1
Microlending as a Tool
Reading: Banker to the Poor: Chapters 4 & 5; Creating a World Without Poverty Chapter 3
February 8
Micro-lending as a Tool
Reading: Banker to the Poor: Chapter 9; Creating a World Without Poverty: Chapters 4 & 5
Blog Entry 2
February 15
Travel Preparations and Etiquette
Blackboard Article #3
Research Paper Due
February 22
Service as a Spiritual Response
Reading: Creating a World Without Poverty: Chapter 6; Blackboard Article #4
Blog Entry 3
February 28 – March 6
LET’S GO TO BELIZE!
March 8
Trip Debriefing
March 15
A Critical Look at Microlending
Reading: Blackboard Article #5 & #6
Blog Entry 4
Turn in presentation topics, assign dates
March 22
Global/Social Look at Poverty
Reading : Creating a World Without Poverty: Chapters 8-11, Banker to the Poor: Chapter 10
Blog 5
March 29
Student Presentations
April 5
Easter Break!!!
April 12
Student Presentations
April 19
Student Presentations
April 23
Final Exams Begin
