Hokusai, The Great Wave
             

Personal Information

Professor: Sally J. MacKain, Associate Professor

Office Phone:  (910) 962.3732

Office: (Psychology Dept.) Social & Behavioral Sciences 110-I

Office Hours:    TUES & THURS. 9:30-10:30 or many other times by appointment. If you wish to make an appointment, please see me before or after class or E-mail me at mackains@uncw.edu. I'm also generally available right after class at 1:45 - 2:15.

Email Address:   mackains@uncw.edu   I encourage you to communicate via E-Mail. I check my mail several times daily. You may get a quicker answer to your questions this way.

SYLLABUS CONTENTS

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

GRADING 

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS

TEXTS

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION 

COURSE CALENDAR

COURSE FORMAT

DATES AND ASSIGNMENTS

ATTENDANCE AND CLASSROOM POLICIES

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR READING LIST

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

"The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is committed to the proposition that the pursuit of truth requires the presence of honesty among all involved. It is therefore this institution’s stated policy that no form of dishonesty among its faculty or students will be tolerated. Although all members of the university community are encouraged to report occurrences of dishonesty, each individual is principally responsible for his or her own honesty." (Above is an excerpt from the "Student Code of Life" in the UNCW Student Handbook. All students are encouraged to read all of section V, "Academic Honor Code" for definitions of plagiarism, bribery, and cheating; and the procedures for reporting and adjudication of any activities involving student dishonesty).

Always use your own words to summarize and if you do quote, cite the source (page numbers, authors).  This applies to the internet as well as written material.

UNIVERSITY STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS
 

"In choosing UNCW, your have become part of our community of scholars. We recognize that the UNCW learning experience is challenging and requires hard work. It also requires a commitment to make time available to do that hard work. The university expects you to make academics your highest priority by dedicating your time and energy to training your mind and acquiring knowledge. Academic success in critical thinking and problem solving prepares you for the changes and challenges you will encounter in the future. Our faculty and academic support resources are readily available as partners in this effort, but the primary responsibility for learning is yours."  

At UNCW, most courses are designed with the assumption that the "typical" student will spend approximately 2-3 hours per week studying outside the classroom for every hour in class. Thus, you should plan on approximately 6-9 hours per week outside class time for each of your courses. Being a student really is a full-time job!

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

As course instructor I will  make appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities, as specified in federal regulations. If you have a disability and need accommodation, please follow this procedure. First, contact and register with the office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (x3746). Second, obtain a copy of your accommodation letter, and then make arrangements to speak with me. Assistance will gladly be provided based on the recommendations of Disability Services and our mutual agreement.

COURSE FORMAT

Catalog Description:  Introduces the honors student to the college experience by direct involvement in research, service, and leadership activities.  The nature of knowledge; the concept of a university; how a university education changes individuals and affects the future.  Includes collaborative learning and independent scholarship. Emphasis on discussion, required student projects.

Course Objectives:
1.To examine the concept of the "university" and your role in it.
2. To learn about UNCW, its organization, mission, and traditions.
2. To discuss what it means to be an educated person, and an honors student.
3. To engage in critical thinking about contemporary issues.
4. To become involved in the life of the university and the local community by exploring opportunities for university and community service.

 Overview:
Twice weekly meetings ~ Tuesday and Thursday, 12:30-1:45 PM
        Tuesdays in small groups ~ Honors House 131
               -Discuss and respond  to various assigned readings and reflect on material presented
                 in large group sessions.
        Thursdays  in large groups ~ Dobo Hall, room 202
               -Various speakers and workshops on issues related to university life.

ATTENDANCE AND CLASSROOM POLICIES

Attendance:
Your attendance and active participation in class is expected.  This means attending every class, arriving on time, and staying for the full class period.  Late arrival and early departure are discourteous, adversely affect your ability to contribute to the class, and will affect your final grade.  The minimum requirement is attendance, but full participation is necessary to earn that A. "Full participation" carries the expectation of asking thoughtful questions, making insightful comments on readings, reacting to peers' comments and bringing in related ideas from your experiences outside the class. In short, you are expected to attend class, actively participate in class discussions and in-class projects, and complete assignments when they are due. Much of this course has a seminar format which means that the course is discussion-intensive. In-class exercises and small group discussion can not be made-up out of class so consistent attendance is absolutely critical to getting the most out of this course.  Thus, both attendance and the quality and quantity of your participation in the seminar figure in as part of your class participation grade. Instead of tests on the readings, you will show your knowledge of the assigned reading material based on your contributions to class discussions on the readings and on your written reactions.

Classroom Policies:
Freedom of expression is encouraged.  Courteous argument is welcome. To dispute is to explore opposing viewpoints, to debate, to question, to discuss with passion, but not to dominate the discussion or "inflict" your opinions on others. Tolerance for the ideas of others who disagree with you is a sign of maturity and an indication of a true desire to learn.  Rudeness and discourteous behavior stifle debate and disrupt learning, and therefore will not be tolerated.

Late Work:
Work is late anytime after the beginning of the class on the day it is due. Late submission of work will result in the lost of one letter grade per day.   Sample excuses which don't work: 1) My printer cartridge ran out of ink at midnight last night; 2) My computer crashed and I only had the copy of my paper on the hard drive; etc.    If health or personal problems arise that prevent you from attending a class, please contact me prior to the missed class or as soon as possible afterwards.  Except in extreme emergencies, any extension of a deadline must be approved by the professor IN ADVANCE. You are responsible for finding out from me or a classmate any assignments, announcements, instructions, etc., that were discussed in class.

GRADING

Your grade for this course is entirely performance-driven, and so is based on the quality of your work and participation. This means that you are not in direct competition with each other for grades. Instead, you are in competition with yourself in terms of how well you learn and apply the material from the course. The number of points you earn on attendance, participation, and assignments will be averaged at the end of the semester to arrive at a percentage which will be used to compute your final letter grade.

TEXTS

Required Texts:  Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie, Doubleday, 1997.
                             Bill Coplin, 10 Things Employers Want You To Learn In College, Ten Speed Press, 2003.

COURSE CALENDAR

On Tuesdays throughout the semester, you will meet in your small discussion groups with me.  Thursdays may have different formats:  either we will meet as a full group (in King Auditorium), or you will meet in small groups for a workshop, or you will meet with your small discussion groups.  

• Our small group meeting place is the Honors House, room 131.  Large group meetings will be held in Dobo Hall, room 202.
• Locations for any special classes and workshops are listed in the calendar.

This calendar is only a guide for topics and assignments and may be subject to change.  
 

DATES AND ASSIGNMENTS

(FOR FULL DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS CLICK HERE)

All reading assignments listed under any meeting dates must be completed before those dates, and written reactions are due on the day the reading is listed.

BE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THE ARTICLES & BRING WITH YOU A MIN. 2-PAGE REACTION to the readings.  You'll turn this in.

Sometime after class, write JOURNAL entry #2: Picture yourself 10 years from now. Where would you live? What would you be doing? Who would you live with?  How would you feel about your life so far? What role did UNCW or other educational experiences play in this projected, future picture?  Now imagine you are attending Oxford University in 1917, as Aydelotte describes it. What would your life be like 20 years later, in 1937?

Bring a min. 2 page reaction paper to turn in  &  discuss: Which of the 6 dimensions is the most highly developed in you? Which still need to be developed? Which dimensions are most strongly emphasized in American Culture? Which are most likely to be neglected?

Write JOURNAL entry #3: Think about a job you have had--paid or unpaid--that posed specific challenges for you. What were they? What did you learn from the experience? What can you learn from work that you can't learn in school?

Prepare 2 questions for Chancellor DePaolo for Thursday...                           

~ ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
 

Write JOURNAL entry #5 on Time Management: What is your relationship with time? Is it your enemy? Do you procrastinate? Why or why not? Can you think of a time when "Getting it Done" really paid off? When "Putting it off" really burned you? What time management strategies have worked for you? How is your daily schedule at college different from what you are used to? 

Bring 2 page Min. typed reaction paper on the stress workshop from last Thursday to turn in and discuss.

Turn in JOURNALS (5 entries, Min. 3 pages each)

***Progress report of Wellness Areas due.*** (see detailed assignments)

Bring a 1-2 page REACTION to the readings.

Write your JOURNAL entry #6 related to past volunteer experiences, or volunteer experiences you would like to have.

Bring 2-page REACTION paper to the readings.
FIRST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE DUE
FIRST SERVICE ACTIVITY DUE

Bring a 1-2 page typed REACTION to the readings, to class.
INDIVIDUAL GROUP WELLNESS PAPERS DUE
SECOND CULTURAL ACTIVITY DUE

Prepare a 8th JOURNAL entry time: Who has been your best teacher? Why? How did he or she change your life or the way you see yourself?  Provide vivid details about your relationship with this teacher/mentor.                       

Write JOURNAL entry #9 regarding your experiences with people who are culturally different from yourself. What did you learn about yourself from these experiences?

Write JOURNAL entry #10 Why do people Cheat? Is cheating ever OK? How do you feel about it?

Bring a 1-2 page reaction paper: Do you think travel or study abroad is really that important? Why or why not? Provide plenty of details.

Turn in JOURNALS (5more entries, min. 3 pages each)

Write & bring to class a 2 page min. Reaction Paper: Is Emotional Intelligence affected by culture? How? Might someone who is highly emotionally intelligent in one culture be "stupid" in another? Give an example.

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR READING LIST

NOTE:  Albom and Coplin are required books you must purchase at the bookstore.  Other readings are either linked to online sites or available as electronic sources linked under HON 110 on the Randall Library Home Page under "Search Course Reserves:  UNCW ERes:"  (These readings are marked with an * below)

Albom, Mitch (1997) “Tuesdays with Morrie, New York: Doubleday. (Required Purchase)

*Aydelotte, F. (1917.) “The Oxford Stamp.” The Oxford Stamp and Other Essays: Articles from the Educational Creed of an American Oxonian.  New York: Oxford University Press, reprinted 1967, Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, pp. 1-21.

*Wendell Berry, Home Economics, pp. 76-97, "The Loss of the University" pp. 3-11

*Bernstein, S. (1972.) "Getting It Done:  Notes on Student Fritters."  Urban Life and Culture 1: 7-12.

Coplin, Bill (2003) 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College (Ten Speed Press). (Required Purchase)
Introduction
Chap. 1, "Establishing a Work Ethic"
Chap. 5, "Working Directly With People"
Chap. 7, "Gathering Information"
Chap. 9, "Asking and Answering the Right Questions"
Chap.10, "Solving Problems"
Chapter 13, "Creating Your Own Apprenticeships"
Chap. 14, "Exploring Off Campus Semesters"  
Chap. 15, "Doing Well By Doing Good During Your College Years"
Chap.16, "Thinking Beyond College"
Chap. 17, "Using Your KHS to Explore Professional Fields"

*Edmundson (1997), "On the Use of a Liberal Education," pp.39-49

*Goleman, Daniel. (1995.) "When Smart is Dumb." Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books, pp. 33-45.

*Hartigan, H. (1999.) “Hooray for Honors.” The National Honors Report, pp. 42‑43.

*Herper, "Binge and Purge, pp.48-51

Herring, Mark. (2001 April.)  “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library.”  American Libraries 32: 76-78.       http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/selectedarticles/10reasonswhy.htm

Isserman, Maurice, "Plagiarism, a Lie of the Mind," Chronicle of Higher Education; 5/2/2003, Vol. 49 Issue 34, pB12, 2p
                 http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9724657&db=afh

*Keegan, "Dangerous Parties," pp. 52-7; 91-3

*Loeb, Paul Rogat , Soul of a Citizen, Chap. 5, "Unforeseen Fruits"

Nichols, Jennifer, Source: Careers & Colleges; Mar/Apr2004, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p25, 4p, 3c
                                http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=12840684&db=f5h       

*Tompkins, J. (1996.)  A Life in School. (Boston: Addison-Wesley)
"Teachers,"
“The Day I Walked Out of Class.” pp. 132-140.