Seminar in International Studies

An informal seminar format provides the setting to probe and discuss selected global issues such as poverty, development, human rights, population, world peace, ecology, culture, and religion. Students investigate individual topics and prepare in-depth research papers and class presentations. The class provides an opportunity to study locally-based non-profit organizations active in international issues. Students are encouraged to select a career-related topic of personal interest. The seminar is designed to be the capstone of the International Studies major, allowing students to synthesize and review a broad range of materials introduced in earlier courses and to explore in a sustained way a selected research topic.

Required Reading:

Frank Lechner and John Boli, The Globalization Reader (Blackwell, 2000)

Course Format:

This course employs a seminar format in which students are responsible for preparing, presenting, and debating selected articles from the required text. During the initial phase of the course, emphasis is placed on short, articulate presentations, rigorous questioning, and constructive discussion. Students offer peer evaluation of these presentations. You will be evaluated at every class session. Students are expected to use the Speech Communication Lab to assist in improving speaking skills. In parallel, students prepare major research projects from among approved topics which are presented to the class and submitted as 20-page written papers. As needed, students will be encouraged to obtain writing assistance from the Learning Resource Center (Hub 1141, 885 3674). You should make an appointment with a research librarian as soon as possible. We will hold research sessions in the library as needed.

Program Assessment:

Students will have the opportunity through a writing assignment, a written questionnaire and a classroom focus group to reflect upon their own academic growth and to evaluate the International Studies Program.

Student Outcomes

1. Gain a greater understanding of important issues related to globalization.
2. Research a topic in international studies using traditional and electronic research materials appropriate for an academic project.
3. Write a 20-page analytic paper in college-level academic English.
4. Make a 20-minute professional quality presentation and a 10-minute defense of the research project.
5. Contribute regularly to a student-centered seminar format, demonstrating academic maturity and rigor in peer interactions.
6. Integrate the subject matter and perspectives of the required courses in the International Studies major.
7. Assess the International Studies Program in terms of personal academic growth and expectations.

Evaluation:

All course activities will be evaluated and will count toward the final grade in the class. Active, regular participation in the class is essential to successful completion of the course. General participation (25%), including article presentations, critiques and discussion. Project presentation (15%), oral presentation and defense. Project preliminaries (20%), including preliminary report, outlines, bibliography, and research notes. Final project (40%).

Oral Presentation:

The oral presentation should be of professional quality using visuals as appripriate. You are required to seek the assistance of the Speech Communication Lab (RO 117 885 4760) in the preparation of your presentation.

Research paper:

Papers will be evaluated on content and form. Commit yourself to submitting only your very best work (a potential writing sample for graduate schools or employers). If you feel that writing is a weakness, be sure to discuss this with me and make improvement an objective for the course. I will work with you or find writing help for you.

1. Carefully follow a paper writing guide of your choice. Review grammar and punctuation rules, paragraph writing, thesis statements, topic sentences, and conclusions. All references must be properly cited. List the paper guide you are following on your bibliography page. As needed, students will be encouraged to obtain writing assistance from the Learning Resource Center (Hub 1141 885 3674).
2. Be vigilant about plagiarism. Any direct quote from your sources, however brief (more than two or three words) that is not placed in quotation marks constitutes plagiarism, even if you footnote the source. Your paper must me written in your own words. Limit the number and length of the quotes you do use. Any written work containing plagiarism will be assigned a grade of F.
3. Take notes from your sources in your own words and then write your paper from the notes. You will be asked to submit your research notes.
4. It is very easy to copy text inadvertently in this electronic age. If you copy anything word for word, or if you download text, be sure to place it in quotations marks immediately. Later, you will not remember. You must submit to me paper copies clearly marked with footnote numbers of any electronic data-base sources you use in your paper.
5. Do not return books used in the paper until after the individual meeting with the instructor.
6. You may only use sources in English for your paper (or obtain special permission from me).
7. If you use any non-CSUEB library materials, you must indicate the library you used to obtain each source.

Your paper should demonstrate that you have surveyed the best available academic and government sources relevant to your topic. You should exploit all relevant sources including books, international organization reports, government reports, congressional hearings, academic journals, electronic data bases, and on-line sources. All are available through our library resources. An increasing number of government and international organization (including NGOs) documents are available on-line. If you are not currently comfortable researching in all these areas, seek assistance from a librarian or from me. All students should make an appointment with a reference librarian once topics have been approved. If you intend to conduct interviews, I will assist in developing an interview format.

Above all, select a topic that is truly of interest to you. You will be living with it all quarter. It must provide you with sustainable intellectual stimulation and academic challenge.

Statement on Plagiarism

“It is the policy of the International Studies Program and of California State University to treat plagiarism as a very serious offense. The University Catalog states that students who cheat or plagiarize may be expelled, suspended, placed on probation or given a lesser sanction.

Plagiarism is defined as:

1. purchasing or borrowing papers from any source;
2. recycling your own paper from another class;
3. submitting a ghost-written paper;
4. copying more than four consecutive words without citing your source and enclosing the passage in quotation marks;
5. paraphrasing without giving credit for ideas (except on an exam);
6. copying work from other students (or permitting another student to copy your work);
7. reproducing the basic sentence structure from a source while inserting some synonyms or interchanging word order.

All of the above also applies to material translated from other languages. If in doubt about whether you are plagiarizing, confer with your instructor.”

Seminar Project Evaluation and Check List

1. Paper topic and one-page rationale (including the reason for selecting the topic and how it relates to your major) (April 10).
2. Meetings (in person or by phone with instructor and reference librarian (by April 17).
3. Preliminary outline, bibliography, research notes from one major source (by April 24)
4. Complete outline, bibliography, the thesis statement (May 1)
5. Research materials used
   • Books (Haystac)
   • Academic periodicals (ABC Political Science, PAIS, JSTORS)
   • Data Bases (Infotrac, SIRS, Lexis-Nexis, etc. )
   • On-line services
   • Official Documents (government or international organization publications)
   • Newspapers or popular press
   • Internet
6. Research notes due (May 8)
7. Project presentations and oral defense May 15-June 5
8. Speech Lab evaluation date___________
9. Project presentation date___________
10. Research paper due (May 22)
11. Project revision (if necessary) May 22-June 15
12. Individual review with instructor date___________