UNIVERSITY HONORS LEGACY SEMINAR
Exploring the Roots of War
HNRS 1120 Sec. 014
MW 3:30 - 4:45 pm Honors College - ASM 1020 (Flex)
Instructor: Michael Thomas PhD. Office: TBA
Office hours: TTH - 2:45-3:15 and arranged
Phone: 505-277-4211(Honors) 505-573-1656 (Cell)
e-mail: [email protected]
Syllabus
- How to address me (the instructor) This issue often creates anxiety for students. Probably the best address is "Dr. Thomas" or "Dr. T."
- READING:
- Homer, The Iliad (Lombardo Trans)
- Chris Hedges, War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning
- James Hillman, A Terrible Love of War
- Temple Grandin, Chapter Four from Animals in Translation
- The Elements of Style Workbook – Michele Poff, William Strunk, E.B. White
- FILMS:
- Robert Gardener - DEAD BIRDS
- Elem Klimov - COME AND SEE
- Errol Morris, THE FOG OF WAR - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamera
- AUDIO:
- BBC - The My Lai Audio Files
- War Ballads Collection
- COURSE DESCRIPTION: Humans have an extraordinary propensity for violence against one another. This propensity, while not technically unique to humans, still sets us apart from our animal peers. The ubiquity and scale of human violence is something special. A visitor from another planet would certainly conclude that humans are obsessed with violence, torture, and murder. The societal expression of this capacity is war. This seminar is a preliminary inquiry into the roots of war.
- EMPHASIS: The class is a reading/discussion class. Objectives of the class include development of the following skills: 1) Writing, 2) Leadership and facilitative behavior in groups, 3) Reflective thinking, 4) Global thinking, 5) Critical Thinking. 6) Professionalism
- ACTIVITIES: The class will consist of discussions, occasional instructor "lecturettes, and several media presentations (films, audio programs)." All students are expected to participate in all activities, including discussions.
- REQUIREMENTS/GRADES: Grades are based on evaluations of:
- Completion of 25% of the exercises in the Elements of Style Workbook (10 gimme points) - see below - Due Nov. 3
- Attendance at two lectures (10 gimme points) - see below. Complete by Nov. 24.
- Papers (Note: all papers must be in "hard" form and conform to the specified guidelines)
- Five one page reaction papers (5 x 5 = 25 points)
- A five page (maximum length) analytic essay (15 points) Due Oct. 25
- A five page (maximum length plus works cited/bibliography) research paper (20 points)
- Proposal due Nov. 15 (5 points)
- Project report/paper due Nov.24 (15 points)
- An assessment of participation (20 points)
A: 88-100, Cr: 65-87, Ncr: 64 or less.
- ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: This is a discussion class. Students are expected to attend all sessions (arriving in a timely manner) and to participate in the discussions, showing decorum and courtesy (see below). When a student fails to participate in discussion or creates a breach of decorum and courtesy, that student will lose participation points If it is evident that a given student has not completed the relevant reading or listening assignment, that student will lose participation points. Students who miss class for any reason will lose participation points. A student who does not attend a particular session cannot contribute to the discourse. This is true whether the student is ill, grieving, or acting on a whim. There is no way to "make up" for missed classes and no way for students who are not present to participate. Students will, therefore lose 2 points per absence. If a student misses more than six times, I will use the instructor drop option. Again, an absence is an absence. I will assume that any student unfortunate enough to miss class has a good reason. (Although students cannot makeup missed classes, extra credit opportunities will allow students to bolster their point totals or recoup, to some extent, points lost to missed classes or low scores on assignments.)
- LATE WORK: Work may be turned in late. Late work will be penalized one point for every day late by the calendar. Note that I (the instructor) make every effort to turn work around in a timely manner. I will grade and return most work on the next class day after the due date. Late work obviously creates a disruption in the grading schedule. Late papers may languish for days or even weeks ungraded until I find a convenient time to do this out of synch grading.
- DECORUM AND COURTESY: Students have a general understanding of classroom etiquette. Students know, for example, that they should be attentive to class activities, participate in those activities, listen attentively, and participate respectfully. Similarly, they know that they should not interrupt others or resort to insults or abusive language in discussions. For this seminar, I am also asking students to refrain from eating during class. It is fine, to bring in a drink - coffee, tea,soft drink, etc. I am also asking students using cell phones, laptops, etc. to limit use of those devices to seminar activities. Students should avoid using electronic media for such things as personal business, working on assignments for other classes, scrolling through social media, etc. I will penalize students via participation points for any lapse in courtesy and decorum that is egregious enough to be apparent to me as I monitor the seminar and activities.
- READING/ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (to be revised as needed):
- Dead Birds (film) Week 1,2
- Homer selections: Week 3, 4, 5
- Hedges: Weeks 6, 7
- Come and See (film): Week 7, 8
- Fog of War (film) Week 8, 9
- Temple Grandin Week 10
- My Lai Audiotapes Week 11
- Hillman: Week 12, 13, 14
Elements of Style Workbook assignment - Students will:
- Engage the workbook through page 108, reading introductory material (pp v-x) and the explanatory pages of sections 1-20.
- Complete 1/4 of the numbered written exercise activities for each section (1-20) so as to end up doing just 25% of the work. Students can decide how to divide the work for each section. I will be looking to assure myself that students have done 1/4 of the written work for each section.
- This lightens the requirement significantly and is a direct result of the collective virtue of the first papers.
- Completing this assignment will mean that I award 10 "gimme points." .
- This work will be due on Nov. 10 so that students can sail into the work on research papers having the benefit of my feedback on the papers to date and the review of writing basics via this workbook assignment.
- Attend three lectures - The UHC sponsors a number of lectures that will meet this requirement. These include, the Carruthers Chair Lecture, The UHC Renowned Scholar Lecture, A UHC Faculty on Campus Lecture, and lectures for other UHC seminars that are open to the public. UHC will sponsor at least three lectures each semester. There are, of course, lecture programs in other UNM departments and in the community at large. Students may use any UHC sponsored lecture to meet this requirement. Ask the instructor about other lectures or events like dramatic performances, poetry readings, showings of topical films, etc. that may meet this requirement..
- Provide the instructor with documentation on the lecture or event (one or more of the following)
- Notes -
- Handwritten is fine
- Hand in or email
- An event handout
- If I am at the event, speak to me and remind me via email that you attended.
- Notes -
- The deadline for completion of this assignment is Nov. 24.
- Students in this seminar will earn ten "gimme" points for attending three lectures and providing documentation. These are "all or nothing" points. Students attending one or two lectures will earn no points.
OUTCOMES: On successful completion of this seminar, students should, in assigned papers and presentations, be able to:
- Critically examine assigned primary works on war within their interdisciplinary, cultural, and historical contexts.
- Situate and explain the methods, approaches, and significant content of key figures, works, and movements in the humanities
- Compare works from various interdisciplinary perspectives, cultural traditions, and historical eras in terms of genre, style, content or theme
- Recognize and evaluate how some key works in the humanities reflect historical, national, cultural, ethnic, and gender differences, even as they invoke shared human experiences that may relate to readers and the world today;
- Construct persuasive arguments and increase writing proficiency through analytical essays characterized by original and insightful theses, supported by logically integrated and sound subordinate ideas, appropriate and pertinent evidence, and good sentence structure, diction, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- Likewise,students should:
- Increase their capablilities in collaborating effectively with others.
- End the seminar with a more profound understanding of the existence and impact of war in human society.
2) I will be addressing all seminar e-mail to UNM addresses. Please use your UNM account and/or the wiki in communicating with me and your fellow class members. I will NOT be sending e-mail postings to gmail, yahoo, msn, aol, hotmail, or any other e-mail address, so see that your UNM mail is forwarded if you use one of these as your primary e-mailer. It is your responsibility to pick up messages that I post to your UNM address.
3) Students are signed up as members of the UHC listserve. They should check all listserve messages.
4) Read the Assignment Guidelines for reaction papers, essays, presentations and research papers. Every year I am amazed to find students making errors and losing points because they do assignments without reading the assignment guidelines. All professional writing involves guidelines. Editors encountering submissions that do not follow the pertinent guidelines do not read them.
Statements of Policy and Procedures Common to All Honors College Classes:
- Covid-19 related Policies
- UNM Administrative Mandate on Required Vaccinations: The University of New Mexico requires that all faculty, staff and students accessing campus facilities, housing, programs, services, and activities in person must be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination, subject to limited exemptions, before Friday, September 30.This mandate requires all UNM faculty, staff and students who access campus facilities, housing, programs, services and activities in person to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, subject to limited exemptions. Please visit UNM’s vaccine verification site to upload documentation confirming your vaccination status.
- Masking: Face masks will be optional in classrooms, laboratories, studios, libraries, residence halls, dining facilities, the Student Union Building (SUB), Johnson Recreation Center, offices, conference rooms and extracurricular activities held in indoor on-campus spaces.
- Students experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 should not attend class or come to campus and should be advised to consult with Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at (505) 277-3136 or their regular medical provider. Individuals do not need to seek medical attention if they are asymptomatic. Students who are asymptomatic but afraid of having been exposed to COVID-19 can self-monitor for symptoms and seek medical attention if symptomatic (Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at (505) 277-3136). Encourage students concerned about COVID-19 to consult the New Mexico Department of Health website for information about vaccination efficacy and COVID-19 symptoms and transmission. Share information about widely available and free COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
- OTHER UNM/HONORS COLLEGE POLICIES
- Accommodations: In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Resource Center at 277-3506 or [email protected] for additional information.
- UNM is committed to providing courses that are inclusive and accessible for all participants. As your instructor, it is my objective to facilitate an accessible classroom setting, in which students have full access and opportunity. If you are experiencing physical or academic barriers, or concerns related to mental health, physical health and/or COVID-19, please consult with me after class, via email/phone or during office hours. You are also encouraged to contact Accessibility Resource Center at [email protected] or by phone 277-3506.
- Credit-hour statement: This is a three credit-hour course. Class meets for two 75 minute sessions of direct instruction for fifteen weeks during the Fall 2021 semester. Students are expected to complete a minimum of six hours of out-of-class work (or homework, study, assignment completion, and class preparation) each week.
- Student Learning Outcomes: Instructors should include a list of measurable student learning outcomes on the syllabus. It is best when student learning outcomes for a course are connected to academic program goals (see https://assessment.unm.edu/assets/documents/manual_2021.pdf or to general education essential and component skills (see gened.unm.edu and Office of Assessment information on essential skills).
- Guidelines for Community Standards: We can establish a productive and respectful learning environment in this course by co-constructing a set of community agreements during the first week of the semester. Students will work in small groups (3-5) and create a list of 5-7 suggestions that they will then present to the whole class. This is your opportunity to influence the atmosphere is the course. The instructor will collate all of the guidelines and tailor them into a document that will become part of the course syllabus. Here are some examples of classroom guidelines that you may use for a reference point: https://crlt.umich.edu/examples-discussion-guidelines#guidelines
- Citizenship and/or Immigration Status: All students are welcome in this class regardless of citizenship, residency, or immigration status. Your professor will respect your privacy if you choose to disclose your status. As for all students in the class, family emergency-related absences are normally excused with reasonable notice to the professor, as noted in the attendance guidelines above. UNM as an institution has made a core commitment to the success of all our students, including members of our undocumented community. The Administration’s welcome is found on our website: http://undocumented.unm.edu/
- Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history.
- Support in Receiving Help: Students who ask for help are successful students. I encourage students to be familiar with services and policies that can help them navigate UNM successfully. Many services exist to help you succeed academically, such as peer tutoring at CAPS and http://mentalhealth.unm.edu. There are plenty of ways to find your place and your pack at UNM: see the "student guide" tab on my.unm, students.unm.edu, or ask me for information about the right resource center or person to contact.
- Doing the Right Thing: UNM has policies to preserve and protect you and the academic community available in the Student Pathfinder as well as in the Faculty Handbook. These include policies on student grievances D175 (undergraduates) and D176 (graduate and professional students), academic dishonesty (D100), and respectful campus (CO9). Please ask for help in understanding and avoiding plagiarism (passing the work or words of othersoff as your own work or words) or other forms academic dishonesty. Doing something dishonest in a class or on an assignment can lead to serious academic consequences. Come talk with me about your concerns or needs for academic flexibility or talk with support staff at one of our student resource centers before you do something that may endanger your career.
- TITLE IX: In an effort to meet obligations under Title IX, UNM faculty, Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Assistants are considered “responsible employees”). This designation requires that any report of gender discrimination which includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and sexual violence made to a faculty member, TA, or GA must be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at the Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Equal Opportunity. For more information on the campus policy regarding sexual misconduct, see: https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2740.html. Our classroom and our university should always be spaces of mutual respect, kindness, and support, without fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence. Should you ever need assistance or have concerns about incidents that violate this principle, please access the resources available to you on campus, especially the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center and the support services listed on its website (http://loborespect.unm.edu/). Please note that, because UNM faculty, TAs, and GAs are considered "responsible employees" by the Department of Education, any disclosure of gender discrimination (including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence) made to a faculty member, TA, or GA must be reported by that faculty member, TA, or GA to the university's Title IX coordinator at the Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Equal Opportunity. For more information on the campus policy regarding sexual misconduct, please see: https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2740.html.