WS 399 syllabus

Cross-Cultural and International Feminisms

Women's Studies 399
Senior Capstone Seminar
Spring Semester 2004
Holland Hall 514, T 1:20-2:45, Th 2:15-3:35

Syllabus

This syllabus provides information about the course requirements and evaluation, policies and accommodations for students with disabilities. If any modifications to this syllabus are necessary, they will be announced in class and by email.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION

Multimedia Web Portfolio (40%): An electronic portfolio that illustrates your analytical understanding of your academic career in the Women's Studies Program. The portfolio will pursue the goals of:

Integrative thinking: Constructing coherent relationships among the different parts of your work within this major or concentration
Reflective thinking: Examination of your intellectual and personal growth through the unfolding of your Women's Studies major or concentration

This electronic portfolio will consist of one or more web pages with links to work you have produced in previous women's studies courses, if available, as well as additional material you choose to create during spring semester. Works of many formats are appropriate—art, essays, research papers, lab reports, charts, photographs and video/audio clips—and the portfolio also may contain links to related external sites. Technological training, support and work sessions in a computer lab during class time will be available. To serve as examples, portfolios created by students in the 2002-03 senior capstone seminar are available for examination. When your portfolios are completed during spring semester, they also will be linked from the Women's Studies Program's web page for future viewing from networked campus terminals. For further information, see the complete assignment, including requirements and recommendations, on the Assignments web page.

Multimedia Web Research Project (40%): An independent senior research project of your own design that addresses cross-cultural and/or international feminism. The project may be a case study of feminism within a particular culture, ethnic group, demographic category or geographic region or a broader conceptual analysis of international feminism. In this online project, you will present your thesis and describe your methods, literature review, evidence and conclusions. Projects also may incorporate other relevant materials such as text documents, maps, photos, graphics and/or video/audio clips. Technological training, support and work sessions in a computer lab during class time will be available. Although the projects are individually based and evaluated, collaboration among class members is encouraged. At the end of the semester, all members of the class will present their final research projects to students, faculty and the public in Viking Theater, and projects will be linked from the Women's Studies Program’s web page for future viewing on the internet. Examples of research projects created by students in the 2002-03 senior capstone seminar are currently available. For further information, see the complete assignment, including requirements and recommendations, on the Assignments web page.

Participation and Presentations (20%): The first half of this seminar will be devoted largely to reading-based discussion; independent research will dominate the second half of the course. You are expected to contribute regularly and knowledgeably to class discussions throughout the semester and will be assigned to lead these discussions periodically. You are expected to attend all class sessions, arriving on time and prepared for the day’s discussions and assignments. Be sure to complete each reading assignment before attending class and be prepared to discuss it critically. A preliminary midterm grade will be provided for this area of evaluation.

Grades will conform to the following general distribution and evaluative criteria (plusses and minuses will be used in the transition areas):

A	Excellent work in every aspect; high level of effort; no significant weaknesses; no incomplete work
B	Very good quality of work and level of effort; a few areas of minor or significant difficulty; no incomplete work
C	Satisfactory quality of work and level of effort; several areas of significant difficulty and/or incomplete work
D	Poor quality of work; insufficient level of effort; numerous areas of serious difficulty and/or incomplete work
F	Unacceptable, incomplete or dishonest work

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COURSE POLICIES

Office hours and email: You are strongly encouraged to make use of my office hours. Questions, comments and discussion about the course assignments, readings and requirements are welcome. You also should feel free to communicate via email.
Course technology: Although this course uses technology fairly extensively, it is not about technology. St. Olaf College’s web and technological resources are useful tools that allow you to address feminist issues in nonlinear, creative ways and incorporate nontextual materials, but the responsibility for original analysis remains firmly in your hands. Assistance is available from a variety of sources, including your instructor, classmates and the Multimedia Development Center, so do not hesitate to ask if you have questions or need help with technology in this course.
Late assignments: Deadline extensions are approved only with acceptable documentation of legitimate absences. Unexcused late assignments lose 5% of full credit for each day beyond the due date.
Extra credit: No extra-credit work is accepted in this course.
Scholastic conduct: As responsible adults in a community of scholars, you have duties to your fellow students, professors and others in the community as well as to the norms and standards of the academic community. Penalties are imposed for academic dishonesty, which is broadly defined as any act that misrepresents your own academic work or that compromises the academic work of another. The penalty for academic misconduct is a failing grade in this class and possible expulsion from the college. For more information regarding St. Olaf College policies on scholastic conduct, see Academic Information in The Book.

DISABILITY-BASED ACCOMMODATIONS

Any student with a documented disability who needs academic adjustments or accommodations should speak with me during the first week of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities also need to contact Student Disability Services in the Academic Support Center, Room 1, in Old Main Annex.

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