121

33:040

THE GOOD SOCIETY

Fall 2005
Instructors
Thomas Dean
Benjamin Hunnicutt
Time & Location: 3:55P - 5:10P TTh C29 PC

Click here for course calendar, assignments, and readings

What is the GOOD SOCIETY?
We will read books, watch films, and perhaps even take field trips to examine what others think is a GOOD SOCIETY. We will examine a broad range of UTOPIAN and DYSTOPIAN literature, from a broad range of perspectives (historical, economic, political, institutional, religious, philosophical). These will provide us with the basis for our analysis, discussion, and writing as we attempt to define the good society.

Professor Hunnicutt, with disciplinary training as a historian, will concentrate on two main themes which run through varied images of the good society: the themes of work and leisure. The history of these two, mutually defining terms/ideas have been central to his scholarly work.
Professor Dean is trained in English and has academic interests in regionalism, environmental studies, and place studies. He will concentrate on the themes of engagement with nature and community.

Objectives of the course include: to familiarize you with a broad range of historical and contemporary perspectives on work, leisure, civic engagement, and nature's role in society; to further your ability to think analytically and critically and help you improve your skills and comfort level with spoken and written expression through discussion, reading and writing assignments and class presentations; to encourage you to develop your own critique of society as well as your own vision of a desirable future; to think about how to make a difference in the world around you- i.e., to "re-form" society and your own life.

General expectations for all students include consistent class attendance, adequate preparation, constructive participation and completion of reading and writing assignments on deadline. For purposes of class communication and fulfillment of assignments, you'll need an e-mail account and regular access to a computer.

Since it is essential to the quality of class discussion that everyone be present, prepared, and focused, there may be graded, in-class writing checks on assigned materials (i.e., pop quizzes).
In addition, students' successful completion of the course requires writing several essays in response to specific questions introduced as the course progresses.

Contact information:

Thomas Dean
Special Assistant to the President

Office of the President

101 Jessup Hall

The University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 52242

(319)335-1995 (direct)

(319)335-3549 (main office)

(319)335-0807 (FAX)
E-mail: thomas-k-dean@uiowa.edu
Office hours: By appointment

Benjamin Hunnicutt
E-mail: Benjamin-hunnicutt@uiowa.edu
phone: 335-1326
Office: 413 Jefferson Bld
Office Hours: 2:30-3:45 TTR

Reading: Required readings for this course include five books and a wide variety of articles, essays, excerpts and other materials.

The books will be available at Prairie Lights, and you are expected to purchase your own copies. They are:

Francis Fukuyama The End of History and The Last Man

Wendell Berry, Life Is a Miracle (Counterpoint, 2001)

Gordon Henry, Jr. The Light People

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (Norton Critical Reader, 1996).

Additional material will be available on the Web, via e-mail and/or as photocopies, and course packs (from Zephyr).

Grading: Set high standards for yourself, as grading will be rigorous. You will receive letter grades for each element of your work, with A for exceptional work, B for very good, C for acceptable, D for unacceptable but passing, F for failing. Your overall grade for the course will be calculated as follows:
Attendance, preparedness, participation: 15%
Four Essays, 15% each, total 60%
Midterm 10%, final 15%, total 25%.

Further details on these matters, including logistical instructions, will be provided in class.

Other policies

Special accommodations: Special academic arrangements for students with disabilities may be facilitated by Student Disability Services, 133 Burge Hall, tel. 335-1462. Students who feel they need special accommodations for any aspects of the course are encouraged to contact SDS and to speak with the instructors as early in the semester as possible.

Deadlines: Deadlines are deadlines. If you anticipate a serious problem, alert the instructor beforehand.

Arriving to class late/leaving early: Inadvisable, rude, etc. Please turn off cellphones before class starts.

Unethical conduct: Plagiarism (i.e., expropriating the words and ideas of others and passing them off as one's own) and cheating of any sort are grounds for a failing grade in the course. Under University guidelines, plagiarism may lead to expulsion. Consult the Liberal Arts Bulletin for a full discussion of this offense.

Concerns: Please contact the instructors by e-mail, by phone, or in person during office hours with any questions or concerns. University protocol calls for any concerns to be addressed to the instructors first before any higher authorities are consulted.

ADDITIONAL INFOMATION

The name of the department, location of the departmental office, and information on how to contact the DEO or his/her designee. Literature Science and the Arts, DEO Helena Dettmer, 418 Jefferson Bld
Statement that, for each semester hour credit in the course, students should expect to spend two hours per week preparing for class sessions (e.g., in a three-credit-hour course, standard out-of-class preparation is six hours). For each semester hour credit in the course, students should expect to spend two hours per week preparing for class sessions.
Statement on availability of modifications for students with disabilities

The student is responsible for requesting accommodations: "I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my office hours."

Procedures for student complaints.

A student who has a complaint against any member of the College's teaching staff is responsible for following the procedures described below. Complaints may concern inappropriate faculty conduct, incompetence in oral communication, inequities in assignments, scheduling of examinations at other than authorized and published times, failure to provide disability accommodations, or grading grievances. In complaints involving the assignment of grades, it is College policy that grades cannot be changed without the permission of the department concerned.

§ The student should ordinarily try to resolve the matter with the instructor first.

§ If the complaint is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the student should discuss the matter further with the course supervisor (if the instructor is a teaching assistant), the departmental executive officer, or, in some departments, another faculty member designated to receive complaints.

§ If the matter remains unresolved, the student may submit a written complaint to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, 120 Schaeffer Hall (335-2633). (Graduate students should be directed to the offices of the Graduate College, 205 Gilmore Hall, 335-2137.)

The Associate Dean for Academic Programs will attempt to resolve the complaint and, if necessary, may convene the College's Committee to Resolve Student Grievances. The Associate Dean will respond to the student in writing regarding the disposition of the complaint.

If the complaint cannot be resolved through the mechanisms described above, the student may file a formal complaint, which will be handled under the Faculty Dispute Procedures.

While the College recommends the procedures above, students always have the right to complain first to someone other than the instructor (for instance, to the director of undergraduate studies, the departmental executive officer, or the University Ombudsperson) if they do not feel, for whatever reason, that they can directly approach the instructor.

(NB: If the complaint involves sexual harassment, the procedures above need not be followed. The Office of Affirmative Action has primary responsibility for complaints under the Policy on Sexual Harassment and Consensual Relationships. If a complaint at the departmental or college level involving reasonable academic accommodations for students with disabilities cannot be resolved through the mechanisms described above, students may also consult the Office of Affirmative Action.)

The collegiate policy on plagiarism and cheating.

An instructor who suspects a student of plagiarism or cheating must inform the student in writing as soon as possible after the incident has been observed or discovered .

Instructors who detect cheating or plagiarism may decide, in consultation with the DEO, to reduce the student's grade on the assignment or in the course, even to assign an F. The instructor writes an account of the chronology of the plagiarism or cheating incident for the DEO, who sends an endorsement of the written report of the case to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, 120 Schaeffer Hall. A copy of the report must be sent to the student.

The Associate Dean may uphold, as the offense warrants, the following or other penalties.

§ First offense: disciplinary warning until graduation.

§ Second offense: recommendation to the Dean of the College that the student be suspended from the College for a calendar year or longer.

§ Third offense: recommendation to the President of the University that the student be expelled from the University.

If a student believes that the finding of plagiarism or cheating is in error or the penalty unjust, the student will be encouraged to arrange a meeting with the instructor and the departmental or program administration to present a response. If the student is dissatisfied with the result of this meeting, he or she may request a hearing by writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, who may refer the matter to the College's Committee to Resolve Student Grievances . If the student is not satisfied with the results of the hearing, he or she may request a review by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Reports of first and second offenses of student academic misconduct reside only in the CLAS Academic Programs & Services office. A notation of disciplinary action does not appear on a student's record for a first or second offense. Reports on first and second offenses are destroyed when the student graduates, or after five years if the student has not graduated. Reports for third offenses are maintained as part of the student permanent record system in the Office of the Dean of Students

Forgery of University Records

The Code of Student Life prohibits forgery of University records, documents, or student identification cards. Staff members in the Registration Center routinely examine registration documents to verify the authenticity of advisers', instructors', and deans' signatures. If forgery is suspected, the questionable document is photocopied and sent directly to the person whose signature is in doubt.

If the signature is a forgery, the adviser or instructor informs the CLAS Academic Programs & Services office, providing relevant information and an explanation of extenuating or unusual circumstances. Staff members in the office interview students suspected of forgery and take disciplinary action based on the interview and verification provided by the adviser, instructor, or dean.

Disciplinary action includes, as the offense may warrant, disciplinary warning for one calendar year or until graduation, the reversal of the action requested by the forged document, or other penalties. If a student feels that the penalty imposed by CLAS Academic Programs & Services is unjust, he or she may request a hearing by sending a written request to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, who may in turn refer the matter to the Committee to Resolve Student Grievances for review. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the hearing, the student may request a review by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Committee to Resolve Student Grievances

The College's Committee to Resolve Student Grievances is an ad hoc committee composed of faculty and student members. It is constituted when a student requests a hearing to reconsider a finding or penalty administered in a case of plagiarism, cheating, forgery, or other academic misconduct.

The full policy is printed in the Schedule of Courses and the College's Student Academic Handbook.

169:072 Leisure and the Liberal Arts
Syllabus
(for the full syllabus and class calendar, go to the class web page at http://www.shorterworkhours.com). Instructor: Benjamin Kline Hunnicutt
Contact Information:
Benjamin Hunnicutt, E-mail: Benjamin-hunnicutt@uiowa.edu, phone: 335-1326, Office: 413 Jefferson Bld, Office Hours: 11:00-12:30 TTR
Department Executive Officer: Helena Dettmer, 404 Jefferson Bld- 3193353884
The College's expectation for each semester hour credit in the course, students should expect to spend two hours per week preparing for class sessions (e.g., in a three-credit-hour course, standard out-of-class preparation is six hours.

General expectations for all students include consistent class attendance, adequate preparation, constructive participation and completion of reading and writing assignments on deadline. For purposes of class communication and fulfillment of assignments, you will need an e-mail account and regular access to a computer.
Since it is essential to the quality of class discussion that everyone be present, prepared, and focused, there may be graded, in-class writing checks on assigned materials (i.e., pop quizzes). In addition, students' successful completion of the course requires writing several essays in response to specific questions introduced as the course progresses.

Reading: Required readings for this course include five books and a wide variety of articles, essays, excerpts and other materials:
As Announced in class-- Course packet available at Zephyr’s (across the street from Jefferson Bld)
Plato, PHAEDRUS (on the Internet)

Grading: Set high standards for yourself, as grading will be rigorous. You will receive letter grades for each element of your work, with A for exceptional work, B for very good, C for acceptable, D for unacceptable but passing, F for failing. Pluses and Minuses will be used (e.g., B +, C-) Your overall grade for the course will be calculated as follows: 20% attendance, written assignments, and class participation; 40% by Mid-term (scheduled for Oct 9); 40% by Final Exam(the university choses not to reveal the final exam date and time until an month before final exam week- as soon as the instructor know the time and date, he will share it with students)
The College recommends the following grade distributions (in percentages) for elementary, intermediate, and advanced courses:

	A	B	C	D	F	Average
Elementary	15	34	40	8	3	2.50
Intermediate	18	36	39	5	2	2.63
Advanced	22	38	37	3	1	2.77

Other policies: Special accommodations: Special academic arrangements for students with disabilities may be facilitated by Student Disability Services, 133 Burge Hall, tel. 335-1462. Students who feel they need special accommodations for any aspects of the course are encouraged to contact SDS and to speak with the instructors as early in the semester as possible.

Deadlines: Deadlines are deadlines. If you anticipate a serious problem, alert the instructor beforehand.
Arriving to class late/leaving early: Inadvisable, rude, etc. Please turn off cell phones before class starts.

Unethical conduct: Plagiarism (i.e., expropriating the words and ideas of others and passing them off as one's own) and cheating of any sort are grounds for a failing grade in the course. Under University guidelines, plagiarism may lead to expulsion. Consult the Liberal Arts Bulletin for a full discussion of this offense.

Concerns: Please contact the instructors by e-mail, by phone, or in person during office hours with any questions or concerns. University protocol calls for any concerns to be addressed to the instructors first before any higher authorities are consulted.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Statement on availability of modifications for students with disabilities
The student is responsible for requesting accommodations: "I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my office hours."
Procedures for student complaints.

§ The student should ordinarily try to resolve the matter with the instructor first.

If the complaint cannot be resolved through the mechanisms described above, the student may file a formal complaint, which will be handled under the Faculty Dispute Procedures.

§ The collegiate policy on plagiarism and cheating.

An instructor who suspects a student of plagiarism or cheating must inform the student in writing as soon as possible after the incident has been observed or discovered .

The Associate Dean may uphold, as the offense warrants, the following or other penalties.

§ First offense: disciplinary warning until graduation.

§ Second offense: recommendation to the Dean of the College that the student be suspended from the College for a calendar year or longer.

§ Third offense: recommendation to the President of the University that the student be expelled from the University.

Forgery of University Records

Committee to Resolve Student Grievances

The full policy is printed in the Schedule of Courses and the College's Student Academic Handbook.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

"All students in the College have specific rights and responsibilities. You have the right to adjudication of any complaints you have about classroom activities or instructor actions. Information on these procedures is available in the Schedule of Courses and on-line in the College's Student Academic Handbook (http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/). You also have the right to expect a classroom environment that enables you to learn, including modifications if you have a disability."

"Your responsibilities to this class-and to your education as a whole-include attendance and participation. (Here an instructor could put specific information on his/her or the department's attendance policy.) You are also expected to be honest and honorable in your fulfillment of assignments and in test-taking situations (the College's policy on plagiarism and cheating is on-line in the College's Student Academic Handbook http://www.clas.uiowa.edu/students/academic_handbook/). You have a responsibility to the rest of the class-and to the instructor-to help create a classroom environment where all may learn. At the most basic level, this means that you will respect the other members of the class and the instructor, and treat them with the courtesy you hope to receive in turn."

"This course is given by the College of ___. This means that class policies on matters such as requirements, grading, and sanctions for academic dishonesty are governed by the College of ___. Students wishing to add or drop this course after the official deadline must receive the approval of the Dean of the College of ___. Details of the University policy of cross enrollments may be found at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/deos/crossenroll.pdf .