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The SAGES program
invites Case faculty to submit proposals for University
Seminars they wish to teach during the 2006-07 academic
year. This page provides information about the format
and themes of University Seminars as well as detailed
guidelines for course proposals. To see a sample template for University Seminars, click here.
University
Seminars: An Introduction
University Seminars
are open to SAGES students once they complete a First
Seminar in the fall term of their freshman year. These
students take two University Seminars by the end of sophomore
year. As juniors, they go on to a departmental seminar,
usually in their major fields of study. Their SAGES experience
culminates in a capstone project that they present to
their departments and to the university community.
With enrollment
limited to 17 students, University Seminars promote active
discussion and close interaction between students and
faculty. They also provide an opportunity for continued
practice and refinement of the academic skills emphasized
in First Seminar—critical reading, quantitative and qualitative
analysis, and written and oral communication.
University Seminars
challenge students to think analytically and critically
about human knowledge. Taught at a general level, without
prerequisites, they introduce students to the modes of
inquiry characteristic of various disciplines. They also
address issues of ethical decision making and cultural
diversity.
Thematic
Framework
Each University
Seminar focuses on one of three interrelated themes: Thinking
about the Symbolic World, Thinking about the Natural/Technological
World, and Thinking about the Social World. Seminar leaders
develop specific topics related to their chosen theme.
But again, the emphasis in a University Seminar falls
less on disciplinary content (whether in the humanities,
social sciences, natural sciences, or engineering) than
on methods of academic inquiry
Thinking
about the Symbolic World. Courses that meet the
objectives of this theme explore the languages (including
mathematics) used to describe, interpret, or construct
the natural and social/cultural worlds. The study of
these languages broadens the students' understanding
of human reasoning and communication.
Thinking
about the Natural/Technological World. Courses
that meet the objectives of this theme explore the identification,
description, experimental investigation, and theoretical
explanation of physical, biological, or chemical phenomena,
as well as development and dissemination of technology.
Thinking
about the Social World. Courses that meet the objectives
of this theme introduce students to the methods and
concepts critical to the understanding of human behavior
and development, social organization, and historical
change. These courses (like those for the Symbolic World)
may also include the study of literature and of philosophical
or religious ideas.
A University
Seminar must meet the objectives for one of the three
themes. However, not every seminar topic will fall neatly
(or exclusively) under a single theme—much depends on
the course content and the instructor's intentions. For
example, an art history seminar could be listed under
Symbolic World if it dealt with aesthetic language, under
Social World if it dealt with patronage of the arts, or
under Natural/Technological World if it dealt with art
conservation. Similarly, a seminar exploring mathematical
descriptions of nature could be listed under Symbolic
World.
Faculty may
adapt the content and structure of existing courses and
propose to teach them as University Seminars. Development
of team-taught and interdisciplinary courses is encouraged.
Guidelines for University Seminar Course Proposals
The SAGES University Seminar Committee solicits course proposals for seminars that meet the goals and objectives of the University Seminar curriculum and that fit under one of the three seminar themes.
General criteria for course selection include the following:
- A University Seminar must not be a course required for a departmental major.
- A University Seminar must not have any prerequisites (apart from completion of a First Seminar).
- A University Seminar must address at least three—and preferably four—of the five GER goals:
- - broad knowledge of—and increased appreciation of the importance of diversity in—their cultural past, social world, and natural environment;
- - instruction and repeated practice in critical reading and thinking, in writing and oral presentation, and the use of information;
- - experience in quantitative reasoning and communication about quantitative concepts;
- - experience in the process of ethical decision making across a variety of perspectives and fields;
- - exposure to experimental and theoretical approaches to understanding human culture and behavior, scientific knowledge, and methods of research.
During Fall 2004, the University Seminar Commitee developed a syllabus template (click to download) to guide instructors in their course planning. Questions concerning University Seminars, course design, and other issues can be addressed to the Committee through the SAGES office (sages@case.edu).
Course Proposal Instructions
Course proposals should include the following:
- - "G" (for "grade") marked in shaded box
- - 3 credit hours
- - First Seminar prerequisite
- - course description
- - department chair's signature
- a course syllabus that includes:
- - course description
- - percentage grade breakdown
- - readings/textbooks
- - course schedule (indicating that approximately one-sixth of class time will be devoted to writing instruction)
- statements that address the following issues:
- - how the syllabus reflects the goals and objectives of University Seminars
- - the seminar theme the course fits into and the reasons why
- - details on how writing instruction will be integrated into the course
- - affirmation that at least one-sixth of the class time will be devoted to writing instruction
- - how the course integrates with the writing competency (writing portfolio) requirement
- (Note: Each University Seminar is expected to include a 10-12 page research essay that integrates primary and secondary source material and that includes a bibliography. If the instructor determines that this type of assignment is inappropriate to the goals of the proposed course and decides not to include it, this decision must be explicitly noted and addressed.)
The Writing Portfolio committee has recommended that each University Seminar require one longer paper (10-12) pages, and one shorter paper (4-5 pages). Both papers, however, may address the same topic, allowing students an opportunity to research and develop the topic thoroughly.
For a pdf version of the above checklist, click here.
Completed course proposals (electronic or paper) should be sent to the SAGES office:
SAGES
Crawford 103
Telephone: 368-5830
E-mail: sages@case.edu
The SAGES office is the first stop in the course approval process. The SAGES Advisory Committee will review each course proposal and provide a letter of advice on its compatibility with SAGES requirements. This letter will accompany the proposal when it is submitted to the curriculum committees for their consideration.
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