AIS 1203: Course Syllabus Paper

Academic Inquiry & Scholarship (AIS) 1203 Course Syllabus
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Fall 2014 Instructor: Dr. Jacquelyn Scherer
Office: MS 1.02.06
Phone: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Office Hours: 11:00 to 11:45 am
Mon thru Friday or by Appt.
Class Meeting Time & Place:
TR 4:00-5:15 pm
MB 0.222

Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Mecklenburg
Peer Mentor: Kelee Mendoza
Email: [e-mail]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Office Hours: 3:00 -4:00 pm MWF
Office Hours:

Required Texts:
1. Academic Inquiry & Scholarship Student Workbook to be purchased at UTSA Bookstore.
2. Other relevant articles provided by your instructor on Blackboard Learn.

I. Course Description
A general survey of scholarship practiced within three broad cultures of inquiry: the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. Through a cross-disciplinary framework, this course explores the diverse ideas, values, and practices
used by various disciplines to investigate and organize their subject matter and create knowledge. Students will consider and compare the assumptions, methods, ethics, and impact of inquiry and scholarship within these three broad cultures of inquiry. Students will examine, compare, and contrast the intellectual endeavors that influence society and human experience.

II. Goal & Purpose
One of the primary purposes of all universities is to produce and share knowledge. Thus, the overall goal of this course is to provide incoming students with a general introduction to academic cultures of inquiry and the ideas, values, and beliefs inherent in its varied disciplinary perspectives.

The specific purpose of this course is to provide an overview of academic inquiry and to guide student discovery of how various disciplines produce knowledge. This course begins with the premise that processes of inquiry differ by academic tradition, and thus represent distinct cultures of knowledge-making. Extending beyond simple rote memorization, the course will emphasize deep understanding and application of concepts. Hence, the course examines academic cultures of inquiry within the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences and provides students a brief introduction to: (1) how different disciplines formulate and investigate questions; (2) how specialized disciplinary language influences inquiry; (3) how context and community influence inquiry; and (4) how each discipline uses different means, materials, and methods of inquiry to produce knowledge. A common theme “Food Matters” is used to organize the course readings and discussions.

III. Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the following measurable outcomes:
Learning Outcome
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Course and/or Core Assessment Learning Outcome
Core Curriculum Objective
1. Compare and contrast how scholars from the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences ask questions and seek answers.
Course and Core Assessment Learning Outcome
Critical Thinking
2. Categorize disciplines within the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences
Course Learning Outcome

3. Generate examples of appropriate research/inquiry questions in the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences
Course Learning Outcome

4. Identify key research/inquiry terms and concepts used in the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences.
Course Learning Outcome

5. Explain similarities and differences in communication conventions in the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, using oral presentation, visual representations, and writing.
Course and Core Assessment Learning Outcome
Communication Skills
6. Identify credible resources and elements of scholarly work in the Humanities/Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences
Course Learning Outcome

7. Identify components of ethical research and inquiry germane to the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences (e.g., avoiding misrepresentation and distortion of information, academic dishonesty, and personal bias).
Course and Core Assessment Learning Outcome
Personal Responsibility
8. Explain how academic inquiry and various communities (local to global) influence each other.
Course and Core Assessment Learning Outcome
Social Responsibility

IV. Course Grading
Final Class grades will be based on the following weights:
Assignment
Percent of Course Grade
Class Attendance
5%
Weekly Assignments, Homework, Quizzes
40%
Exams/Assessments (4 X 10%)
40%
Group Presentation/Individual Response Paper
15%
Total
100%

V. Course Requirements
A. Attendance
Regular attendance is necessary for successful completion of the course and is, therefore, mandatory. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. Dropping a course is the student’s responsibility. Instructors will not drop or withdraw students because of non-attendance.

B. Weekly Assignments, Homework, & Quizzes
Student learning will be regularly assessed using a combination of weekly in-class assignments, homework, and/or quizzes designed for class participation. These will help students keep up with the assigned reading as well as provide a context for students to work through and reflect on class material.

These cannot be replicated outside class sessions. If a student is absent (or late), he/she clearly cannot participate in the activity that occurred during the absence or tardiness. Students may not make up missed in-class activities without providing a medical excuse or verification of participation in official UTSA activities, e.g.: representing UTSA in approved events such as debate or athletic events. The lowest in-class assignment grade will be dropped.

C. Exams/Assessments
There will be four exams, each covering approximately one fourth of the course material. The exams will consist of objective items and short-answer essay questions. Student essay responses will be graded for grammar, punctuation, sentence-structure, etc.

D. Group Presentation/Individual Response Paper
Students will be required to participate in a group presentation. Instructors will assign 3 students per group based on their identified major/area of interest (one Humanities/Fine Arts, one Natural Sciences, and one Social Sciences).

Each group will develop a narrowed topic, statement of the problem, and discipline-specific approaches related to a “Food Matter.” Students may be provided a list of pre-approved topics or they may identify their own topic, subject to instructor approval. Each group member will follow detailed instructions specific to his/her area of inquiry (instructions and grading rubric provided at later date). The group will work collaboratively to create a poster that includes (1) an overall statement of the problem, (2) a Natural Science disciplinary approach to the problem, (3) a Social Science disciplinary approach to the problem, and (4) a Humanities/Fine Arts disciplinary approach to the problem.
Groups will present a 6 to 7-minute summary of their exploration of inquiry in three broad areas of learning to the class by stating their problem and describing the three approaches to addressing their problem. Each group member is required to participate in the oral presentation and is expected to orally present his/her discipline specific approach. In addition, each group member is expected to provide an individual response paper detailing his/her portion of the presentation. Specific guidelines for the group presentation and indivdiual response paper will be provided at a later date.
Reflective Evaluation. Each student may complete a reflective evaluation rubric for each group member and one self-evaluation. Criteria will include the extent to which each group member helped move the group forward, completed tasks effectively and in a timely fashion, supported a constructive team climate, and addressed destructive group conflict. These evaluations may count as a homework grade.

Group Presentation Evaluations. Each student in the class will critically evaluate their classmate’s group presentations. A rubric of the presentation evaluation will be provided at a later date. The evaluations may serve as a graded assignment.

VI. Class Policies.
Attendance. Regular attendance is necessary for successful completion of the course and is, therefore, mandatory. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting.
Dropping a course is the student’s responsibility. Instructors may not drop or withdraw students because of non-attendance.

Participation & Preparation. This course is designed to engage class members in a thoughtful, on-going conversation about the nature of research and various academic cultures. Many of the class activities are based on readings and group work completed prior to and during class. It is, therefore, a student’s responsibility to keep up with the readings and assignments and come to class ready to participate.

Electronic Devices.
Cell Phones. Ringing cell phones disrupt the learning environment. Please set to vibrate during class.
Audio-Taping. It is permissible to record class lectures if you so desire. However, recording the class while going over an exam is prohibited.
Laptops and/or Tablets. If you have one, bring it. We may use them during class to access the Internet. Do not use them unless assigned.

Makeup Exams, Late Work, Extra Credit, & Incompletes. Make-up exams and late work will not be allowed unless previously cleared with the professor. If a makeup exam is permitted, the student must take the exam prior to or during the next scheduled class meeting.
Late work will be allowed at my discretion. If late work is accepted, points will be deducted at a rate of 5 percentage points per day, excluding weekends and holidays. No late work will be accepted more than 1 week after the due date.
No work for extra credit will be allowed for any individual student for any reason. Course incompletes will be given only in extreme cases.
Course Evaluation. Professors use feedback provided by students in course evaluations to improve their teaching. Additionally, course evaluations are a strategy used by the University as one factor in evaluating an instructor’s effectiveness. As a faculty member I encourage you to complete the course evaluation during the availability period later in the semester. One extra credit point will be added to the average of participating students at the end of the semester.
Students with Disabilities. Students with documented exceptionalities should register with Disability Services (MS 2.03.18, 458-4981 or – Downtown BV 1.302, 458-2945). For more information regarding the Office of Disability Services, consult the following link: http://www.utsa.edu/disability/students.htm

Tomás Rivera Center. I encourage you to utilize the academic support services available to you through the Tomás Rivera Center (TRC) to assist you with building study skills and tutoring in course content. These services are available at no additional cost to you. The TRC has several locations at the Main Campus and is also located at the Downtown Campus. For more information, visit the web site at www.utsa.edu/trcss or call [phone] on the Main Campus and [phone] on the Downtown Campus.

Cheating.
Students are expected to be above reproach in scholastic activities. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and dismissal from the University. According to The Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22, "Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an exam for another person, and act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For more information regarding the UTSA Student Code of Conduct, consult the following link:
http://www.utsa.edu/infoguide/appendices/b.html

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The University of Texas at San Antonio is a community of scholars where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration, and innovation are fostered.

As a Roadrunner, I will:
Uphold the highest standards of academic and personal integrity by practicing and expecting fair and ethical conduct;
Respect and accept individual differences, recognizing the inherent dignity of each person;
Contribute to campus life and the larger community through my active engagement; and
Support the fearless exploration of dreams and ideas in the advancement of ingenuity, creativity, and discovery.

Guided by these principles now and forever, I am a Roadrunner!