AIM: sgsnow at mac
Phone: 718-390-3351 (rarely checked)
Fax: 718-420-4158
Policies and Practices
Requirements (inter alia):
1) All students must fill out and submit the Parent Waiver and Release, the Behavior Code, and the off campus medical form.
2) All students are asked to raise (or contribute personally) $2-300 for distribution on home visits, and I hope you will do a great deal more. This is a crucial portion of your experience in Kenya, and about which I’ll ask you to write. PLEASE NOTE: The donations are now tax-deductible. A student who was on our original trip to Kenya has set up a 501(c) (3) charitable foundation, “Knowledge is the Cure.“
3) Respectful and thoughtful behavior while in Kenya (this includes not drinking excessively, and wearing appropriate clothing–there are conservative Christians and Muslims where we travel, and we don’t want to offend them. Also, you don’t want a lot of male attention, trust me).
4) Compliance with the reading and writing assignments of the GOV240.
The Texts: All students should purchase copies of “Sizwe’s Test.” Not required, but certainly recommended, is “Lonely Planet Kenya”. In addition, we will read a number of articles of various types.
Grades will be calculated as follows: the quizzes are worth 25 points; the short papers 50 points; the journal 50 points; and the term paper 100 points.
For the final grade, I will make the highest score the highest A, and move down in increments of 10%. For example, if the highest score for the course is 330, the A range will be approximately from 330 to 297 (330-33); the B range will be approximately from 296 to 263 (296-33), etc. I reserve the right, of course, to adjust the final grading scale as I see fit.
In addition, I will likely assign short articles from the daily and weekly press, which I will provide you in class and for which you will be, of course, responsible on the exams and quizzes.
The Schedule: The following schedule outlines the reading and writing assignments for this course. This schedule may vary somewhat throughout the quarter. If this happens, I will inform you, most likely via email. You are responsible for any such announcements.
Fall Semester 2011
Five class meetings in October and November (TBA).
Readings:
Steinberg, “Sizwe’s Test”
Booth, “Global women, local science,”, chs. 1, 5.
Pope, “Free’s Many Fees: School Unaffordable in Tanzania“, Associated Press, 12 September, 2010.
Assignment: paper on “Sizwe’s Test”
Intersession 2011-2012
Assignment: student journal
Spring Semester 2012
Edited journals due January 24th
Short paper on Women in Kenya due Feb. 10th
Term paper proposal due March 2nd. This proposal will address the paper assignment, but only in ca. 500 words. List the sources that you have identified–not just because the title looks good, but by reading/skimming them– as being useful to your argument. (See some possibly useful sources, below.) This assignment is worth 50 points. We will discuss these proposals in class.
First draft of term paper due March 22nd.
Final draft of term paper due April 6th.
Class meetings:
FINAL MEETING: STEVE’S HOUSE, FOR DINNER, date and time TBA.
NOTE: You must take a TB test at Student Health to receive credit for the course.
