General Studies (GNST) 201 - Lecture 07
Inquiry Seminar in Communication and Culture: Profiles of Calgary
Winter 2007
Tuesday, Thursday 12:30-13:45  

Instructor:	Dr. Max Foran
Office Location:	SS 314
Office Phone:	220 4366
E-Mail:	mforan@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	Tuesday, Thursday 14:00-15:30

Course Description

This course will explore the most dominant themes in Calgary's development. The role of the Canadian Pacific Railway, real estate speculation and boosterism, housing, the city's cowtown image, the Mounted Police, tourism, and the oil and gas industry will be set against issues including ethnicity, social inequities, physical growth patterns and responses to climate to enhance a deeper understanding of one of Canada's most dynamic cities

Objectives of the Course

1. To enable students to access and utilize the most pertinent sources on Calgary in the library.

2. To develop a critical approach to these sources through directed-inquiry assignments

3. To facilitate the ability to translate research into coherent written form for class presentation and discussion

4. To develop the facility to use newspapers as a versatile research instrument

5. To integrate an inquiry-based approach with interdisciplinary learning

Textbooks and Readings:

No Textbook

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

Note: Please return assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

The course will require students to complete five assignments and a term paper. There will be no mid term nor final examination The A+ grade will be awarded only as a final mark, and in most cases will require a 4.0. An A+ however might also be awarded in instances where the overall grade is between 3.8 and 4.0 but where the student has exhibited very superior research skills.

Course Weighting: All assignment are due at class time on the appropriate dates.

Assignment One 12% Due Thursday January 25

Assignment Two 12% Due Tuesday February 13 Group A; Thursday February 15 Group B

Assignment Three 12% Due Tuesday February 27 Group A; Thursday March 1 Group B

Assignment Four 12% Due Tuesday March 20 Group A; Thursday March 22 Group B

Assignment Five 12% Due Tuesday April 10 Group A; Thursday April 12 Group B

Class Participation 15% This will be assessed according to attendance and participation in discussions on the five assignment topics.

Term Paper 25% Due Class time, Thursday April 5

Total 100%

No assignment will require off campus research although students may feel free to access the Glenbow or City of Calgary Arhives should they choose.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Additional Information

Note: Students in this course may be asked to volunteer for several personal interviews as part of a research project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of first-year instruction. Participation will be completely voluntary. You will receive complete details if you agree to participate.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

To be handed out in class.