COLA 100
First-Year Seminar—-Students and the 1960s
Instructor: Dr. Eugene Moehring
Office: John Wright Hall (WRI-312)
Office Hours: Mondays and most Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 p.m. and by appointment
Phone: 895-3309
Email: eugene.moehring@unlv.edu
Course Description: The 1960s were the most politically and socially turbulent decade in recent American history. The Vietnam War, civil rights and other issues divided the nation and inspired college students on campuses across America to be actively engaged in the learning process and to apply their knowledge to the world around them. The women’s movement, environmentalism, chronic poverty, the Warren Court’s expansion of civil liberties, and America’s urban crisis, along with a series of influential books, films and music helped support the rise of broad-based student activism in the U.S. and abroad. This course will employ a variety of approaches to survey the decade’s major events and trends from the student perspective. Each week lectures will provide students with relevant historical background from which they can expand their inquiry. The sixties will also be used as a vehicle for enhancing a variety of learning skills and introducing students to the university learning outcomes embodied in UNLV’s new General Education requirements.
Each week we will devote one-third of our in-class and between-class time to the “academic success” component of the course, which is designed to enhance students’ ability to succeed in their college studies. In addition to improving important skills such as essay writing, note-taking, prioritizing, critical thinking and oral presentation, we will also discuss service learning, academic advising, and how selecting a major can advance one’s career. As part of their between-class activities, students will read assigned chapters in the book, which we will discuss in class. Obviously, the course’s subject matter itself will serve as a convenient jumping off point for our discussions of student leadership and civic responsibility. I will also familiarize the class with UNLV’s Writing Center and Academic Success Center for any support services that you may need while at this university, and I will provide handouts and offer suggestions to promote good learning based on my own experience as a student and college instructor.
General Education at UNLV:
The UNLV General Education Program is designed to help every student develop a broad intellectual background, gain familiarity with a variety of fields of knowledge, and acquire the practical skills necessary for analyzing American political culture and the role of the U.S. in the world. Upon completion of the General Education core curriculum, students should be able to think critically and independently and in the process gain a foundation for life-long learning, professional success, and personal development.
Numerous surveys of companies and other employers of college graduates indicate there are three skills in particular that they want in a new hire: the capacity to do research, the power to think analytically, and the ability to write well. Being able to identify issues, think critically about them, and clearly express your ideas in writing and in oral presentation are vital to the successful pursuit of any high-paying, professional career today because they are conducive to problem-solving. In this course I will emphasize these three skills and will use American history in the 1960s as a vehicle to help you strengthen them.
University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs):
UNLV has adopted a new approach to undergraduate general education that embraces the following undergraduate learning outcomes, which this humanities course will emphasize.
Intellectual Breadth and Life-Long Learning – Integrate differing perspectives of the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts, and develop skills and desire for life-long learning.
Inquiry and Critical Thinking – Use qualitative and quantitative methods to guide the collection, analysis, and use of information and produce reasoned arguments and explanations.
Communication – Communicate effectively in written, spoken, visual, and digital modes.
Global/Multicultural – Develop knowledge of global and multicultural societies and an awareness of one’s place in and effect on them.
Citizenship and Ethics – Participate knowledgeably and actively in the public life of our communities and make informed, responsible, and ethical decisions in one’s personal and professional life. Note: Throughout the course, the Sixties students’ commitment to global awareness, citizen responsibility and ethics will be given special consideration.
Course Student Learning Outcomes Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify and explain the political and social influences of the civil rights movement and other major movements of the 1960s on a deeply divided nation that prompted mass protest, reform and a fundamental re-examination of civil liberties.
2. Critically evaluate Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” as a program aimed at reducing poverty and the conservative opposition to it and apply their knowledge to social reform programs, such as President Obama’s National Health Insurance program in the 21st Century.
3. Compare American policy in fighting the Vietnam War with modern-day foreign policy in the Middle East and Asia, which seeks to avoid student revolts.
4. Formulate their own critical perspective of the campus culture that existed in the 1960s, and how the political and social issues students protested affect us today.
5. In addition, students will acquire “academic success” skills that will help them succeed at UNLV. These will include efficient note-taking, time management, goal setting and how to select the right major.
6. Students will also improve their writing skills.
Course “Learning” Goals (mapped here to UNLV’s UULOs):
The following are skills that COLA 100 will help you develop for use later in your career and life:
1. Students will be able to critically examine and evaluate sources documenting political, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic policies and events both in the past and today (UULO #1 and #2-Intellectual Breadth/Life-long Learning and Inquiry and Critical Thinking). Students will read clashing interpretations of events/policies from such liberal authors as Michael Harrington, David Halberstam and Harvard Sitkoff, and I will emphasize contrasting conservative ideas from such conservative contemporaries as Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley, Jr. Students can also read their works, which I’ll provide a guide to.
2. Students will be able to compare and contrast how notions of citizenship and ethics in government practices have changed over time— (UULO #5- Civic Engagement and Ethics) Following a viewing of the film Berkeley in the Sixties, we will discuss the film in class and students will be asked to write an essay about the Berkeley students’ response to government lies concerning the Vietnam War or about the social injustice depicted in the film and practiced by entire communities against minority groups in San Francisco and Oakland.
3. Students will be able to analyze and appraise historical information both orally and verbally (in writing) for an audience (UULO #3 Communication). I will divide the students into cohorts of three. Each student will read an oral history of a Las Vegan who lived here in the 1960s and write a 5-page essay in which they critically evaluate the interview’s subject matter. The cohort will then make an oral presentation to the class in which the student members tie the experiences of these Las Vegans to issues and events covered in class.
4. Students will be able to recognize how race, gender, ethnicity, religion, culture and other factors influenced and continue to influence not only the treatment of minorities at home but also abroad, especially toward Third World people (UULO #4-Global/Multicultural Knowledge and Awareness). Students will do this through the use of lecture material, readings and on-line source materials covering civil rights and the Vietnam War as well as President Johnson’s invasion of Santo Domingo, President Kennedy’s failed Cuban invasion and the Six-Day War in the Middle East. Students will engage this material and respond to it in class discussion, in essays and in collaborative oral presentations.
5. As part of this course’s “college component,”there will be a question on the Midterm and Final Exam that will require an essay covering the “academic skills” discussed in class and in the Heavey and Gianoutsos book.
Academic Skills: In addition to the Heavey and Gianoutsos book, I’ve prepared special handouts of my own to help you develop the vital skills of essay writing, test-taking, critical thinking and efficient note-taking that will make you a better college student sooner rather than later during your time at UNLV. Many course handouts can be found on my website, http://emoehring.faculty.unlv.edu/. Click on appropriate course webpage; links to handouts are embedded in the course syllabus on the left side of the page.
Feedback
I will provide students with feedback on their performance for each examination and assignment within one week. Feel free to email me at any time regarding questions you may have regarding course assignments or other matters.
Course Requirements:
1. Readings:
A.–Required:
Michael Harrington, The Other America HarrDiscQuestions
David Halberstam, Ho HoCOLA100
Harvard Sitkoff, The Struggle for Black Equality, 1954-1980 SitkoffCOLA100
College Component book: Chris Heavey and Dan Gianoutsos, Achieving Success: A Guide for Liberal Arts and Exploring Majors (Kendall Hunt, 2012)
B.–Not Required (Just available for your reference if your need them):
Textbook on Library Reserve: William O’Neill, Coming Apart: An Informal History of the 1960s
Other Book Resources on Reserve for Your Reference:
Barry Goldwater, Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
Edward Banfield, The Unheavenly City: The Nature and Future of our Urban Crisis (1970)
Todd Gitlin, The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage (1987)–written by a student activist.
2. Examinations–There will be a Midterm and Final Examination, which will be essay in nature and based on lecture material and readings. Each test will cover one-half of the course. Each test will contain an essay question relating to material we covered in the Heavey and Gianoutsos book. The final exam will also have an essay question relating to the “Berkeley in the Sixties” film for which I will give you prompting questions to think about before the test.
3. Discussions–Students will read three history books and we will have a class-long discussion of each of them during the semester. There will be questions relating to these discussions on the midterm and final examinations and you will also write a response paper to one of them in the form of a book review. All students are expected to participate actively in class discussion on a continuous basis. Failure to do so will result in the lowering of your final grade. See discussion handouts provided above.
4. Written Assignments:
A.–Book Review (Response Paper)–Despite popular perceptions, history is not really about names, dates and places but involves the process of constructing knowledge itself. History is created by historians, who research sources and present what you would call “the facts” in a certain order to support a thesis (a central argument). In that process they make assumptions, emphasize some factors and minimize others to provide a coherent account of events from their viewpoint. So, history (even in textbooks) is not really objective; it is subjective and therefore often biased.
With this in mind, each student will write a 3-4-page response paper in the form of a book review that critically evaluates Michael Harrington’s The Other America. This book is written from a liberal viewpoint, so as a useful counterpoint students will critique Harrington’s liberal views from a conservative perspective as well as their own. I will provide the class with a set of conservative criticisms of these liberal viewpoints. I will also put Barry Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative andEdward Banfield’s The Unheavenly City Revisited on reserve and also put you in touch with William F. Buckley’s National Review (which Lied Library has the full run of issues). See guiding handout provided below.
B.–Movie Review–All students will write an essay about the documentary film Berkeley in the Sixties, which we will view in class. The essay should critically evaluate how the film portrays students and political leaders, identify its biases and its value as a source documenting campus protests. See guiding handout provided below.
C.–Collaborative Research Paper and Presentation–Special Collections (on the 3rd floor of Lied library) has over 2,000 interviews with local residents (many of which have been transcribed from audio tape to print). A large number of these involve people who were active in the local civil rights movement, union militancy, or other areas of controversy during the 1960s. I will provide you with a list of Las Vegans, who have a substantial amount of 1960s experiences in their interviews. Early in the course, we will form cohorts (collaborative teams) of three students each, and they will work together, sharing their research findings and jointly making an oral presentation to the class on a scheduled date later in the semester.
Specifically, students will read an oral history of a Las Vegan who lived here in the 1960s. Each student will write a 5-page essay in which they critically evaluate the interview’s subject matter. I will return the paper to you within a week with my comments and give you an opportunity to edit and improve it and then re-submit it. In the meantime, the cohort will meet several times outside of class and work together to make an oral presentation to the class. Using a short list of prompting questions (that I’ll provide) which address the core themes of this course, the group will work together to connect their three interviewees more directly to these themes and present their findings and views to the class.
Assessment:
For each written assignment I will give the class a handout detailing what I want each student to do and the criteria (Rubric) that will determine his/her grade. For example, the handout for the report covering an oral history will contain this type of criteria indicating what constitutes an excellent student evaluation of content.
Oral History- General Assessment Criteria for an Excellent Paper:
1. Can the student relate their findings from reading/listening to the interview to work learned in class or to the course’s Core Themes?
2. Can the student explain how the interviewee’s experiences led her or him to adopt the positions they did?
3. Can the student identify biases in the interviewee’s argument/position?
4. Can the student identify 2-3 major experiences the interviewee had that made the person worth interviewing and also provide some critical analysis?
5. Can the student also suggest alternative points of view?
Individual Study: For this course, students are expected to engage in at least five hours per week of individual study fulfilling assignments outside the classroom (e.g., reading, writing, reviewing, researching, class preparation).
Grading: The course grade will be based first on the student’s performance on the two major examinations. I will then add to this grade for excellent discussion of all four books (i.e. a B- would become a B). A well-written review of Harrington’s book will add more to the final grade (the B would become a B+), and a good oral presentation and revised oral history paper could add as much as a whole letter grade to the final grade (the B+ could become an A- or even an A). Poor work, however, will result in the lowering of your grade. So, you want to do your best work with the personal goal of constantly raising your final grade throughout the semester. And, this should be the way you handle all of your courses at UNLV!
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory in this course. More than three unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your final grade by a half letter grade for each absence (e.g. B to B-). Four or more absences may result in an administrative drop from the course or a failing grade. So, don’t be absent unless you are really sick! In most college classes it is hard to make up the work from too many lost days.
Plagiarism or Cheating in This Course:
Anyone engaging in plagiarism or cheating on a test or a paper will receive a grade of F for the course.
Lecture Topics:
Week 1-Mon. Jan. 21–Martin Luther King Holiday (No Class)
Wed. Jan. 23—The Syllabus; Survey and 1-page Self Assessment Paper
Week 2-Mon. Jan. 28- The Setting: America 1945 to John F. Kennedy
Wed. Jan. 30-Heavey, Chap. 1 and Chap. 2 Touching All the Bases
Week 3-Mon. Feb. 4- The Urban Crisis
Wed. Feb. 6–Heavey, Chap. 9-Information Literacy (Library Visit- Priscilla Finley)
Week 4-Mon. Feb. 11–Discussion of: M. Harrington: The Other America
Wed. Feb. 13–Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society
Week 5-Mon. Feb. 18–President’s Day Holiday (No Class)
Wed. Feb. 20–Heavey, Chap. 6 Strategic Learning
Week 6-Mon. Feb. 25–Heavey, Chap. 3 Liberal Arts
–(Harrington Book Review is due!!)
Wed. Feb.27–Heavey, Chap. 7 Essay Writing
Week 7-Mon. Mar. 4–The Feminist Movement
Wed. Mar. 6–Heavey, Chap. 8 Critical Thinking
Week 8-Mon. Mar 11–The Civil Rights Movement and the Warren Court
Wed. Mar. 13–Heavey, Chap. 5 Time Management
Week 9-Mon. Mar. 18–Discussion of: H. Sitkoff, The Struggle for Black Equality
Wed. Mar. 20–Susan Thompson Visit; Heavey, Chap. 10 Diversity & Global Awareness
–(1st Oral history Interview Paper is due!!)
Spring Break —–March 25-29 (No Class)
Week 10-Mon. Apr. 1– Midterm Examination!! –(In-class)
Wed. Apr. 3– Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Vietnam
Week 11-Mon. Apr. 8–The Counter Culture
Wed. Apr. 10-Heavey, Chap. 4 Goal-Setting; Chap. 14 Career Options
Week 12-Mon. Apr.15–Discussion of: D. Halberstam, Ho
Wed. Apr. 17–Film: Berkeley in the Sixties–Discussion and Prompting Handout for Later Reflection Essay
–(2nd Draft of Oral History Interview Paper is due!!)
Week 13-Mon. Apr. 22–Student Protests in the 1960s
Wed. Apr. 24–Collaborative Presentation I
Week 14-Mon. Apr. 29–Collaborative Presentation II
Wed. May 1–The Environmental Crisis (or Collab. Presentation III)
Week 15-Mon. May 6–The Heavey, Chap. 12 Ethics & Leadership
Wed. May 8–The Sixties in Retrospect; Gen. Ed. Survey; 1-page End-of-Course Self Assessment Paper; Course Evaluation (All in-class!)
Week 16-Final Exam Week–Monday, May 13 1:00-3:00 p.m. Final Exam-(Here!)
Copyright Policy:
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student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability, as well as disciplinary action under University policies. To familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, you are encouraged to visit the following website: http://www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright/.
Disability Resource Center (DRC):
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documenteddisabilities. The DRC is the official office to review and house disability documentation for students, and to providethem with an official Academic Accommodation Plan to present to the faculty if an accommodation is warranted.
Faculty should not provide students accommodations without being in receipt of this plan. UNLV complies with the provisions set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offering reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need to contact the DRC for the coordination of services. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC), Room 137, and the contact numbers are: Voice (702) 895-0866, TTY (702) 895-0652, fax (702) 895-0651. For additional information, please
visit: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/.
UNLV Writing Center:
One-on-one or small group assistance with writing is available free of charge to UNLV students at the WritingCenter, located in CDC-3-301. Although walk-in consultations are sometimes available, students withappointments will receive priority assistance. Appointments may be made in person or by calling 895-3908. The student’s Rebel ID Card, a copy of the assignment (if possible), and two copies of any writing to be reviewed are requested for the consultation. More information can be found at: http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/
Religious Holidays Policy – Any student missing class quizzes, examinations, or any other class or lab work because of observance of religious holidays shall be given an opportunity during that semester to make up missed work. The make-up will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It shall be the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor no later than the end of the first two weeks of classes, February1, 2013, of his or her intention to participate in religious holidays which do not fall on state holidays or periods of class recess. This policy shall not apply in the event that administering the test or examination at an alternate time would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the university that could not reasonably been avoided. For additional information, please visit: http://catalog.unlv.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=164.
Incomplete Grades – The grade of I – Incomplete – can be granted when a student has satisfactorily completed all course work up to the withdrawal date of that semester/session but for reason(s) beyond the student’s control, and acceptable to the instructor, cannot complete the last part of the course, and the instructor believes that the student can finish the course without repeating it. A student who receives an I is responsible for making up whatever work was lacking at the end of the semester. If course requirements are not completed within the time indicated, a grade of F will be recorded and the GPA will be adjusted accordingly. Students who are fulfilling an Incomplete do not register for the course but make individual arrangements with the instructor who assigned the I grade.
Tutoring – The Academic Success Center (ASC) provides tutoring and academic assistance for all UNLV students taking UNLV courses. Students are encouraged to stop by the ASC to learn more about subjects offered, tutoring times and other academic resources. The ASC is located across from the Student Services Complex (SSC). Students may learn more about tutoring services by calling (702) 895-3177 or visiting the tutoring web site at: http://academicsuccess.unlv.edu/tutoring/.
Rebelmail – By policy, faculty and staff should e-mail students’ Rebelmail accounts only. Rebelmail is UNLV’s official e-mail system for students. It is one of the primary ways students receive official university communication such as information about deadlines, major campus events, and announcements. All UNLV students receive a Rebelmail account after they have been admitted to the university. Students’ e-mail prefixes are listed on class rosters. The suffix is always @unlv.nevada.edu.
Academic Misconduct:
“Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of the campus community; all share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and professionalism. By choosing to join the UNLV community, students accept the expectations of the Academic Misconduct Policy and are encouraged when faced with choices to always take the ethical path. Students enrolling in UNLV assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with UNLV’s function as an educational institution.” An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism: “Using the words or ideas of another, from the Internet or any source, without proper citation of the sources.” See the “Student Academic Misconduct Policy” (approved December 9, 2005) located at: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/judicial/misconductPolicy.html.
