COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE TITLE: Travel StudyNUMBER/SECTION: HUMA 250-51B

CRN: 32622

CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor:

First Name:Evan

Last Name:Brown

Phone Number:(219) 981-1111 ext 2302

Email (Ivy Tech Email):

Office/Campus Location:Gary: C239, East Chicago: 208F

Office Hours:Mondays: 9:15-1:15 in Gary office C239, or by appointment

Instructor’s Supervisor:

First Name:Deborah

Last Name:Stipp

Phone Number:(219) 981-1111 ext 2224

Email (Ivy Tech Email):

Office/Campus Location:Gary: C237

Office Hours:M, T, R 12:30-2 or by appointment

COURSE OUTLINE OF RECORD

COURSE TITLE: Travel Study

COURSE NUMBER: HUMA 250

PREREQUISITES: ENGL 111 English Composition, Program Advisor Approval

SCHOOL: Liberal Arts and Sciences

PROGRAM: Liberal Arts

CREDIT HOURS: 3

CONTACT HOURS: Lecture: 1(16 hours)Practicum: 2(96 hours minimum)

DATE OF LAST REVISION: Fall, 2014

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS REVISION: Fall, 2015

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course offers the student an opportunity to research and explore the attributes of another country or region through world travel. Students will attend preparatory sessions on travel planning and management, research techniques, cross-cultural communication skills, study and observational methodologies, itinerary development, and post-trip summary, reflection, and application processes. Course may be repeated for credit.

MAJOR COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course the student will be expected to:

  1. Conduct research and demonstrate a basic understanding of the destination country or area of study in the topics of history, culture, society, arts, economics, politics, and technology.
  2. Synthesis of research into a report demonstrating descriptive and analytical communication skills in thinking, writing, and presenting
  3. Planning and organization independently or in conjunction with faculty and/or a third-party planning agency of the travel experience through preparation of the travel documents, supplies and equipment, budget, lodging and transportation, emergency procedures and contacts, and detailed itinerary for the duration of the study term.
  4. Demonstration of an ability to communicate cross-culturally and interact constructively with a culture within a territory other than one’s own.
  5. Development of an understanding of study methodologies and concepts for analyzing cultural patterns and apply these methods during the travel study.
  6. Organization and documentation of the travel experiences (e.g., journal, photography, blogs, etc.).
  7. Preparation of a study abroad summary and visual presentation which could include career application, cultural analysis and comparison, and self-reflection on the accuracy of one’s own world view or other trip specific analysis.

COURSE CONTENT: Topical areas of study include –

Travel orientation and expectations

Research and reporting strategies

Travel planning and preparation

Cultural awareness and development strategies

Study methodologies

Recording and communicating the travel experience

Reflection and application summary presentation

COLLEGE POLICIES

Academic Honesty Statement

The College is committed to academic integrity in all its practices. The faculty value intellectual integrity and a high standard of academic conduct. Activities that violate academic integrity undermine the quality and diminish the value of educational achievement.

Cheating on papers, tests, or other academic works is a violation of College rules. No student shall engage in behavior that, in the judgment of the instructor of the class, may be construed as cheating. This may include, but is not limited to, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty such as the acquisition without permission of tests or other academic materials and/or distribution of these materials and other academic work. This includes students who aid and abet as well as those who attempt such behavior.

Copyright Statement

Students shall adhere to the laws governing the use of copyrighted materials. They must insure that their activities comply with fair use and in no way infringe on the copyright or other proprietary rights of others and that the materials used and developed at Ivy Tech Community College contain nothing unlawful, unethical, or libelous and do not constitute any violation of any right of privacy.

ADA Statement

Ivy Tech Community College seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with documented disabilities. If students need an accommodation because of a documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Support Services.

COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Due Dates & Deadlines

The Syllabus and Course Calendar are two important tools to help students understand the course, student and instructor expectations, and deadlines. Both documents can be found under the “Syllabus” button in the course within Blackboard.

Students are required to submit work on time for a chance to receive credit. Deadlines for each week/assignment are summarized on the course calendar. Students should check the calendar frequently for deadlines and to be aware of what to expect next. Deadlines are subject to change.

Students are responsible for timely assignment submission. Should a computer system or network go down, students must still turn in work in a timely manner. Don’t wait until the last minute. Plan ahead by seeking alternative means for submitting work before needed. Local libraries and all Ivy Tech Community College campuses can serve as alternative resources. Contact the closest/most convenient campus or other public lab for schedules and Internet availability. Not having access to the required software on a home or work computer is not a legitimate excuse for turning in homework late.

Attendance Policy – Don’t Get Dropped from Class!

While it is important to be timely and on-schedule throughout any course, students need to be aware of an important college policy. Ivy Tech performs administrative drops for students who do not “attend” class early in the semester. Assignments may actually be due on another day (see course calendar), but students need to turn in something worth points before the NSW deadline in order to avoid being dropped for non-attendance. Students will also be required to complete a syllabus agreement form in the first week of class.

To avoid being dropped for non-attendance, students must submit some assignment from the course calendar no later than 11:59 p.m.January 22, 2016.

Am I Required to Come to a Campus for this Class?

No. Successful completion of this course requires completion of course assessments in BlackBoard as well as attending the travel study.

Instructional Method

There will be several assessments online via Black Board that must be completed by the student. Your instructor will advise you on the procedure and execution of these activities. A student’s success is directly proportional to their preparation, dedication, and involvement in their own education. Students are asked to check messages and e-mail daily. The instructor will guide the student to the wealth of knowledge within sociology through various methods. Additional resources, including Power Point slides and videos, are located on Black Board under Class Sessions.

Grades

All grades will be maintained in Blackboard’s online grade book. Students are responsible to track their progress by referring to the online grade book.

Make-Up Policy

If a student has a very serious problem, that can be verified and documented, that keeps the student from submitting a paper or test on time, please contact the professor immediately. The professor will determine if the seriousness of the problem warrants an exception to the late assignment rule. Late assignments will be assigned a grade of “0” unless a student has received prior approval from the Professor.

Last Day to Withdraw

If a student wishes to withdraw from this course, students are responsible for completing an official withdrawal form with the registrar.

The last day to withdraw from this course is April 9th, 2016.

Right of Revision

The college reserves the right to change any statements, policies or scheduling as necessary. Students will be informed promptly of any and all changes.

COURSE COMMUNICATION

Instructor Commitment

Ivy Tech Community College instructors are committed to responding to students within two business days. If a student sends communication, but does not receive a response, they should double-check that the correct communication method was used and that the correct location is being checked for a reply.

NOTE: Messages are very different from Email. Students should carefully review the information below to ensure they are sending and receiving course communication properly.

Email: all students must use the emailfunction of the course for course-related communications. Students can send email from within the course in Blackboard, but will not receive responses inside the course.All emails are received in the Campus Connect email system. Students can also use the Campus Connect email system to send email.

To access email from within the course:

  1. Log into Blackboard & enter the course.
  2. Look below the green course menu buttons on the left side.
  3. Click on Communication, then send email. Please DO NOT use the MESSAGES feature inside Communication.
  4. Select “All Instructor Users” to email the instructor.
  5. To send an email to another member of the class, choose Select Users and choose the name(s) from the list. Use the right-facing arrow to move the person into the “recipient” box.

To access Campus Connect, go to:

Online Communication Etiquette: Students are expected to uphold their responsibilities in terms of appropriate and professional communication with faculty and peers. Please review the ‘Students Rights and Responsibilities’ section of the student handbook and review common netiquette (Internet etiquette) practices, like those found at:

Messages will be replied to within 36 hours.

General Message Guidelines

  • Keep messages simple and direct.
  • Avoid cutting/pasting content from a web site into a message. It is more efficient to include the URL to the website within the body of the e-mail message.
  • Students should check their messaging accounts regularly.
  • Caution should always be exercised in communicating sensitive matters by message.
  • Privacy should not be assumed when employing this method of communication.
  • Ensure that the message is addressed only to the intended recipient(s).
  • All official electronic communications are subject to the college archives/records management policies. Offices creating official communications are responsible for coordinating retention of these communications.
  • Messages without a proper subject line may not necessarily be read and may possibly be deleted.
  • The subject line of messages sent to faculty should begin with the following:

Name, Prefix Course - Section Number, Subject of e-mail

Examples:

Janet Jones, SOC111-003, When will Quiz 3 be posted?

John Simpson, PHY111-003, When will my grade be posted?

Taneka Brown, MIS111-001, Question on assignment 6

ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Course Assignments

  1. Discussion Board Topics: During the course of the semester there will be six discussion board topics. Students are expected to respond to the topic with a post of no less than 200 words, and reply to a classmate with no less than 50 words. Each topic is worth up to 35 points, for a total of 210 points.
  2. Business Characteristics Project: Students are to research and reflect on the uniqueness of Ireland business practices as they compare to several European countries and other select nations. Students will be presented with a chart, listing several business characteristics and typologies, contrasted by several countries. You are asked to research the presence or absence of each characteristic in each nation using sources provided, followed by a few summative questions. This project is worth up to 240 points.
  3. Ireland-USA Company Comparison Project: Students are to research a large, Ireland based company from an offered list and provide an executive summary comparing the basic business practices of that company and a specific, similarly sized company in the same general field here in the USA. The summary should be no longer than five pages, but show considerable knowledge of comparative business practices between the two nations. This project is worth up to 250 points.
  4. Journaling Project: Students are asked to keep a journal/travel log documenting their experiences as they relate to various topics in the preparation, execution, and reflection of their trip. This journal will require the incorporation of business and economic theory into the writing where appropriate. Several submissions are required via BlackBoard prior to the trip, daily handwritten entries during the trip, and a paper/portfolio project due post-trip. The journal may take many forms, be it literary, photo, video, or some other medium with instructor’s approval. This project is worth up to 300 points.

How is my grade calculated?

Grades in this course are determined by the following criteria:

Assignment / Points Each / Total
6 Discussion Board Topics / 35 / 210
Business Characteristics Project / 240 / 240
Ireland-USA Company Comparison Project / 250 / 250
Journaling Project / 300 / 300
Grand Total: / 1000

Grading Scale

Grade / Points / Percentage
A / 900-1000 / 90-100%
B / 800-899 / 80-89%
C / 700-799 / 70-79%
D / 600-699 / 60-69%
F / 0-599 / 0-59%

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Optional Campus Support

Students are welcome to use the services and equipment available at the most convenient Ivy Tech Campus. Services include academic advising, equipment, libraries, and tutoring. Please locate the most convenient Ivy Tech campus by reviewing the information at

Library

The Ivy Tech Library is available to students on- and off-campus, offering full text journals, books, and other resources essential for course assignments. The Library can be accessed from the “Library” tab in Blackboard or from the “Library” tab in Campus Connect.

Click for Help

Log into Blackboard at visit the “Click for Help” tab for information about computer downloads. This tab provides students with important computer information, including security software, viewer software for users without Microsoft products, adobe reader, flash player, java, and more.

Disabilities Services

Students with questions or needs for disabilities support services should contact their local Disabilities Support Services director/coordinator. In the future, it is recommended that students contact Disabilities Support Services at least 30 days before the start of the semester.The contact information listed here is for the disabilities support director/coordinator at the instructor’s local campus. For information about disabilities support services at another campus, please visit: Campus Connect (

Disabilities Support Contact:

Gary and East Chicago Campuses / Valparaiso and Michigan City Campuses
Sandra Senatore-Roberts
Director of Disability Support Services
219-981-1111, ext. 2337
/ Rhonda Craig
Assistant Director Student Services

Valparaiso 219-464-8514 ext 3121
Michigan City 219-879-9137 ext 6262
or
Sandra Senatore-Roberts
Director of Disability Support Services

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITES

Sessions / Topics / Assignments / Assessments / Due Dates
Session 1
March 14-20 / Introduction
Geography / 1) Introduction Discussion Board / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 3/20/16
Session 2
March 21-27 / History / 1) Discussion Board Topic
2) Begin Business Characteristics Project / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 3/27/16
Session 3
March 28-April 3 / Economy / 1) Discussion Board Topic
2) Begin Journal Entries / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 4/3/16
Session 4
April 4-10 / Business / 1) Business Characteristics Project / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 4/10/16
Session 5
April 11-17 / People / 1) Discussion Board Topic
2) Begin Ireland-USA Company Comparison Project / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 4/17/16
Session 6
April 18-24 / Education and Religion / 1) Discussion Board Topic / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 4/24/16
Session 7
April 25-May 1 / Music, Dance, Art, and Literature / 1)Discussion Board Topic / 1) Sunday, 11:59PM 5/1/16
Session 8
May 2-5 / Cross Cultural Perspectives / 1) Ireland-USA Company Comparison Project / 1) Thursday, 11:59PM 5/5/16
Trip Abroad / Travel Study / 1) Maintain Journals
2) Turn in completed Journals / 1) Wednesday, 5/25/16 – Tuesday, 5/31/16
2) Sunday, 11:59PM 6/5/16