UNIV 1301 Syllabus “Religion in the Borderlands”
A syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the students in a course that defines our mutual expectations and responsibilities. Read this syllabus carefully, and keep a copy throughout the semester. If you do not understand any part of this syllabus, contact the instructor for clarification.
Professor Information
James Starling (), you may also contact me through Blackboard.
Office Phone: 747-5870
Office: Liberal Arts Building room 320 A Office Hours: Mon. and Thur. 3:00-4:30
Peer Leader
Name TBA
Office TBA Office Hours TBA
Advisor
Jesse Arrieta
Office Phone: 747-6815
Office AAC 135
Librarian
Juan Sandoval
Office Phone: 747-6713
Office: LIB 212
Course Description
Our section of UNIV 1301 examines the development of religion and spirituality in the United States-Mexico Borderlands from 1400 to 1850. This course will begin with an overview of Native American belief systems in the region at the time of European contact. Other topics will include the roots of Iberian Catholicism, the Spanish frontier missions, the synthesis of indigenous and Hispanic religious culture, the clash between the Church and the forces of secularization and Liberalism, and the arrival of Protestantism and impact of European-American, African-American, Asian-American migration on religion in the nineteenth century borderlands.
Course Objectives
This class, foremost, serves as a history of religion in the borderlands. As such, it introduces freshmen to the types of reading and writing that they will encounter in upper-division courses.
We will work with primary and secondary sources, and will introduce students to the academic rigors and ethical imperatives of university level research. At times we will have campus visits to the library and other research facilities, and have in-class panels on student organizations, career center resources, and other university assets.
Course Goals
Goal 1. Students will begin to understand their roles, opportunities, and responsibilities that impact their success within the context of the university.
§ Objective 1.1 Students will explore one or more academic topics to become familiar with specific academic disciplines.
§ Objective 1.2 Students will demonstrate knowledge of the rules of academic integrity and will practice acceptable academic behavior.
§ Objective 1.3 Students will become familiar with current UTEP academic policies and requirements in order to remain in good academic standing and graduate in a timely manner.
§ Objective 1.4 Students will participate in appropriate advising procedures to develop a plan of study.
§ Objective 1.5 Students will examine personal and social transition issues affecting college success.
Goal 2. Students will learn about and practice essential academic skills in order to strengthen performance in the university setting.
· Objective 2.1 Students will work to improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
§ Objective 2.2 Students will work to improve oral, written, and electronic communication skills.
§ Objective 2.3 Students will work to improve library and electronic research skills.
§ Objective 2.4 Students will work to improve discussion skills in both small and large groups.
§ Objective 2.5 Students will work to improve appropriate skills and strategies for academic survival and success (e.g., active learning skills, note-taking, reading, test taking, time management, etc.).
Goal 3. Students will begin to build a network of faculty, staff, and peers in order to create a supportive and positive learning experience/environment.
§ Objective 3.1 Students will meet at least twice with the instructional team to discuss academic progress and transition to UTEP and to explore options for improvement.
§ Objective 3.2 Students will meet at least once with other appropriate staff and instructors, such as their academic advisor, their other professors and/or teaching assistants, and the librarian assigned to their UNIV 1301 section.
§ Objective 3.3 Students will participate in group activities and learn more about group roles and facilitation skills.
§ Objective 3.4 Students will become familiar with the university’s student organizations, services, and departments.
Goal 4. Students will begin to assess and better understand their own interests, abilities, and values in order to more efficiently pursue their academic, career, and life goals.
§ Objective 4.1 Students will engage in at least one goal-setting activity or exercise.
§ Objective 4.2 Students will participate in at least one activity or exercise to assess learning styles and adapt their personal learning style to college tasks.
§ Objective 4.3 Students will participate in at least one assessment activity or exercise that examines the student’s interests, abilities, and values.
§ Objective 4.4 Students will participate in at least one activity or exercise to become familiar with the steps required to prepare for a career.
§ Objective 4.5 Students will participate in at least one activity or exercise to become familiar with Financial Literacy.
Goal 5. Students will become involved in UTEP activities and utilize campus resources.
§ Objective 5.1 Students will attend/participate in social, cultural, and intellectual events at UTEP.
§ Objective 5.2 Students will become aware of and use selected academic and student support resources, especially the Writing Center, Math Resource Center, University Counseling Center, University Career Center, Academic Advising Center, Student Development, University Health Center, and on-campus computer labs.
§ Objective 5.3 Students will demonstrate regular use of university information dissemination systems, such as email, bulletin broadcasts, and websites.
Texts
Borders: Crossing into your Future (3rd Edition Only)
Juliana Barr, Peace Came in the Form of a Woman: Indians and Spaniards in the Texas Borderlands, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
Course Work
Quizzes 150: We will have a quiz each week class on the primary source readings and Borders. While the quiz is online and open book, you will have only five minutes to answer ten questions, so be prepared. A quiz will be online between 12:00PM Monday and 5:00PM Friday.
Exams 100: These will be exams over the course material; including lectures, the primary sources, and chapters from the book Peace Came in the Form of a Woman. You will take exams as a group (each group will have a different exam). However, they will be graded as any individual exam would be. Each exam will be 50 points, and it will consist of identification and short essay questions.
Participation 100: Includes professor and peer leader conferences 40 points (2x 20 points). These will be held by appointment between September 7th and November 9th. You must meet with the professor once and the peer leader once. The Library Visit, Museum Visit, Writing Workshop, Career Day, and Student Activities Panel will be 10 each. To get these points you must attend for the duration of the presentation or visit.
In addition, at the end of the semester, you must complete a course evaluation and an end of the semester online survey on the Entering Student Program (5 points each).
A student who earns all of these points will get 10 extra points.
Message Board 150: Each week of class, I will post a topic on Blackboard relating to the week´s readings from the book Borders. Each week, you must contribute one paragraph length post on the topic. Each post is up to 10 points. There are no extra credit points for additional posts; however, if you provide a full post for each of the fifteen weeks, you will get 10 extra points.
Book Paper 150: This will be a 3 page, double-spaced paper on Peace Came in the Form of a Woman. This paper will not be a “book report,” instead it will cover one of three specific questions concerning this book. The paper will be due October 21, so you should read the book and work on the paper throughout the first half of the course. This is an individual assignment.
Museum Exhibit 350 points: You will do this project relating to the course topic in groups. This project will involve three phases: research, multimedia design, and presentation. More detailed information is attached to the syllabus.
Research. This will consist of a three page, double-spaced research paper on your topic. You must involve primary and secondary sources in your overview. Rough draft 50 pts, Final copy 100 pts
Multimedia Exhibit. This will require the design of a display that includes visual materials relating to the topic. Textual information from the research paper must also be part of the exhibit. This grade will be on the overall design of the exhibit and the appropriate use of visual media and text. 100 pts
Presentation. During the final exam period, all exhibits will be displayed. Be prepared to describe the exhibit for 5-6 minutes and answer questions. You must also be attentive to other group´s presentations for full credit. 50 pts.
Along with the presentation, each student will hand in a museum proposal. In this paper (one double-spaced page), describe what you would do with the exhibit if you had more resources. 50 points.
Blackboard
We will have activities on the Blackboard site, which you access through my.utep.edu. You will submit your work online through Blackboard, and your graded papers will be returned through Blackboard.
Groups
Several assignments will be done in groups. I will form groups in the first week, primarily based on your majors and minors. Ideally, we will have groups of four students.
Grading Scale
900-1000 points = A: 800-899 points = B: 700-799 points = C: 600-699 points = D: 0-599 points = F
Note: I will not curve or round up grades. The final grade will be based strictly on the point totals. There is extra credit in the course (20 points). These points will not make up for missing work, instead they are designed to give students who regularly attend and fully participate in the course an added boost.
Course Procedures and Policies
Classroom environment You must uphold a mature level of interaction with each other and with the professor and other students. Arrive on time and leave only when the class is finished. Please respect other students by listening to them while they participate in discussions. Everyone has a right to an education, but you do not have a right to talk or disrupt class, and deprive other students of their right to pursue an education. If you talk in class, I will ask you to stop talking once. The second time I ask you to stop talking, I will ask you to leave. If I ask you to be quiet three times in a semester, I will submit your name to the Assistant Dean of Students, who may request that you withdraw from the course. Please do not work on other courses or sleep in class. Do not surf the internet, text-message or send emails to friends with your computer. Please turn off all cell phones in class.
Late Assignments and Make-ups Assignments are due at 5:00 PM on the due date. This is true of individual and group work. You will lose 10% every calendar day an assignment is late. You cannot make up exams unless you have a written, legitimate medical or legal excuse, or are participating in a scheduled university activity. You will have to perform make-up exams individually within one week.
Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism, which can result in failure, suspension, or dismissal from the University. Cheating means copying another student’s work and presenting it as your own. Plagiarism means taking an author’s work, words, or ideas and presenting them as your own without acknowledging the author. If you cut and paste the words of an author from the internet and place them into your essay without surrounding that material in quotations “ ”, and citing the author, that is plagiarism.
Disabilities I will make any reasonable accommodations for students with limitations due to disabilities, including learning disabilities. If you have a documented disability and require specific accommodations, you will need to contact the Disabled Student Services Office in the East Union Bldg., Room 106.Schedule
Week / Tuesday / Thursday / ReadingsAug 24
Aug 26 / Class Introduction / Introduction to the University
Groups form
QUIZ ONE / Borders Introduction and Chapter One
Aug 31
Sept 2 / Unit 1a
Native American Belief Systems / Unit 1-b
Native American Belief Systems
Museum topic due (Start research and gathering visual materials)
QUIZ TWO / Borders 66-76
“Apache Creation Account” and “Broken Spears”
Peace Chapter 1
Sept 7
Sept 9 / Unit 2a
Hispanic Catholicism
Conferences May Begin / Unit 2b
Hispanic Catholicism
QUIZ THREE / Borders 110-117
“Requerimiento” and “The Province of the Tiguas”
Peace Chapter 2
Sept 14
Sept 16 / Library Visit / Unit 3a
An Empire for a Faith
QUIZ FOUR / Borders 77-84
Peace Chapter 3
“Testimony of Pedro Naranjo”
Sept 21
Sept 23 / Unit 3b
An Empire for a Faith / EXAM ONE
QUIZ FIVE / Peace Chapter 4
Sept 28
Sept 30 / Unit 4a
An Age of Enlightenment / Unit 4b
An Age of Enlightenment
QUIZ SIX / Borders 163-166
“The Foundation of San Francisco, California”
Peace Chapter 5
Oct 5
Oct 7 / Online Resources
Student Activities Panel / Unit 5a
The Church in Mexico’s North
QUIZ SEVEN / Borders 125-128, 204-205
“Barreiro´s Overview of New Mexico”
Peace Chapter 6
Week / Tuesday / Thursday / Readings
Oct 12 and 14 / Unit 5b
The Church in Mexico’s North / Unit 6a
Religion in the United States Southwest
QUIZ EIGHT / Borders 85-90
“Rio Arriba Rebellion”
Oct 19 Oct 21 / Unit 6b
Religion in the United States Southwest / EXAM TWO
Peace Came in the Form of a Woman Paper Due
QUIZ NINE / WPA Narratives
Oct 26 Oct 28 / Writing Workshop / Library Day
QUIZ TEN / Borders Chapter Two
Nov 2
Nov 4 / Introduction to Public History / Centennial Museum Visit / Borders Chapter Three
Public History Reading
Nov 9 Nov 11 / Rough Draft Due
Last Day for Conferences / Public History Talk / Borders 92-101
Nov 16 Nov 18 / Visual Presentation Overview / Career Center Day / Online Museum Sites
Nov 23 / Research Paper Due / THANKSGIVING / Borders Chapter Eight
Nov 30 Dec 2 / Exhibit Design
Course Evaluations and End of Semester Survey this week / Exhibit Design 2
Multimedia materials and text panels due. / Borders Chapter Nine
Final Exam / MUSEUM EXHIBIT PRESENTATIONS
10:00-12:45 Thursday