International Affairs /International Studies: 2004-2005 Academic Year

DeSmetJesuitHigh School – Mr. Ron Rebore

Course Number: Fall-90614-1 Spring-90614-2 IS-A110 (SLU 1818)

Required Texts: IR: The New World of International Relations,

Michael G. Roskin and Nicholas O. Berry, 2002

Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938,

Stephen E. Ambrose and Douglas G. Brinkley, 1997

The Cold War: A History in Documents,

Allen M. Winkler, 2000

GOAL: Areflective learner who is intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving, developing as a leader and committed to doing justice in the service for others.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and examine the post-modern world in the twenty-first century. Therefore, in order for the student to assess current situations in the international arena, it is imperative to analyze The Cold War and the events that haveled up to this epoch that lasted 44 years (1947-1991). The course will emphasize the importance of history, predominantly in the twentieth-century, on current situations/problems in the world arena of politics, economics, culture, society and ideologies. Thus, foreign policies of countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America and Central America will be an inherit element of the course when it comes to evaluating the world today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the completion of the course, the student should be able to: identify the relationship between the past and present (cause and effect of history); analyze text with a critical eye; compose critical essays and construct informed dialogue; have a foundation for critiquing current events.

COURSE STRUCTURE: International Affairs / International Studies is a semester course. Thus, the grade received at the end of the semester will be the permanent mark on the student’s transcript. The grade is determined by the following breakdown:

Tests/Papers-50%98%-100%= A+ 78%-81%= C

93%-97%= A 75%-77%= D+

Research Paper-45%90%-92%= B+ 70%-74%= D

85%-89%= B Bellow 70%= F

Class Participation-5%82%-84%= C+

TESTS/PAPERS: Tests will be given roughly every month over the material covered in class and in homework. All tests will be in essay form. Short papers will be assigned based upon the topic discussed in class according to the class structure. Failure to turn in papers, without an excused absence will result in the letter grade “F”. Turning in late papers is generally unacceptable without a valid excuse and will result in a lower grade.

RESEARCH PAPER: This assignment will be a work in progress throughout the semester. The final grade will be based upon research the student has accumulated and pieced together into a coherent work on a topic chosen in class. Furthermore, the student will present his research to the class as part of the project. The assignment will be further explained in the classroom.

CLASS PARTICIPATION: It is crucial that the student participates in classroom discussion. The course is designed around reading the texts, newspapers, magazines/journals and watching documentaries and films that focus on The Cold War, recent history and current international events. Thus, having dialogue, in reference to situations/problems that exist today, is very important in understanding and revealing all viewpoints of the situation. Similar to the research assignment, classroom dialogue is part of the learning process. Although the grading breakdown has allotted only 5% of the grade to class participation, in reality it is far more important and it is to the student’s benefit that he participates. The class is designed in the same genre as a college seminar course.

COLLEGE CREDIT: The student will have the opportunity to earn college

credit through Saint LouisUniversity’s 1818 Advanced College Credit program. In order for the student to enroll in the Center for International Studies, he will need to meet certain requirements that will be outlined in class

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students should be prompt and on time for class. Appropriate behavior in the classroom is expected and anything less will not be tolerated. The Student-Parent Handbook presents, in detail, the policies and procedures of DeSmetJesuitHigh School.

*This is a tentative syllabus subject to change by the instructor. The instructor has the right to change the course work and other components of the syllabus throughout the semester.