Multicultural America offers students a chance to learn more about Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s diverse cultures.

In Sections 1 & 2, students will engage in course activities on and off campus, and students will be

introduced to a variety of learning opportunities during this and upcoming semesters.

Multicultural America can fulfill both the Humanities and Cultural Diversity General Education Requirement (GER).

These two sections of Multicultural America use textbooks that are available at little or no cost.

2019ENGLISH 150: Multicultural America

Mondays &Wednesdays Section 001 (19973): 930 – 1045 amSection 002 (50306): 11 am – 1215 pmMerrill Hall 211

About your instructor:

Peter Blewett PhD

Peter has taught in the English Department since 1999. He served on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors for 12 years, including three years as President and three years as Vice-President. A poet, Peter founded the Cardinal Stritch University Writing Program, where he was selected as the 1999 Educator of the Year.

Office hours: Send Peter a message at pblewett@uwm.edu to make an appointment or come see him on the first floor of the west wing of the UWM Library on Mondays or Wednesdays between 1 and 2:30 pm.

Cultures and Communities Program Statement:

Teaching in a Time of Conflict

We cannot for a moment believe that knowledge has reached its final goal or that the present condition of society is perfect. We must therefore welcome from our teachers such discussions as shall suggest the means and prepare the way by which knowledge may be extended, present evils be removed and others prevented. We feel that we would be unworthy of the position we hold if we did not believe in progress in all departments of knowledge. In all lines of academic investigation it is of the utmost importance that the investigator should be absolutely free to follow the indications of truth wherever they may lead. Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere we believe the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found. -----Charles Kendall Adams, 1894

As teachers and scholars practicing cultural diversity as a method and framework, we draw inspiration from the Wisconsin Idea as articulated above. This statement lays out the necessity of untrammeled inquiry and academic freedom at our public university. We understand that much of our teaching engages difficult questions, and we recognize that, particularly in the current historical context, social conflicts around identity and power impact our classrooms and our students. Therefore, we affirm our commitment to the following learning outcomes:

Valuing any and all good faith arguments. A good faith argument amasses evidence and analysis to suggest and persuade listeners and readers. A good faith argument recognizes the inherent dignity of all concerned and does

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not require or invoke coercion, ridicule, or other kinds of escalation;Understanding the complex relationship between knowledge and power, which makes access to speaking in the classroom uneven, less available to some students and instructors than others; Approaching all sources critically, being aware that the presence of information in published or social media form does not in any way confer accuracy; andMaintaining our classrooms as sanctuaries for academic freedom, particularly for those who risk the most by speaking, including undocumented and queer/LGBT students, as well as students of color and students with disabilities.

Multicultural America and the Wisconsin Idea

In sections 1 and 2, we will contextualize our study of Multicultural America by focusing on multicultural issues in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The state of Wisconsin recognizes the importance of your education to its future, which is one reason the state capitol is located down the street from the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin. That close proximity symbolizes the connection between education and our state. That link between the university and the governance of Wisconsin is sometimes referred to as the Wisconsin Idea.

Our university, as part of the UW system, shares in the UW system mission, which reads in part:

Inherent in this mission are methods of instruction, research, extended education, and public service designed to educate people and improve the

human condition. Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth.

In this course, as we search for the truth about Multicultural America, we are all obliged to use research-based scholarship as we engage in “continually fearlessly sifting and winnowing” by which means we can understand the fraught subject of our inquiry.

As members of the academic community, we all have responsibilities. I have responsibilities to the greater academic community and to you to make sure that together we engage in an authentic search for the truth. I am also here to assist you in any way that I can as we work to fulfill the university mission.

As a member of the academic community, you are responsible not just for your own learning but for the growth of the entire academic community, especially your colleagues enrolled in the course. You are also responsible for respecting and upholding the values of the academic community so that we may fulfill our mission that calls us “to educate people and improve the human condition.”

Critical question: What sociocultural problems have been discussed by people whom I know? How have my family and friends characterized the problem, and how have they identified the stakeholders associated with this problem?

Assessment of General Education Requirements

This course can be used to fulfill general education requirements (GER) for the humanities and / or for cultural diversity. I have noted below the assignments used to assess achievement of the Humanities and Cultural Diversity GER.

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ABOUT SECTIONS 001 & 002ASSESSMENT & EVALUATIONGER: A 1000-word research-based essay on immigration and asylum will be used to measure your achievement of two learning goals associated with the Cultural Diversity GER. The assignment is designed to measure whether you can

understand and analyze the perspectives, world views, methodologies, and philosophic constructs that immigrants and / or refugees use to describe, explain, and evaluate their life experiences over historical time; and

investigate critically the social, intellectual, and political structures that support oppression based on race, ethnicity, and other human differences.

A 1000-word scholarly essay examining the fiction of Jennifer Morales will be used to measure your achievement of two learning outcomes associated with the Humanities GER. That assignment is designed to measure your ability to

identify the formation, traditions, and ideas essential to major bodies of historical, cultural, literary, or philosophical knowledge

respond coherently and persuasively to the materials of humanistic study through logical, textual, formal, historical, or aesthetic analysis, argument and/or interpretation.

Common study: We will achieve the course learning outcomes by pursuing a common course of study. Our study will begin in the classroom, but you will engage in critical course activities outside of the classroom. Creating a strong learning community: When you discuss difficult subjects such as privilege, power, and difference, you can expect to arouse strong reactions. Do not make the mistake of thinking that

you have less to learn than someone else because your experience or academic preparation has given you greater insight into the subjects that we are studying. What matters more than what you may already know is your willingness to help your peers grow and to learn from them in return. In other words, you must listen respectfully to your peers, even when you disagree.Individual activities: In addition to participating in discussions in class, you are required to take four quizzes, submit two critical reflections of about 500 words on out-of-the-class activities and two scholarly essays of about 1000 words related to our subject of inquiry. One of those essays is a reflection on your service learning project, and another of those essays is a script for your digital story. Service learning: You are required to complete twenty hours of academic service learning outside the classroom and submit a 800-word reflection on your service learning experience. Your service-learning project both builds a stronger Milwaukee community and develops your understanding of issues that we discuss in the classroom. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, “Service learning combines community service with academic instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and personal and civic responsibility. Service-learning programs involve students in activities that address community-identified needs, while developing their academic skills and commitment to their community.” Five hour of service credit will be awarded to those who attend and post a reflection about the “Beyond Service” training.Digital story: For our final examination, you will present a digital story to the class that tells the story of a significant development of your multicultural understanding during the course. This culminating experience allows you to have the final word on our

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course experience. To receive credit, you are required to present your story and to watch and reflect on the stories of your peers. Notes about assessment activities: Since the assessments provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate that you have achieved the learning outcomes for the course, you must successfully complete all assignments in order to earn credit for the course. All out-of-class assignments must be submitted online. Paper copies of out-of-class assignments will not be accepted. Rubrics for the assignments are based on the rubrics on the GER syllabus.Student workload: The service learning project requires substantial time in this course, and I have therefore recalculated the amount of required reading and writing using Elizabeth Barre and Justin Esarey’s Course Workload Estimator (as describe in the Chronicle of Higher Education) to ensure that the work that you are required to complete for this course corresponds to university standards as published under “Credit Hours” on the Syllabus Addendum.

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS WITH GRADE PERCENTAGE

Participation in class activities, timely completion of written assignments, and connecting course work to life outside of the classroom. Ongoing assignments include participating in class and online discussions, attending cultural events, and submitting written quizzes and essays. This work accounts for 200 points or 50% of your course grade.

Completing a service-learning project with a written reflection. The service-learning component entails 20 hours of service at a site outside of class and provides an opportunity for you to engage with diverse Milwaukee communities. Placements are coordinated through the Center for Community-based Learning, Leadership, and Research (CCBLLR) at UWM. The service-learning

project accounts for 100 points or 25% of your course grade.

Producing and presenting your digital storytelling project. Although we will work on our digital stories during the last four weeks of the course, you will incorporate material from course activities throughout the semester into your story. You will present your completed digital story to the class during the final examination. As this assignment provides that culminating experience for the course, you will be required to submit a critical response to each story that you miss (in other words, if you miss one of the final two classes, then you will have to write a critical response to each of the stories that you did not watch with the class in order to receive credit for this assignment). The digital story accounts for 100 points or 25% of your course grade.

GRADES: Grades are determined on a point system, with 400 possible points. You must complete all major assignments, including the critical essays, service-learning project, and digital story, to earn credit for the course. The grade scale is as follows:A = 371-400, A- = 351-370, B+ = 331-350, B = 301-330; B- = 281-300, C+ = 261-280, C= 231-260, C- = 211-230, D = 171-210, F = Below 171.

Assignment type Number Point value per assessment

In-class quizzes 4 0-20 points

1000-word scholarly essays 2 0-40 points

500-word critical reflections 2 0-20 points

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Service learning project hours 20 hours 50 points

Service learning reflections750-word service learning reflective essay

41

0-5 points0-30 points

Digital story assignments750-word digital story

51

0-10 points0-50 points

Note about assessment: Assignments are generally assessed in the order in which they are posted (in other words, if you post your assignment before any other student in either section, then you can expect that I will post my assessment of your assignment before I post my assessment of those who post their work after you). Exception: Assignments that pertain to class activities will be prioritized over assignments that are part of units that have been completed. For example, the digital story assignments will take priority over essay assignments, even if the essay assignments were uploaded first. It may be that I will have read some student work for an assignment but have to postpone evaluating the remaining submissions until I have completed the more urgent assignments.Principle of equal treatment: In accordance with UWM policy, no student will receive an opportunity to improve a grade that is not offered to all students. Appropriate instructional accommodations will be made, however, to all students who require accommodations and provide documentation for these accommodations.Penalty for late assignments or assignments submitted during class: Unless you show me an incident report from the UWM helpdesk, I will deduct 20% of the point value for assignments that are posted late. Assignments posted during any class meeting will automatically be subject to the 20% penalty.

Extensions: If you are up to date with assignments and you are in class on time on the dates that assignments are due, then you have an automatic extension of 24 hours to submit graded assignments except for digital story. The automatic extension does not apply to the digital story assignments.Extra credit: Although I will offer assignments for students to earn extra points, I will not accept extra credit items in lieu of required assignments. In order to earn extra credit points, you must submit all required assignments.COURSE SCHEDULE: Although the dates on this schedule are subject to change, you will be notified of any change at the earliest possible opportunity. Due dates are less likely to be changed than other course activities. Unless otherwise stated, assignments should be posted by 11:59:59 pm of the due date.

LEARNING & CAMPUS RESOURCESREQUIRED TEXTS: Loew, Patty. Indian Nations of Wisconsin. 2nd ed. Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society. 2013. 978-0-87020-503-3.Morales, Jennifer. Meet Me Halfway: Milwaukee Stories. Madison: Terrace, 2015. 978-0299303648.and either of the following:MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 8th ed. Modern Language Association, 2009. 9781603292627.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. American Psychological Association. 9781433-805615.Other readings will be made available online.CENTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING, LEADERSHIP, AND RESEARCH (CCBLLR). CCBLLR provides support for service learning, so please address questions about service learning with CCBLLR.

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Established in 2012, CCBLLR strives to improve the student civic and leadership experience through a holistic and seamless approach to community engagement. Learn more about their leadership development programs, volunteer programs, and academic service learning programs by visiting their website at CCBLLR.Email: lmarks@uwm.edu Telephone: (414) 229-3161Office: Union WG28, Monday – Friday, 8-5 pmCAMPUS IT SERVICES (UWM HELP DESK). Memorize this number: 414-229-4040 (toll -free number: 877-381-3459). If you have any problem with CANVAS or PAWS, the UWM Help Desk is the only appropriate place to make inquiries about technical issues. I do not accept excuses for missing or late work due to technical issues unless you show me the incident report that the UWM help desk sends out after each query. Telephone consultation is available from 7 am – 12 midnight, 7 days a week. Walk-in consultation is available in Bolton 225 or the Library Learning Commons, Monday – Friday, 8 am - 5 pm.ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCE CENTER (ARC): UWM supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and student responsibility. Students are expected to inform me of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. I will work either directly with the you or in coordination with the Accessibility Resource Center to identify

and provide reasonable instructional accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student's educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA. ARC website: ARC ARC office: Mitchell 112Telephone: (414) 229-6287 E-mail: archelp@uwm.eduCULTURES AND COMMUNITIES PROGRAM (CC). CC promotes campus engagement with the Milwaukee community and provides students with an opportunity to earn the UWM Cultures and Communities Certificate. Multicultural America satisfies the Core Course requirement for the CC Certificate. If you take 15 credits of CC courses, you can earn a certificate as part of your General Education Requirements. For more information, visit the CC home page at Cultures & Communities.ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WRITING CENTER: You have a distinct advantage in writing assignments if you take advantage of the Writing Center. More than 43% of the 6000 writers who have visited the Writing Center in the past five years have been advanced undergraduates or graduate students from various disciplines. Whether brainstorming, drafting, or revising, all writers benefit from consulting well-qualified tutors. Writing Center tutors undergo extensive training to serve the entire UWM academic community. The Writing Center offers in-person or synchronous online sessions.Make appointments 24/7 through the Writing Center website: Writing Center or by telephone at 414-229-4339Physical locations: Main location: Curtin 127

Satellite office: Library east wing, first floor Writing Center hours:

Monday-Wednesday 9-7 pm

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Thursday 9-4 pmFriday 9-1 pm

THE UWM LIBRARY has a truly vast collection of learning materials. You can take a tour in person or online. Librarians are available in person and online to answer questions or help with research.The main page allows students to transact library business or to begin their research: UWM Libraries

STUDENT HEALTH AND SAFETY. Everyone who works at this university is here to support you in your academic pursuit. Please visit the Campus Health & Safety website and enroll in the SAFE Alert system to receive emergency-information text message alerts. The SAFE site centralizes emergency and routine safety information and communications.NORRIS HEALTH CENTER. Excessive stress or other emotional or health problems can get in the way of achieving the course learning outcomes. If you are experiencing difficulty with stress or other emotional or health problems, please let me or another staff member know so that we can assist you. For information about managing stress, or for information about maintaining your physical, emotional, and mental health, please contact the Norris Health Center at (414) 229-4716.FOOD & HOUSING. Any student who has difficulty affording groceries, accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or finding a safe and stable place to live is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support, including Emergency Grants. The UWM Food Center & Pantry is open on the fourth Monday and Thursday of each month - or any weekday through the Inclusive Excellence Center (Union 119), the LGBT Resource Center, or the Dean of Students.

COURSE & UNIVERSITY POLICIESATTENDANCE: Your regular attendance at face-to-face course sessions not only helps you meet the learning outcomes for this course but also helps establish a strong learning community. Conversely, irregular attendance demoralizes your colleagues and undermines the creation of a strong learning community. If you are not present, you cannot contribute to the work of building and sustaining a strong learning community. Missing more than two weeks of classes will result in course point loss at a rate of 15 points per day including the first two weeks (i.e., 5 days absence = 75-point deduction). Cumulative absences of three weeks or more will result in failing the course. It is your responsibility to find out what you missed if you must be absent. If an emergency forces you to miss class, then you should let me know by email at your earliest convenience and make sure that you know what assignments are due the next class period. Make course buddies who can keep you up-to-date in the case of an emergency. Unless the reason for your absence also interferes with your ability to complete assignments, you are expected to complete assignments on time. Absence from class does not give you an extension to complete assignments.The campus sometimes closes due to inclement weather or other emergencies. You can find out if classes are cancelled by calling the UWM SAFE line (414) 229-4444.PARTICIPATION: The value of the course depends on your full participation. Participation means that you help create and sustain a

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strong learning community. How do you build a strong learning community?

attending and being prepared for classposting and responding to online discussions in a timely mannerlistening respectfully and responding critically to peersconnecting course themes to life outside the classroomsharing those connections with your peers doing all that you can to challenge yourself and to helping others learn

Some behaviors undermine a learning community:Cell phones and laptops need to be turned off during class . If you are peering into the screen of a laptop, then you are not making eye contact and engaging with other members of the class. Texting distracts you and people around you.Arriving after class has started. Although it is better to come late than not to come at all, it is best to be on time. If you arrive in class on time, you are given an automatic 24-hour extension for all assignments, except the digital story assignments. If you arrive late to class, you forfeit the automatic extension.Engaging in distracting behaviors, such as side conversations.Asking off-topic questions, such as asking about your performance or asking to go the bathroom. You may ask me questions about your performance or attendance or other items pertaining only to you before or after class or during a break. Appropriate questions are those that pertain to all members of the class, such as questions about course policies.

POSTING AND SHARING OF GRADES: University policy states,

“under no circumstances, may individual student grades be shared with other students, nor should grades be emailed to students.” Posting lists of students’ names and grades is not allowed. Social security numbers, student ID numbers, or any part of those numbers, may not be used to identify final course grades, or exam or assignment grades.ACADEMIC CONDUCT: The Humanities GER syllabus discusses academic misconduct, but I would like to take the opportunity here to emphasize that academic misconduct, including cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and mischaracterization will not be tolerated in this course. If you have a question about when or how to cite sources, please ask me and I will provide you with assistance. Library media specialists and writing center personnel are also available to answer questions that you may have. Some definitions:

Plagiarism occurs whenever a student uses another person's words, thoughts, or ideas without giving that person credit.Fabrication occurs whenever someone invents or falsifies information. An example of fabrication would be if scholars indicate that they have consulted research that they did not consult or if researchers falsify results.Fraud occurs when someone claims credit for something they did not do. For example, a student who signs the name of an absent student on an attendance sheet would be culpable of fraud, as would the absent student if he or she consented to the act. Mischaracterization: It is unethical to attribute ideas or opinions to people that they do not hold, especially if those ideas or opinions would be offensive to the person. You

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must therefore be careful when you represent a person’s ideas or language to do so in an appropriate context.Submitting the same work for credit in more than one class: I presume that any work turned in for credit in this class has not been turned in for credit in any other class. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association discusses using previously published work and self-plagiarism in detail. It is not acceptable to use one assignment to earn credit for more than one class (1.09-1.10).

NONACADEMIC CONDUCT: If you feel distressed about another student’s behavior, please let me know immediately. If you believe there is an immediate threat, please call the University Police at 9-911 from campus phones or 414-229-9911 from cell phones.To maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning, the following policies are in effect for this course:

Harassment of any type will not be toleratedWeapons are not permitted in any building on the UWM campusBehavior that poses a risk to others will not be tolerated. Such behavior will be reported to UWM’s Behavior Review Team, which works collaboratively to evaluate the overall risk and determine the most appropriate steps to protect the person and the UWM community in a caring fashion.

NOTES

THANK YOU for reading this supplement to the course syllabus.

2019ENGLISH 150: Multicultural America