CO-INSTRUCTORS:
| Instructors | Office | Office Hours | |
| Nancy Mergler | 317 Cate One | W 2:30 – 3:30 or T- R, 9:30-10:20 | nmergler@ou.edu |
| Mark Morvant | Old Science 224 | M 2:30-3:30 or by appointment | mmorvant@ou.edu |
Note: If you have never had co-instructors before, you may find it confusing at first. Dr. Morvant is trained as an organic chemist and Dr. Mergler is trained as a developmental psychologist. While we are both scientists, we use slightly different viewpoints from which to consider human behavior. We do not always agree! But we are long term colleagues and friends who enjoy the scholarly discussions.
CLASS MEETING TIME AND LOCATION:
| Day | Time | Location |
| T/TH | 10:30 – 11:45 am | David L Boren Hall 180 |
TEXTS: Students are to purchase the following text (available at local bookstores or online):
- Jeffrey J. Selingo, COLLEGE (UN)BOUND: THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS (paperback, 2015)
There will also be numerous reading assignments that are articles, short essays, or excerpts from other books. These will be distributed online as pdf files on D2L.
OBJECTIVES:
Higher Education in America is one of the key institutions charged with assisting its citizens in achieving The American Dream; the idea that your future will be better and that your country’s future will be better with well-educated citizens. You have elected to be a partner (a junior partner) in this university; you have chosen to enroll at OU. You and your parents are forgoing the purchase of 4 or 5 cars, or a whole house, in order to purchase your piece of the Dream, a college degree.
In the course, you will be asked to step back a bit and look at the whole enterprise of colleges and universities in America – both from the viewpoint of a student and from the viewpoint of a faculty member. Both historical readings and very current critiques of this enterprise will be considered. Topics such as the evolution of the fraternity/sorority system, the emergence of academic disciplines, the economics of the tax-free zones that are universities, and the disruptive nature of modern technology will be discussed. We seek to make you a more deliberate student who will contribute to this university and this society in innovate ways.
Learning objective 1:
Increasing your knowledge of an important American institution (i.e., higher education).
Learning objective 2:
Improving your ability to distinguish among various sources of information regarding higher education in America.
Learning objective 3:
Improving your analytic writing and your ability to frame an argument using current reference material.
Learning objective 4:
Making you a deliberate student who attends to his/her education in a careful, thoughtful manner.
Learning objective 5:
Acclimating you to being a public intellectual whose class papers are available for peers to read
REQUIREMENTS:
Students are expected to complete the reading assignments according to the attached schedule. There is not a formal textbook for this course. Therefore, the readings provided through the Selingo book, D2L readings, and APLU News scan articles are essential to mastering the learning objectives in this course.
There will be three papers (the first two papers are six to seven pages in length, the last paper is about four pages in length). The topic for Paper 1 and 2 will be selected from APLU News Scans or from the weekly topics covered in class. Paper 3 will be a predictive paper of the future of higher education with the predictions supported by articles or readings from the course or researched by the student. Each paper will have a first draft and final draft submission.
There will also be ten weekly writing exercises based on a prompt provided by the instructors. These are intended to enforce the reading assignments. The first assignment will be submitted via dropbox in D2L. The remaining writings will be submitted by blog post on a digital portfolio. Instruction on the portfolio will be provided in class on January 26. The use of the digital portfolio is two fold. First, to provide a larger audience for the reflective writing than the instructors of the course and to introduce you to developing a digital presence which will become important in your professional careers.
Note that the final draft of 3rd paper will be due at 4 PM on the 2nd day of final exams week (Tuesday, May 10) but there will not be a final, in-class examination.
WRITING TUTORS:
Heidi Babin (heidi.babin17@ou.edu)
Alexandra Byron (byron@ou.edu)
GRADING:
In computing course grades, the requirements will be weighted:
| class attendance & active participation | 15 pts. | |
| 10 short response papers | @ 3 pts each | 30 pts. |
| 2 seven-page papers | @ 20 pts. each | 40 pts. |
| 1 four page 3rd paper | @ 15 pts. | 15 pts. |
| Total | 60 pts. |
Students with Disabilities:
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact one of us personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities.
Civility in Class:
It is assumed that this class can be conducted in a spirit of full academic freedom but also with civility and courtesy directed toward all. Accordingly, ANY serious idea or point of view may be expressed by any member of the class, but this must be done courteously and with civility. NO extraneous conversation while either the instructor or another student is speaking, please.
Provost’s Policy on Academic Integrity:
All students are expected to have read “A Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at the University of Oklahoma,” available at this link: http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html. Students must understand the standards described in this guide. Apparent academic misconduct will be dealt with according to university policy.
Title IX Resources and Reporting Requirement:
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to: Bobby J. Mason, University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or bjm@ou.edu. For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html.
Religious Observance:
It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays, without penalty.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNED READINGS
Week 1 T 1/19 Topics: COURSE SYLLABUS, STUDENT AND FACULTY INTRODUCTIONS, APLU MORNING NEWS SCAN
Reading: Sample APLU morning news scan
The Whole World is Going to University, an article from the Economist
R 1/21 Topics: Writing Assistants Introduced, Demographics of College students
Reading: Introduction, from Jeffrey Selingo’s College (Un)Bound
Population pyramids
Writing Exercise 1 due Thursday, 1/21
Week 2 T 1/26 Topics: HISTORY & STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION
TUESDAY. CLASS MEETS IN OLD SCIENCE HALL 103 TO LEARN CREATE
Readings: Historical Timeline of American Higher Education
Chapter 2 from Kevin Carey’s The End of College
R 1/28 Topics: Structure of American Higher Education
Readings: Structure of Education in US flow chart, OSRHE, OU
Preface, Chapters 1,2 from David Levy’s The University of Oklahoma: A History
Writing Exercise 2 due Thursday, 1/28
Week 3 2/2. 2/4 Topics: THE PURPOSE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Readings: Chapter 2, Meritocracy & Citizenship, from Harry Lewis’ Excellence without a Soul
President Bizzell’s OU Freshman Convocation Speech, Fall 1933
Chapter 6, The Urgency of Memory”, from David Boren’s A Letter to America
The Virtues and Higher Education, from http://www.ou.edu/flourish/
Writing Exercise 3 due Thursday, 2/4
Week 4 2/9, 2/11 Topics: REVENUE STREAMS TO THE UNIVERSITY
Readings: Chapters 1,2 from Jeffrey Selingo’s College (Un)Bound
Chapter 9 from Kevin Carey’s The End of College
Intro and Chapter 9 from Jennifer Washburn’s University, Inc. – The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education
Four Tough Things about college costs from Fall 2015 Washington Post
Paper 1 First Draft, paper1, Tuesday 2/11
Week 5 2/16, 2/18 Topics: WHO PAYS STUDENTS’ COSTS
Readings: Selingo – Chapter 3
Colleges in the 2016 Crosshairs from Politico
Our Universities: The Outrageous Reality from NY Review of Books
The Changing Profile of Student Borrowers from Pew Research Center
A History of Financial Aid to Students from Journal of Student Financial Aid
Guest Speaker: Brad Burnett, Assoc VP for Enrollment and Student Financial Services (2/18)
Writing Exercise 4 due, Thursday, 2/18
Week 6 2/23, 2/25 Topics: THE STUDENT RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE
Readings: Campus Life: Undergraduate Cultures from the End of the 18th Century to the Present by Helen Horowitz (1987) – chapters 1,5,6,9
How College Works by Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs – chapter 8
Do Fraternities Have a Place on the Modern Campus from the Chronicle of Higher Education 8-3-15
Paper 1, Final Draft, Thursday, 2/25
Week 7 3/1, 3/3 Topics: RACE, CLASS
Readings: Introduction and ch. 1 from Mettler, Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream
Racism Without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, preface and chapter 1
The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of Edwin (“Daddy”) DeBarr by David Levy
In Context: Race on Campus from Chronicle of Higher Education, 2015
Writing Exercise 5, due Thursday, 3/3
Week 8 3/8, 3/10 Topics: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT, WELLNESS & SAFETY
Readings: Erik Erikson from Wikipedia
Mental Health Problems for College Students Are Increasing from Healthline
Stimulant Misuse: There is a Perfect Storm Brewing on Every College Campus
In loco parentis, Harvard Parietal Rules
Summary of the Jeanne Clery Act
Title IX from Wikipedia
Campus Safety & Well Being
Weekly Exercise 6, due Thursday, 3/10
~ SPRING BREAK March 14-18 ~
Week 9 3/22, 3/24 Topics: FREE SPEECH, ACADEMIC FREEDOM, & CIVILITY
Readings: The Areopagitica by John Milton
Hate Speech on Campus, from ACLU website
The Silencing – How the Left is Killing Free Speech, Introduction and Chapter 9
Can Colleges Protect Free Speech While Also Curbing Voices of Hate from Washington Post
OU-NC Student Code, Section VI
Versions of Academic Freedom by Stanley Fish, preface and chapter 1
OU-NC Faculty Handbook, Section 3.2, Academic Freedom and Responsibility
Paper 2, first draft, due Tuesday, 3/24
Week 10 3/29, 3/31 Topics: SHARED GOVERNANCE
Readings: Who’s in Charge? Leadership Pressures from Within and Without from American Higher Education in Crisis, Part III by Goldie Blumenstyk
How to Make Shared Governance Work: Some Best Practices, Trusteeship Magazine, March/April 2014
Governance references specific to OU
Weekly Exercise 7, due Thursday, 3/31
Week 11 4/5, 4/7 Topics: COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Readings: The Athletic Trap by Howard L. Nixon II, chapters 6, 7
Cheated by Jay M. Smith and Mary Willingham, chapter 7
Misc. College Athletic Revenue and Expenses from ESPN website
BIG 12 conference website info
NCAA .com and.org website info
Knight Commission
Guest Speaker – Kelly Damphousse
Paper 2, final draft, due Thursday, 4/7
Week 12 4/12, 4/14 Topics: DISRUPTION THEORY AND INNOVATION
Readings: Selingo, chs. 4-6
Clayton Christensen’s Response to New Yorker Takedown of Disruptive Innovation
How Useful Is the Theory of Disruptive Innovation from MIT Sloan Mgt. Review, Fall 2015
Guest Speaker – Adam Croom
Weekly Exercise 8, due Thursday, 4/12
Week 13 4/19. 4/21 Topics: TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTIONS – LIBRARY
Readings:
Additional Readings to be determined
Guest Speaker – Rick Luce or Carl Grant
Weekly Exercise 9, due Thursday 4/21
Week 14 4/26, 4/28 Topics: TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTIONS – DEGREES, TRANSCRIPTS, CREDENTIALS AND THEIR VALUE
Readings: – Selingo, chs. 8
Making Transcripts More Than A Record of Everything the Student Has Forgotten” from Chronicle 7-15-2015
Guest Speaker – to be determined
Paper 3, first draft, due Thursday, April 28
Week 15 5/3, 5/4 Topics: FUTURE PREDICTIONS
Readings:
To be Determined
Weekly Exercise 10, due Thursday, 5/4
FINALS WEEK
Paper 3, final draft, due Tuesday, May 10, by 5:00 pm
