IDIS 180: Intro to Integrative Studies
Syllabus Draft: Course Plan
Monday, August 27: Welcome; Review of Syllabus; ISMajor explained. The value of broad-breadth learning for your career prospects; what employers say they want in their new hires.
In-class reading (to be handed out in class): “It takes more than a major…”
Reading for Wednesday: Dorothy L. Sayers, “Why Work?” in Leading Lives that Matter (hereinafter, LLM), pp. 191 – 95.
Wednesday, August 29: Discussion of Sayers: the ideal nature of work; the difference between a job and a career (bring the book to class, you’ll want it).
Reading for Friday:
1. A. Bart Giamatti, “A City of Green Thoughts” (available on Moodle).
2. William Cronon, “Only Connect” (on Moodle).
Friday, August 31: Discussion of Giamatti and Cronon, on the nature and utility of liberal education.
First Writing Assignment (This will be due on Wednesday, Sept. 5): Reflection: “What is a liberal education, why should I want one, and what good is it to me in preparing for a career, and for life?
Reading for Wednesday, September 5:
George Anders, You Can Do Anything (YCDA), Chapters 1 & 2, pp. 3 – 50.
Monday, September 3: Labor Day, No class today.
Wednesday, September 5: Discussion of Anders; our theme will be linking what we’ve learned about the nature of the liberal arts to what Anders says about the modern workplace.
Reading for Friday, September 7:
J.S. Mill, Excerpt from On Liberty, Part One (available on Moodle). This text contains hyperlinked questions—how to use them will be explained in class. Your assignment is to make an attempt at answering these questions as best you can; we’ll split up into small groups for discussion of these questions. You can make your corrections and additions, and then turn in a finished piece of work for credit next Monday.
Friday, September 7: Small group discussion of Mill excerpts; class discussion of same.
Reading for Monday, September 10:
September 10: Monday
September 12: Wednesday
1st Business / Community Guest Presentation
Reading for Friday: J.S. Mill, Excerpts from On Liberty, Part Two (available on Moodle).
Do your rough drafts of answers to the hyperlinked questions.
September 14: Friday
September 17: Monday
September 19: Wednesday
2nd Business / Community Guest Presentation
September 21: Friday
September 24: Monday
September 26: Wednesday
3rd Business / Community Guest Presentation
September 28: Friday
October 1: Monday
October 3: Wednesday
October 8: Monday
October 10: Wednesday
October 12: Friday
October 15: Monday
October 17: Wednesday (last day of class).
