UWSP General Education Program
GEP Course Application
Department: Foreign Languages
Contact Person: Tobias Barske
Instructor(s): Tobias Barske
Curriculum: FYS
Course Number: 102
Course Title: Soccer vs Football: Why Americans Love to Hate the Other Foot-ball?
Existing Course? Recently
approved
Credits: 3
Enrollment expected per section: 20
If known, how often will this be Each fall semester, eventually up to 80-85 sections. Some spring
offered and how many sections? semester FYS courses will also be offered.
Catalog Description: A First Year Seminar is a foundational course for incoming first-year students designed
to introduce critical thinking skills, orient you to the academic community and campus
life, and equip you with other skills necessary to be a successful student.
(link to Catalog)
Soccer vs Football: Why Americans Love to Hate the Other Foot-ball?
The world loves soccer, but most Americans may only love to hate it. In fact, Tom
Weir once wrote in USA Today "that hating soccer is more American than apple pie,
driving a pickup, or spending Saturday afternoons channel surfing" (1993). In this
course, we will explore the impact of sport on culture, especially how an American
national identity is constructed through football against the “other” worldwide
foot-ball passion, soccer. Students will analyze media representations of soccer as a
game for “pussies” as opposed to muscle-bound real men who play football.
Assignments will include original interviews and data collection, media analyzes of
famous soccer rivalries, and experiential learning to organize and play soccer with
international students on campus.
Existing GDR? No
If yes, which GDR Category / Categories?
☐ Freshman English
☐
☐ Writing Emphasis
☐
☐ Communication
☐
☐ Mathematics
☐
☐ Wellness
☐
☐ Non-Western
☐
Humanities 1
Humanities 2
Humanities 3
Humanities 4
Minority Studies
Environmental Literacy
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
Include Representative Syllabus (Still in progress, see attached Accepted FYS Proposal )
Select GEP Category:
History
Social Science 1
Social Science 2
Foreign Language
Natural Science
If appropriate, select at most ONE of the following:
First Year Seminar
Global Awareness
Note: A summary of the approved learning outcomes for each GEP Category can be found here.
Course Learning
Outcomes:
(describe or attach)
Explanation of
Alignment:
(explain how your
course learning
outcomes align with
the GEP category
outcomes)
(GEP outcomes can be
found here)
First Year Seminar Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing this requirement, students will be able to:
1. Describe the importance of a liberal education and the ways in which
academic study is structured at UWSP.
2. Describe the importance of critical thinking and information literacy and
apply the associated skills.
3. Identify and apply appropriate note-taking, test-taking, and timemanagement strategies to their academic studies.
4. Describe the importance of co-curricular involvement and how it enhances
their academic study at UWSP.
5. Identify and utilize UWSP programs, resources, and services that will support
their academic studies and co-curricular involvement.
6. Develop a plan that demonstrates their responsibility for their own
education, specifically how it relates to their interests, abilities, career
choices, and personal development.
Global Awareness Learning Outcomes
 Identify and explain various components of a culture that is distinct from those
found within the United States.
 Analyze how cultural similarities and differences are negotiated in ways that
help shape the modern world.
Each First Year Seminar will be designed and organized around the approved learning
outcomes for FYS. Individual instructors might emphasize some of these FYS learning
outcomes more than others. Likewise, individual instructors might include additional
course learning outcomes as appropriate.
Soccer vs Football: Why Americans Love to Hate the Other Foot-ball?
Upon completing this course students will be able to:
 Describe the importance of a liberal education and develop a path for
success at UWSP
 Identify and explain how aspects of nationalism and regionalism shape
our modern world.
 Apply critical thinking and information literacy to analyze how one
event such as a football game between Chicago Bears/Green Bay
Packers or a soccer game between FC Barcelona/Green Bay Packers is
portrayed differently in multiple news soureces and why. Questions to
be considere include: What is the historical relevance of these rivalries?
Where can you find reports about these games? How might something
considered a “hobby” or a national past time offer opportunities for


How Student Learning
will be Assessed:
(describe or attach)
Example Assignment:
(describe or attach)
students to develop critical thinking and apply information literacy?
Utilize UWSP programs and resources to organize at least one “pick-up”
soccer game, reserve field space, and encourage participation of students
from different countries. Students will visit the Student Involvement and
Employment Office to learn how to get involved in UWSP’s student life.
Students will also work with the Library reference staff to locate newspapers
reporting on the the soccer rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as
well as the football rivalry between Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Develop a plan for their own education using the analogy of Fantasy Football
to discuss students’ Fantasy University. Students will discuss factors that
will offer them the total package of a university experience. They will visit
the Career Services office to help discover their aptitudes and how to
maximize these strengths. Provided that students have limited resources
in the course of their college career, how do they approach their
undergraduate studies to grow as individuals and to construct their ideal
personal and professional plan for success.
Students will be assessed on their preparation for and performance during two
debates. Students also will be assessed by oral presentations of their library and
campus-based research about what constitutes liberal education and how liberal
education is structure at UWSP. In addition, students will be assessed using short
writing assignments including reflection essays on media representations of rivalries
between Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers & Real Madrid/FC Barcelona and
producing a visual and textual depiction of their course/life plan through the medium
of Fantasy Football/Fantasy University.
One assignment of this class involves creating a plan for their course of study at
UWSP. We will use the analogy of Fantasy Football to discuss students’ FANTASY
UNIVERSITY. Students will discuss factors that will offer them the total package of a
university experience. We will visit the Career Services office to help students
discover their aptitudes and how to maximize these strengths. Provided that
students have limited resources in the course of their college career, how do they
approach their undergraduate studies to grow as individuals and to construct
their ideal personal and professional plan for success.
For another assignment, students will experience CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ON
CAMPUS. Two required activities for this class are the attendance of at least one
women’s soccer game and one men’s football game. The experience of being a
spectator serves as an example of co-curricular learning and will serve as a
baseline for students to relate to spectators of soccer and football games.
Students will also have to INTERVIEW ONE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT on campus to
learn about the role of soccer/football in the international students’ respective
home country. For this interview, seminar particiants will be required to reach
out to student organizations on campus such as the French Club, the German
Club, the International Club, the Spanish Club, or the Office for International
Students and Scholars. Not only will students learn more about the global
relevance of soccer and football, but they will also engage with a part of UWSP’s
student population they normally might never meet.
Another assignment includes two debates: Which team is better - Real Madrid or
FC Barcelona and Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers? In order to prepare for
these debates, students will have to watch one of each rivalry game, research the
background of each rivalry, and how/why varying newssources portray these
games differently both before and after the event.
Library Resource 1. Have you contacted the Library about any additional resources (e.g., books, journals,
and Services:
DVDs, databases, streaming videos, etc.) needed for the proposed course?
Not Yet
< click here to contact Collection Development Librarian >
2. Would you be interested in discussing with a Librarian ways to support the research
or information-literacy components of the proposed course?
Yes
< click here to contact the Coordinator of Library Instruction >
Note: Approval of the course proposal does not imply availability of library resources.
Department Vote:
Approve:
Oppose:
Abstain:
Date:
Next Steps / Please submit completed form to the Chairperson of the General Education Committee
Instructions:
General Education
Committee Action: