Course Form
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
Journalism
Course Title
Prefix and Course
#
JOUR 165
Current Events/Honors
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
Summarize the change(s) proposed
Change course title to Global Current
Events/Honors and make minor changes to
wording of catalog course description
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Requestor:
Henriette Lowisch
Phone/ email :
Henriette.Lowisch@umontana.edu,
-2227
Program Chair/Director:
Carol Van Valkenburg
Other affected programs
Honors College
Dean:
Date
Peggy Kuhr
Are other departments/programs affected by this modification
Please obtain signature(s) from the
because of
Chair/Director of any such department/
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
program (above) before submission
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Common Course Numbering Review (Department Chair Must Initial):
YES NO
Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere in the MUS? Check all relevant disciplines if
course is interdisciplinary. (http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp)
If YES: Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with existing course(s)? Please indicate
equivalent course/campus. 
If NO: Course may be unique, but is subject to common course review. Be sure to include learning outcomes
on syllabus or paste below. The course number may be changed at the system level.
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
Complete for Co-convented courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
New fees and changes to existing fees are only approved once each biennium by the
Board of Regents. The coordination of fee submission is administered by Administration
and Finance. Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions
according to Policy 940.12.1 http://mus.edu/borpol/bor900/940-12-1.pdf . Please indicate
whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
YES
NO
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
X
Course Number Change
From:
Level U, UG,
From:
G
To:
To:
Co-convened
Description Change
Repeatability
Change in Credits
From:
Cross Listing
(primary
To:
program
initiates form)
Prerequisites
Is there a fee associated with the
course?
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
U 165 Current Events/Honors 3 cr. Offered
autumn and spring. Survey of world, national
and local news intended to make students
familiar with the context and vocabulary
necessary to understand the news, what makes
it, and the implications that stem from it.
U 165 Global Current
Events/Honors 3 cr. Offered
autumn and spring. Survey of
global news intended to make
students familiar with the context
and vocabulary necessary to
understand the news, what makes
it, and the implications that stem
from it.
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course number
4. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
5. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether this change will eliminate the course’s common course
status.
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/
grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
(syllabus required in section V)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Justification for proposed change
NO
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check
(X) space provided.
Honors College
Focus of course has been and is on global
current events. This is evidenced by the fact
that The Economist has always served as
the course text. National and local news are
only covered as far as they are impacted by
global developments. Global focus is in line
with University strategy and with student
interest and needs. The new course title thus
more accurately reflects the course’s focus.
V. Syllabus/Assessment Information (must include learning outcomes)
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
Prof. Henriette Lowisch
Don Anderson Hall 431
(406) 243-2227
Office Hours: M 11-1, Th 2-4 p.m.
and by appointment
Henriette.Lowisch@umontana.edu
Course description
If you’re not already a news junkie, this class aims to turn you into one. By the end of the semester,
you should be confident that when you point to Iran on a map you won’t hit Iraq by accident; you
should be able to tell Weibo from Wen Jiabao; recognize acronyms like BRIC and FAO, and know
why the world is watching Mogadishu and Mumbai.
The skills and information you learn in Global Current Events will inform how you understand the
world around you for the rest of your life. You will connect dots between seemingly unrelated
events; track stories that will let you chime in if talk turns to global politics over Thanksgiving
break, and explore how journalists think when they cover international developments. Your
knowledge of other cultures will expand, as you learn about the historical, social, economic and
geostrategic forces behind today’s news.
The Economist magazine will be our required textbook. I will distribute a fresh copy each week in
class and assign a dozen or more articles to read from each issue.
The readings will be the focus of weekly quizzes and class discussion. They require a substantial
commitment of time and attention on your part, but will get easier as you become familiar with the
issues and the writing style.
On Aug. 31, please bring to class a check or money order for $28.80, made out to UM
Foundation/Journalism. This will buy you (at a student discount) one Economist
magazine each week for the semester. They come to me in a box and I will hand
them out in class. If you already subscribe, please let me know by the end of Class 1.
On Mondays, class will typically begin with a 10-question quiz on that week’s reading and the
presentation from the previous week. The quiz will be followed by a brief discussion of the quiz
questions and a review of information from the week before. Time will also be set aside for
presentation team meetings.
On Wednesdays, a class presentation will examine an event or trend in the news. It will consider
the historical and cultural forces behind the issue and a vocabulary for discussing it. It will
introduce the current cast of characters and provide a sense of what may happen in the near future.
There will be time after each presentation for discussion.
At first, I will give the presentations. But by the fifth week of class, you will take over. Topics will
be assigned to teams of students on Sep. 14. Around the same time, you will also receive detailed
guidelines on how to succeed as a team.
Teams of students will make 45-minute presentations on a predetermined topic. Each team will
consist of a researcher, a scriptwriter, a PowerPoint builder and a presenter. You will meet with me
individually as you are developing your part of the presentation. You will be graded on the work
presented during those meetings as well as on the final product, with additional evaluation based
on feedback of classmates and teammates.
It is essential that you meet all deadlines associated with your presentation. Your
teammates depend on you getting your work to them on time. Your classmates in
the audience – and you – deserve a top-notch presentation each week. Once
deadlines are established, for each day a deadline is missed your grade will be
reduced by one letter grade increment. For example, a B will become a B-, then a C+,
C, C-.
Student presentations are a major emphasis of this class. Focused and thorough, they should
demonstrate the ability of each individual to be a responsible and responsive team member. Some
students find doing their share of the work for the presentation the most challenging – and some
say rewarding – assignment they’ve ever done.
Learning outcomes
Successful students in this class will:
o
Understand a wide range of contemporary global news stories that occur in the course of
the semester.
o
Be able to discuss global geography and how it affects regional conflicts.
o
Know the names and background of global leaders who appear in the news.
o
Be able to articulate common factors linking otherwise disparate global conflicts.
o
Recognize how geostrategic forces affect minorities, women and the poor.
o
Improve their ability to work as part of a team.
o
Report, produce or present an in-depth study of a current global issue.
Assessment
Weekly quizzes, two exams and a team presentation help determine whether students have
achieved the learning goals. All quizzes and exams are closed book.
o
A 10-question quiz will be given each week. It will mostly cover the reading, with
vocabulary drawn from the previous week’s presentation. Quiz grades will be averaged;
the lowest quiz score will be dropped.
o
The midterm exam will be given Oct. 10, 2011, during regular class time. It will cover
material in presentations to that date.
o
The final exam will be given Dec. 12, 2011, from 1:10 – 3:10 p.m. It will cover all
presentations given during the semester, with an emphasis on those given after the
midterm.
Grading
Quizzes: 25 percent
Class Presentation: 25 percent
Midterm: 15 percent
Final: 25 percent
Discussion: 10 percent
Be professional. Don’t squander the opportunities given to you through this class.
o
Don't be late. Class doesn't start at 3:11 p.m. It starts at 3:10 p.m.
o
Mute your electronic devices during class and put handhelds out of reach.
o
Notify me in advance if you are ill or need to miss a class for other valid reasons.
o
To act professionally at all times will positively affect your final grade.
o
Unexcused absences and late shows will negatively affect your grade.
o
Missing one third of classes will automatically result in failing the course.
The grading scale is:
A
AB+
93-100
90-92
87-89
B
BC+
83-86
80-82
77-79
C
CD
73-76
70-72
60-69
F 0-59
Academic Honesty
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic
penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need
to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for review at
http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
This course is accessible to otherwise qualified students with disabilities. To request reasonable
program modifications, please consult with the instructor. Disability Services for Students will
assist the instructor and student in the accommodation process. For more information, visit
http://life.umt.edu/dss.
After hours access
For after hours access to Don Anderson Hall, complete and submit this form online:
http://jour.umt.edu/after-hours/ by Friday, Sep. 9. Miss the deadline, and you’ll pay a late fee or
you won’t be able to use the labs after hours.
Topics
1 After Norway: Europe and the Muslim world
2 The U.S. and Pakistan: Friends or foes?
3 The Euro shakes: Who wants a common currency anyway?
4 Border troubles: Mexico's drug wars.
5 Starving Somalia: A failed state's impact on the region.
6 Egypt after the revolution: Forerunner or exception?
7 Israel and the Arab Spring: Odds for war and peace.
8 World Population: Seven billion and counting.
9 A concert of tweets: Freedom of expression in China
10 Third World Rising: The case of Brazil
11 Who rules Russia?
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
Revised 8-23-11