Course Form (revised 5/1/12)
(Instructions: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/courseform_instructionsX.aspx)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
MCLL/ Russian
Prefix and Course # RUSS 172
Course Title
SRAS: Central Asia Culture Lab
Please check one or more
X New course  Delete course
of the following:
Course Changes
 Course Title  Description  Learning Outcomes
 Prerequisites  Cross-listing  Other
 Credits
from _________ to________
 Number / Level from _________ to________
 Repeatability
from _________ to________
Justification / explanation (required for ALL proposals) For new courses please provide rationale for why
the course is needed, how it fits with exiting curriculum and whether there are curricular adjustments.
RUSS 172 SRAS: Central Asia Culture Lab
This course is one of four other newly proposed UM/SRAS courses (see Department Summary for further
clarification about SRAS). It is one of two supplementary Central Asian courses of the SRAS program. This
one-credit lab allows students to explore and experience their new cultural environment, through hands-on
projects, excursions, and guest lectures. It encourages students to take advantage of their unique study abroad
environment.
Has the Department gone through common course Review?
 Yes  No X In process
II. Syllabus/Assessment Information Required for new courses, learning outcome changes and
course change from U to UG.
Important: please spell out learning goals and learning outcomes clearly in the syllabus.
Learning Goals are a list of what students should know, understand, or be able to do at the end of
the course, including essential information and knowledge or skills relevant to the subject area.
Learning Outcomes are measures of performance or behavior that indicate, to the teacher and the
students, that students understand the material, and what criteria differentiates among different
levels of understanding. Attach syllabus at the end of the document.
III. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Ona
Renner-Fahey
Phone/ email :
243-4602
Program Chair(s)/Director:
Liz
Ametsbichler,
Jannine
Montauban
Dean(s):
Chris Comer
All other affected programs:
Approve
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Anthtropology
 Yes  No
 Yes  No
Are other departments/programs affected by this
modification because of
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
(b) X perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
Signatory Comments (required for disapproval):
Please obtain signature(s) from the
Chair/Director of any such department/ program
(above) before submission
IV: 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
X
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. The course number may be changed
at the system level.
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces) SRAS: C.A. Culture Lab
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.) 
U RUSS 172 SRAS: Central Asian Culture Lab 1 cr. Offered autumn, spring and summer. Restricted to
students in the SRAS program. Taught at The London School in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This course
supplements the core Central Asian course of study, by allowing the students the opportunity to engage
actively with their unique cultural surroundings. Students choose an area of cultural interest and build a final
project around it.
Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Complete for Co-convened courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/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:
V. Change an Existing Course
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
NO
X
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether the change will eliminate the common course status.
5. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
YES
YES NO
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/procedures/default.aspx
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check (X)
space provided.
(syllabus must be attached)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Is there a fee associated with the course?
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
See attached.
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.
London School in Bishkek
Class Syllabus
Course:
RUSS-172:
Central Asian Culture Lab
Time:
See Schedule
Location: London School in Bishkek
Instructor: Bermet Omurova
SRAS moderator: Kim Frankwick
Email:
Bemamo@mail.ru, Kfrankwick@sras.org
Course Description______________________________________________________
This course encompasses a range of activities further immersing you in the culture of your host country.
You will attend and actively participate in presentations by guest speakers, panel discussions; hands-on
classes in cooking, crafts, and music; excursions to historical/cultural sites; and cultural performances.
This course is intended to encourage you to explore personal interests in a new culture, and to use
creative media to present your experiences, observations and analysis.
Course Objectives_______________________________________________________
This course will:
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provide an interactive and hands-on approach for understanding the culture of Central Asia,
including the Russian and Soviet influences on that culture;
encourage critically formed opinions;
enable analytical, critical thinking skills through class discussion;
encourage independent exploration and research in a new culture/environment;
develop individual communication and presentation skills using creative media; and
foster independent learning.
Lab Project_______________________________________________________________
Students will declare a general interest at the beginning of the course. For example, music, art,
photography, cooking, creative writing, film, and architecture are just some of the general avenues you
might consider in terms of subject matter and/or medium for your project. This is an opportunity to
either explore a new area, or to develop something in which you already have talent/experience. We also
welcome team projects if the scope and complexity are suitable. You might also consider treating this
project as an added (yet clearly separate) dimension to a final paper in one of your courses.
Part I – Prospectus – in 500 words or less, describe the project. What is your subject matter and how do
you plan to present it? Be as specific as possible – if you have chosen music, you might look at the
presentations of Central Asian folk music in modern society, for example; or, if you have chosen cooking,
you might look at writing about the history and recipes used for several chosen Central Asian desserts –
or perhaps at perceptions of healthy diets in modern Kyrgyz society. You should also think about how you
will present the project – this is one that can lend itself well to more creative endeavors using
photography, video, sound recordings, etc.
Part II – Mid-term Review – in 500 words or less, describe your progress. By this time, you should be able
to list specific sources you have found to use (and these should be overwhelmingly local sources –
English-language internet resources may be used, but very sparingly). Describe any challenges you are
having in collecting information. Other demands and questions may be added to this depending on the
specific nature of the project you have chosen to undertake.
Part III – Presentation – While the form and medium of your project may vary, it must result in an
informative presentation given both in person to your fellow students and instructors and via electronic
means to your SRAS moderator. Thus, this might include: a video created by you shown in class and to
your moderator via YouTube; an extensive and well-captioned photojournalism set presented in class and
delivered via DropBox, Flikr or similar services; a 10-12 page paper presented in class and emailed to your
moderator, etc. In all cases, the project must be accompanied by a bibliography showing research
performed with multiple local sources.
Grading________________________________________________________________
The final course grade will be determined based on the following distribution:
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Attendance and participation: 30%
Part I: Prospectus: 5%
Part II: Mid-term Review: 5%
Part III: Presentation: 60%
o In-Class Presentation: 30%
o Electronic Presentation: 30%
The grading scale is as follows:
93-100 A
90-92 A-
88-89 B+
83-87 B
80-82 B-
78-79 C+
73-77 C
70-72 C-
68-69 D+
65-67 D
64 & below F
Grading Criteria for In-Class Presentations
In 8-15 minutes, the presentation should describe the topic at hand, its importance, why additional research into the topic is
needed, how you are approaching the topic, and what you have found so far. Your presentation should be geared to be
informative to your classmates who may know relatively little about your subject. Your presentation should also indicate that
you have you have already done considerable research using multiple sources, including many local sources – you are
encouraged to discuss any challenges you have had in performing your research abroad as well.
Each presentation will be followed by a 5-10 minute question and answer / discussion session during which your fellow
classmates and teacher may ask questions, make comments, and generally help you to additionally brainstorm your project
and the challenges surrounding it.
No PowerPoint presentation or props are needed, although you may use them if you wish. Be sure to discuss anything you may
need with your instructors to make sure it will be available (i.e., a projector). If you do use a power point presentation or
slides, please note that they should be mainly images or outlines of major points. Paragraphs of text, etc. are generally boring
on a PowerPoint slide, even when the text is large enough to be readable from a distance. You will need to present, via email,
your teacher and SRAS moderator with a list of sources you are currently using, however, prior to the presentation.
CONTENT
 Provided adequate technical background for understanding the topic
 Presented multiple points of view on the topic
 Topic explored in sufficient depth
 Reference list included with reliable, diverse, and mostly local sources of information
 Competent and knowledgeable about the topic
 Clear explanations
 Was open and competent in addressing questions during the Q&A
ORGANIZATION
 Stated objectives and why your topic is important or relevant
 Stated the major issues surrounding your topic that you will be researching
 Organized and presented material in a logical sequence
 Concluded with summary of major points
 Presentation lasted 10-15 minutes
STYLE
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Avoided reading from prepared notes or slides
Maintained audience interest
Projected confidence and mastery of the material
Spoke loud enough that everyone can hear
Maintained eye contact with the audience
Used creative presentation techniques, humor, etc
Grading Criteria for Electronic Presentations
A: Demonstrates an excellent grasp of the material and presents compelling, thoughtful, and unified
insights into another culture. There are no factual errors, and few if any proofing errors (grammar,
spelling errors). The organization and presentation are creative and superlative. I nod a lot, not
because I agree, but because I’m struck by the student’s perceptiveness and his/her suasion. It is very
clear that many hours and many drafts have gone into this project.
B: Clearly presents insights into another culture. There are at worst very minor factual errors. The
organization is good, but occasionally wanders or is not well suited to the information presented.
There are only a few proofing errors. I have few questions, and it’s clear that the student has spent
time thinking about the material and is very familiar with the subject he/she has discussed. The
student clearly put time into conceiving and executing the project.
C: A competent presentation. The information presented is interesting but perhaps not particularly
insightful. There are some obvious flaws in the research and/or the coherence of the project. All
requirements previously agreed to have been met. The project seems to be a collection of facts rather
than a coherent whole; organization can be followed, but perhaps only with difficulty. A few more
hours would have done this project some serious good.
D: Weak project. Weak material, few if any original or interesting insights, poorly argued. Lots of
proofing errors. You probably conceived and threw this together in a matter of a few hours.
F: You didn't turn anything in. You plagiarized. Why did you turn this in?