JOINT CERTIFICATE IN DIGITAL HUMANITIES
Stage-two proposal: Curriculum
From Computer Science/Math and English Studies
Presented by: Gyllian Phillips (English) and Murat Tuncali (Math/Computer Science)
Stage-one approval by the Academic Planning Committee of Senate received on Sept. 18,
2009.
Approved by Craig Cooper, Dean of Arts and Science, Department of Math/Computer
Science, Department of English Studies, Academic Regulations and Curriculum
Committee of Arts and Science
Consulted in preparation: Chair/coordinators of History, Religions and Cultures, Classics,
Gender Equality and Social Justice, Political Science and Philosophy
Process
At this moment in Nipissing University’s history, we have no approval process in place
for new certificates, only new programmes. However, a precedent of sorts was
established at a meeting of the USC (May 2009?) in which it was decided (principally by
the chair of USC, the Registrar and the VPAR) that any new course code designation
necessarily implied a new programme. The English and Math/Computer Science
departments were asked to bring the Certificate in Digital Humanities back to APC as a
new programme in the following academic year. As a consequence, Stage-one approval
was sought and received Sept 18, and we are going ahead with the Stage-two which
outlines the specific curriculum required for the Certificate. However, it should be made
clear that at the moment this Certificate is proposed only as a certificate, not a new
programme.
Proposed motions
MOTION: That USC approve the new Joint Certificate in Digital Humanities as outlined
in the Stage-two proposal.
MOTION: That USC approve the pre-requisite for the Joint Certificate in Digital
Humanities as follows: students must have completed 30 credits of undergraduate courses
in any discipline.
MOTION: That USC approve the addition of DIGI 4xxx Project in Digital Humanities
(3 credits) as outlined in the attached course proposal.
Outline of Curriculum
Admission requirements
Students are eligible for the first stage of the Joint Certificate in Digital Humanities once
they have completed 30 credits of undergraduate courses in any discipline. In order to
succeed in the intro courses, they should be counseled to take ENGL1501 or ENGL1106
among their 30 credits of first-year courses.
Required courses
To complete the CDH, students are required to take 18 credits in total, 12 credits of
which must be drawn from the courses listed below:
DIGI 2305 Introduction to Digital Humanities (6 credits) (approved by Senate June
2009)
Course description: Digital technologies are dramatically challenging and changing areas
of study and engagement that are largely the province of the humanities, namely the ways
in which we learn, build knowledge, share information, and communicate. This survey
course will introduce students to interdisciplinary questions about the impact of digital
capacity on theory and culture, tools and applications, and the digital world. This course
provides a foundation for continued study in the interdisciplinary field of digital
humanities.
Pre-requisite: 30 credits of undergraduate courses in any discipline
Additional comments: it is strongly recommended that students who plan to take DIGI
2305 include ENGL1501 or ENGL1106 among their 30 credits of first-year courses.
This is a writing and reading intensive course.
DIGI 2006 Introduction to Computing Technologies for the Digital Humanities (3
credits) (approved by Senate, June 2009)
DIGI 4xxx Project in Digital Humanities (3 credits)
See attached course proposal
Electives:
In addition to the required courses, students will be need 6 credits of electives. These
will be special topics courses designated on a year-by-year basis in a range of electives
disciplines from programmes in Arts and Science. The courses will be selected and
designated as follows:
Process
By October 1, programmes who wish to have a course x-listed as a DIGI elective, must
submit the course syllabus, including at least a description and assignment breakdown, to
the Certificate administrators (English/Math-Computer Science). Courses that meet the
criteria listed below will be designated as electives in time enough to be added to the
course master (usually by November 1).
Criteria
The principal criteria used by Math/Computer Science and English to evaluate the
suitability of courses from other disciplines are these:
1) The course must address the theoretical and academic issues raised by the intersection
between digital media and humanities disciplines. For our purposes “humanities”
identifies an approach rather more than a subject field. In other words, the approach
should be one of critical engagement with the way in which information is structured,
disseminated and received.
2) The course should have a significant (more than 25% or course content or mark value)
practical component requiring students to engage substantively with or to manipulate
digital media in course material or assignments. Whether students are asked to critically
analyze electronic media or they are asked to produce electronic media, the emphasis
should be on the interaction between student and medium.
3) The contributing programme should consider accepting DIGI 2305 Introduction to
Digital Humanities in place of the conventional disciplinary pre-requisite for the
designated course.
A) Descriptive Data
Course code:
Course title:
Short title:
(maximum 29
characters)
If this course
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
Total Hours:
DIGI 4xxx
Project in Digital Humanities
Project in Digital Humanities
DIGI 2006 Introduction to Computing Technologies for the
Digital Humanities and DIGI 2305 Introduction to Digital
Humanities. Students wishing to take this course during the
following Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter Session must apply in
writing to the discipline no later than February 15.
36
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
Each student meets as necessary with his/her instructor.
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work
per week for one term.)
Course Credits:
Course
Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
3
Project in Digital Humanities is a directed studies course. A
student chooses an independent project in Digital Humanities
according to his or her interests. S/he designs and completes the
project under the supervision of an instructor from a Digital
Humanities discipline. Projects include both theoretical and
practical components and the course serves as a practicum to
complete the Digital Humanities certificate.
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
cross-coding
This course should be cross-listed as a credit towards the student’s
discipline major.
(please indicate if
this course is
approved for either
cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data
There are no comparable courses at other universities since Digital Humanities is a
unique certificate.
C) Statement of Need
A three-credit practicum course is required for students to complete the Joint Certificate
in Digital Humanities. Since the Certificate is both a theoretical and practical
qualification, students need an opportunity to apply the work they may have done in the
required and electives courses. The delivery model of the directed reading course allows
for students to work independently with a knowledgeable faculty member perhaps with
overlap among the student projects and the supervising instructors.
D) Statement of Resources
This course is modeled along the lines of directed reading or honours research essay
courses. Hence, it will be staffed, as overload, by regular faculty members who have
experience in Digital Humanities. If enrollment in the Digital Humanities certificate is
sufficient, then the delivery model for this practicum will have to be reconsidered. As
long as the numbers remain low, in the initial phase of the certificate, this seems like the
most resource efficient model.