Southeastern Louisiana University
History 632
Introduction to Public History
Fall Semester 2005
Professor:
Office:
Telephone:
Office Hours:
Email:
Webpage:
Dr. Benac
347E Fayard Hall
549-5723
M: 10:00-12:00, 1:00-4:00; TH: 10:00-12:00, 1:00-5:00
dbenac@selu.edu
http://www.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/dbenac
Classroom Decorum
Free discussion, inquiry, and expression is encouraged in this class. Classroom behavior
that interferes with either (a) the instructor's ability to conduct the class or (b) the ability
of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Examples may include
routinely entering class late or departing early; use of beepers, cellular telephones, or
other electronic devices; repeatedly talking in class without being recognized; talking
while others are speaking; or arguing in a way that is perceived as "crossing the civility
line." In the event of a situation where a student legitimately needs to carry a
beeper/cellular telephone to class, prior notice and approval of the instructor is required.
E-Mail Communication
University e-mail policy reads (in part) as follows, "[Faculty] Uses of non-Southeastern
e-mail addresses for communication with students regarding University business or
educational matters are not acceptable...." In compliance with this policy, please use only
your SLU e-mail address when contacting me about the course. I will not respond to
non-SLU e-mail addresses. Recall, that your SLU e-mail accounts are accessible through
the Internet via "Web-Mail" which can be reached from the SLU homepage:
http://www.selu.edu."
Office hours and availability
I will be in my office during the scheduled hours to provide any assistance that could lead
to your success in the course. Feel free to call me at my office number listed on the
syllabus. If you are unable to reach me leave a message clearly stating your name,
number, and when you will be there and I will try to return your call one time, I will not
“play phone-tag”. You can also reach me by email, but sending an email does not
absolve you of the responsibility of attending class or an completing any assignment.
NOTE: It is the policy of the University that the classroom is not a place for children,
and that students are not to bring their family members for day care or baby sitting.
NOTE: If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the
Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to self-identify with the Office of
Disability Services, Room 203, Student Union. No accommodations will be granted
without documentation from the Office of Disability Services.
Last Day to withdraw is October 21
Academic Honesty
No form of cheating will be tolerated. Academic dishonesty, in any form, will result in
immediate punishment to the full extent outlined by university policy.
Students agree by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for
textual similarity to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers
will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for
the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the of turnitin.com service is
subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com website.
Assignments/Grading
Make-up work will only be accepted when you provide a suitable written excuse from a
doctor or proper university official. Late assignments will be docked one full letter grade
for each class period they are late. The following assignments may be changed during
the semester as a result of availability of resources.
Grading Scale
A=90%
B=80-89%
C=70-79%
D=60-69%
F=59% and lower
Attendance
Attendance is required and it is expected that each student will contribute to the class.
You will lose one full letter grade after missing two classes and another full letter grade
for each class missed after that.
Course Description
Hist 632 Introduction to Public History. Credit three hours. This course serves as the
cornerstone of the program and covers the opportunities and challenges for historians in
the public arena. This is an historiographical course tracing the origins of public history
and the variety of specialties within the field. One important unit within this course is the
unique ethical concerns of the public historian.
Course Objectives
I have three objectives in this course: 1) To assist students in the process of developing
and expanding on the skills necessary for any historian—researching, interpreting, and
communicating; 2) to introduce students to the unique opportunities and challenges of
public history; and 3) to provide students with hands-on experience in a variety of the
types of projects public historians undertake.
Requirements
Make-up work will only be accepted when you provide a suitable written excuse from a
doctor or proper university official. All assignments are already scheduled, if you have a
pre-existing conflict you must notify me within the first week of courses. There will be
no alternate test times for excuses not recognized in the university handbook.
Analysis of grant proposal
Grant writing project
Museum exhibit critique
Land use project
Final paper
Class participation
10%
15%
15%
20%
30%
10%
Of final grade (subject to change)
No class November 24 (Thanksgiving Holiday)
Analysis of grant proposal: (Week 3) I will supply 2-3 NEH or LEH grant applications
for each student to review. You will use the criteria established by the granting agency to
determine whether or not each proposal should be funded. You will be expected to
coherently develop an argument to support your judgment.
Grant writing project: (Week 6) Each group will write a grant proposal for submission to
the NEH or LEH (other institutions may be acceptable). Students are encouraged to
pursue a realistic project. You will be expected to seek support from a real historyrelated institution, I will expect evidence of cooperation in the proposal. Proposals will
be graded on their ability to meet the granting agency’s guidelines, clarity, organization,
and feasibility in terms of time, labor, and financial constraints.
Museum exhibit critique: (Week 8) This assignment will give you the opportunity to
critically review an exhibit, whether at a museum or a history-related institution. You
must discuss your choice with me before you begin. The Public Historian regularly
publishes exhibit reviews that you could use for ideas. You will be graded on your
clarity, organization, thoughtfulness, and ability to place the exhibit within a larger
historical framework. Be sure to consider the institution’s resources, mission, and
intended audience.
Land use project: (Week 11) This project will introduce you to the methodology of using
local sources to trace the land-use history of a site and to analyze and communicate your
findings. You will compile a history of a property in Hammond (provided in class) with
recommendations based upon the scenario provided. The paper will by 8-10 pages plus
bibliography and appendices.
Final Paper: (last day of class) The individual portion will be a final paper that is an
historiographical treatment of a specific theme within public history. You will consider
course readings and information from guest speakers. The paper will be 8-10 pages in
length plus citations and will be well written, organized, and thought provoking. The
group portion will be a power point presentation to an undergraduate history class, to be
selected during the semester. The presentation will be well organized and informative.
You will be attempting to demonstrate to these students the importance of history in their
everyday lives and how they can use public history in their chosen professions.
I highly recommend that students discuss their papers with me before they begin. It is
also important to recognize that the material for this paper will largely come from class
assignments over the course of the semester so you should begin planning your ideas very
early.
Texts (Specific readings will be assigned in class)
Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for the Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
[either the fifth or sixth edition] (The University of Chicago Press), Recommended
Norman Tyler, Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History, Principles, and
Practice (W. W. Norton & Company), Required
Joseph A. Amato, Rethinking Home: A Case for Writing Local History (University of
California Press), Required
John Tosh, Historians on History (Longman), Required
Important Journals
American Archivist (Society of American Archivists)
History News (American Association of State and Local History)
Museum News (American Association of Museums)
Oral History Review (Oral History Association)
Historic Preservation (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
The Public Historian (National Council on Public History)
Journal of American History (Organization of American Historians)
American Historical Review (American Historical Association)
Tentative schedule—expect changes
Week 1
Intro
Week 2
History
Week 3
Comparisons
Week 4
Grants
Week 5
Memory
Week 6
Ethics
Week 7
Museums
Week 8
Museums
Week 9
Oral History
Week 10
Corporate/contract history
Week 11
Historic Preservation
Week 12
Historic Preservation
Week 13
Local History
Week 14
Presentations
Week 15
Presentations