CORE 1000 W01 The Reflective Woman
Spring 2013
Saturday 8:30-12:00
Professor Amy Hilden
Whitby 122
abhilden@stkate.edu
651-690-8826
Office Hours: EWO Saturdays 12:30-1:30
Wednesdays 4:30-5:30
Thursdays 12-1
General Course Description
The Reflective Woman (TRW) is the first course in CSC’s curriculum and provides a common experience for
all new students. The purpose of the course, beyond providing a common experience for our students, is to
introduce you to the diversity and rigors of the academic and creative life. Since my discipline is
philosophy, we will emphasize the philosophical methodologies in our inquiries, with special attention
being given to the area in philosophy called epistemology, or the study of knowledge/truth. We will
explore different ways that human beings have and do ask questions about and make claims about the
world. By recognizing the primacy of critical reflection and thinking within a social context of ideas and
experiences, we will engage with the ideas of others in our discussions and writing. Creating an
academic/creative community ourselves as a class, it is the assumption that each of us will come to know
our self better through this process – that we will emerge from the course better connected to our self and
our ideas, values and assumptions, as well as to each other, our college community, and the larger world.
I care about your success and about who you are as an individual. I invite you into this partnership with
me, so please let me know how that partnership can be most successful. I look forward to it!
Student Learning Goals
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As the first course in the Core Curriculum, The Reflective Woman launches liberal arts learning for
students at St. Kate’s and incorporates aspects of the Goals of a Liberal Arts Education at SCU.
Constructed around the belief that a common experience builds a stronger learning community and
highlights our unique institutional mission, the goals of TRW are for each student to: Develop critical
thinking and reflective judgment using various perspectives from the liberal arts traditions, while
clarifying her own values.
Identify and assume her role as an active member of the SCU community of scholars and learners and
understand her responsibility to work toward justice as a member of various communities, as we all
are citizens of a larger global community.
Develop effective communication skills in writing, speaking, and artistic modes of expression, and
develop and put into practice interpersonal, group, and cross-cultural communication skills and
listening skills.
Develop academic skills by accepting personal responsibility for her own learning, engaging in
meaningful and effective group work, developing research skills (both technical and conceptual),
improving college-level reading skills, and exhibiting personal and academic integrity.
Learn to engage campus resources effectively, including the library, learning centers, computing
services, faculty, staff and other students, information sources and student services
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Begin to develop the foundations and skills for lifelong learning: all purposeful learning activity,
undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence
TRW and Connection to Liberal Arts Learning Goals
Critical and creative inquiry
 locate appropriate information from a variety of sources and evaluate its relevance and reliability;
 shape ideas and discern meaning from experience, observation, imagination, and passion;
 analyze complex issues and arguments in various intellectual contexts (scientific, aesthetic,
philosophical, etc.) and evaluate the validity and soundness of such arguments;
 demonstrate breadth of knowledge of the major accomplishments of human endeavors and of the
distinct methods of exploring truths (in the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and
humanities);
 identify and interpret similarities and differences among various disciplinary approaches and examine
the relationships among them.
Effective communication
 read, view, and listen with understanding and critical discernment;
 organize, evaluate, and communicate ideas effectively through writing and public speaking to various
audiences;
 prepare and present information visually and through the use of technology;
 find expression in fine, literary, and performing arts;
 develop and put into practice interpersonal, group, and cross-cultural communication skills and
listening skills.
Diversity and Global Perspectives
 understand the experiences and contributions of women across history and cultures;
 identify and critically analyze the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, social class, religion, sexual
orientation, age, ability and other differences on identity, experience, and systems of power and
privilege.
Ethics and Social Justice
 exhibit personal and academic integrity.
Texts
The Reflective Woman reader, 7th ed.
The Bedford Handbook, 8th ed.
Evaluation
Interview/Memoir Paper
Performance/Art Critique (optional)
Social Controversy paper
Community Location and Change Assignment (optional)
Critical Reflection Papers (10)
Participation
90
40 *
120
40 *
100
50
Total points
400
*choose either the Performance/Art Critique or the Community Location and Change Assignment
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360-400
320-359
280-319
240-279
239 below
A
B
C
D
F
General Policies/Procedures
a. Attendance: You must come to class and participate in the class discussion on line during the
weeks when we do not meet. I will take attendance every session, including the on-line ones. Some
absences are to be expected, but more than two will lead to your being unable to receive credit for
the course.
b. Late Papers/Assignments: In general, I do not accept late papers/assignments. If you have a very
good reason for a paper/assignment being late, you must speak to me or e-mail me in advance. Late
papers will be docked 10% of the total points possible for each day late.
c. Paper Submissions: Some papers will be submitted through the D2L drop box. Critical Reflection
Papers, however, will often be submitted in hard copy form, to enable you to bring them to class to
share with the group as part of our discussion. Please see Schedule below for specifics.
d. Discussion Preparation: Since our class is discussion based, please come to each in-class session
prepared to discuss in depth the readings assigned for that week. The success of our on-line
discussion activities will also depend on the strength of your reflection on the readings assigned for
that week. Plan to read each essay carefully, deeply, critically, and most likely, multiple times!
e. Plagiarism: I will take the requirements of academic honesty very seriously. These are articulated
in Le Guide (located on-line), and we will also discuss the particularities of what plagiarism is and
how to avoid it. Please do not hesitate to speak to me about your grasp of these obligations.
f. Incompletes: I will grant an “I” (Incomplete Grade) only under extreme circumstances. If you
anticipate the need to request an “I,” you must speak to me prior to the end of the semester. If I
agree to the “I,” you must submit a Petition for Incomplete Grade to me (available online through the
Office of the Registrar link) by the last class session.
g. Cell phones and laptops. These are not allowed in class, except in very rare, and clearly explained,
circumstances. Please be sure your mobile device is turned off before class begins. Laptops may
only be used in class with my permission.
h. Accommodations. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are in need of special
accommodations for your learning in this class.
Explanation of the Value of Grades for Papers
A professor’s obligation to give her students an honest appraisal is a central one of her/her
responsibilities. Without that honest appraisal, it is unlikely that you will develop to your fullest
potential as a thinker and as a writer. I take this responsibility very seriously and my grading reflects
this. Below I have provided a description of the criteria that must be met at each of the grade levels.
A: An “A” paper is a truly excellent paper in all ways. It 1) completes all elements of the assignment;
2) is very well written (in content and in form; it is coherent (has a logical flow), grammatically correct
and is carefully proofread for typographical errors; it also contains proper citation); 3) incorporates
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insights in its analysis that go beyond a mere exposition of the ideas of others (that is, is has some
original thinking in it).
B: A “B” paper is a very good paper. It 1) completes all elements of the assignment; 2) it is well
written (in content and in form; it is coherent (has a logical flow) grammatically correct and is carefully
proofread for typographical errors; it also contains proper citation); 3) incorporates at least one good
insight that goes beyond a mere exposition of the texts.
C: A “C” paper is a fine (average) paper. It 1) completes all elements of the assignment at a minimal
level; 2) it is written in a generally coherent way; 3) it may not be perfectly proofread for writing,
grammar and typographical errors; 4) it does not typically contain insights that go beyond the
exposition of the ideas of others.
D: A “D” paper does not reach the level of an acceptable paper. It 1) may fail to complete all elements
of the assignment even at a minimal level; 2) it is incoherently written (it does not flow logically from
one point to another; 3) it contains numerous writing, grammar and proofreading errors.
F: The paper completely fails to meet the assignment, is plagiarized, or is simply not done at all.
If you are unhappy with your performance on a paper, you are free to continue to rework that paper
until it reaches your desired standard of completion.
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Reading/Assignment Schedule
(Please read assigned readings prior to class session)
Week 1, Feb 9
Composing a Life
Introduction: Who are we and what are we going to do together???
Read:
Mitchell, “All Women Can Be: The Spirit of the Sisters of St. Joseph”
Ryan and Wolkerstorfer, from “More Than a Dream”
Rich, “Claiming an Education”
Plato, “Allegory of the Cave” (handout on D2L)
Discuss:
Readings
Interview/Memoir Paper assignment
Week 2, Feb 16
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
(On-line Session)
Critical Reflection Paper #1: What similarities do you see in Rich and Plato? What
differences? Provide textual evidence for your claims. [Submit through D2L Dropbox by
Saturday, Feb 16]
Fletcher, “A Dream Deferred”
McIntosh, “White Privilege and Male Privilege”
Question on readings posted on D2L (posting due by Monday, Feb 18)
Week 3, Feb 23
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
Critical Reflection Paper #2: Write a paper in which you explain something about
your self identity that you think others often fail to understand. [hardcopy to class]
Palmer, “Now I Become Myself”
Anderson, “Where I Belong”
Readings and CRP#2
Performance/Art Critique assignment (optional)
Week 4, March 2
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
(On-line Session)
Interview/Memoir Paper (draft) [Submit to D2L Dropbox by Saturday, March 2]
Cavallaro, “How Writing Works (won’t discuss)
Smalkoski, “Notes on Hunger”
Ganaposki, “Being Poor”
Tan, “Mother Tongue”
Questions on readings posted on D2L (posting due by Monday, March 4)
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Week 5, March 9
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
Searching for Truths
Critical Reflection Paper #3: Write a paper in which you consider whether or not Ho’s
argument against relativism helps to clarify your own values. Do you agree that we need
a universal approach to morality? Why or why not? [hardcopy to class]
Ho, “It’s so Judgmental!”
Myers, “Evidence and Projects of Rationality”
Readings and CRP#3
Social Controversy Paper assignment (group project)
Week 6, March 16
(On-line Session)
Due:
Critical Reflection Paper #4: Write a paper in which you explain Schneider’s argument. Do
you find it persuasive? [Submit to D2L Dropbox by Saturday, March 16]
Read:
Fogarty, “Art Matters”
Schneiders, “Women and the Word”
Discuss:
Questions on readings posted on D2L [posting due by Monday, March 18]
Assignment: Optional: Work on Social Controversy Paper with group members (via email)
Week 7, March 23
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
In Class:
Interview Paper (final version) [Submit to D2L Dropbox; keep draft]
Critical Reflection Paper #5: Miller addresses our uneasiness with the indeterminate nature
of evolution and its implication for the nature of human existence. Write a paper in which
you explain this argument. Does his answer satisfy you? Why or why not? [Hardcopy to
class]
Kushner, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”
Miller, “Finding Darwin’s God”
Freeman, “The Aggressive Egg”
Readings and CRP #5
Work on SC Paper
Week 8, March 30
Spring/Easter Break – No Class
Week 9, April 6
Working Towards Community and Justice
Due:
Performance/Art Critique (if you chose this assignment)
Critical Reflection Paper #6: Explain the moral bases of King’s and Gandhi’s arguments for
social change, then evaluate them. Do you think their moral position is defensible?
Why or why not? How might someone challenge their positions? [Hardcopy to class]
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Read:
Discuss:
In Class:
Forman, “Poetry Should Ride the Bus”
Gandhi, “Non-Violent Resistance”
King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Readings and CRP #6
P/AC presentations
Work on SC paper
Week 10, April 13
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
(On-line Session)
Critical Reflection Paper #7: Use the seven central convictions (or some subset of them) of
Catholic Social Teaching, as set out by Connors, to evaluate a current social controversy.
How satisfactory do you find the analysis these central convictions enable? What are the
strengths and weaknesses of this analytic framework? [Submitted to D2L Dropbox by
Saturday, April 13]
Connors, “Catholic Social Teaching”
Questions on reading posted on D2L [Posting due by Monday, April 15]
Week 11, April 20
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
Social Controversy Paper (draft) [Submit one copy for group via email to
abhilden@stkate.edu]
Critical Reflection Paper #8: Evaluate Tatum’s claims. First, state her argument(s), then
say what you think of them. Be sure to support your position with your own argument.
Tatum, “Defining Racism”
Tatum and CRP #8
Week 12, April 27
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
(On-line Session)
Critical Reflection Paper #9: TBD [Submitted to D2L Dropbox by Saturday, April 27]
Kingsolver, “Jabberwocky”
Lorde, “The Transformation of Silence into Language”
Questions on readings posted on D2L [Postings due by Monday, April 29]
Week 13, May 4
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
In Class:
Community Location and Change Assignment (if you chose this assignment)
West, “Love into Action: The Good Samaritan Revisited”
Reading
Presentations: CLC Assignments
Work on SC Presentations
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Week 14, May 11
Due:
Read:
Discuss:
(On-line Session)
Critical Reflection Paper #10: TRW Reflection Paper (see handout) [Submitted to D2L
Dropbox by Saturday, May 11]
Myers, “Individual Action and a Global Ethic”
Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas”
Questions on readings posted on D2L [Postings due by Monday, May 13]
Week 15, May 18
Due:
In Class:
TRW Portfolio (includes all work completed in course)
Social Controversy presentations
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