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UC DAVIS:  Offices of the Chancellor and Provost

September 9, 2003

MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE

Re: Call for FRS Seminars

I am reissuing an invitation for faculty participation in the 
Freshmen Seminar Program for academic year 2003-2004. For the 
2003-2004 academic year, 1-unit seminars may be offered for 10 
hours during the first 8-10 weeks of the academic quarter and 2-unit 
courses for a total of 20 hours during the first 8-10 weeks of the 
quarter.  Both 1 and 2-unit courses are letter-graded.  Enrollment 
is limited to twenty students per class.

From the program's inception, faculty members have offered Freshman 
Seminars as an add-on to their normal departmental teaching 
assignments.  As a means of acknowledging the instructor's 
contribution to our undergraduate educational mission, I am pleased 
to offer a modest stipend in the amounts of $2,000 for 2-unit 
seminars and $1,500 for 1-unit seminars.  These funds may be 
transferred to the faculty member's departmental account.  
Additionally, instructors are eligible to apply for up to $500 in 
Minigrant support to defray expenses that may be associated with 
conducting the class.

Additional information on Freshman Seminars related to the Campus 
Community Book Project is below.

Although I recognize that faculty have already established their 
teaching responsibilities for the upcoming year, I hope that you 
will seriously consider this opportunity to work with our first-year 
students.  If you are interested in offering an FRS Seminar, please 
complete the "Proposal to Teach a Freshmen Seminar" material on the 
TRC web site (http://trc.ucdavis.edu/trc/frosh/FRSapp.html) and 
return it to Janet Chambers (jachambers@ucdavis.edu) at the Teaching 
Resources Center.  All proposals are reviewed by a faculty committee.  
Please note the following deadlines:

October 6, 2003, last date for winter 2004 seminars
January 12, 2004, last date for spring 2004 seminars

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Janet 
Chambers at the Teaching Resources Center: 752-6050 or at: 
trc@ucdavis.edu.

Patricia A. Turner
Vice Provost--Undergraduate Studies

03-098
 
Campus Community Book Project Freshman Seminar Call

Faculty are encouraged to submit Freshman Seminar Proposals related 
to the Campus Community Book Project focused on Mark Juergensmeyer's 
Gandhi’s Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution.  For more 
information about this exciting initiative, see
http://occr.ucdavis.edu/bookproject.html.  Seminars may be proposed 
for winter 2004 and spring 2004.

One of the primary criteria for selecting this year's book was its 
applicability across many academic disciplines.  Gandhi's Way offers 
a practical guide to assisting us in working through conflict in a 
way that values the positions of all parties and sorts through the 
"truth" of both sides.  Business and law faculty would find this 
interesting to include in their study of legal and labor related 
contractual agreements.  Philosophy faculty could create a course 
related to the applicability of Gandhi's approach to nonviolence.  
The third section of the book imagines Gandhi in conversation with 
Marx, Freud, and Niebuhr about the validity of nonviolent conflict 
resolution.  Historians and political scientists might construct a 
course about the events that led to Gandhi's formulation of 
nonviolent principles or the ways that his work influenced the 
national struggles in India, South Africa, Poland, and the civil 
rights movement in the United States.  Gender and ethnic studies 
faculty might consider feminist or cross-cultural approaches to 
conflict and conflict resolution that bridge or deviate from Gandhi's 
ideas.  Scientists might use his approach to discuss conflicting 
ideologies on such topics as biotechnology, genetic engineering, 
environmental preservation, or stem cell research, among other 
current issues.  Linguists might study the influence of language in 
fostering societal norms around violence and nonviolence.  The drama 
department could explore how theater has addressed disputed societal 
issues through the ages.  Almost any debatable issue within the 
academy could be used as a case study exploring Gandhi's philosophy 
of conflict resolution.  In addition, Gandhi's Way provides an 
approach to conducting classroom dialogues on controversial topics 
and helping students to respect differing viewpoints during a 
discussion.

Guidelines for Freshman Seminars and a sample course proposal are 
available at the Freshman Seminar Web Site. 
http://trc.ucdavis.edu/trc/frosh.html.  For more information please 
contact Vice Provost Turner at 752-6068 or paturner@ucdavis.edu.



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Modified: 12/14/2006 12:24:35 PM
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