Writing in the Real World: Best Practices of Journalism with Susan Rosegrant.

This intensive writing course is designed to give students a solid grounding in the tools and principles of journalism. Students will complete a variety of reporting assignments, ranging from short news pieces to in-depth articles to opinion pieces. Throughout, the emphasis will be on research- and interview-based writing that adheres to the journalistic principles of brevity, clarity, and objectivity. The course will also examine ethical issues, including the responsibilities inherent in being a rigorous reporter and writer.

Political Struggles in Mexico: Seminar and Field Study with Ian Robinson. Neoliberal transformations and popular responses to the same, including a field study in Chiapas or Oaxaca.

History of Computers and the Internet with Paul Edwards. Development, use, and impact of computers from the ancient world to the present.

3D Studio Course Exploring the Art of Burning Man with Jason Wright.

Students will learn accessible methods of forming materials through a series of projects, culminating in the design and material development of a work of public art that responds to the principles and challenges of the annual arts festival known as Burning Man. This class will explore the following concepts and challenges: building sustainable communities, radical free expression, self-reliance, art as a public and non-commercial activity, and the concept of a gift economy.

Found Instruments-Building, Design and Performance with Mike Gould.

Found instruments are everyday objects that are utilized or repurposed as musical instruments. This class identifies not only these everyday objects with which to perform and reconstruct, but also seeks hybrid instruments that combine found objects with instruments of old. The semester will commence with an overview of instrument categories, tunings, and some of the guiding physics behind instruments. This includes important composers and artists from the early 20th century to current artists and emerging technologies (such as using the iPhone as an instrument). The class goes as a group (and individually) to seek materials for designing and building instruments. The class also covers the basics of musicianship, composition, form, improvisation and playing as an ensemble.

Quantitatively Speaking with David Burkam

We begin with a discussion of what is typically meant by “quantitative reasoning,” and then focus on how such reasoning is implemented (sometimes appropriately, sometimes not). One of the main goals of the course is to learn “basic survival skills” for today’s number-intensive world. Using Best’s Damned Lies and Statistics and Huff’s How To Lie With Statistics, we learn how to critique conclusions drawn from a survey, a graph, or a table of numbers. We explore how statistics can reveal underlying linguistic patterns in prose and poetry, explore some of the vast research literature on gender and race differences (including gender differences in attitudes toward love), and read books like Gould’s The Mismeasure of Man and Levitt & Dubner’s Freakonomics.

Pills, Politics and the Public Good and Research Seminar on Ethics, Politics, and the Pharmaceutical Industry with Hank Greenspan

Major topics include: A perceived “ethics problem” within the pharmaceutical industry, critiques of industry’s relationship with the FDA, post-Vioxx concerns about drug safety, statutes shielding drug companies from civil liability (lawsuits), direct-to consumer advertising, direct-to-physician advertising (e.g., “drug reps,” etc.), industry-funded research and medical journals, the role of consumer and patient advocacy as responses to perceived problems.

Food, Land, and Society with Catherine Badgley

The course is an introduction to the modern food system at a time when many of its major trends are in flux. Course topics include the ecology of agricultural ecosystems, the cultural and environmental history of food production, and the current ecological and economic crises in agriculture, especially as they affect native species and ecosystems, climate change, rural communities, and the interconnections between food and agriculture in rich countries and rural livelihoods in the global south. The course integrates scientific, economic, and historical dimensions of modern food production, consumption, and food policies.

/Cathy Fisher

It’s bad right now, for many reasons.

One is that since everything is in  the left column and not well delineated,  you get a nasty mess of links once you’re a couple levels down in the site. And that nasty mess exists on every page — it’s not pulled from a template.

But what really irks me are the large categories. I wasn’t a part of the initial design process, but it looks like some misguided notion of personas was pushed. But this isn’t a strict B2B site or intranet where all users have well-defined roles. Prospective students want to know what classes the RC offers and what groups exist, as do alumni, staff, and friends; but that information is, illogically, all under “current students”. And “about the rc” is found under “prospective students”. Arg.

I’m not in a position to completely rewrite those categories yet, but a stab in the right direction would probably look very traditional:

• about
• academics
• rc life (players, benz, )
• rc community (gallery, PALMA, SLIP, urban org)
• alumni
• calendar / news

But with cleverer nouns.

Even that raises problems; where does EQMC go, or internship listings?

Where to put the top-level navigation is even trickier. In the end, it’ll go up horizontally at the top. That seems inevitable. But then  we’ll have another Cornell / UChicago / Community High. Boring! (but usable?)
Don’t get me started on the file structure — it’s flat, and everything’s in one folder. That’s actually a good thing, as we get ready to move to a platform that supports a large amount of open source software — there’ll be less fiddling to do. At the same time, it means that (with some grunt work) we can reorganize the navigation — without worrying about moving files into different folders, which would break links and cause a whole different set of problems.

So, create a communal space where several travelers and their hosts can stay for a sensible amount of time. Offer beds, tables, chairs, and warmth. Encourage the socialization, not isolation.

Lend the guests restricted access cards, so they can use the bathrooms or enter the building. Provide reduced-cost meals for visiting and prospective students — more than the deficient three per semester currently offered in the standard meal plan. Create a set of reasonable guest rules, and enforce them well.

See also: Why upperclassmen do not return to the dorms (21 Dec. 2007)

The calendar is not finalized yet. Meetings are tentatively scheduled on alternating Mondays from 6-8pm, starting 14 January. Contact me (hampelm@umich.edu) or Patrick Cooper-McCann (pcooperm@umich.edu) for more information.

Topics we hope to cover:

-crime & the criminal justice system
-new urbanism
-Detroit Public Schools
-Latin@ community
-emerging industries
-Detroit history refresher
-compare & contrast with other cities (Boston, etc)
-technologies for non-profit use
-transportation issues
-history of major buildings

Events we hope to hold:
-attend Brightmoor Alliance meeting
-Urban gardening tour
-RC awareness event (discussion, movie, round table…?)
-Semester in Detroit field trips
-3 or 4 field trips to visit community organizations & do volunteer work

We will also help students find any relevant volunteer opportunities in Detroit, Ypsi or A2 area.

At the end of year 1, nearly everyone who doesn’t become a Resident Adviser moves out. University of Michigan Housing wonders why — and wants to encourage students to stay.

Well, here’s why we’re leaving:

• The building feels like a hotel. Like an Econolodge, I have to insert my card and type a PIN number into my door, which then automatically locks after five seconds. Unlike an Econolodge, I pay $9,770 a year, not including laundry and other extras. And a “year” isn’t 12 months — it’s eight.
• No or inconvenient common spaces. Some residence halls have tiny, locked rooms. Others have big, empty rooms that require the keycard and a four-digit PIN number. Neither have entertainment systems of any kind.
• Rooms and common spaces do not have wireless internet, so we can’t go work with our friends. Only the Halfass (the cafe, downstairs) and the Benzinger library has wireless — the first is always filled with loud, the second generally so quiet you can’t work well with others. Not even the computer lab has wireless.
• The RC recently held its 40th anniversary, and hundreds of alumni returned. Housing administration refused to unlock the doors, citing “security reasons” (see the next point). The RC ended up hiring a private guard for the entire weekend.
• Building security is a joke. We have to swipe cards to get into the building, the library, the computer lab, and “our” rooms. But one door to the building was unlocked for over a month, allowing anyone free access. Repeated requests for maintenance were ignored. And if someone is waiting at any door, any student will let them in. It’s common courtesy — a facet of civilization that Housing Security wants us to refuse. (The four-digit PIN we need to key into our rooms is not actually secure. It is stored on the card — so if you have someone’s card, you have their PIN.)
• Having Housing Security patrol your “home” is alienating — especially when it’s a different armed officer every night. The officer never attempts to introduce him or herself, either. And how could they, when over 900 people live in the same building?
• No public kitchen space. Cooking is a bonding activity, entertaining, and a learning experience. But Housing purposefully removed the community kitchens from East Quad.
• Students who work in the Cafeteria are not allowed to cook. Actually, they are, if putting frozen vegetables in the steamer counts as cooking.
• The Halfass (our student-run burger joint) once had a unique, alternative menu. Now it has been standardized to have the same institutional fare as the other dorms.
• You can’t take your food from the cafeteria outside to eat. It used to be possible. I tried — even offered to give my MCard as collateral. No go.
• No running water in rooms. Some rooms have sinks left — but when they break, Housing removes them, instead of fixing them.
• Housing staff would rather deny than allow, and administration fights with the programs it is intended to serve. Desk staff and building administrators are generally kind, caring, and compassionate. But the next level up — Housing administration — defaults to denying any request.
• Bathrooms are locked 24-7 (the access card and 4-digit pin are needed to enter). What home has locked bathrooms?
• The facilities reflect their military origins (East Quad, for example, was once a military dormitory). Stall toilets, stall showers.
• All areas are poorly lit. The bathrooms especially — and you can see the patch holes in the wall were lights once existed.
• Prohibited items, a partial list: (how many of these do you have in your home?)
  • wireless networks and wireless network hardware
  • routers
  • hardware firewall
  • candles, incense, oil lamps—lit or unlit
  • coffeemakers without an automatic shutoff
  • halogen lamps or bulbs (all types, including clip-on, torchiere and desk styles)
  • hot plates or any cooking appliance with exposed elements
  • natural, cut trees, branches and/or greens (such as holiday trees, wreaths and garlands)
  • pets, except some fish
  • space heaters
  • toaster ovens
  • toasters
• Residents are not involved in any real administrative functions. The student “government” only hosts parties. Real involvement would mean a seat — and a vote — on the Housing board.
• We are told to “eat healthy” — but the standard meal plan doesn’t even include a simple breakfast.
• Residents used to be able to paint their rooms, creating memories and a connection to the space. No longer. (other colleges allow this, provided that the student either finds someone to accept the room next year, repaints the room themselves, or pays for the repaint)

Many of the complaints I have are against policies that are quite reasonable for a massive, profitable hotel operation. They are not, however, the values of a home. And that’s where the fundamental difference between Housing and the Real World of Living exists.

(historical photos: Kitchen space: John Knox, used under a Creative Commons license; Old Halfass menu: my photo)

RC Forums Credit for Winter 2008
Definitions:
Meetings:
Meetings are held on weekly basis and are to be used for planning events,
discussion and education about the forum topic, and community building among the
forum members. Meetings and events are not interchangeable, i.e. an event that
takes place during a meeting time will not be considered a meeting, an extra meeting will not be considered an event.
Events:
Events are gatherings of forum members outside of the regular meetings. Examples
of events: discussions (i.e. book/article/film discussions), guest speakers,
sales/fundraisers, field trips, film screenings, community work, retreats/team
building, or any other event which engages people outside of the forum.

Member Requirements:
•    Members must attend at least:
o    8 weekly meetings
o    2 events
o    1 forum gathering
Note: these requirements only apply to members who elect credit.

Leader Requirements:
•    Leaders must fill all regular member requirements.
•    Leaders must ensure that their forum holds at least:
o    11 weekly meetings
o    4 events
•    Leaders must take attendance at all meetings and events, or have a proxy do so. Leaders must update this attendance on Ctools so that all Fellows can access it.
•    Leaders must attend monthly meetings with the Fellows, as well as accomplish any tasks assigned at those meetings.
•    Leaders must post a short description of each event on Ctools so that the Forum Fellows can approve the events. Leaders will only be notified if their event is not approved for credit purposes, otherwise it will be understood that it counts as an event.
•    Leaders must represent their forum at recruitment and fundraising events or have a proxy do so.
These requirements apply to all Leaders whether or not credit is elected. It is recommended that each forum have 2 Leaders to share these responsibilities.

More on requirements:
Members who receive credit are expected to help the Forum Leaders in the following
ways: running meetings, planning events, taking attendance, acting as a proxy, etc. Leaders are not expected to do these things on their own. Leaders may also seek assistance from members in filling their requirements if necessary. Each Forum will have at most 10 members (excluding Leaders) who receive credit. Whether or not credit is awarded will be decided by the Forum Fellows based on attendance taken by the Forum
Leaders. All other members (including faculty, alumni and staff) may participate as much or as little as they please.

Credit/Leaders Timeline:
December 7th: Mass meeting
January 11th: Deadline for Leader decisions
January 20th: Deadline for electing credit for RC Forums
January 23rd: Drop/Add Deadline
February 15th: Deadline for leadership changes.

By January 11th each forum must have made a decision as to whom their leaders are. If a leader must step down for some reason, another leader must be chosen to replace them. The Forum Fellows are to be notified immediately. Leadership changes are not recommended and will be not accepted after February 15th.

If a member elects credit he/she will receive an override and then must register for RCCORE 309 on Wolverine Access. It should be kept in mind that January 23rd is the Drop/Add deadline. After this date, if he/she decides to drop the Forums, he/she will receive a withdrawal. For each person who elects credit, the Forum Fellows will decide at the end of the semester whether he/she receives Credit or No Credit, based on attendance kept by the Forum Leaders. Before a decision of No Credit is given, a meeting will be arranged with the member, their Forum Leader, and the Forum Fellows to make sure the member has not met requirements.

On the syllabus for this semester, number three at the University of Michigan’s Residential College, I have 6 classes: an introduction to Near Eastern religions, a survey of the concept of race from a biological view, a course on political economy, a small conversational German course, an undergraduate research project, and a program on symbolic and literary logic.

An economist on a train from CHI to ARB some time ago told me that the most valuable class he took at the RC was Carl Cohen’s Logic in Language. I’m liking it quite a lot. We alternate philosophy (Plato, Descartes, Hume, and Mill) with symbolic logic. Logic in Language was once a part of the RC’s core curriculum before the students voted out the Core system. Now, only the course guide designator, RCCORE 100, survives.

In the earlier days of the RC, around the late 70s and early 80s, the college had funding to do a number of focused research projects in the social sciences. A small group of students would elect to take a 12-credit course with one professor. These reports, ranging from “Women, hard drugs and natural highs” to “Conflict and Power on the Campus: Studies in the Political Economy of the University of Michigan” still exist, filed in the Bentley Historical Library’s Residential College collection. One, “A History of Jackson Prison,” became a part of Charlie Bright’s The Powers that Punish. A professor’s normal teaching load is perhaps 6 contact hours per semester, making these projects were prohibitively expensive, so once the federal funding dried up, the courses stopped.

Today we have the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, UROP. The project I joined involves integrating a county-level wiki with a service-level database; the details are as yet unclear.

This summer, I was able to spend two months taking intensive German courses at the Goethe-Institut in München (photos: on flickr). My written grammar still needs work, but I feel very confident about my speaking abilities. To stay somewhat in practice, I am enrolled in a conversation course in the German Department. Unfortunately, an hour a week is too little to realistically stay current.

I’m also in Political Economy, RCSSCI 220, with Frank Thompson. We cover micro and macroeconomics in a quick but thorough fashion, including some externalities (fairness, justice) that Econ 101 doesn’t notice. Mathematics is not a feature — that part “can be covered well with a fair amount of hand waving,” and it is.

Two other classes are also on my schedule: Race and its relationship to human evolution is a useful system to understand, and AnthroBio 360 does a good job of covering the basics. This is one of those large non-RC powerpoint-based classes; I have the urge to send the professor my copy of “The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint“.

Near Eastern Religions, with E. Ginsburg, S. Jackson, and R. Williams, is an excellent introduction to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Just past us is the 40th anniversary of the Residential College at the University of Michigan. Many excellent photos have been collected in the Flickr pool. In the near future are plans for a centralized alumni network and an increased level of interaction; I hope the the momentum from the event continues.

I continue to gravitate towards collaborative and organizational technologies, partly because that’s what I’ve always done, and partly because they still are incredibly interesting to me.

Development of ArborWiki, the civic wiki for Ann Arbor continues apace, which means generally ad hoc. The Ann Arbor District Library graciously hosts our project on a new development server. It’s my hope that we reach a greater level of integration, with librarians (my old colleagues) and local historians officially joining as contributors.

Also on the wishlist is a real mapping system, one that allows for points, paths, and polygons to be attached to maps geocoded pages. This interface will take some work — the technology is out there, but no-one seems to have spent the time making it usable.

Even more limited peripheral participation for this semester involves a great interest in: the RC’s book forum and its plans to make the Benzinger Library a true student institution; a program run by a Neutral Zone alumna in Ypsilanti, and other projects around campus.

ECON 408 – Philosophy and Economics

POLSCI 301 – Development of Political Thought: To Modern Period
POLSCI 302 – Development of Political Thought: Modern and Recent
POLSCI 306 – American Political Thought
POLSCI 343 – Political Economy of Developed Democracies
POLSCI 348 – Political Economy of Development
POLSCI 400 – Topics in Political Theory
POLSCI 401 – Feminist Political Theory
POLSCI 403 – Greek Political Theory
POLSCI 407 – Marxism and 20th Century Radicalism
POLSCI 409 – Twentieth Century Political Thought

RCSSCI 301 – Social Science Theory I
RCSSCI 302 – Contemporary Social and Cultural Theory

PHIL 355 – Contemporary Moral Problems
PHIL 359 – Law and Philosophy
PHIL 361 – Ethics
PHIL 366 – Introduction to Political Philosophy
PHIL 385 – European Social Thought from Hegel to Foucault
PHIL 408 – Philosophy and Economics
PHIL 429 – Ethical Analysis
PHIL 442 – Topics in Political Philosophy
PHIL 445 – Philosophy of Law

Annotated books section. Write in the margins. Pass notes in the back. Extrapolate. Vandalize.� Interpret.

Foreign newspaper collection: Die Zeit, Suddeutsche Zeitung, People’s Daily, Le Monde

A whiteboard