Syllabus (Fall 2005)
LBST 2102-072: Global Connections—History
Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:50 a.m.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
History Dept. Webpage: www.history.uncc.edu

Instructor:
Dr. Peter Thorsheim
Office: 136 Garinger; tel. 687-4874
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2, and by appointment
E-mail: pthorshe@uncc.edu

Graduate Teaching Assistants:
Mr. Julian Dodson
Office: 101 Garinger; tel. 687-6052
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11-12
E-mail: julss2112@yahoo.com

Ms. Amanda McGuire
106 Garinger; tel. 687-4638
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-1
E-mail: aemcguire0917@bellsouth.net

Prague, October 1989

Overview

During the past hundred years the world has changed at a rate unprecedented in history. In many ways, these changes have brought progress: new discoveries in science and technology, advances in civil rights, higher standards of living in many countries, and national independence for many former colonies. On the other hand, these changes have brought tragedy: entrenched poverty, deadly epidemics, two world wars and hundreds of smaller ones, numerous cases of genocide, environmental disruption, and the threat of nuclear annihilation. This course examines major developments in the world during the past century with the aim of helping you acquire skills and knowledge that will help you to understand more clearly how issues and events here and now connect to those in other times and places.

For students who entered UNCC prior to Fall 2003, this course fulfills goal X under the old General Education program. For all other students, Global Understanding is one of four required courses in Themes of Liberal Education for Private and Public Life.

If you have special needs that need accommodation, it is your responsibility to discuss them with the instructor at the start of the semester. Your class attendance is essential to your success in this course. If you arrive late or leave early without prior permission, you will be considered absent.

Students with more than 5 unexcused absences will automatically fail this course.

Graded Work

Scale: A = 90 to 100%; B = 80 to 89%; C = 70 to 79%; D = 60 to 69%; F = 0 to 59%.

Professionalism (10%). I expect you to take this course seriously, come to class on time and prepared, treat others with respect, and put forth your best effort. If you have a cell phone or pager, keep it turned off during class. If you have special needs that need accommodation, it is your responsibility to discuss them with the instructor as soon as possible.

Short-Essay Quizzes (15%). These will be unannounced and may not be made up. They are designed to gauge your understanding of the assigned reading and to practice the skills you will need for the exams. Each will cover the reading since the previous quiz, and you may not look at your notes or books during the quizzes. Everyone will receive one bonus credit equivalent to one missed quiz.

3-4 Page Paper (15%). This assignment will be distributed on Oct. 18 and will be due at the start of class on Nov. 15. Late papers will be penalized. You are responsible for understanding and following the UNCC Code of Student Academic Integrity: http://www.uncc.edu/policystate/ps-105.html. Plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in an F in this course and possible additional penalties.

Three Exams (20% each). Exams are designed to test your mastery of both the assigned readings and material covered in class. Exams will be closed book, multiple option, and must be written in blue books (available for purchase in the bookstore). They will consist of relatively short-answer identification questions that ask you to identify a term, event, or person and explain its historical significance, as well as longer essay questions in which you use historical evidence to support a thesis. If you must miss a scheduled exam, contact me in advance to arrange a make-up time. In the unlikely event that you miss an exam because of a last-minute emergency, you must contact me the same day that the exam is given and provide acceptable documentation. Failure to do this will result in a grade of 0 for the exam.

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus, with due notification.

Required Readings (Available at Gray’s and the UNCC Bookstores; also on 1-hour reserve in Atkins Library)

Modris Eksteins, Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age (Mariner Books, 2000).

Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner (Riverhead Books, 2003).

Michael T. Klare, Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum (Metropolitan Books, 2004).

Heda Margolius Kovály, Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague, 1941-1968, rev. ed. (Holmes & Meier, 1997).

Additional readings (including those indicated as TBA) will be handed out or placed on reserve in the library.