UCSC's Ccxnmt.rity Studies Program - SOmci DetcSil - These are difficult times at most Universities, so the idea ofintroducing a new program might not meet with . much enthusiasm. But if the institution owes anything to the surrounding community, and most do, then a Community Studies program would help to pay that debt. Alternatively, such a program could be introduced at a Community College, High School or private institution. . For those who are interested, here is a sample ofCommunity Studies curricular materials from the UCSC people. Pathways Through the Major Philosophy The Community Studies Board, founded in 1969, emphasizes the educational valqe of learning through the experience and study of social change. The overall goal is to create an atmosphere that supports and encourages students to learn through direct application of their educatioffto everyday issues and concen:is. A distinguishing feature of the program is the six-month, full-time field placement in an organization of the· student's choosing, an arrangement facilitated by the Board's Field Studies Coordinator. Siqce 1976, approximately one-third of Community Studies majors have done their field study in other parts of the world, another third elsewhere in California, and the rest in the local Santa Cruz area. Acceptance and the Board To be accepted as majors, students 1) attend an orientation before either Fall or Winter quarters, 2) prepare a draft of their Declaration of Major petition, 3) complete an application and a one-paragraph statement of inte!est, 4) meet ~ith the academic preceptor to cdver general requirements, and 5) participate in a brief interview with both a faculty member and a Community Studies senior. During this interview the draft plan will be reviewed, rewoFked as necessary, and transferred onto the petition. The student signs this and turns it over to the Community Studies Board for final approval. At the board's discretion, students may be directed to another board of study on campus if their needs do not correspond with the orientation and goals of the program. Once accepted as a major, · students may become members of the Board, participating in regular Board meetings and making recommendations about curriculum and related matters. Courses . · Initially, all students in the major take the same courses. Students may then complete major requireme'nts on one of two different pathways: the .Senior Synthesis or the Senior Thesis. The following courses are required for all students in the major, in the following sequence: Theory and.Practice (CMMU 100, 5 units) Preparation for Field Studies (CMMU 102 A/B, 10 units) Independent Field Study (CMMU 198, 30 units) · Analysis of Field Materials . (CMMU 194, 5 ·units) During the final course, students are directed onto the pathways~ 1) Senior Synthesis Students complete a senior essay introducing and synthesizing two or more alre~dy completed papers. These papers may come from any upperdivision UCS{: course, including Analysis of Field Materials, and must ·in some way represent a response to the six-month field study. Students in the synthesis pathway must complete three upper-division electives, two of which must be taken from the Community Studies Board or course requirements for a minor or double Page 50 RAIN Summer 1994 Volume XIV, Number 4 major in another discipline. I 2) Senior Thesis Students take CMMU 195A, Senior Thesis Semiriar (5 units) after completing Analysis of Field Materials. They may take two extra quarters of Senior Thesis if needed. The purpose of Senior Thesis is to reconstruct and analyze the field expe~ence and to communicate, in some substantial way; this experience to others. The format can vary considerably: a literary work, a video or radio documentary, the teaching of a seminar, an extended piece of social analysis, a funding proposal for a community organization, etc. The student is expected to make an oral presentation of the thesis before a group of faculty and community members. Faeilities The Community Studies Board maintains several uniqu~ resources for students. A media laboratory is , available for majors (and others in the social sciences) to learn the use of radio, video, film and graphic media • as research and presentation tools. A field placement coordinator works with each student to develop their part .and full-time field study. 1The Board also maintains a complete collection of its Senior Theses, now numbering over 600; a subject/keyword computer retrieval system makes these materials fully accessible. Lower·Di~ision Courses Social documentation Examines works from various·media recognizel-bly drawn from "real life". Through film, pho~ography, oral history and other disciplines, students develOp critical understanding of social documentation. Students create documentaries in production collectives. Student-Direi:ted Seminar Seminars taught by upper-division or graduate students under faculty supervision.
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