Study in Depth Prospectus
LSTD 3953 711
June 5, 12, 19, 26, 2007
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 2007
5:30-9:30 pm
Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma City
Room 2N3 – Main Building

Professor
Lisa A. Portwood, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Student Advancement, University College
University of Oklahoma
E-mail: laportwood@ou.edu
Phone: 405-447-1707 (home); 405-325-3469 (office)

Course Description
A preparatory course assisting students in searching for quality literature, critiquing literature, identifying and developing research topics, and improving the quality of academic writing. This course is a preparatory direct connection to LSTD 4953 Study In Depth.

Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Conduct literature searches at libraries, online, and from organizational documents.
• Critique literature on quality of the written document and the results contained in the literature.
• Understand how interdisciplinary influences the quality of topics in the liberal studies.
• Write quality in-depth papers focusing on interdisciplinary topics.
• Use proper documentation and referencing in writing in-depth papers similar to the SID.
• Understand the Study In Depth process in preparation for the final SID required in the BLS Liberal Studies Degree Program.

Textbooks

• The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers. 4th Edition by Anson, Schwegler, and Muth. ISBN-10: 0321233034, ISBN-13: 978-0321233035.
• Strunk, W. and White, E.B. (2000). The Elements of Style 4th Ed. New York; Allyn and Bacon. ISBN-10: 020530902X, ISBN-13: 978-0205309023

Pre-Seminar Assignment
Review the textbooks.

Grades
Points will be earned by completing the following:

• Interdisciplinary Essay - 75 points
• Topic Research - 50 points
• Annotated Bibliography - 50 points
• Study in Depth Outline - 50 points
• Academic Integrity Essay and Quiz - 75 points
• Total Points Possible - 300 points

Grading Scale

• A = 300-270 points
• B = 269-240 points
• C = 239-210 points
• D = 209-180 points
• F = 179-0 points

Assignments
Assignment One – Interdisciplinary Essay (75 points)

1. This essay should define the term “interdisciplinary” in an academic context. Then, the essay should discuss the strengths and challenges of an interdisciplinary curriculum. Describe an aspect of your topic from the point of view of

   a) the humanities;
   b) social sciences;
   c) natural sciences.

2. This essay should be a minimum of two to three pages double-spaced and typed using a one and a half inch top margin with the other margins set at one inch. Underline the topic/thesis sentence in the introductory paragraph. When citing references, use either the APA or MLA style as noted by The Longman Handbook.
   
   Assignment Two - Researching your Topic (50 points).
3. Identify a topic.
4. List the disciplines it covers.
5. Find fifteen references that relate to your topic. Make notes so that you can prepare an annotated bibliography later.
6. Write down the references and prepare a list. Use either APA or MLA style.

Assignment Three – Annotated Bibliography (50 points).

1. Write down the reference, using either APA or MLA style.
2. How does this relate to your topic?
3. What information does it provide?
4. From which discipline does this paper approach your topic?
5. Is the paper controversial? Does it contain opinions or information that others disagree with? What are they?
6. Why do you find this paper interesting?
7. Repeat for all fifteen sources.

Assignment Four – Study in Depth Outline (50 points).

1. Familiarize yourself with the Study in Depth Prospectus form.
2. Develop the form for your own prospectus. (sample will be provided)
3. In a separate document, develop a detailed outline of your topic.
4. Identify five places where you need to expand your research in order to be able to write from your outline.

Assignment Five – Academic Integrity Essay and Quiz (75 points)

• This essay should define and expand upon the topic of plagiarism. It should be a minimum of two to three pages words and typed and double-spaced using a one and a half inch top margin with the other margins set at one inch. Underline the topic/thesis sentence in the introductory paragraph. When citing references, use either the APA or MLA style as noted by The Longman Handbook.
• Successfully complete a quiz on plagiarism written from information on the following websites: The Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at the University of Oklahoma http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity/ and Nine Things You Should Know about Plagiarism… http://www.ou.edu/provost/pronew/content/Nine-Things-Plagiarism.pdf The essay will be taken during class quiz.

Attendance and Participation are required and points will be deducted from the final grade for unexcused absences or lack of participation.

Class Format
There will be a variety of classroom techniques used for this course – lecture, discussion, group work, and individual and group presentations.

Completion Policy

The College of Liberal Studies expects students to complete all assignments to earn a grade in a given course.

Incomplete (“I”) Policy

For sufficiently extenuating circumstances a student may receive a grade of “I” and receive an extension to complete. To receive a grade of “I” the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of one-half of the course work, have a legitimate reason for not being able to complete the work during the normal time frame, request from the instructor a desire to receive an Incomplete grade via submitting a request for an “I” and a plan to the instructor about how and when the work will be completed. If the student receives a grade of “I” the instructor will indicate to the student, and to the Office of Academic Records via the official OU grade sheet, what must be done to complete the course and set a time limit appropriate to the circumstances, however, the time allowed may not exceed one calendar year. If the course has an associated Web site and the Web site has changed before the student starts work on the Incomplete, the student will contact the faculty member and the faculty member will develop comparable assignments based on the current Web site. If books have changed in the course, the faculty member should be willing to develop assignments based on the books that the student has so the student will not have to buy new books. If by the end of the year, no change in grade has been submitted, the grade of “I” will become permanent on the student’s record. If the student wants to re-enroll in the course they may, and they will need to pay full tuition and fees for the enrollment. History tells us that the longer an Incomplete goes unfinished the less likely it will ever be completed at all. The College recommends that the student remedy their incomplete grade before the start of the next semester.

If you have submitted no work, or less than half of the course assignments, you should not expect to receive a grade of “I” You will receive either an “AW” or a failing grade. Students will make arrangements with the instructor to complete coursework. Work submitted within four weeks of the final course date will be accepted without negative consequences to the grade; work submitted to remove the “I” after four weeks will have consequences to be determined by the professor. Grades of “I” must be completed within one academic year.

The University of Oklahoma Student Academic Integrity
http://www.ou.edu/provost/pronew/content/integritymenu.html

1.1 BASIC PRINCIPLE OF HONESTY

Honesty is a fundamental precept in all academic activities, and those privileged to be members of a university community have a special obligation to observe the highest standards of honesty and a right to expect the same standards of all others. Academic misconduct in any form is inimical to the purposes and functions of the university and therefore is unacceptable and rigorously proscribed.

1.2 DEFINITIONS

1.2.1 Academic Misconduct. Any act that improperly affects the evaluation of a student's academic performance or achievement. The following terms illustrate but do not delimit or define academic misconduct.

1. Cheating: the use of unauthorized materials, methods, or information in any academic exercise, including improper collaboration;
2. Plagiarism: the representation of the words or ideas of another as one's own, including:
   1. direct quotation without both attribution and indication that material is being directly quoted, e.g. quotation marks;
   2. paraphrase without attribution;
   3. paraphrase with or without attribution where the wording of the original remains substantially intact and is represented as the author's own;
   4. expression in one's own words, but without attribution, of ideas, arguments, lines of reasoning, facts, processes, or other products of the intellect where such material is learned from the work of another and is not part of the general fund of common academic knowledge;
3. Fabrication: the falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise;
4. Fraud: the falsification, forgery, or misrepresentation of academic work, including the resubmission of work performed for one class for credit in another class without the informed permission of the second instructor; or the falsification, forgery or misrepresentations of other academic records or documents, including admissions materials and transcripts; or the communication of false or misleading statements to obtain academic advantage or to avoid academic penalty;
5. Destruction, misappropriation or unauthorized possession of university property or property of another;
6. Bribery or intimidation;
7. Assisting others in any act proscribed by this code; or
8. Attempting to engage in such acts.

Accommodation for Special Needs

The College of Liberal Studies is committed to making its activities as accessible as possible. The college and the university provide a range of special services for those with disabilities. Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent her or him from fully demonstrating her or his abilities should contact Frank Rodriquez , Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs, as soon as possible to discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and to facilitate this educational opportunity.

Liberal Studies General Policy

Liberal Studies’ policy is to order books in paperback, if available. Courses, dates and instructors are subject to change. Please check with the office. Students should retain a copy of any assignments that are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the instructor or the office for the course. The Disability Resource Center can also be found online at http://drc.ou.edu/.

Copyright Statement

Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on this Web site are copyright by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents. Visit OU Public Affairs for more information and for the complete Terms of Use.

About the Instructor
Dr. Lisa Portwood is a twenty-eight year staff member of the University of Oklahoma where she works at the University College Center for Student Advancement with at risk students. She has taught for many years freshman level courses to help them transition to college. She has also taught upper division courses for the College of Liberal Studies and graduate courses for the Department of Human Relations for at least ten years. Her areas of teaching include: leadership in organizations, current problems in human relations, quality initiatives, research and composition for the study in depth. It has been her honor to serve as the adviser for many successful Study in Depth projects.