Below are the questions exactly as you will see them in the Flag Proposal System when you propose your course for a Global Cultures flag. Your responses to these questions should allow the faculty flag committee to make an informed decision regarding your proposal.
Question 1
To satisfy the Global Cultures flag, at least one-third of course grade must be based on content dealing with non-U.S communities, countries, or coherent regional groupings of countries, past or present. Please name which non-U.S. communities will be studied in this course, and how one-third of the course grade is based on study of the group(s).
Responses should clearly identify the non-U.S. cultural group(s) studied in the course, and how graded content about the group(s) makes up at least one-third of the course grade (for a three-credit course; 50% for a two-credit course; 100% for a one-credit course). It is helpful for the flag faculty committee to see how grading breaks down for your course, and which graded components are based on the study of the cultural group(s).
A faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts wrote: This course focuses on the Greek-speaking world in the Archaic Period (ca. 700- 480 BCE), including mainland Greece, the Aegean islands north coasts of Turkey, and the Greek colonies in southern Italy, southern France, eastern Spain, northern Libya, northern Egypt, eastern Bulgaria, eastern Romania, southern Ukraine, southern Russia, and western Georgia. All assignments in this course are based on content relating to this cultural group, including discussions (20%), writing assignments (40%), essay exams (30%), and a digital project (10%).
Question 2
The Global Cultures flag requires that an in-depth examination of the broader cultural context and perspectives of these non-U.S. communities. In order to highlight experiences of members of the non-U.S. cultural groups being studied, courses carrying the Global Cultures Flag should, whenever possible, include texts (broadly construed) created by members of those cultural groups and give substantial consideration to diverse cultural perspectives within those groups. Please describe readings, assignments, and activities that allow students to engage in depth with these non-U.S. communities, and note which assignments give students the opportunity to engage with texts created by members of these groups.
Please describe how students will learn about the cultural context and perspectives of at least one non-U.S. cultural group. What readings, assignments, essays, or projects help students learn about these cultural groups?
From a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts: Students in this course will work with cultural content in four main ways: 1) They will read a variety of texts (described above) and will watch authentic videos (commercials, propaganda, etc.) from different parts of Brazil. 2) They will watch videotaped interviews (from ClicaBrasil) with native speakers from different parts of the country in order to be exposed to different perspectives relating to the course topics and also to become familiar with a range of regional varieties of Portuguese. 3) They will keep a cultural journal throughout the semester, in which they will react to course readings and audio-visual material, reflecting upon the similarities and/or differences between their own culture(s) and those described in the texts. 4) In addition to the cultural content which is easily recognizable as such, the POR611S curriculum also emphasizes “linguistic culture” (pragmatic and sociolinguistic issues) via the website activities and class discussions. This component of language competence, which goes beyond the grammar & vocabulary typically covered in language courses, helps to set our program apart.
Question 3
The Global Cultures flag indicates that a course will challenge students to explore the beliefs and practices of non-U.S. cultural communities in relation to their own cultural experiences so that they engage in an active process of self-reflection and self-awareness. Please describe some assignments or activities that give students an opportunity for this kind of reflection.
Use this space to describe how students will critically reflect on their respective cultural experiences and how those cultural experiences inform their worldview, and how they will recognize different perspectives and worldviews from non-U.S. cultural groups. Specific examples from assignments are strongly encouraged. What assignments or activities will encourage students to reflect on the course material as it relates to their own lives?
From the School of Business: This course focuses on the role of culture in corporate management. In-class exercises use games, role play, and case analysis to illustrate the role of cultur in business communication, structures, and systems. A self-assessment exercise helps students create personal cultural profiles and explore their own cultural biases. Homework assignments include research on national cultures, and a workbook helps them identify features in intercultural communications.
Supporting Documents
You may attach up to three supporting documents, such as a syllabus or sample assignment. Submission of supporting documents is not required, but is strongly encouraged to expedite the approval process.
(Allowed file formats: doc, docx, ppt, pptx, txt, pdf, xls, xlsx)