I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

An Update from the

Core Implementation

Committee

CBL Course in Focus:

The Duty of Civil Diso-

bedience

Synchronous Sessions:

They are not just for

online course work

Partnerships with Area

High Schools on the

Rise

A Letter From The

Office for Mission

Richard Rothstein Speaks in Founders Hall

The La Salle/Saxbys Co-

op Program

SAIL with DLSI

The English Language

Institute (ELI)

City as Classroom

Recommended

Reading

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

ARC Academic Resources Collaborative

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

The Core Implementation Committee is pleased to report that we are mak-ing steady progress toward full implementation of the University’s new core curriculum, which highlights student mastery of La Salle’s Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). Our major focus at this time is reviewing the many level-one core course pro-posals that faculty members have submitted to us from a wide variety of areas across the University. In mid-November, we will begin posting the first round of approved courses to the portal, and we will update that list regularly moving forward. Although the official deadline for proposing courses for next fall semester is Monday, December 4, we encourage departments and programs to submit courses as soon as possible. Ear-ly submission will allow time for requests for additional information or revisions to be made and acted upon, if necessary. The link to the submission form may be found by navigating to the “Faculty and Staff” tab of the portal and visiting the “From the Prov-ost” section. It may also be reached directly via the following link: https://lasalle.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZIGzUPkdKHi8wl Thank you in advance for your participation in this process.

An Update from the Core Implementation Committee

Janet Fierson, Ph.D. Mathematics Jennifer Kleinow, Ph.D., Communication Sciences and Disorders Co-Chairs, Core Implementation Committee

The Fall 2017 Community-Based Learning Fellows have been hard at work, developing new CBL courses that are designed to address the Lasallian commitment of Active Responsibility in our new core curriculum. These courses will engage stu-dents with our larger community, exploring ques-tions such as: What are my responsibilities in an interconnected world? What is the common good and how does the common good relate to justice? What are the most ethical and re-sponsible ways to collaborate with communities? Each issue of the 2017-18 ARC news-letter will highlight one of these new and innovative courses. This month, we feature Dr. Jack Downey’s (Religion Department) new course on civil disobedience. (Cont..)

Heather McGee, Ph.D. Community-Based Learning

Community-Based Learning Course in Focus:

The Duty of Civil Disobedience

La Salle’s Religion Department will begin offering a new course, entitled The Duty of Civil Disobedience?, star-ing in the Fall 2018 semester. This course will examine justice organizing and civil disobedience as the pro-phetic underside of normative American civil religion. The title of the course takes Henry David Thoreau’s “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” as an initial point of departure. However, I intend to expand the scope of the course beyond Thoreau’s own non-participation (tax resistance) to consider varieties of civil disobedience. This course will treat civil disobedience as performative acts of individual and collective sovereignty that devi-ate from hegemonic social norms, and may transgress legal boundaries. We will examine the role of con-science in inspiring and shaping civil disobedience – analogous to ad bellum and in bello just war theory con-siderations. Part of what this course hopes to accomplish is to give students an appreciation for the diversity – tactical, philosophical, etc. – within what get lumped together as “civil disobedience.” In some instances, the act of noncompliance with state violence is its own goal; in others, direct action is strategically deployed in the context of a much larger campaign with many different tentacles. Throughout the semester, we will be examining these theoretical questions through the lens of historical exemplars, and with an eye towards con-temporary applications. This course will run with a “Community-Based Learning” (CBL) designation, meaning that a large portion of the semester will be devoted towards student participation in local community activism. We will partner with local activist communities who are dedicated to social transformation, and students will dedicate twenty hours to “activist internships” with select partners – as with all CBL course preparation, it will be critical to build these relationships with care, so that the students are actually helping the communities they are intern-ing with, rather than just sapping their time and energy. Some prospective local organizations that I will pre-pare students to work with are EDGE Philly, Philly Thrive, Rising Tide, Earth Quaker Action Team, Training for Change, the Philadelphia Student Union, New Sanctuary Movement, and Greenpeace. These are all organiza-tions that I have pre-existing relationships with, so they will be my primary starting point for recruiting part-ners. Additionally, we will conduct off-campus visits to grassroots/frontline communities to learn about their cam-paigns. This will include trips to Lancaster County, PA, where the Catholic community of women religious, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, are collaborating with Mennonite, Amish, and other activists to combat the proposed Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline, coupled with meetings with local activists in South Philadelphia who live in close proximity to natural gas refineries, and have been combatting local environmental degrada-tion and related health problems. Assessment of student progress will come through regular reflection papers on the CBL internships, as well as community partner reports – these will be coupled with in-class discussions and a final research presentation. One of the major points of reflection that we will be looking at carefully is how each student comes to under-stand their positions relative to movement building, and to think critically about the application of civil diso-bedience for the cause of justice.

The Duty of Civil Disobedience? Jack Downey, Ph.D., Religion Department

Do you need to meet your teacher, but your schedules do not match? Do you need to get a better under-standing of the core concepts? Do you need to work with your team on the group project and have lim-ited time to meet? What options do you have to solve these problems?

Have you considered using a tool for synchronous communi-cation, Go to Meeting (GTM)? This tool is available to all members of the community and it provides a virtual forum for meeting. GTM allows you to connect regardless of your location as long as you have internet access. You are able to not only provide a communication tool, but provide an oppor-tunity to view participant’s screens and collaboratively work on projects. Sessions are recorded and you can review them later to catch the short details that you missed. So how does this tool assist in learning? GTM provides the ability for teachers to meet with students and help outside normal office and/or business hours. A concept often re-quires a short individual explanation, that will allow specific questions, demonstrations and explanations. Often the time

needed for these short meetings is not available, because of other activities and commitments for both parties. GTM provides an additional tool to help with those scheduling issues. While GTM is not the only solution for out-of-class meetings, it also provides an opportunity for additional coaching regarding other learning activities. How can you effectively use electronic databases? How do I approach writing the research paper? How do I decrease stress during exam time? What can I do to lead the student organization? These are equally critical questions for students. GTM provides a medium for students to participate in these workshops AND reference a stored recording of the sessions. For students in the online environment, GTM becomes the universal classroom and virtual La Salle Com-munity. While students are not always seeing each other (as they do in a traditional setting), students develop relationships with each other, instructors, advisors and program directors. The community is very real and the class has a very specific personality. The non-verbal language of the traditional classroom is expressed via short comments and chats with one another. We see a lot of emojis. And the community develops excellent friendships, which continue as alums. So, consider using a non-traditional tool, like GTM, to extend your learning between your fellow students, faculty and administrators. Investigate how this tool can help with additional support for everyone in the community. And remember, with this tool, we are never closed for weather issues. Sorry folks, no snow days. Remember as Explorers, we are never lost (regardless of where we are).

Synchronous Sessions:

They are not just for online course work

Peg McCoey, M.S. Assistant Professor & CIS/ITL Graduate Director

Over the past year, the Provost’s office has worked in conjunction with Enrollment to increase opportunities to partner with local high schools, and host qualified high school students on campus for college courses.

The Diocesan Scholars, which is our most longstanding dual-credit partnership, continues to be our largest program. Every year, 25-30 highly qualified students enrolled in Diocesan high schools each take two courses per semester, on campus.

Additionally, a new pilot program – the Community Scholars – in partnership with the Philadelphia School District will roll out this coming Spring. This partnership, funded by the District, means that every semester, at least 15 new students from District schools will have the opportunity to enroll in a college course on campus.

We’re also in the process of converting what used to be an exclusive relationship with Central High School (in which they send us 4 students per semester) into a larger program called the Transformation Scholars. Beginning in the Fall of 2018, the Transformation Scholar program will have room for 20 students to take one course each per semester, for a year, for free. Entry to the program will be competitive, city-wide, and allow us to form partnerships with a variety of new high schools. Ten of the seats in this program will be reserved for first-generation college students, and qualifying Pell-eligible students will be eligible to have their book and transportation costs covered.

Finally, there are also a few college-credit only programs in the works: this summer, La Salle is partnering with La Salle Col-lege High School to offer our first high school travel-study to China. Additionally, we’ll offer a summer session of three courses, exclusively available high schoolers, on campus.

All high school students must apply for these programs, meet our minimum qualifications of being junior or senior students with G.P.A.’s of at least 3.5. All high school students are enrolled in 100-level courses, and receive academic advising.

Partnerships with Area High Schools on the Rise

Liz Langemak, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English Coordinator of Academic Partnerships Director of Graduate Studies, English

Dear Colleagues, After the 45th General Chapter of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the Brother Superior and General Council developed themes through the year 2021 in the spirit of the Chapter. Each yearly theme supports the overall theme of “Living Together Our Joyful Mission.” Short in length, each reflection provides information and insight on social concerns that are important to the global Lasallian educational mis-sion. Awareness of these rich themes provide an opportunity for curriculum and co-curriculum integration. Lasallian Reflection 2 for the current liturgical year (2016-2017) is “One Call, Many Voices.” I invite you to read the reflec-tion here. Lasallian Reflection 3 is the third in the series of reflections that expand on the respective Lasallian liturgical year theme. The theme “Lasallians Without Limits” will begin December 3 with the start of Advent and the 2017-2018 liturgical year. The reflection focuses on the creation of sustainable communities and the radical changes in demographics and the environment. The reflection is divided into four sections titled: radical changes in demographics and the environment, citizens of the world and beyond its borders, going to new borders requires discernment, and a look at the present and the future. It encourages Lasallians to respond to these issues and offers questions for personal and community reflection. Here, I invite you to read the reflection here. In an earlier message, I shared with you news about Lasallian Reflection 1 (2016-2016) focused on the theme "A Gospel Adventure: Confronting new poverties and the culture of commodifcation." This reflection is found here. For those faculty and staff interested in further information or conversation about the Lasallian Reflection series, you are welcome to contact me at miller95@lasalle.edu or ext. 1079. Ernest J. Miller, FSC, D. Min. Vice President for Mission

A Letter From The Office for Mission

Richard Rothstein Speaks in Founders Hall

Richard Rothstein, research associate at the Economic Policy Institute and a fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and of the Haas Institute at the University of California Berkeley, visited La Salle on October 10th to discuss his recent book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segre-gated America (2017). The work recovers a forgotten history of how federal, state, and local policy explicitly segregated metropolitan are-as nationwide, creating racially homogenous neighborhoods in patterns that violate the Constitution and, Rothstein argues, require remediation. Through introductory comments, a conversation with Dr. Charles Gallagher, Chair of La Salle’s Sociology and Criminal Jus-tice Department, and a lively Question and Answer session, Rothstein

discussed some of the reasons inequalities in education, wealth, and access to opportunities for African American communities in the United States persist and surfaced questions that should provoke further questions and lead to ongoing reflection. Rothstein is also the author of Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right (2008), Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap (2004) and The Way We Were? Myths and Realities of America’s Student Achievement (1998). Other recent books in-clude The Charter School Dust-Up: Examining the Evidence on Enrollment and Achievement (co-authored in 2005) and All Else Equal: Are Public and Private Schools Different? (co-authored in 2003). The Concert and Lecture Series served as the lead sponsor of the event. Academic departments cosponsoring the evening included History, Psychology, Sociology and Criminal Justice, Social Work, Theology and Religious Studies, Urban Public Health and Nutrition and the Leadership and Global Understanding Program. Other co-sponsoring units included the Community Building Team, the Explorer Connection, Community-Based Learning, the Multicultural and International Student Center and the Office for Mission.

Tara Carr-Lemke, M.A. Explorer Connection & Service-Learning

The La Salle/Saxbys Co-op Program offers a unique opportunity for full-time undergraduate La Salle stu-dents to enhance their learning experiences by applying their academic studies to real world experiences in a business operation. This experiential learning program is open to students from any major, and ulti-mately enables one student every six months to participate in a targeted curriculum of academic course-work simultaneous with the student’s tenure as the Café Executive Officer (CEO) of the La Salle Saxbys café. Though the number of credits that the student CEO schedules may vary, in order to stay on track for graduation and to accommodate the academic rigor of the La Salle/Saxbys Co-op Program as well as the demands of the CEO position, the Student CEO will be advised to complete 15 academic credits spread out over two terms--9 credits in the academic year (i.e., Fall or Spring) term and 6 credits during the Summer. All of the courses are intended to be delivered to the student CEO on an independent studies basis allowing faculty members to create a tar-geted curriculum that aligns with the students’ experience in the café. The expectation is that the work in the café, and that done in service to the café, will comprise a major portion of the requirements for each course for which the student CEO rosters. Steve Melick, Executive Director, La Salle Center for Entrepreneurship, will serve as the lead in-structor/adviser, teaching three of the five courses and coordinating the student’s academ-ic workload with the instructors of the other courses. The student will be required to meet on a regular/as needed basis with their instructors and complete agreed upon reading and writing assignments as well as final assessments, projects, and/or portfolios. Saxbys will designate one contact person from its organization who will be tasked with working collabora-tively and maintaining ongoing communication with La Salle designees.

The Café team will be an all- student team, led by the Student Café Executive Officer (CEO) who has full responsibility for the café’s team development, financial management, and community leadership. There will be two Student CEOs each year; one Student CEO will serve January 1 through June 30, and the other will serve July 1 through December 31. This will stay consistent year-to-year throughout the entirety of the partnership.

(cont…)

The La Salle/Saxbys Co-op Program Teri Ceraso, Assistant Provost Strategic Program Prioritization and Special Projects

In addition to the Student CEO position, there are further opportunities for La Salle students to gain leadership and business experience through Team Lead positions in the café. The Team Leads undergo further training and work collab-oratively with the CEO in the areas of team development, financial manage-ment, and community leadership. A variety of barista opportunities will be available to La Salle students as well. Within the La Salle/Saxbys Co-op Program partnership, Saxbys takes ownership of the entire logistical operation, including interviewing, hiring, training, coaching and developing, promoting and/or exiting team members. Student leaders at Saxbys @ La Salle will be developed by Saxbys’ Director of Training & Experiential Learning, Saxbys’ Experiential Learning Coaches, and other supporting team members from the company. This leadership team will be checking into the café regularly.

While the Student CEO receives full academic credit for leading the all-student team, the fundamentals of experiential learning and career development are available to a variety of student interests. Among other things, Saxbys will engage design- oriented student groups to collaborate with the Saxbys Design team and the Saxbys Marketing team to assist in designing a one-of-a-kind café that captures the unique spirit of the La Salle community.

The La Salle/Saxbys Co-op Program (cont.)

This fall, the De La Salle Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning is piloting the Student Accompaniment In Learning (SAIL) program. SAIL is designed to provide logistical and programmatic support to faculty teach-ing service learning courses through the hire of an upper level student with experience in service learning or community-based coursework, critically-engaged community service, and/or social justice activism. In her role as a “SAILor” this semester, History and Religion double major senior Madison Miller serves as a site coordinator, discussion leader, and administrative support for two undergraduate business service learn-ing courses: one section of Meghan Pierce’s Marketing Research class; and Carolyn Plump’s Legal and Ethical Environment of Business class. Madison coordinates and tracks students working on a marketing project at Face to Face Germantown, facilitates debrief sessions with participating students, and supports planning for the legal affairs course which engages with issues of mass incarceration, and concludes with a visit to Grater-ford State Correctional Institution. If you are a faculty member interested in collaborating with a SAILor, please be in touch with Tara Carr-Lemke at carrlemke@lasalle.edu.

SAIL with the De La Salle Institute for

Advanced Teaching and Learning (DLSI) Tara Carr-Lemke, M.A. Explorer Connection & Service-Learning

The English Language Institute (ELI) was established to provide the highest quality English language instruction for anyone interested in improving their English language proficiency. The ELI offers six levels of non-credit intensive English courses for academic and business purposes. Our courses focus on all aspects of language learning proficiency – listening, speak-ing, reading and writing to help you meet your individualized goals. Students enrolled in our full-time English language program study for 20 hours per week in preparation for undergraduate and graduate studies in U.S. universities and col-leges. The ELI is a part of, and located on the campus of La Salle University (St. Mutien Hall), where ELI students attend classes and enjoy life alongside other university students. ELI students are encouraged to participate in campus activities as well as events organized by the ELI.

The English Language Institute (ELI) Jie Jenny Li, Ed.D. Director, International Institute

It’s that time of year again! If you are interested in engaging your students with educational resources in Philadelphia in Spring 2018 —including but not limited to museums, plays, concerts, and walking tours— please consider applying for City as Classroom funds. All requests will be considered and every effort will be made to provide full or partial funding. The application for funds can be found on the portal: http://www.lasalle.edu/portal/provost/cityclass.htm

If you are interested in engaging your students with educational resources in Philadelphia but unsure about where to begin, the De La Salle Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning offers a comprehen-sive City as Classroom Resource Guide, which provides detailed information about area museums, historic sites, concerts, plays, public lectures, and walking tours, as well as information about student admission fees, free sites, and transportation logistics.

Guidelines for funding evaluation:

Priority will be given to funding for undergraduate classes.

Priority will be given to funding for activities that will not be available in future semesters (e.g., a special exhibit at a museum, a concert or play and so forth).

Priority will be given to discrete events rather than underwriting continuing costs of student participation in activities required by a course.

The number of participants can be given priority in decisions on funding.

Funding of admission costs will be limited to $12.00 per person. Applications will be accepted beginning on December 1st and will continue on a rolling basis until all funds are allocat-ed. You will be notified of a decision within 1-2 weeks of your submission. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

City as Classroom Heather McGee, Ph.D. Community-Based Learning

Each month, Connelly Library staff feature a list of recommended books and articles related to pedagogy. The following books and articles can be accessed by clicking on the titles below.

Pedagogies for the Future: Leading Quality Learning and Teaching in Higher Educa-

tion

Brandenburg, R., Wilson, J. Z., (2013). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers Pedagogies for the Future illustrates a unique and exciting endeavor whereby a group

of academics across one university developed a professional learning community for

the purposes of investigating, articulating and developing their scholarship of practice.

Through their collaborative efforts, these educator-researchers sit at the forefront of

calls to take teaching seriously in higher education and to recognize the powerful po-

tential of interdisciplinary collaboration. The book provides a model for establishing

learning communities in higher education and demonstrates that such work is not only

possible but also successful. From vision to reality, Pedagogies for the Future offers important insights into

the complex nature of researching teaching and learning in higher education from the perspectives of those

directly engaged in it.

Spirituality in higher education: Autoethnographies

Chang, H., Boyd, D., (2016). Walnut Creek, Calif: Left Coast Press, Inc.

This collection of articles explores how a wide range of academics-- diverse in location,

rank and discipline-- understand and express how they deal with spirituality in their

professional lives and how they integrate spirituality in teaching, research, administra-

tion, and advising. The contributors also analyze the culture of academia and its chal-

lenges to the spiritual development of those involved. Twenty chapter authors--from a

variety of faith traditions--discuss the ways in which their own beliefs have affected

their journeys through higher education. By using an autoethnographic, self-analytical

lens, this collection shows how various spiritualities have influenced how higher edu-

cation is understood, taught and performed.

The good, the right, and the decent: Ethical dispositions, the moral viewpoint, and just pedagogy. Kraemer, D. J. (2017). College Composition and Communication, 68(4), 603-628

Whereas composition studies tends to use ethics and morality interchangeably, these terms may work better when explicitly distinguished, rearticulated as a topic, and kept in heuristic conflict. The more the tension between them is exploited, the closer our approach to a pedagogy not so much ethical as just.

Recommended Reading Eithne Bearden, Reference Librarian Connelly Library