IDS 2931 and IDS 4932:
Honors Flagler Scholar Seminar
Utopia
The Flagler Scholar Seminars
are designed to fit into the special design of the
The Flagler Scholar Seminars
(IDS 2931 and IDS 4932) are designed to offer students in the Flagler
Scholarship Program integrated, interdisciplinary study providing meaningful
coherence for their courses of study. The organizing ideals of the Flagler
Program—leadership, courage, vigor, integrity, scholarship—will be key themes
in the study of course materials. In this sample sequence of the Flagler
Scholar Seminars, you will explore the life experiences and philosophies of
individuals who have distinguished themselves in the annals of education and of
those who have become extraordinary authors living outside of established
educational norms.[1]
In IDS 2932 in the first Flagler year we concentrated on educational biography, autobiography,
and related issues, in order to envision our own educational paths in light of
those who have blazed the trails of education before you. Students wrote a
series of essays in response to course materials, culminating in your own work
in progress: an educational autobiography.
IDS 2931, IDS 4932:
Utopia/Dystopia: Can we imagine the future? Our talks in this seminar will
focus on utopian and/or dystopian futures in light of the readings and of our
own life-experiences. In each semester you will be required to write a series
of critical and personal essays in response to the assigned series texts and
films. You will be expected to participate in weekly, 90 minute seminar
discussions of the texts. Additional time may be assigned for viewing films,
going to lectures, and taking field trips outside of normal class hours. You
will be asked to integrate your own personal perspectives, including your
formal education, extracurricular experiences (like Outward Bound), and your
imagination, to extrapolate a believable futuristic scenario. Key questions
will include: based on your observations and those of sources you wish to cite,
where is American culture going age of globalization? What challenges will face the generation
following yours? What contributions can and should your peers make to shape the
future? What is the human prospect for the 21st century as you
envision it? Is a utopian society possible? If so, on what basis would it be
constructed? Is dystopia more likely? What form will it take, and why? Based on your readings in futuristic science
fiction and on whatever other sources you select to add to our discussion, you
are to ‘paint’ your own picture of our common heritage and future. You will
create a CD-Rom presentation of your ideas, in which you share and discuss your
vision with the class.
Group project: the class will construct a CD-ROM in which each member presents his/her
perspective on a utopian or dystopian future. Each of you will thus make a
basic contribution to our own project in ‘future studies,’ integrating your
work with that of others in the Flagler Scholar community. You will thus create
a shared document that provides a vision of education in this liberal-arts
college in light of your own philosophy and course of study. You might want to
consider using the CD-ROM as a basis for your presentation at FCHC (The Florida
Collegiate Honors Council) during the spring term.
The Flagler Scholarship
Seminars, I & II, will amount to a total of four credit hours over each student’s four years of undergraduate
study. A seminar will typically be taken
each fall during undergraduate study.
Students enrolled in this
course agree to abide by the Honors College Honor Code. Please review this important document: http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/students/honorcode.html.
Assigned readings: to
be read and discussed in the order listed, one book every two weeks or so.
Looking
Backward by Edward Bellamy
Simulacra by
Philip K Dick
The
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Futureland
by Walter Mosley
The
Birthday of the World by Ursula Le Guin
Web Resources:
Suggestions?
Specific Assignments: (due each semester):
1)
A
series essays (critical or personal)
in response to the assigned readings, typically 300-500 words in length: 50% of final grade.
2)
A CD-ROM Project to be completed by the end of the term and shaped by
study of the assigned texts in light of personal experience: 25% of final grade. You will create your
outlook as part of CD-ROM containing an integrated set of outlooks from the
class. You may of course include written text, pictures, music, video clips and
other media in your segment. You should choose an Editor-in-chief as well as
assign other key roles in the project, to make sure that your work is well
orchestrated. The project might serve as the basis for your FCHC presentation during
the spring term. The document could also end up published as part of
3)
Participation in seminar discussions and activities (in-class writing, regular class attendance, viewing films, going to retreats or on
field trips, attendance at speakers’ engagements, concerts, and so on): 25% of final grade.
4)
IDS 2931 and 4932 are cross-listed, so that students will
share projects; both seminars may have the same topic during a given term, with
assignments graduated to fit the freshman/sophomore and the junior/senior
level. Cross-listing will encourage upperclass(wo)men to provide mentorship for
students at the lower level. It will also build community among the Flagler
Scholars in residence at the
[1] Different professors may, of course, select their own courses of study to fulfill the requirements of both IDS 2932 and IDS 4932, each time the sequence is taught.