HISTORY 499—Spring 2003

SENIOR THESIS SEMINAR
Failure is not an option

The United States from the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement

Professor Paul Harvey
COB 2055, X 4078. Pharvey@mail.uccs.edu  

The purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the process of historical research and to help you write the capstone project required of all history majors. You will be required to write an original thesis of approximately 25-30 pages, based mostly on relevant primary sources. Within the very broad confines of the general subject areas listed in the appendix to this syllabus, you are to pick a topic that interests you dealing with some aspect of U.S. history 1850s – 1980. The time range has been picked so as to be broad and inclusive but also to require you to complete a paper about history, something in the past. Therefore, I request that you avoid topics that post–date 1980. Your final grade will be based both on the quality of the thesis itself (80%) and on class attendance and participation (20%). You should expect to complete all assignments on time; incompletes will be granted only in case of the direst emergencies.  

Each of you will have a student referee who will critique your written work throughout the semester. You, in turn, will be a referee for one of your colleagues. The quality of your work as a student referee will be critical for determining your class participation grade. For purposes of this class, you are required to have an email account, and to learn to use it. If you don’t already have one, access the UCCS home page and apply for one immediately.

REQUIRED TEXT

Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History

COURSE OUTLINE

Jan. 21  Administrative Details and Library Visit. Panic Reduction Session.
Establishment of email accounts. Distribution of Library Research Exercise.

By Friday, January 24, please pick, at the least, a subject area for your research. At the end of this syllabus you will find a list of some possible subject areas. Let me know by turning in a paragraph at my office, or (preferably) on email. Also give me an idea of at least one potential topic within that subject area. Begin to search for relevant primary documents for your subject/topic area of interest.  

Jan. 28    Discussion of Assigned Reading: Rampolla, 1-40.

      1)   Declaration of Subject Area of Research. 
2)   Discussion of plagiarism and signature on form explaining that you understand and accept the departmental and university policy on plagiarism.  
3)   Discussion of library research exercises.

By Friday, Jan. 31, please give to me (email me, or place outside my office door) a one–page project statement in which you give me as specific an idea as you can about what you wish to research and write on this semester.  

Feb. 4        

Continuation of Jan. 28: discussion of project statements and library research exercises. Assignment of student partners. Formation of groups based on broad subject areas.    
Assignment:   For Week of Feb. 4 to Feb. 11: Find one or two PRIMARY DOCUMENTS that you will use in your research that you will bring to class. Prepare a 3 pp. paper, to be turned in to me and referee. Give me one hard copy or an email, and give a hard copy or email it to your student partner by Friday February 8. Your paper should address the following questions:

1)    What is the main theme of the document?  

2)    What is the historical context of your document?

3)    What is the main problem or question that arises from your document? (for example, who or what influenced its author(s)? Did other author(s) state similar ideas? To whom is the document directed? What was the author’s purpose in writing this document?

4)    What is the title of another primary document that would help you answer the questions above?

5)    Name two secondary sources, one general and one specific, that will help you answer the question.  

Feb. 11            Come to class with your primary document analysis AND a copy of at least one page of your primary document to hand out to the class. Present your paper to the class, and be ready to respond to questions that I or your student partner will raise.  

Feb 18             Continuation of Primary Document Analysis Exercise

By Friday, Feb. 22, you should have your annotated bibliography, divided into primary and secondary sources, to me and to your student referee, hard copy.  

Feb. 25     Full Class: Research and Citation exercise Read Rampolla, pp. 40-50, skim footnote and bibliographic models in second half of Rampolla. Discussion of annotated bibliographies.

Assignment:  Bring to class today ONE example of how you will footnote (or endnote) one of your PRIMARY sources and one of your SECONDARY sources. Bring questions about citing difficult sources that you may have. Responses by me and student referee to annotated bibliographies. We will try to determine if the bibliography will enable the student to answer the questions raised in his or her preliminary project statement and if the items on the bibliography are available. 

March 4         No Class. Individual Research and Writing

By Friday, March 8: Prepare an outline of your paper, give to me and to student referee. Include a projected introduction and thesis statement and outline of major structure of paper. Meetings individually with groups one, two, and three. Discussion of student outlines. Come prepared with comments on your colleague’s outline and projected body of paper.

March 11   Individual Meetings with groups 1, 2, and 3. Discussion of student outlines. Come prepared with comments on your colleague's outline and projected body of paper. 

March 18 No Class. Individual research and writing time 

Note: from 1 April to 15 April I will meet with each student individually, for a period of 15 to 30 minutes, to individually discuss projects, progress, difficulties, and timetables for completion. 

Friday, April 4: Turn in three pages of a draft to me and student partner. I will give you comments during your individual meeting with me. No class. Individual meetings with students. 

April 15   No class. Individual meetings with students. 

ROUGH DRAFT OF PAPERS DUE BY 5:00 ON TUESDAY, APRIL 15. GIVE ONE COPY TO ME AND ONE COPY TO STUDENT REFEREE. Collect student referee instructions outside my office.

April 22 

Group One: Discussion of Rough Drafts 7:00 to 8:30
Group Two: Discussion of Rough Drafts 8:30 to 10:00

Assignment: Come with a typed 2-3 page single-spaced response to your colleague’s paper. Come prepared to formally respond to your partner's paper. Prepare a hard copy for me and for your partner of your response. 20 minute discussion of each paper.

April 29            Group Three: Discussion of Rough Drafts (perhaps will reschedule for a non–class time period during week of April 21–25 if student schedules permit)  

May 6               No class––work on final drafts. 

May 13             FINAL ALL CLASS MEETING:

                        Discussion and evaluation of process of writing a senior thesis. Discussion of process of revising rough drafts. Class evaluation.   

BRING YOUR FINAL PAPER TO CLASS ON MAY 13. YOUR SENIOR THESIS PAPER WILL BE DUE NO LATER THAN THAT CLASS PERIOD.

Special Notes for Class:

Each student will be required to sign and turn in a form indicating their understanding of the meaning of, and consequences for, the serious academic offense of plagiarism. Grades will not be assigned until I have your signed form in my hand.

You are responsible for always backing up your work in more than one place so that, even in case of a computer crash, you will not lose your senior thesis. I am not interested in hearing your tale of woe about your computer. All students on campus have access to network accounts, which make a handy way to keep backup files of everything on the campus network.

Your work as a student referee partner is critical to this class. I take this exercise very seriously, and failure to perform your duties as a partner may result in you failing the class.