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B e y o n d t h e C r o o k e d L i n e


(David McNew/Getty Images)


University College, First Year Seminar Program
FS 141-25 Social and Political Worlds Thursdays, 4:00-6:30
Fall 2013 Liberal Arts 216


Professor
Ryan Kashanipour, Ph.D.
ra.kashanipour@nau.edu
Tuesdays 11:00-12:30 and by appointment
Biological Sciences 206

Peer Teaching Assistant
Gabriela Perez-Mendoza
gp244@nau.edu
Mondays 12:00-1:00 & Wednesdays 8:00-9:00
Action Research Team Facilitator
David Porinchok
dp76@nau.edu
Action Research Team Facilitator
Andrew Zacharias
azj9@nau.edu


Course Overview
The border and immigration are the most controversial topics in the United States today.
Immigrants founded the country, served as labor, and became symbols of opportunity and
prosperity. The country once celebrated its open and fluid borders. So why have these issues
become the sources of passion and debate? In this course, we will explore the border and
immigration by looking at series interdisciplinary perspectives, such as history, anthropology,
literature, and art, to find answers to this question. We will also have the opportunity to participate
in an Immigration Action Research Team that works to change this debate by organizing with local
community groups. This course is a part of NAUs First Year Learning Initiative that teaches the
skills and practices that are integral for success in university and beyond. In particular, we will be
working on critical thinking and effective writing as foundational skills throughout the course.
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Action Research Team
This class is one of select group of classes at NAU participating in the participant study program
known as action research. In particular, we will be one of three classes working closely with NAUs
Immigration Action Research Team (iART). The iART will help translate the ideas studied in this
class into social and collective action in the community. In Flagstaff, we will be working closely with
local community groups, including No More Deaths, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztln
(MECHa), Repeal Coalition, and Arizona Dreamers.

Participation in the iART is integral to this class. David Porinchok and Andrew Zacharias, the iART
facilitators for our class, will help guide us through the process of learning to organize for social
change. You will be meeting with them twice for personal conferences. We will also dedicate a
portion of each class will be specifically devoted to working on iART issues. During the first half of
the class, we will focus on understanding power and how to build relationships. During the second
half of class, we will work on how to create narratives of change and engage in collective, social
action. This process will begin outside of class with a series of four one-on-one meetings with
students in other classes working with the iART. You will be expected to attend three outside iART
training/meeting sessions. The times and dates for these sessions will be coordinated during the
semester at times that work for the most students. These meetings will come together as you will
develop a project to practice what you have learned.

In the iART you will learn the techniques and practices of organizing and advocacy. These are
important life skills and you will be learning through your active participation. As such, it is
important that you be a flexible, responsible, and thoughtful participant. We will all be working
together, so it is important that we be mindful to collaborate and communicate.

Attendance and Participation
This course depends upon active participation. Attendance, therefore, is mandatory for all scheduled
classes. Outside meetings with the iART also require your regular attendance. Showing up is the
most minimal means of contributing and we expect that you also will actively contribute to the
discussion of the course material. Attendance and participation account for 150 point in the overall
course grade. The breakdown follows below.
Class meetings: 5 points each for a total of 75 points
iART trainings and group action meetings: 5 points each for a total of 25 points
One-on-One meetings: 10 points each for a total of 40 points
iART facilitator conferences: 5 points each for a total of 10 points
ARTs Celebration: 10 points

A Trip to the Border
This semester, we have the unique opportunity to examine the issues related to the border by
traveling to the US-Mexico border from Thursday, October 10 to Sunday, October 13. During this
four-day trip, we will likely visit with organizations that work to aid migrants and the border patrol
in Tucson and southern Arizona. Everyone is expected to participate in this trip. On the border,
you will get intimate, personal experience with the border and immigration. This trip may be
challenging intellectually and emotionally. We will prepare before and we will reflect after.

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In order to participate, you must:
Have a current passport or passport card. The Center for International Education
processes US passports. Information can be found here: http://nau.edu/CIE/Passport-
Acceptance-Office/
Participate in the No More Deaths training on Saturday, October 5, 8:30-4:30 in the Health
and Learning Center.

Journal
Through the semester you will keep a structured journal where you will reflect upon and analyze
issues raised by this course. The entries are formal writing assignments and written at an appropriate
university level. Each entry should be 600 (+/- 60) words or about two pages. At times, the journal
entries will be open-ended reflections to readings and research. Several entries will be to prompts,
including a personal account of crossing borders, a family migration story, a reflection on the
border, an analysis of media accounts of the border, and letters to concerned individuals. The
specific prompts will be regularly posted on BBLearn. You will be asked to write ten journal entries,
each one worth twenty points each. All entries are due in advance of Thursday class meetings.You
will be given feedback on grammar, style, and content in these assignments. At times, you may be
asked to share your work!

The Border & _________ Project
Through the course of the semester, you will be working in groups to examine how issues of the
border are represented in different aspects of the US today. This project will involve individual
research and investigation and group reflection and collaboration. The broad themes, listed below,
will serve as the starting point.
The Border and the Law
The Border and the Environment
The Border and Labor
The Border and Society
The Border and Families

This project is focused around three questions: How does the border affect _____? Why is this significant?
And what can we do about it? To answer the first two questions, one will have to conduct scholarly
research of media and academic resources. Much of this research will be done individually, but the
findings can be shared among the group. The results of this research will be written in individual
formal essays. Individually, then, each student will write a 1,800 (+/-180) word essay synthesizing
their findings, which will be due on the scheduled final date. The individual essay is worth a total of
75 points. To answer the third question, the members of the group will work together to build on
existing programs or propose alternatives. The end product of this group collaboration will be a 15
minute formal presentation that will be given at the end of the semester. The group presentation is
worth a total of 25 points.

Readings and Resources
There will be readings associated with each class meeting. Content and instructions will be posted
on BBLearn. Beyond the chapters and articles posted online, we will be reading two books, which
are noted below.

Required:
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Margaret Regan, The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands (Boston:
Beacon Press, 2010).
Justin Akers Chacn and Mike Davis, No One is Illegal: Fighting Racism and State Violence on the
U.S.-Mexico Border (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2006).

Recommended:
Border Songs CD. Available in the NAU Bookstore and online at www.bordersongs.org


Grade Breakdown
Attendance & Participation 150 points
Journal Entries 200 points
The Border & ________ Project 100 points
Public Narrative 50 points
Total 500 points




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NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS

SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAUs Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the
university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.

You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college deans office or from the NAUs Affirmative Action website
http://home.nau.edu/diversity/. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, deans office, the
Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAUs Office of Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting Disability Resources (DR) at 523-8773 (voice)or 523-
6906 (TTY), dr@nau.edu (e-mail)or 928-523-8747 (fax).Students needing academic accommodations are required to register with DR and
provide required disability related documentation. Although you may request an accommodation at any time, in order for DR to best meet your
individual needs, you are urged to register and submit necessary documentation (www.nau.edu/dr) 8 weeks prior to the time you wish to receive
accommodations. DR is strongly committed to the needs of student with disabilities and the promotion of Universal Design. Concerns or
questions related to the accessibility of programs and facilities at NAU may be brought to the attention of DR or the Office of Affirmative Action
and Equal Opportunity (523-3312).

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAUincluding a course project, report, or research
papermust be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and research-
related activities.

The IRB meets monthly. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You should consult
with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or
appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval
by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited review,
or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review
as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.

A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each departments administrative office and each college deans office or on
their website: http://www.research.nau.edu/vpr/IRB/index.htm. If you have questions, contact the IRB Coordinator in the Office of the Vice
President for Research at 928-523-8288 or 523-4340.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAUs
administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic
integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic
principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.

Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend
penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in
Appendix G of NAUs Student Handbook http://www4.nau.edu/stulife/handbookdishonesty.htm.

ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states: an hour of work is the
equivalent of 50 minutes of class timeat least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as
well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.

The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional
hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.

SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS
If an instructor believes it is appropriate, the syllabus should communicate to students that some course content may be considered sensitive by
some students.

University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves engagement with a wide range of
information, ideas, and creative representations. In the course of college studies, students can expect to encounterand critically appraise
materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters
with faculty.




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Schedule of Meetings

Week 1 Introductions
Class: Thursday, 29-August

Week 2 Perceptions
Class: Thursday, 5-Sept
Journal: Family Migration Story

Week 3 Power
Class: Thursday, 12-Sept
Journal: Personal Border Crossing

Week 4 - Research
Open House: Tuesday, 17-Sept, 8am-4pm: University College, Constitution Day
Class: Thursday, 19-Sept

Week 5 Creating Narratives
Class: Thursday, 26-Sept
Journal: Accounts of the Border

Week 6 Preparing for the Border
Class: Thursday, 3-Oct
Training: Saturday, 5-Oct, Saturday, No Mas Muertes

Week 7 Trip to the Border
Field Trip: Thursday, 10-Oct to Sunday, 13-October

Week 8 Reflecting on the Border
Class: Thursday, 17-Oct
Journal: I Saw Reflecting on the Border

Week 9 Investigating the Border
Class: Thursday, 24-Oct

Week 10 Organizing
Class: Thursday, 31-Oct
Journal: To Whom it May Concern: A Letter About the Border

Week 11 Coordinating
Class: Thursday, 7-Nov

Week 12 Collaborating
Class: Thursday, 14-Nov

Week 13 Collaborating Further
Class: 21-Nov

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Week 14 Presentations
ARTs Celebration: Wednesday, 4-Dec, 6-7:30pm
Class: Thursday, 5-Dec

Final: Tuesday, Dec 17, 4:00
The Border & ________ Essays due