HISTORY 3012: University and Community History Project
Spring 2006

Dr. Jim Williams, Professor of History, Middle Tennessee State University

Click here to view the students' final project, a Powerpoint presentation about the five Middle Tennessee alumni they interviewed for this class in spring 2006.

You may find the following handouts useful and are welcome to copy them:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The goal of this course is to promote the intellectual and personal development of all the participants. We will do this by actively engaging in a project to document an aspect of the history of MTSU through the methodology of oral history. Students will learn all stages in the development and implementation of an oral history project, and they will each prepare for, conduct, and transcribe an oral history interview. Finally, working as a group, students will prepare a final report that weaves their interview into the group's account of the cohort of MTSU community members who were interviewed. This course is part of the EXL Pilot Project this semester. As such, participants in the course will help shape the future of the experiential learning program as it develops at MTSU.

CLASS MEETING EXPECTATIONS AND MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITIES

These will be discussed on the first day of class and agreed upon by all members of the class. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any form in this course. Whether you intend to break the rules is irrelevant. The most likely way that you can behave dishonestly is to commit plagiarism. There are several types of plagiarism, and you are responsible for understanding all of them. Be particularly careful in this class not to copy word-for-word from one of the books (or any other source) without putting those quoted words in quotation marks or without providing the necessary source notation. If you are found to have committed plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty, you will receive a zero on that assignment, and your penalty may increase to failure in the course, depending on the circumstances. Dr. Williams will also notify the dean of judicial affairs, who may apply additional sanctions (probation, expulsion, etc.) according to university policy. If you have questions about academic dishonesty and university policy, please consult your student handbook, the student affairs web site, or Dr. Williams.

REQUIRED TEXTS

WRITING CENTER

Students are encouraged to use the University Writing Center to improve their written work in this course. The center is located in Peck Hall 325, and students may use the computer lab in Peck Hall 326. The center staff may be reached by phone at 904-8237 or by E-mail at uwcenter@mtsu.edu. Their web site is www.mtsu.edu/~uwcenter. The staff of faculty and graduate assistants will work with students at any stage of the writing process on issues such as organization, unity, coherence, opening and closing paragraphs, diction, and grammar, but they will not proofread or edit student writing. Appointments are strongly encouraged but not mandatory; tutoring sessions are in 30-minute blocks.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If you have a disability that may require assistance or accommodation, or you have questions related to any accommodations for testing, note takers, readers, etc., please speak with Dr. Williams as soon as possible. Students may also contact the Office of Disabled Student Services (898-2783) with questions about such services.

EVALUATION OF HOW WELL YOU REACH THE COURSE GOAL

Your course grade will be determined by how well you convince the instructor that you have developed intellectually and personally through your understanding of the course materials and your development into a competent oral historian. The plus/minus grading system will be used, as follows: A(910-1000), B+ (880-909), B (830-879), B- (800-829), C+ (780-799), C (730-779), C- (700-729), D+ (680-699), D (630-679), D- (600-629), F (below 600).

Final grade components:
1. Attendance and participation: 200 points. As an experiential learning course that meets only once per week and that requires some activity outside of the scheduled class time, it is particularly important that class members attend class and meet other obligations in a timely way.
2. Essays on Studs Terkel's "The Good War": 100 points.
3. Assorted assignments using the World Wide Web and other materials: 150 points.
4. Preliminary research for your interview: 50 points.
5. Your oral history interview (documentation, the interview, post-interview processing): 200 points.
6. Critique of another's interview: 50 points.
7. Completion of the interview transcript: 150 points.
8. Contribution to the final group project: 100 points.

COURSE SCHEDULE (yet to be revised for 2007)

Wed., Jan. 18: Introduction; What is oral history?

Wed., Jan. 25: Getting started
Read Terkel through p. 107
Read Oral History Manual through p. 6
Presentation for class: explore the World Wide Web, write a two-page report about the variety of oral history projects you found, and present to the class your report and one web site you found particularly interesting (25 points).

Mon., Jan. 30: Last day to drop without a grade

Wed., Feb. 1: Class meets at the Gore Center in Todd Hall. Dr. Lisa Pruitt will present a background history of MTSU and explain how the resources in the Gore Center will help with pre-interview preparation.
Read Oral History Manual, chap. 2
Read Terkel, pp. 108-185

Wed., Feb. 8: Class meets at the Gore Center in Todd Hall. Dr. Lisa Pruitt will present an overview of the ethical considerations related to oral history projects.
Read Oral History Manual, chaps. 3 and 4
Read Terkel, book two

Wed., Feb. 15: Planning and technical issues for oral history projects
First essay on Terkel book due in class
Read Oral History Manual, chaps. 5 and 6
Preliminary research due on your informant

Wed., Feb. 22: Developing interview techniques
Read Oral History Manual, chaps. 7, 8, and 9
Read Terkel, book three

Wed., Mar. 1: Class meets at the Gore Center in Todd Hall. Dr. Lisa Pruitt will explain the archival management of oral history collections.
Read Oral History Manual, chap. 10
Read Terkel, book four

March 6-11: Spring Break--no classes
[Mon., March 6: Last day to drop with a grade of W]

Wed., Mar. 15: Interviews. Class may or may not meet.
Second essay on Terkel book due at 2:40, whether or not class meets.

Wed., Mar. 22: Interviews. Class may or may not meet.

Wed., Mar. 29: Peer critiques of interviews.

Wed., Apr. 5: Transcribing. Class may or may not meet.

Wed., Apr. 12: Transcribing. Class may or may not meet.

Wed., Apr. 19: Group project preparation.
Read Oral History Manual, chap. 11

Wed., Apr. 26: Last day of class. Presentation of group project.

There is no final exam or other work due during the final exam period. Back to teaching page