ACT 11CA UEPC GRS 130 Spec Topics

TO:

Beth Dobkin, Provost

FROM:

Mindy Thomas, Chair
Academic Senate

DATE:October 6, 2016
RE:

Senate Action S-16/17-11CA
GRS 130, Special Topics New Permanent
Course Proposal and Changes to the Major

At the October 5, 2016 meeting of the Academic Senate, the Senate accepted the
New Permanent Course Proposal for GRS 130, Special Topics and Changes to the
Major on the Consent Agenda. This item was approved by the Undergraduate
Educational Policies Committee at its September 26, 2016 meeting by a vote of
10-0-0.
This action was assigned Senate Action # S-16/17-11CA.

Attachment
Cc: President James A. Donahue
Dean Sheila Hassell Hughes


We request approval from the UEPC for the following:
1. Make GRS 130: Special Topics a permanent course

2. Change the name of GRS 130: Special Topics to GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in Global
Studies
3. Remove POL 121: International Political Economy as a required course for the Regional Track
and instead, make GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies as a required course for
both the Regional and Global concentrations in the GRS major.
1. Application for GRS 130 permanent status:
School: Liberal Arts
Department: Global and Regional Studies
Course number: 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies
2. Justification of the Course:
Global and Regional Studies is an interdisciplinary program that relies on course offerings from
other departments for both the majority of the lower and upper division requirements. Along with
other changes to the GRS major in 2012 (which included the addition of a Global Track and a
program name change from International Area Studies to Global and Regional Studies), GRS 130
was added as an elective course to the major and was taught for the first time during the Spring
semester of the 2015-2016 school year. We request that GRS 130 be made a permanent course in
order to offer our majors, as well as non-majors, a dedicated upper division course that will examine
a specific region/topic/issue from a multidisciplinary, global, non-U.S perspective and social justice
perspective. GRS students take the majority of their courses in other departments. The GRS courses
that all students take are: GRS 1: Introduction to Global and Regional Studies, GRS 100: Cultural
Geography and Global Societies, and GRS 196: Senior Thesis.
Also, making the course permanent allows our majors to complete the requirements in a timely
manner, develop departmental identity as well as student cohort identity. Furthermore, students will
now have the opportunity to take all four GRS courses, creating a more stable and cohesive program
in both concentrations.
Objectives for the Course:
The objectives of the course are as follows:
1) To demonstrate an understanding of the world from global and non-U.S perspectives.
2) To analyze a region or an issue from a variety of disciplinary lenses.
3) To demonstrate critical thinking and discussion on the topic of the course.

4) To learn and demonstrate multidisciplinary research and writing skills.
For the specific topic of the Sahara World, additional objectives were to gain an understanding of the
major events and movements of the region, and the ability to identify major political, economic,


social, cultural, environmental, and intellectual trends that affected the development and current
affairs of the region. A particular emphasis was placed on change over time and continuances and
discontinuances between the past and present.
Assessment: The assessment may vary between topic and instructor. However, as an upper- division
course there is a strong emphasis on research, writing, and discussion. As taught as an experimental
course on the Sahara World, the scaffolded research/writing/presentation assignments made up
50% of the final grade (see attached syllabus). Students were also assessed on their ability to lead
discussion.
The scaffolded research/writing/ presentation assignment was divided into separate paper
proposal, annotated bibliography, 10-12 page research essay, revised research essay, and a 15minute research presentation components. The scaffolding was designed to give students constant
feedback on their argument, research, sources, writing, and ability to explain, defend, and answer
questions on their research in different modalities.
The film/reading responses measured comprehension and understanding of key concepts of the
film/reading.
The discussion leadership assignment (each student led two) measured the ability to design
questions that interrogated the key arguments, concepts, and ideas in the readings and to engage their
colleagues in discussion about them.
Both the mid-term and the final exams were essay style exams that were designed to measure the
ability to synthesize material and to form and support arguments. Both exams contained map quiz
components to make sure that students knew the locations of the people and places they were
studying.
Participation: Students were expected to attend class every session and to fully participate in class
discussions, demonstrating their understanding and capacity to debate the major themes of the
assigned readings.
Student Population:

The course is intended for GRS majors in both the Global and Regional concentrations and will
attract, depending on content and instructor, students from the disciplines we draw the majority of our
courses from—Anthropology, Economics, History, Languages, and Politics. Additionally, because the
course content will vary, we imagine the course will interest students across campus. Based on last
year’s enrollments, we estimate that 10-12 students will take the course when it is offered.
How this course satisfies upper division status:
a) The course prerequisites are: GRS 1, Anthro 1, History 1 or 2, Econ 4, Pol 1 or 4
b) The content of the course will vary, but will involve in-depth study of a topic from an
interdisciplinary perspective that requires students to have completed introductory courses. For
example, for the topic of the Sahara world, the readings drew from literature, politics, history, and
anthropology. Examples of specific sub-topics that were addressed through multiple disciplines
included race, religious practice, trade and economics, migration, and political change and
governance.
c) As detailed in the sample syllabus for the course, GRS 130 requires students complete
challenging readings and writing activities in addition to thoughtful classroom discussions around
complex issues related to global studies.
d) The course objectives also reflect that the course is designed for advanced students who have
completed introductory work.


Relationship to Present College Curriculum:
2
This course will be one of three upper division courses students take within the GRS major. No
courses within the GRS major will need to be modified or deleted. In fact, by making GRS 130 a
permanent course and required for both concentrations, we will be posing a solution to an existing
problem with POL 121, a course that is currently required for the major and that GRS added as
part of its requirements with the understanding that the Politics Department would offer the course
on a regular basis. However as an elective course for Politics majors, the course has not been
offered on a regular basis, and, the GRS board was informed that there will be no change to this in
the near future since the Politics department has identified more pressing course requirements for

their students. Given that the course will not be offered regularly, the proposed solution is to
remove POL 121 as a required course and, instead, make GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in
Global Studies required for the major. Pol 121 (International Political Economy) offered a
theoretical framework through which students could understand globalization and various
globalizing processes. Because GRS 130 is a course that we tailor for the purpose of our major and
our students, we will be able to continue to offer this same benefit to our students with even more
attentiveness to rounding out the needs of the major.
Extraordinary implementation costs: none
Library Resources: (See Sue Birkenseer’s report)
Course credit and grading options: 1 credit course, with 3.15 contact hours per week on a MWF
schedule or 3.20 hours per week on T/TH schedule.
Prerequisites, corequisites:
GRS 1, Anthro 1, History 1 or 2, Econ 4, Pol 1 or 4
Course description for the college catalog:
This course employs interdisciplinary approaches to explore a special challenge, problem, or
issue(s) related to international regions or globalization. Courses in this designation can include
transnational cultures, health, environment, development, and migration and globalization. May be
repeated for credit as content varies. Prerequisites: one of the following: GRS 1, ANTH 1, HIST 1
or 2, ECON 4, POL 1 or 4
Course content: The content of this course is dependent on the specific topic with specific
approaches and disciplinary weight variable depending on the topic and instructor. However, as a
GRS course, it will remain interdisciplinary (readings drawing from literature, history, anthropology,
politics, and economics) with a strong focus on social justice and global and nonU.S perspectives.
1

The other UD courses students take within the GRS major are: GRS 100: Cultural Geography and Global Societies, and GRS
196: Senior Thesis.


Review of experimental offering:

The students who took the experimental course on the Sahara World were a mix of GRS and
History majors. The GRS majors very much appreciated being in a course dedicated to their
major where they were encouraged and able to apply their interdisciplinary skill set. Moreover,
students appreciated the scaffolded approach to the research writing assignment and would have
found it useful to have taken this course prior to taking their thesis. As a permanent course,
students should be encouraged to take prior to their thesis as preparation for doing the
interdisciplinary research and writing required for their thesis projects. It is also clear from
discussions with this cohort that GRS majors want more course offerings specific to their major.
Having GRS 130 as a course with rotating topics that can be taken more than once and that can
be tailored to changing student interests will help fulfill this desire. Spring 2016’s topic was on
the Sahara World. Spring 2017’s GRS 130 will be on Roots and Issues of the Contemporary
Islamic World; a topic chosen in part due to GRS majors’ interests.
2. Change the name of GRS 130: Special Topics to GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in

Global Studies

The new name better reflects the content of the course, which intends to provide students
interdisciplinary approaches to explore a special challenge, problem, or issue(s) related to
international regions or globalization. GRS 130 is a course that we tailor for the purpose of our
major and by taking this course; students will understand globalization and various globalizing
processes. This name change also highlights that GRS 130 complements well the other 3 core
GRS courses and those they take outside of the program to complete the rest of their upper
division course requirements, providing additional coherence to the major.
3. Remove POL 121: International Political Economy as a required course for the Regional

Track and instead, make GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies as a required
course for both the Regional and Global concentrations in the GRS major.
As mentioned above, GRS added POL 121 as a required course for the major with the
understanding that the Politics Department would offer the course on a regular basis. However
as an elective course for Politics majors, the course has not been offered on a regular basis, and,

the GRS board was informed that there will be no change to this in the near future since the
Politics department has identified more pressing course requirements for their students. Given
that the course will not be offered regularly, the proposed solution is to remove POL 121 as a
required course and, instead, make GRS 130: Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies
required for the major. Pol 121 (International Political Economy) offered a theoretical
framework through which students could understand globalization and various globalizing
processes. Because GRS 130 is a course that we tailor for the purpose of our major and our
students, we will be able to continue to offer this same benefit to our students with even more
attentiveness to rounding out the needs of the major.
This change will solve a number of issues:
1) We will be able to maintain the same number of Upper Division courses required for the
major in the Regional Track,
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2) We will establish parity between the Global and Regional Track; each concentration will
require all 4 GRS core courses.
3) Since GRS 130 is one of our courses and we can control when it will be taught, there will be
more stability in terms of course offerings within the major,
4) Students will now have the opportunity to take all four GRS courses, creating a more
cohesive program for students.
5) Requiring GRS 130 also allows our majors to complete the requirements in a timely manner,
develop departmental identity as well as student cohort identity.
Sample GRS 130 Syllabus
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA SPRING 2016 GRS 130/ HIST 170 THE
SAHARA WORLD
Professor J. Lofkrantz M/W/F 2:45pm-3:50pm Dante 213
Contact: (925) 631-8313
Office: Galileo 313

Office Hours: Monday 10-11am, Wednesday 10:30-11:30am and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce students to the main events
and themes that unite the societies and cultures of the Sahara/Sahel, North Africa, and the
western, central and eastern Sudan belt from the nineteenth through twenty-first centuries. The
African continent has been central to the development of world history (the Americas, Europe,
Middle East, and beyond) and for much of that time, the Sahara has been a key crossroads of
trade and intellectual exchange. Key themes to be addressed include trade, intellectual thought,
the environment, political change, religion, gender, race, ethnicity, identity, colonialism,
independence, separatist movements, migration, and terrorism. This course will be multidisciplinary and will consider the themes listed above through historical, anthropological,
political, and economic approaches and through literature.
CORE CURRICULUM DESIGNATIONS: Global Perspectives and Social Historical Cultural
Understanding
This course has been designated as both a Global Perspectives and a Social Historical Cultural
Understanding course. During the semester we will examine the region of North Africa,
Sahara/Sahel and the Sudan belt from the perspective of the people who live there. Through this
course we will hopefully expand our understanding and appreciation for different viewpoints,
especially non-U.S and non-western interpretations of both the past and current events.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: When you have completed this course, you should be able to:
1.

Demonstrate an understanding of the world from a non-U.S and non-Western European
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viewpoint.
2.

Gain a chronologically sound understanding of major events and movements of the
Sahara World. Be able to identify major political, economic, social, cultural,

environmental, and intellectual trends that affected the development and current affairs of
the region.

3.

Analyze key regional issues employing a variety of disciplinary lenses

4.

Write persuasive and accurately documented essays.

5.

Demonstrate critical thinking through evaluative reading, classroom discussions and
written work.

6.

Perform basic academic research on key issue of the Sahara World.

7.

Communicate effectively during in-class activities.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students are expected to participate in class, especially during class
discussion. Students will be responsible for a 10-12 page research essay that will include two
drafts and separate paper proposal and annotated bibliography and research presentation
components (see assignment handout). Requirements for the written assignments will be
discussed further in class and details will be given in a handout sufficiently prior to the due date.
Students will also be examined on the course material through 5 film/reading responses,

discussion leadership of two class sessions, and two exams which include map test
components.
DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP ASSIGNMENT: Being able to form questions about what you have seen
and read demonstrates your ability to be an active, analytical consumer of information. For two
classes (see sign up sheet on my office door) you will be responsible for developing five
discussion questions based on the readings and for leading class discussion on that day. The
best discussion questions are questions that will provoke discussion instead of factual
information. More sophisticated questions will be based on themes and ideas that cross the
breadth of the readings instead of focused on a specific section.
FILM/READING RESPONSES: Throughout the semester you are responsible for writing 1-2 page
double-spaced responses to either a film or an assigned reading. These, along with the due
dates, are indicated in the syllabus.
EVALUATION: Final grades will reflect the following components:
Discussion Leadership:5% ( 2 * 2.5%)
Film/Reading Responses:10% (5 * 2%)
Paper Proposal: 5%
Annotated Bibliography: 5%
Research Essay: 20%
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Revised Research Essay: 10%
Mid-Term Exam:10%

Final Exam:15%
Presentation:10%
Participation:10%
A COPY OF WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE EMAILED TO ME BEFORE CLASS TIME ON THE
DUE DATE.

READING: Reading are listed on the day for which they should be completed. You should be
ready to discuss them during class. Most reading come from the required texts listed below. The
other readings can be found on Moodle.
James McDougall and Judith Scheele eds., Saharan Frontiers: Space and Mobility on
Northwest Africa (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2012).
Ralph A. Austen, Trans-Saharan Africa in World History, (Oxford: Oxford World Press, 2010) Leila
Aboulela, Lyric Alley (Harper Collins 2010).
PREPARATION: This class will require you to do at least three hours of work outside of the
classroom for every hour spent in the classroom. Since this class includes discussion, you are
responsible for doing the required reading before coming to class. Moreover, lectures and
discussions will make a lot more sense if you do the reading first. All Reading and topics are
listed in the syllabus.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, DISABILITIES AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT: Student Disability Services
extends reasonable and appropriate accommodations that take into account the context of the
course and its essential elements for individuals with qualifying disabilities. Students with
disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Office at (925) 631-4358 to
set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation, policies, guidelines and available
services. Additional information regarding the services available may be found at the following
address on the Saint Mary’s website: achievement/student-disability-services.html
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: Participation in classroom discussions is an important
component in student evaluation. As such, attendance is necessary. If you are not in class, you
cannot participate and therefore cannot earn participation grades. You must contribute to this
class through active discussion and daily participation over the entire semester. The best way to
feel confident about what you are saying is to be prepared. My guiding questions in assigning a
participation grade are: How much have you done to further your classmates’ understanding of
course material? How much have you done to help make the classroom an interesting and
stimulating space?
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Students who are habitually absent will not receive passing participation grades. Moreover, participation
marks are cumulative; late-semester surges will not compensate for persistent failure to engage with
material in- class.
COMMENT ON GRADING: I will be happy to discuss grading issues on all assignment. However, please wait at
least one day after the return of an assignment. Be aware that in asking for an assignment to be re-marked
it is possible for the grade to go down as well as up. I will not assign extra credit for this course. I am happy
to discuss your assignments with you, your progress in the course, and how you can improve. Please see me
during office hours or schedule an appointment.
GRADING SCHEME
A, A-: Demonstrating an exceptional knowledge of subject matter, the literature, and concepts and or
techniques. In addition, it may include: outstanding powers of analysis, criticism, articulation, and
demonstrated originality. A performance qualitatively better than that expected of a student who does the
assignment or course well. A: Excellent; A-: Nearly excellent).
B+, B, B-: Demonstrating considerable knowledge of subject matter, concepts, techniques, as well as
considerable ability to analyze, criticize, and articulate; performance in an assignment or course which can be
called “well done”. (B+: Very good; B: Good; B-: Fairly good).
C+, C, C-: Demonstrating a reasonable understanding of the subject matter, concepts, and techniques;
performance in an assignment or course, which, while not particularly good, is adequate to satisfy general
university BA requirements and to indicate that the student has learned something.
D: Minimally acceptable. Marginal performance, demonstrating a low level of understanding and ability in an
assignment or course; less than adequate to satisfy general BA requirements, but sufficient to earn a credit.
E: Unacceptable. Wholly below university requirements.
GRADING SCALE: A (94-100); A- (90-93.9); B+ (87-89.9); B (84-86.9); B- (80-83.9); C+ (77-79.0); C (7476.9); C- (70-73.9); D (60-69.9); F (0-59.9).
DEADLINES: All course deadlines are on the syllabus. Meeting them is your responsibility. Scheduling your
time around predictable commitments and obligations (such as athletic and performance schedules, exams in
other courses, field trips, holidays, or visits home) requires planning. To facilitate that planning, I am happy to
work with students who need to submit work early. In the rare instance when you have a medical excuse or a
documented emergency I reserve the option to make special arrangements (which may include an extended
deadline or an alternate assignment). Late assignments will be penalized including the option of giving a

mark of zero to any assignment or exam for which a student misses without prior consent or fails to
provide a valid documented excuse in the case of an emergency. Your name and the course number or title
must be on the first page and in the subject line of the emailed assignment.

COMMENT ON DISCUSSING ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE PROFESSOR: I will gladly discuss the exams or
assignments with you during office hours or by appointment on any day except the day of and the day
before the exam/due date.
ACADEMIC ETIQUETTE:
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* As

a gesture of respect to me, to your classmates, and to our common intellectual enterprise, please
mute/disable/deactivate your phone and anything else that beeps, rings, vibrates, or plays top 40. All
electronic devices must be turned off and put away during an exam. Please bring a watch or rely on the
classroom clock (if available and in your sight line).

* Do
*

not use profanity or language that others might find offensive.

Be polite and professional to your fellow students; do not speculate on their background, religious beliefs,
sexual orientation, or other personal qualities as “reasons” for them taking the position they did.

* You

are welcome to take notes on your laptop but no surfing, messaging, email, or game playing. Violators

will lose laptop privileges for the rest of the semester and any future class that they take with me. You may
eat and drink as long as no one can hear you do it – that particularly includes opening wrappers and
aluminum pop tops. If you need to go to the washroom, please do, but no one may leave the room during
an exam.

EMAIL POLICY: Please limit your emails to information only (such as absences), quick yes/no questions, or to
set up appointments. For issues requiring discussion it is much better to meet in person. Your emails to me
do not have to be formal, but they should not require decoding. They should abide by the same rules of
politeness, syntax, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization that you would use with an employer. I
grade your writing assignments partly on your ability to use our common language and will take all examples
of your writing produced for my class during the semester (including email) into account when assessing a
final grade. Also please use your St. Mary’s email account when emailing me since email sent from any
other account is liable to end up unread and unanswered in my spam file. Moreover, when I need to
contact you personally, I will send a message to your St. Mary’s email account, so please check that
account regularly! Make sure that you clearly identify yourself, your course, and the issue at hand.
MOODLE: Course materials such as the syllabus, map for the test, assignment guidelines, handouts, and
Reading marked (moodle) will be available in the distribution folder for this class located on Moodle.
PLAGIARISM AND HONOR CODE: Plagiarism and academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated.
Plagiarism is taken seriously because it is the theft of a person’s ideas and/or work. To pass someone else’s
work off as one’s own (even if purchased) without proper citation is akin to stealing that individual’s car or
wallet. DON’T DO IT! Refer to the section in the SMC Student Handbook that addresses “Forms of
violations of the Academic Honor Code” and understand procedures for dealing with academic dishonesty
and other forms of academic misconduct. The consequences can range from a grade of F on an assignment
to expulsion from the college. If in doubt about whether or not a behavior constitutes plagiarism or academic
dishonesty, please see me.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE – SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH NOTICE
Week 1
Monday, February 8 – Introduction to the Course and Course Expectations
Wednesday, February 10 – A Visual Beginning
Film- Caravans of Gold

Reading: Austen, Chapter 1
Thought to Ponder: Connections across the Sahara
Friday, February 12 - Envisioning the Sahara: Barrier?, Highway? Crossroads? - Discussion

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Reading: McDougall and Scheele ed. Peregrine Horden, “Situations both Alike,” E. Ann McDougall, “On Being
Saharan,” James McDougall, “Frontiers, Borderlands, and Saharan/World History,”
Thought to Ponder: The meaning of dividing Africa between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Who
divided Africa this way and how did this division develop?
Islam in the Sahara World
WEEK 2
Monday, February 15- Introduction to Islam
Film: The Life of Muhammad
Reading: Austen, Chapter 4
Thought to Ponder: Controversies in early Islam that still reverberate today.
FILM RESPONSE DUE ON THE THOUGHT TO PONDER BY MONDAY FEBRUARY 15 AT 11PM
Wednesday, February 17 – The Practice Islam: North and South of the Sahara
Reading: Austen Chapter 5
Thought to Ponder: The concept of the Islamization of Africa and the Africanization of Islam
Friday, February 19 - The Intellectual Circuit – Timbuktu, Fez, Cairo
Film: The Manuscripts of Timbuktu
Reading: Vincent J Cornell, “Ibn Battuta’s Opportunism: The Networks and Loyalties of a Medieval Muslim
Scholar,” in Miriam Cooke and Bruce B Lawrence (eds) Muslim Networks from Hajj to Hip Hop, (Chapel Hill:
The University of North Carolina Press) p. 31-51 (moodle).
Thought to Ponder: The establishment of scholarly networks and the role of Timbuktu as a center of
African and Islamic intellectual activity.
Politics and Governance to Independence with 21st Century Repercussions

WEEK 3
Monday, February 22- Pastoralists and Agriculturalists: Ruling the Sahara and its Shores
Reading: Austen, Chapter 3
Thought to Ponder: The role of the environment in the types of economies/societies that are established and
the interdependency of pastoralist and agriculturalist economies.
Wednesday, February 24- The 19th Century West African Jihads and the Establishment of the Sokoto
Tradition
Reading: David Robinson, “Revolutions in the Western Sudan,” in Nehemia Levtzion and Randall L.
Pouwels eds The History of Islam in Africa, (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2000): 131-153 (moodle)
Jennifer Lofkrantz, “Intellectual Discourse in the Sokoto Caliphate: The Triumvirate’s Opinions on the Issue
of Ransoming ca. 1810,” International Journal of African Historical Studies 45:3 (2012): 385-401 (moodle).
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Thought to Ponder: Diversity in the practice of Islam. What does it mean to be Muslim? Who gets to decide
one’s religious identity?
Friday, February 26- The Mahdi Movement in the Eastern Sudan
Reading: David Robinson, Muslim Societies in African History, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2004), chapt 12 p. 169-182 (my courses).
Thought to Ponder: Similarities and differences between the Mahdi movement in Sudan and the jihads in
West Africa.
WEEK 4
Monday, February 29 - Colonial Conquest of the Sahara and its Shores
Reading Austen chapter 6
Thought to Ponder: The similarities and differences between British and French colonial rule; the
differences in rule depending on the interests of the colonial power; differing reactions to the presence of
colonial rule.
GUEST SPEAKER FEBRUARY 29TH ! MARIANA CANDIDO, “Travelling in the South
Atlantic World: Free African Women in a Changing Nineteenth Century” 5-6pm GALILEO 202

Wednesday, March 2- The Fight for Independence in North Africa
Reading: Matthew Connelly, “Rethinking the Cold War and Decolonization: the Grand Strategy of the
Algerian War for Independence,” in International Journal of Middle East Studies 33:2 (2001): 221-245.
Thought to Ponder: Contextualize the war in terms of Africa, French Empire, and Cold War ideologies
READING RESPONSE ON THE THOUGHT TO PONDER BY 11 PM ON TUESDAY MARCH 1.
Friday, March 4 – Decolonization of the Sahara and South of the Sahara
Reading: Klass van Walraven, “Decolonization by Referendum: The Anomaly of Niger and the Fall of
Sawaba, 1958-1959,” Journal of African Economic History 50:2 (2009): 269-29 (moodle); Bruce Hall,
“Bellah Histories of Decolonization, Iklan Paths to Freedom: The Meanings of Race and Slavery in the LateColonial Niger Bend (Mali), 1944-1960,” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 44:1
(2011): 61-87 (moodle).
Thought to Ponder: What sort of states were established upon independence? How were these different
from precolonial states? What groups “won” upon independence? What challenges did post-colonial states
face?
WEEK 5
Monday, March 7 – LIBRARY SESSION FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
Race, Class, and Slavery

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Wednesday, March 9 – Defining Slavery
Reading: Paul Lovejoy, Transformations in Slavery, 2nd edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2000) chapt 1 p. 1-24 (moodle).
Thought to Ponder: How is slavery similar and different to other forms of coerced labor?
MOVIE SHOWING MARCH 9TH ! TIMBUKTU 7PM HAGERTY LOUNGE !
Friday, March 11 –– Comparative Slavery in North Africa, the Sahara, and West Africa
Reading: David Robinson, Muslim Societies in African History, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2004), chapt 5 p. 60-74. (moodle).

Thought to Ponder: Who is enslaveable and why? What roles did enslaved individuals fulfill in society?
Are these different on the different sides of the Sahara? What about gender?
WEEK 6
Monday, March 14- Race, Ethnicity, and Status along the Desert Edge: 18th and 19th Centuries
Reading: Bruce S. Hall, “The Question of ‘Race’ in the Pre-Colonial Southern Sahara,” The Journal of
North African Studies, 10:3-4 (2007): 339-367. (moodle).
Thought to Ponder: How is racial identity defined differently in precolonial Sahara/Sahel/Sudan than in the
Americas? How did concepts of race change over time?
READING RESPONSE ON THOUGHT TO PONDER DUE BY SUNDAY MARCH 13 AT 11PM
Wednesday, March 16 - Race in the late 20th Century – Student Led Discussion
Reading: Bruce Hall, “Conclusion: Race in the Post Colony,” A History of Race in Muslim West Africa,
1600-1960, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 316-326. (moodle); Fatma Oussedik, “The
Rites of Baba Merzug: Diaspora, Ibadism and Social Status in the Valley of the Mzab,” in Saharan Frontiers,
p.93-108; Olivier Leservoisier, “Ethnicity and Interdependence: Moors and Haalpulaaren in the Senegal
Valley,’ in Saharan Frontiers p. 146-161.
Thought to Ponder: How have concepts of race continued to change in the twentieth century? What
influenced these changes?
Friday, March 18 – MID- TERM EXAMEASTER RECESS – MARCH 19-MARCH 28WEEK 7
Monday, March 28 – STILL EASTER RECESS – NO CLASSWednesday, March 30- Race, Class and
Colonial Rule in Sudan – Lyric Alley - Student Led D i s cussion
Reading: Lyric Alley p. 1-160
DUE: RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYFriday, April 1 – Race,
Class and Colonial Rule in Sudan – Lyric Alley
Reading: Lyric Alley p. 160-308.
READING RESPONSE ON THE NOVEL DUE BY THURSDAY MARCH 31 st AT 11PM. DISCUSS
THE MAIN THEMES AND IDEAS EXPRESSED IN THESE
CHAPTERS.

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WEEK 8
Monday, April 4 – Racial Identity, Religious Identity, Economics and the Wars in Sudan
Reading: John O. Voll, “The Eastern Sudan, 1822 to the Present,” in The History of Islam in Africa eds.
Nehemia Levtzion and Randall Pouwels, (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2000) p. 153-167. (moodle)
Thought to Ponder: Why did genocide/mass death take place in Dar Fur and enslavement in southern
Sudan?
Wednesday, April 6 - Tuareg and Berber Identity in Post-Colonial States
Reading: Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, “Contested Identities: Berbers, ‘Berberism’ and the state in North Africa,”
The Journal of North African Studies, 6:3 (2001): 23-47. (moodle).; Charles Grémont, “Villages and
Crossroads: Changing Territorialities among the Tuareg of Northern Mali,” in Saharan Frontiers p. 131-145.
Thought to Ponder: What does it mean to be Berber and Tuareg?
Friday, April 8 - Development and Aid in the Sahara/Sahel – Student Led D i s cussion
Reading: Benedetta Rossi, From Slavery to Aid: Politics, Labour and Ecology in the Nigerien Sahel 18002000
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015) chapt 5 256-302. (moodle).
Thought to Ponder: The role of development schemes in reinforcing and breaking pre-existing systems of
interdependence and exploitation
Trade, Economics, and the Movement of People and GoodsWEEK 9
Monday, April 11 - Saharan Trade and Trading Diasporas
Reading: Austen, Chapter 2
Thought to Ponder: How was Saharan trade organized? How did long-distance trade affect state
formation?
Wednesday, April 13 - 19th Century Trans-Saharan Trade in an Era of Atlantic Dominance
Reading: E. Ann McDougall, “Conceptualizing the Sahara: The World of Nineteenth Century Beyrouk
Commerce,”
The Journal of North African Studies, 10:3: 369-386.
Thought to Ponder: How did the opening of the Atlantic route affect trans-Saharan trade and West African
and Maghrib state systems? Friday, April 15- Raiding, Razzia and Ransoming along the Desert EdgeColonial and Post-Colonial Practices
Reading: Bruce Hall, “Bellah Highwaymen: Slave Banditry and Crime in Colonial Northern Mali,” in Mirzai

et al eds., Slavery, Islam, and Diaspora (Trenton NJ: Africa World Press, 2009) 193-217 (moodle), Amy
Niang: “The Political Economy of Ransoming in the Sahel: The History, the Ethics, the Practice,” African
Economic History 42 (2014) 157-184 (moodle)
Thought to Ponder: How does raiding fit into the economic relationships of the desert edge?
DUE: RESEARCH ESSAY

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WEEK 10
Monday, April 18 – Trans-Saharan Trade in the 21st Century – Student Led D i s cussion
Reading: Mohamed Oudada, “Notes on the Informal Economy in Southern Morocco,” in Saharan Frontiers
p. 215- 221; Judith Scheele, “Garage or Caravanserail: Saharan Connectivity in al-Khalīl Northern Mali,” in
Saharan Frontiers p. 222-237.
Though to Ponder: What patterns in the organization of trans-Saharan trade continue from the precolonial
period?
Wednesday, April 20- Trans-Saharan Immigration – Student Led D i s cussion
Reading: Armelle Choplin, “Mauritania, and the New Frontier of Europe: From Transit to Residence,” in
Saharan Frontiers,” p. 165-184; Julien Brachet, “Movement of Peoples and Goods, “ Local Impacts and
Dynamics of Migration to and through the Central Sahara,” in Saharan Frontiers,” p. 238-256.
Thought to Ponder: What does citizenship mean? How has the materialization of borders and where these
are materialized affect ideas about identity and belonging? Recent Social, Political, Economic
Developments
Friday, April 22 – The Spread of Salafi thought across North Africa, the Sahara and the Sahel/Sudan
Reading: Terje Østebø, “African Salafism: Religious Purity and the Politicization of Purity,” Islamic Africa 6
(2015): 1-29.
Thought to Ponder: The difference between Salafi thought and Salafi Jihadism
WEEK 11
Monday, April 25 – Roots of the Arab Spring – Student Led Discussion

Reading: James Gelvin, The Arab Uprisings, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015) chapter 2
p.39-85.
Thought to Ponder: The differences and similarities between the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt.
Wednesday, April 27 - Film- The Square
No Reading
DUE: FILM RESPONSE BY WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 AT 11PM
Friday, April 29 - Film - The Square Discussion and Aftermath of the Arab Spring
Reading: Find and bring to class a newspaper article/report on the aftermath of the Arab Spring in
one of Egypt, Libya or Tunisia.
WEEK 12
Monday, May 2 – Al-Qaeda in North Africa
Reading: Hans Krech, “The Growing Influence of Al-Qaeda on the African Continent,” African Spectrum
46:2 (2011): 125-137 (moodle)
Film: Held Hostage
Thought to Ponder: Why was Al-Qaeda able to root itself in North Africa and the Sahara?

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Revised Essay (Due: Friday, May 6, 2016)
Your professors revise their articles multiple times and address the comments of peer reviewers before
publication. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to revise your papers according to
my comments. This assignment will be graded on the basis of how you much you have improved your essay.
Presentation (Either on May 9 or May 11, 2016)
The purpose of the research presentation is to share and receive feedback on your research from your
colleagues. It also helps you develop your verbal presentation skills and to organize your arguments to suit a
verbal presentation rather than a written presentation. The goal is to succinctly and straightforwardly present
your argument and your evidence. You will not have the time to present nor read your whole paper. You have
to be analytical and choose what is most important to present so that your audience understands your

research. Please plan your presentation to be 15 minutes. Between the presentation and discussion, each
presenter should be prepared to lead the class for 15-25 minutes. The presentation will be graded upon the
sophistication and clarity of the presented argument, how questions were answered, and the relevancy
of the chosen reading. Be prepared to answer questions from the audience.

Please refer to the Essay Checklist (on moodle) for the points on which I will be grading your papers. Use
Chicago Style citations. Standard font, size, and spacing are 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced,
1-inch margins.
WORTH OF EACH COMPONENT IN FINAL GRADE OF COURSE:
Paper Proposal: 5%
Annotated Bibliography: 5%
Research Essay: 20% Revised Essay:10% Presentation: 10%
Wednesday, May 4- The Tuareg Rebellion, AQIM, and the 2012 Occupation of Timbuktu
Reading: Jeremy Keenan, “Uranium Goes Critical in Niger: Tuareg Rebellions Threaten Sahelian
Conflagration,”
Review of African Political Economy 35:117 (2008), 449-466. (moodle)
Thought to Ponder: What are Tuareg grievances against the central Malian and Nigerien governments?
How was the rebellion in Mali hijacked by AQIM?
Friday, May 6 - The Rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon
Reading: Alex Thurston, “Nigeria’s Mainstream Salafis between Boko Haram and the State,” Islamic Africa
(2015): 109-134 (moodle)
Thought to Ponder: What factors led to the rise of Boko Haram?
DUE: REVISED RESEARCH ESSAY
WEEK 13
Monday, May 9 – Research Presentations Wednesday, May 11- Research Presentations Friday, May 13 –
Course Review
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GRS 130/HIST 170 RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS OUTLINE ASSIGNMENTS OUTLINE
The research essay assignment is divided into five parts: the paper proposal, the annotated bibliography, the
10-12 page research essay, the revised research essay and the research presentation. You must use at least
eight secondary sources. At least three sources must be monographs (peer-reviewed books). The other
sources may be articles in refereed (academic) journals or articles in edited books. All sources must be
scholarly and peer reviewed. Start early as you may have to order materials through document delivery.
Topic Choices
The purpose of this research essay to analyze the short term and long terms causes of a contemporary issue
or event in North Africa, the Sahara/ Sahel or the Sudan belt ( the Sahara World). You are free to choose your
own topic, however, I strongly urge you to consult with me. Examples of possible topics include impacts of
desertification; terrorism; modern-day slavery; NGO projects; religion; the Arab Spring; Berber/Tuareg
political activism; smuggling; migration.
Once you have chosen your topic you will need to come up with a specific research question to answer. I
urge you discuss your research question with me.
Paper proposal (Due: Monday, March 28, 2016)
The purpose of this assignment is to help you narrow your topic and develop your argument and to receive
feedback from me prior to writing the heavily-weighted research paper. Your paper proposal must include
your argument and your main points supporting your argument. (2 pages)
Annotated Bibliography (Due: Wednesday, March 30, 2016)
This assignment provides you with good practice of identifying arguments and how they are supported while
also providing you with the opportunity to think about how another person’s research and analysis is helpful
to your own. The annotated bibliography should contain full bibliographic data according to Manual or New
Chicago style for all eight or more secondary sources to be used. Provide an annotation for five of your
sources. Please note that textbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries are not monographs although
professors often assign monographs in whole or in part as required reading for courses. An annotation
should explain the author’s argument, sources, and methodology used and how you can use that source
for your essay. A good rule of thumb is to include the information that you would need to recall the source a
year from now without having to reread the article/book.
Research Essay (Due: Friday, April 15, 2016)
The essay should be between 10-12 written pages (bibliographies and title pages do not count). Do not go

over 12 pages. Less than 10 pages would be too short. Make sure that you have an argument and that you
support that argument throughout the essay. You must include a proper bibliography at the end of your
research paper – not an extra copy of the annotated bibliography nor assume that your marked annotated
bibliography serves as the bibliography of the research paper. View this essay as the final copy.

Library Resources Review
This review is for Global and Regional Studies 130, Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies.
This report was prepared at the request of Maria Ruiz in order to present her proposal to the UEPC.
GRS 130 offers different topics from semester to semester, the most current class offered being on the 1
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African Sahara. This course was designated as both a Global Perspectives and a Social Historical Cultural
Understanding course.
Library Resource Needs
A. Faculty Course Preparation: A syllabus was provided for the Spring 2016 course. Course
requirements will change from semester to semester
B. Reserve Readings and film/videos for reserve: none indicated
C. Types of materials needed for student assignments. There is an annotated bibliography
assignment as well as a 1012 page research essay
II.

Currently Available Library Resources
A. Reference Materials: The Library provides general resources on area studies, politics, and
history in print, and online. These sources are best used by students to check simple factual
information on countries, their cultures, and their histories.
B. Books: The Library has an extensive collection of books, both print and electronic, relating to
area studies, history, and politics. With continuing input from the instructor, this collection can
be improved for this course, and for general campus needs.
C. Periodicals: The Library subscribes to thousands of (mostly online) periodicals. Examples of

periodicals that the Library has access to include: Journal of Cultural Geography, Cultural
Anthropology, Human Rights Quarterly, and World Politics. There should be sufficient access
to periodicals for students to complete any research projects in this course.
D. Media/Videos: The Library has a good collection of videos relating to country studies,
politics, and history. This can be improved with instructor input.
E. Electronic Resources: Students gain access to online journals and online encyclopedias
through our databases. Many of them are in fulltext. The following databases offered at the
Library have material relating to scholarship and research in the area of politics, government,
history, and cultural studies. These databases are sufficient for the research projects in this
course.
● Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life provides access to scholarly literature
for history issues
● Europa World Plus Presents political and economic information on countries and
territories as well as international organizations. Features statistical data and directories
● HAPI provides scholarship in the history and literature of Latin and Central America as
well as for the Latino community in the US
● Gale Virtual Reference Library and Sage Knowledge are scholarly general reference access
for social science terms, events, and country studies
● Sociological Abstracts provides access to scholarly literature relating to sociological issues
● PAIS is an index to journal articles and government documents in the fields of politics,
economics, public policy, international trade, government, and more
● CIAO focuses on theory and research in international affairs from 1991 to the present.
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● JSTOR provides an archive of scholarly journals in all subject areas
III.

Opportunities to Develop Information Literacy Skills

This course is a great addition to the GRS requirements. It offers the students an opportunity to focus on the
current issues of the society and culture of a specific region of the world, providing a way to further
understand the world from a nonWestern European or nonU.S. standpoint. Hopefully this course also
consistently offers a research paper that has students delving deeply into the scholarly as well as the current
newspapers and popular materials, and inspiring critical thinking and understanding to their experience, as
well as molding and refining their communication skills. I fully support this course being permanent and look
forward to working with the GRS instructors in furthering information literacy instruction to the students, as
well as improving our collection.
Susan Birkenseer
Reference and Instruction Librarian Saint Mary’s College
August, 2016

Dean’s email of support
Hi Kathy,
I am writing to offer my approval for the UEPC proposal to make GRS 130; Special Topics a permanent
course and to change it's name to "Interdisciplinary Issues in Global Studies."
The course, which is well-designed and appropriate to the interdisciplinary and global nature of the GRS
program, streamlines the curriculum for the major, does not present additional resource implications, and has
been effectively piloted as an experimental offering.

I received positive feedback from several chairs and program directors in SOLA on the proposal as well:
Claire Williams writes, "This looks like a good course to me and the rationale for making it permanent is
reasonable. If the topic rotates to one of health, as per the proposal, I foresee it being of interest to Health
Promotion and/or Health & Human Performance students within Kinesiology."
Myrna Santiago states, "This course fits nicely with the shape that GRS is taking since it changed from
International Area Studies to GRS, and History fully supports it. It fits into the Core well and advances the
College's blueprint in terms of pushing our students to broaden their minds and understand the world from
perspectives that go beyond the U.S."
Denise Witzig also offers support on behalf of Women's and Gender Studies, characterizing it as "a very

strong, well-developed course."
Please let me know if you have any questions.
cheers,
Sheila
Sheila Hassell Hughes

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Dean, School of Liberal Arts
Saint Mary's College of California

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