Thursday, September 17, 2009

[Decal] Week 1(*Updated): You missed week 1? PowerPoint Files...

If you missed week 1, there was a presentation about why I think you should care about Korea, but no, if you missed week 1, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to take this course... The week's PowerPoint File is available now.

Enrollment, Waiting List, and the Like: I have been told by Amanda that she continues to receive e-mails regarding whether or not people will be able to get in or not and I assure you that there will be no problem getting into the class and it'll always be more about "do you really want to take this DeCal?" than "Can I get in?" If it were upto me, there really would be no need for a waiting list, but let me explain. Right now, it says both on telebears and the schedule site that the "waiting list is being handled directly by the department" or "manually," which actually means that one of us needs to talk to somebody in the Ethnic Studies department, who in turn must contact the Registrar's Office to move those on the waiting list and into the class. This is necessary as the size of the waiting list had been bigger than the initial, allotted class size. For example, this class was first listed to show the class will be limited to twenty underclassmen and fiften upperclass men. Also, if space does become available, people aren't automatically moved into the DeCal without a visit/phone call/e-mail from one of us to the ethnic studies department. So, that is the reason for this delay.

The waiting list will now "be processed automatically each weekend during Tele-BEARS Phases I and II and nightly during the Adjustment Period." However, if necessary, I will visit Mr. Fong again before the add/drop deadline, and see if he can just raise the enrollment limit to the limits physical size of the classroom, so enrollment issues can and will just take care of themselves. Regarding the phyiscal size of the classroom, it can accomodate sixty-five to seventy students, and we as facilitators have made the conscious decision to take on that many students (of course with the sincere belief that realistically this class will not fill up). But, anyways, as more people enrolled, the limit of the class size has expanded and will continue to expand, if necessary. Moreover, the ratio of freshmen/sophomores to juniors/seniors can and will be adjusted.

I do understand that the add/drop deadline is just a week away, but I don't seriously think that there will be anybody that wants to take this course that won't be able to since (1) there are 48 enrolled with 1 on the waiting list while the physical size of the classroom stands at 65-70. (2) As I jested in class and earlier on this blog, this is a DeCal about Korea and not Japan or China, so I don't expect that the class will fill up. Of course, people have been been struck by lightning before, but anyways, I don't see why there won't be space. As to try and answer the naturaly question of why they don't just list the class with its real limits is beyond me; I would think it would eliminate excessive phone calls/visits/e-mails. Anyways...

PowerPoint Files: In accordance with my hope of trying to make everything available online. I have made the first presentation available here. And, if you scroll down, you will see a newly created list on the left hand side that will over time hold links to all the presentation files. Again, these presentation files are being made available for both those enrolled in the class and those not. But, I would like to point out that, if you do take a look at the PPT files, you will see that as I don't revert to reading of notes (or memorization) so even as I make these presenation files available along with a full curriculum that includes the syllabus and a complete reading list, it will still feel incomplete. This is why I feel the need to introduce podcasts. Again, all the material produced in this course will be made available with the hope that someone, somewhere will also create a similar course offering somewhere out there and/or follow along and contribute to our discussion.

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