University of Michigan - Flint

University of Michigan-Flint

UNV 100 Course Syllabus - Fall 2007

UNV 100
FLINT: THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND YOUR ROLE IN THE FUTURE
FALL 2007

Meeting Time/Location: Fridays, 10:00 – 1:30, French Hall 111

Instructors: Professors Stephen Landon (Theater and Dance), Marty Kaufman (Earth and Resource Science), Suzanne Selig (Health Sciences and Administration), John Sonnega (Health Sciences and Administration), Keith Moreland (Business)

Office: (Landon): 238 Theatre Bldg. (810) 762-3315 (Office Hrs: T,R: 9-11 or by appointment)

E-mail: sdlandon@umflint.edu

(Kaufman): 516 Murchie Science Bldg. (810) 762-3355 (Ofc Hrs: by appointment)

E-mail: martyk@umflint.edu
(Moreland): 4168 W.S. White Building (WSW), (810) 762-3264) (Ofc. Hrs: MW: 10:45
– 11:45 and 12:45 – 1:45 and M: 5:45 – 6:45, and by appointment).
E-mail: moreland@umflint.edu
(Selig): 2102 WSW (810) 762-3172 (Ofc. Hrs: by appointment)
E-mail: sselig@umflint.edu
(Sonnega): 2109 WSW (810) 762-0738 (Ofc Hrs: by appointment)
E-mail: jsonnega@umflint.edu

Questions?: Please contact the professor leading your group (Chevy (Landon), Pontiac (Kaufman), etc.)

Materials: A Coursepack of readings is required and available in the University bookstore;
Bicycle helmet

Suggested Readings: Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places. John R. Stilgoe author.

Course Description

UNV 100 is an interdisciplinary course designed to investigate the past, present, and future of Flint from four different perspectives (the cultural arts, environment, public health, and business/ economic). The class is organized into two instructional units: (1) lectures and (2) breakout sessions. The lecture portion is designed to provide you with background into the major issues which have shaped Flint’s past and present, and those which are likely to influence its future condition. In addition to applying concepts addressed during lectures, the breakout sessions will enable you to experience first-hand the perspectives presented in lecture through walking/biking tours of Flint, interviews with community leaders, and in-service work with existing organizations.

Learning Goals: Together with the lectures, the breakout sessions will provide you with the necessary knowledge and analytical skills to prepare some innovative solutions for community revitalization. Final group projects will be presented to the class and also displayed to the entire University community via a poster session.

Assessment Goals: Upon completion of this course, students should have a greater understanding of Flint’s history and current socio-economic conditions as well as an informed opinion on the many viable options for the future of Flint and other shrinking cities

Grading

2 exams (midterm and final, 100 points each) 200 points
8 homework assignments (25 pts each) 200 points
Group Project 100 points
Group Participation 100 points

Total 600 points

For purposes of estimating your performance during the semester, use the following grading scale (which also applies to final grade computation): 93-100% (A), 90-92 (A-), 87-89 (B+), 83-86 (B), 80-82 (B-), 77-79 (C+), 73-76 (C), 70-72 (C-), 67-69 (D+), 63-66 (D), 60-62 (D-), below 60 (E).

Exam Procedures

The Midterm exam begins at 10:00 A.M., when exam packets are passed out. Accompanying each packet is an answer sheet. The answer sheet and test booklets are turned in when you finish the exam.

If absence on the date of a lecture exam is predictable and unavoidable, you will be allowed to take it early. In the event of illness, family problems, or transportation difficulties, you must call the ERS department secretary (Phone: (810) (762-3355) and leave word you will be absent.

If you miss a lecture exam, the material missed will be included within the final exam.

Assignments: There is a 5 point penalty assessed each day for late assignments. Papers handed in after lecture on their due date are considered one day late.

Both exams are worth 100 points. If an exam does not contain 100 questions, the percentage of earned/total points will be calculated to scale the result to 100 points.

Plagiarism: Please refer to p. 32 of the current UM-Flint catalog.

Attendance Policy: Due to the once a week schedule, the “in the field” format and the vast amount of information that will be covered, attendance is expected and required for all classes. You are allowed one excused absence. Your grade will go down one full grade upon your second absence and a full grade for each additional absence.


 

COURSE SCHEDULE (all readings are in the Coursepack or online)

Date Topic Reading

Part I. The Past

Aug. 31 Introduction: Course overview

Sept. 7 History of Commercial Expansion in Flint B1,B2,B5

Sept. 14 Industry and Public Health P1, P2, P3, P4, P5,

P6

Sept. 21 The Urban Environment E1,E2

Sept. 28 Cultural Assets of Flint U1,U2,U3

Part II. The Present

Oct. 5 The Business Environment in Flint Today B4 (pages 4-33),B6

Oct. 12 Health Disparities in Flint/Genesee County P7, P8

Project Abstracts Due

Oct. 19 Basic Environmental Analysis Techniques E3

Project abstracts due

Oct. 26 Midterm Exam

Cultural Arts: Guest Lecture: Todd Weller, Mgr. of the U4,U5,U6

Red Ink Gallery


Part III. The Future

Nov. 2 Economic and Commercial Prospects for Flint – Guest Speaker B3,B4 (34-68)
Project Outline / Bibliography due

Nov. 9 The Community’s Health and Wellness P9, P10, P11,
P12, P13

Nov. 16 Sustainable Cities for the Future—Flint’s Challenge E4,E5,E6

Nov. 23 (NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING

Nov. 30 Cultural Arts: Movie: “Roger and Me”

Part IV. Project Presentations

Dec. 7 Group Presentations

Dec. 14 Final Exam (10:30 – 1:30)

Break Out Session Schedule

Class will divided into 4 groups. Each group will rotate through the 4 disciplines in each part of the course. The first breakout session will be held in the library on Friday, August 31st.

Aug. 31 Library Groups #1 and #2 @ (11:00 – 12:00)

Groups #3 and #4 @ (12:00 – 1:00)

Part I. The Past

Session Activities: Business and Economic (Research and Analytical Skills)
Environmental (Off-campus walking tour – environmental observation)
Public Health (Windshield Tour of Flint)
Cultural Arts (off-campus bicycle /walking tour)

Sept. 7 Group #1 - Business and Economic

Group #2 - Environmental

Group #3 - Public Health

Group #4 - Cultural Arts

Sept. 14 Group #1 - Environmental

Group #2 - Public Health

Group #3 - Cultural Arts

Group #4 - Business and Economic

Sept. 21 Group #1 - Public Health

Group #2 - Cultural Arts

Group #3 - Business and Economic

Group #4 - Environmental


Sept. 28 Group #1 - Cultural Arts

Group #2 - Business and Economic

Group #3 - Environmental

Group #4 - Public Health

Part II. The Present

Session Activities: Business and Economic (Urban Revitalization)
Environmental (Flint River walking tour)
Public Health (Cultural Competence)
Cultural Arts (off-campus bicycle /walking tour)

Oct 5. Group #1 - Business and Economic

Group #2 - Environmental

Group #3 - Public Health

Group #4 - Cultural Arts

Oct. 12 Group #1 - Environmental

Group #2 - Public Health

Group #3 - Cultural Arts

Group #4 - Business and Economic

Oct. 19 Group #1 - Public Health

Group #2 - Cultural Arts

Group #3 - Business and Economic

Group #4 - Environmental

Oct. 26 Group #1 - Cultural Arts

Group #2 - Business and Economic

Group #3 - Environmental

Group #4 - Public Health

Part III. The Future

Session Activities: Business and Economic (Urban Revitalization)
Environmental (developing future energy and water management scenarios)
Public Health (Urban Health and Wellness Center Civic Service)
Cultural Arts (off-campus bicycle /walking tour)

Nov. 2 Group #1 - Business and Economic

Group #2 - Environmental

Group #3 - Public Health

Group #4 - Cultural Arts

Nov. 9 Group #1 - Environmental

Group #2 - Public Health

Group #3 - Cultural Arts

Group #4 - Business and Economic

Nov. 16 Group #1 - Public Health

Group #2 - Cultural Arts

Group #3 - Business and Economic

Group #4 - Environmental

Nov. 23 No Sessions

Nov. 30 Group #1 - Cultural Arts

Group #2 - Business and Economic

Group #3 - Environmental

Group #4 - Public Health


 

Readings:

Business:

B1: The History of Genesee County, Michigan – Chapter XXIX – Greater Flint. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/lapeer/gen/ch29/flint.html

B2: The Historic 1936-37 Flint Auto Plant Strikes, by V. M. Baulch and P. Zacharias, The Detroit News Rearview Mirror, http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=115&category=business

B3: Shrink to Fit – As Its Population Declines, Youngstown Thinks Small, by T. Aeppel, The Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2007, Page A1.

B4: Restoring Prosperity – The State Role in Revitalizing America’s Older Industrial Cities, by Jennifer S. Vey, The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program,
http://www3.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20070520_oic.pdf

B5. A Memphis Presence Gives Small Firms Logistical Advantage, by R. Flandez. The Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2007, page B7.

B6. The Fall of Flint, by Bill Vlasic and Brett Clanton. The Detroit New, December 11, 2005, page 1A.

Environment:

E1: An Introduction to Scientific Research, E. Bright Wilson. 1952

E2: Anatomy of Brownfields Redevelopment, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

E3: Mapping Space and Time, from Global Systems and Global Environments, by William M. Marsh and Martin M. Kaufman, John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
.
E4: Sustainability, a short 1-page overview of sustainability from different perspectives
E5: The Flint River District Strategy

E6: Vacant Lot Greening Strategy, by the Genesee County Land Bank

Public Health:

P1: Quick Facts about Flint, City of Flint

P2: Health Policy Report: Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in the United States—Origins and Implications, by David Blumenthal, New England Journal of Medicine, July 6, 2006

P3: Employment-Based Health Insurance: Past, Present, and Future, by Alain C. Enthoven and Victor R. Fuchs, Project Hope, The people to People Health Foundation

P4: Chapter 3: Health Resource Availability, The Health of Genesee County

P5: Chapter 4: Quality of Life, The Health of Genesee County

P6: Behavioral Risk Factors, The Health of Genesee County

P7: Flint Photovoice: Community Building Among Youths, Adults, and Policymakers, by Caroline Wang, et. al. American Journal of Public Health (94:6).

P8: Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in US High School Students by Metropolitan Status and Geographic Region, by Andrew E. Springer, et. al. Journal of Physical Activity and Health (3).

P9: The Scope of Public Health, by Anthony D. Moulton.

P10: Challenges to Research in Urban Community Health Centers, by Stephanie C. Lemon, et. al. American Journal of Public Health, (96:4).

P11: Crime Prevention and Active Living, by Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and John E. Eck, American Journal of Health Protection.

P12: Changing Social and Built Environments to Promote Physical Activity: Recommendations from Low Income, Urban Women, by Wendell C. Taylor, et. al. Journal of Physical Activity and Health (4)

P13: UAW: For a Healthier America, by Kim Ashby.

Cultural Arts:

U1: Safety First, by Jennefer, S. Forsyth, The Wall Street Journal

U2: Bad Odds, by Mark Whitehouse, The Wall Street Journal

U3: The Milwaukee Effect, by Gordon Anderson, CNNMONEY.Com

U4: A Different Path, by Lauren Tara LaCapra, The Wall Street Journal

U5: The Little Engine that Could, by Kemba J. Dunham, The Wall Street Journal

U6: The Focus-Grouped Park, by Jon Weinback, The Wall Street Journal