You will learn
  • You will understand how the United Nations Millennium Goals address the main issues affecting the 3 billion poorest people on earth and what solutions will bring an end to desperate poverty on earth.
  • You will understand three dimensions of the problems affecting the most desperately poor -- food, disease, and war. You will learn the interconnectedness of the problems affecting poor people around the world and how to effect long-term systemic change.
  • You will demonstrate this knowledge in each class by short oral and written reports on your study. A quarter of your grade will be based on these short, frequent reports.

You will produce
  • You will choose one of the focuses of the course--food security, poverty, and refugees/effects of war -- and become deeply immersed in studying that area.
  • Through the guidance of partner organizations such as Catholic Relief Services and Bread for the World, you will produce materials that raise the awareness of Americans about the issue you have chosen.
  • You will use your professional skills to raise public awareness in ways that benefit the efforts of partner organizations. You will produce a major project, such as a multi-media documentary or educational unit on your topic.
  • You will present this project to the public in a venue appropriate to your career. Both content and presentation should be of professional quality. To ensure the highest quality, frequent reports on milestones will be given. Forty percent of your grade will be based on this project.

You will advocate
  • You will learn to participate throughout the semester in a project on food security, one of the priorities of CRS. You will have the opportunity to express your own well-founded position in a variety of ways, including writing to and speaking with legislative aids in Congress.
  • In preparation for your advocacy work, you will have milestones that you will meet and report on throughout the semester, leading up to your advocacy work. A quarter of your grade will be based on this preparation.

You will synthesize
  • You will write a final paper that reflects on and critiques your growth in understanding the Outcomes presented on the previous page and synthesizes what you have learned through research, study, and practice. Ten percent of your grade will be based on this component.

Required Books:

  • Tracy Kidder: Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. ISBN 978-0812973013.
  • Jeffrey D. Sachs: The End of Poverty--Economic Possibilities for our Time. ISBN 0-14-303658-0
  • articles as assigned

The fine print:
  • Attendance: For this class to be successful, your active involvement is needed. I want you to report your excused absences to me before the start of class. Absences due to illness, intercollegiate athletic events, etc., are considered "excused" absences if reported to me in advance via phone (x8360) or via e-mail jzurek at cabrini dot edu, and with the appropriate doctor’s note or athletic director’s note. You will not be penalized for missing that class; however, you are responsible for making up what we learned in class during your absence. It is up to you to find out what you must do both for the missed class as well as for the following class. More than three unexcused absences from this course will likely result in a substantially lower grade or even failure.
  • Cabrini College Academic Honesty Policy: The principal objective of the Cabrini College Academic Honesty Policy is to encourage a dynamic, open and honest intellectual climate based on the personal and academic integrity of all members. It is the responsibility of students to help maintain the community of academic integrity. Students shall not receive credit for work that is not a product of their own efforts. For a full description of the policy, please see the 2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to plagiarism (see below for further explanation), cheating, information falsification or fabrication, theft or destruction of intellectual property, facilitation of academic dishonesty. For a first violation, the faculty member will meet with the student or otherwise communicate the charge. The faculty member will complete an Academic Honesty Violation Charge Form, stating the violation and assigning a penalty. The student should sign and date the charge form and return it to the faculty member. The student may request a hearing before the Academic Honesty Board by indicating that option on the form. For a second violation in a given course, the faculty member will follow the same procedures as in the first incident but will assign a penalty of failure of the course without privilege of withdrawal. For any second or subsequent violation during a student’s academic career at Cabrini College the Academic Honesty Board shall conduct a hearing. Remember that all sources, including Internet sources, must be cited appropriately when using the author’s exact words or paraphrasing. Exact words must appear in quotations and their source must be cited. If you have any questions about citing sources properly, consult a faculty member, librarian, the Writing Center staff (http://www.cabrini.edu/writing/tools/index.htm), or the MLA style manual.
  • Disability Support Services: Cabrini College provides support services and appropriate accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities. If you are a student who requires classroom or testing accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services at 610-902-8572 or email at dss@cabrini.edu. Please note that classroom or testing accommodations can only be provided to students who have Accommodation Notification Forms from Disability Support Services. Students are responsible for providing the instructor with the Accommodation Notification Forms and informing the instructor when they need academic adjustments.
  • Syllabus is subject to change.