Course Syllabus

Course Information
(course number, course title, term, any specific section title)

Spring 2007

HUMA 5300 Section 501

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Arts and Humanities

Professor Contact Information

(Professor’s name, phone number, email, office location, office hours, other information)

Prof. Rainer Schulte, Tel. 972 883-2092 or Tel. 972-562-8121 (Home. You can leave messages 24
hours a day.) ---
OFFICE: JO 5.508 (5th floor, NW corner in the Center for Translation Studies) ---
OFFICE HOURS: Wed & Th. 4 - 5 p.m. & by appointment. ---
E-MAIL: schulte@utdallas.edu
(NOTE: Students can e-mail their instructor only by using their UTD e-mail accounts. E-mail
sent from other accounts will be rejected by the UTD e-mail system.)

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

(including required prior knowledge or skills)

NONE

Course Description

The seminar will introduce students to basic concepts of the arts and humanities and how
human problems can be approached through the tools of interdisciplinary studies in an age of
electronic information. More than ever, students have to learn how linkages between the various
forms of verbal, visual, and musical texts can be established in a highly charged technological
age. The foremost responsibility of humanistic endeavors is the art and craft of interpretation.
Students will acquire techniques to facilitate interpretive approaches to texts and will be
challenged to formulate questions that address the current problems of the humanities. In order to
facilitate the interpretation of scholarly and artistic texts, the instructor will introduce students to
the methodologies derived from the art and craft of translation. Translation thinking fosters
associative thinking, which should be considered one of the most important tools to enter the
complex layers of literary and humanistic texts to create new conceptual frames that will respond
to the needs of our contemporary world. Students will refine their thinking skills through multiple
interpretations of texts in the arts and humanities. For that purpose, the instructor will
demonstrate how the translation model can further the art of interpretation and the reconstruction
of the various interactions of creative and critical texts. The seminar should be considered a
forum where students begin to formulate their own ideas about the function of the humanities in a
rapidly changing world.

Course Syllabus Page 1

Students will be introduced to the major scholarly journals, the available digital research tools,
the integration of databases into their research, and the changing scene of scholarly publications.

Course requirements / evaluation criteria

Students must actively participate in the discussions of each seminar session.

Students will write weekly paragraphs to reflect their reactions to the assigned readings.
Students will be asked to reconstruct the internal thought progression of scholarly monographs in
the form of presentations during seminar sessions.
Students will produce either a creative or critical project during the course of the semester.
Group projects are encouraged.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

The students will:

1) learn how to think through verbal, visual, and musical texts.

2) learn how to reflect their thinking through the writing of weekly paragraphs.
3) acquire the techniques of associative thinking.
4) learn the basic concepts of disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking and research.
5) be introduced to the research reference material, including electronic databases.
6) practice the various techniques of interpretive approaches.
7) prepare annotations, abstracts, and study models for writing M.A. and Ph.D.
proposals
8) prepare reports on reference journals
9) present the reconstruction of the main ideas of one scholarly monograph to be taken
from the list of Book Reports.
10) prepare a creative or scholarly project.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Readings will include selections of texts by essayists, scholars, writers, artists, historians, and
philosophers, as well as musical and visual works. Here is a good sampling of textbooks and
materials:

Edward Cornish. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future

Published by the World Future Society
Paperback Edition, if available.

Bernstein, L. The Unanswered Question.

Yenawine, Philip. How To Look At Modern Art. New York. Harry N. Abrams. 1991.

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Erich Auerbach. Mimesis

Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolution. (2nd ed.)

Schulte/Mitchell. Continental Short Stories: The Modern Tradition. W.W. Norton

Huizinga, J.J. Homo Ludens. ISBN 0-807046817 (pbk)

Peter Burke. New Perspectives on Historical Writing. Pennsylvania State Univ.

ISBN 0-271-00834-2 (pbk)

Richard Florida. The Rise of the Creative Class. (Paperback if available)

Daniel H. Pink. A Whole New Mind. ISBN 1-57322-308-5

James Paul Gee. What Video Games have to Teach us about Learning and Literacy

C.P. Snow. The Two Cultures

Additional Essays and visual and musical material provided by the instructor.

Suggested Course Materials

NONE

Assignments & Academic Calendar

(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)

Approaches to Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts & Humanities

Addressing the Humanities

NOTE: This is a tentative outline of topics to be discussed during the semester, subject to change according to student
orientation and needs.

The main focus of the seminar will be the response to “How a Text comes to Mean.”
Interpretation as Translation
Translation and Reading
Comparative Approaches: Formation of General Statements
Multiple Translations
Multiple interpretations of verbal, musical, and visual texts
Horizontal Reading
Communication as Translation
The Interpretive Perspectives
The Dimensions of Literacy in the 21st Century

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 Verbal, visual, musical literacy
Forms of verbal, visual, and musical expressions
The New Media
Promotion of Scholarship and Research in the Humanities
The Role of the University Presses
The Scholarly Monograph
The Scholarly Journal
Websites
Databases
The Ethical Dimension
The Aesthetic Dimension
The Study of the Future
The Concept and Function of a Discipline
Resources for Research in the Humanities
Humanities Centers and Institutes
Scholarly and Artistic Associations
Archival Libraries
Museums
Library of Congress, Bibliothèque Nationale, etc.

Syllabus and Assignments

Throughout the semester, as needed, bibliographical information and additional texts to

be used for seminar discussions will be provided by the instructor, either in the form of
photocopies, or on computer disks, or on the Webct.
At the beginning of each seminar session, there will be a short report on scholarly
journals to be prepared and presented by students. In addition, students will give presentations on
scholarly monographs and articles.
It should be noted that all the essays, articles, and monographs that will be read during
the semester are interrelated, so that discussions will not be restricted to one text during a seminar
session. Rather, a continuous interaction among the various verbal, visual, and media texts will
occur.

Library Orientation
One of the Seminar sessions, conducted by Linda Snow, will take place in the UTD
Library. Ms. Snow will introduce students to the main research sources for the studies of the arts
and humanities. Date: TBA

Key Words
Ambiguity
An inexhaustible network of relationships
Field of possibilities
Indeterminacy
Works in movement
Interpretation and performance
Interpretation as dialogue
Comparative approaches

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Resonances and echoes
Changes of perceptions
Changes of sensibility
New vocabulary
Concept of models
Linear way of thinking
Nonlinear way of thinking
Paradigm
Cultural literacy
Associative thinking
Conceptual frames
Complexity
Adaptability
Versatility/ pluralism
Flexibility
Fluidity
Mobility
Innovation

Session I General Orientation

Handouts
Syllabus
Reading Lists
How-To Books
Suggestions for Book Reports
Reference Journals
Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Culture” (Full text on internet)
First page with underlines (Hard copy)
Vladimir Nabokov. “Good Readers and Good Writers” (Electronic copy)
Aaron Copland (Hard copy)
Robert Con Davis-Undiano. “Back to the Essay” (Hard copy)

Assignment
Vladimir Nabokov. "Good Readers and Good Writers"
Robert Con Davis-Undiano. “Back to the Essay”
Frankel. “Why the Humanities”
Edward Cornish. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future

Session II Aspects of Interpretation and Writing

Exercise: “Culture” by Emerson.
Discussion of Nabokov, Robert Con Davis-Undiano, Frankel
Discussion of Seminar requirements
The Exploration of the Future: Key concepts of Futuring by E. Cornish.

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 The development of thoughts pursued by Cornish rather than a summary of the
monograph.
Emphasis at all times on the crystallization of main ideas.

Assignment
Schulte. “Translation and Reading”
Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolution. (2nd ed.)
O. Paz. “Translation: Literature and Letters”

Session III The Concept of Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Thinking.

Discussion of the main ideas of The Structure of Scientific Revolution
Also Paz, Schulte
Exercise: Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay. “Culture”

Discussion: Exercise: Preparation of abstract (book or article)

Assignment
Texts from Continental Short Stories
The technique of horizontal reading continued

Session IV Interpretive Perspectives: The Comparative Approach

The technique of horizontal reading
Associative Thinking
Discussion of abstracts prepared by students.
Reference: Erich Auerbach. Mimesis

Assignment
Begin reading of Bernstein. The Unanswered Question
(Charles Ives) Chapter 5: “The Crisis of the 20th Century”
Aaron Copland: “What to Listen for in Music”

Session V Musical Interpretation

Listening to Bernstein Lecture 5
Discussion: Copland
Additional discussion of abstracts written by students
Introduction of Dissertation Abstracts

Assignment
Richard Florida. The Rise of the Creative Class.

How to prepare an Annotation.

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Session VI The Revival of Creative Thinking
Discussion of Florida
Examples of writing an annotation
Preparation of Portfolio and Ph.D. Proposals

Assignment
L. Bernstein. The Unanswered Question continued.
Huizinga, J.J. Homo Ludens.

Session VII The Concept of Play in Culture

Discussion: Huizinga, J.J. Homo Ludens.
How to prepare a proposal for the Portfolio and the Dissertation

Multiple Interpretations
Musical and visual interpretations
Background References for visual interpretation
Studies related to visual interpretations
Rudolf Arnheim. Visual Thinking
Philip Yenawine. How to Look at Modern Art
David Fin. How to Look at Photographs
James Monaco. How to Read a Film
John Berger. Ways of Seeing

Tonal and atonal music

Discussion of multiple interpretations of a musical text
J.S. Bach. Italian Concerto; Beethoven. Sonata
Reference: Erich Auerbach. Mimesis

Assignment
Peter Burke. New Perspectives on Historical Writing

Session VIII Multiple Translations and Interpretive Perspectives

Various examples of multiple translations and critical approaches
Jacques Barzun. “Food for the NRF”
Discussion: Peter Burke. New Perspectives on Historical Writing

Assignment
Daniel H. Pink. A Whole New Mind.

Session IX The Concept of Relationships

Discussion: A Whole New Mind.
Reviewing the structure of the Arts and Humanities School.

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 Assignment
James Paul Gee. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

Session X A New Landscape for Learning and Literacy

Discussion of Gee Book and the concept of play revisited
Additional Reference: Mihai Nadin. The Civilization of Illiteracy

Session XI The Concept of Culture

Discussion of C.P. Snow. The Two Cultures

Sessions XII—XIV
Scholarship and Research in the Age of Technology
Scholarly Publishing
Electronic references:
The History Highway: A Guide to Internet Resources.
(Excerpts provided by the instructor)
Student Reports on various articles and essays.
Revisiting of the major concepts of interdisciplinary studies and research.
The Future of the Humanities
Government Funding: NEA and NEH
Articles:
Schaefer. “Still Crazy After All These Years”

Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)

Students will be judged on their seminar participation, their presentation of their Book
Reports, their writing of their paragraphs, on their report on reference materials, and on the
completion of their final project.

Course Syllabus Page 8

Course & Instructor Policies
(make-up exams, extra credit, late work, special assignments, class attendance, classroom citizenship, etc.)

Since the Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Art s and Humanities functions as a

seminar, students must be present during all the sessions during the semester.

See also above “Course requirements / evaluation criteria” under “Course description”

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

NONE
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

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 The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of

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 Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to

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 take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

PS
Camus: “The Myth of Sisyphus” (Philosophical essay)
Design of research for Camus: “The Myth of Sisyphus”

Course Syllabus Page 12