R.A.I.D.
(Read And Initiate Discussion)

UNST 220C: Understanding Communities


Dr. Martha J. Bianco


Winter 2006


RAID No. 2
due in Mentor Session Week of 24 Jan. 2006

General Instructions:
Answer all questions, using the guidelines at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/RAID.html.  Be prepared to be randomly selected to lead and/or actively participate in discussion about any one of the questions during your mentor session.  If you are a leader, you will be graded on how prepared you were to lead the discussion, how well you succinctly presented your responses and arguments, how professionally you handled the process of facilitating group discussion, and your overall response to the question. If you are a participant, you will be graded on how attentive and responsible you were during the leader's initial presentation, how well (extent of preparedness, ability to respond, etc.) you engaged in dialogue about the topic after the leader finished, how professionally you participated in discussion (not taking up too much time or interrupting), and your overall grasp of the subject matter.  Each student will also be graded on the written RAID response: format, content, thoughtfulness, professionalism, etc.

Please include each question (you can just copy and paste from here) or a short (paraphrased) version.  Your discussion points for each question should not exceed half a page or so.  

Special Information:
Because you are also working on a "practice RAID question" for your second Short Write, I will not be giving you typical RAID questions from the readings for this first discussion.  Instead, this RAID will focus on the University Studies program and goals.  The purpose of this exercise is to help all students understand the University Studies model and approach and how this course fits in that model.


I.  Review the program overview at http://www.pdx.edu/unst/overview.html and then look at the program map at http://www.pdx.edu/unst/program_map.html.  If you have had (or are currently taking) a freshman inquiry or transfer transition course, describe your understanding of the role of that course.  If you did not take any freshman inquiry or transfer transition courses, describe the purpose you think they were meant to serve.

II.  Look up our sophomore inquiry at http://www.pdx.edu/unst/sinq_communitystudies.html.  How do you interpret the description of our course, UNST 220?  When you look through the other courses that make up the Community Studies cluster, do any of them interest you?  If so, which ones and why?

III.    Read about the role of the mentor in sophomore inquiry courses at http://www.pdx.edu/unst/sinq_mentors.html (for more information, also see http://www.pdx.edu/unst/mentor_impact.html).  From what you have heard, experienced, or read, what are your impressions of the mentor program?  Do you think it is valuable, a waste of time, better if optional, great as is, or what?  Explain.

IV.    Read through the brief summary statements of the four University Studies goals at http://www.pdx.edu/unst/goals.html.  In addition, examine the specific rubrics for each (listed within each box in bold, with a link to a Word and pdf version; the Communication goal has two rubrics:  one for writing and one for quantitative literacy).  Knowing that sophomore inquiry faculty are expected to integrate these goals into the theme of their course -- that is, that the subject matter of the course (in our case, understanding communities) provides a basic scaffolding for further mastery of the four goals, what are some ways in which you foresee those goals being addressed in this class (you may want to revisit the syllabus to review the projects we will be doing)?