SI 597/697

Community Information: Project Corps

1-4 credits; 0-3 PEP points

Fall 1999 meets Thursdays 5-6:30PM, 409 West Hall

Winter 2000 class syllabus

Fall 1999 class syllabus


Last updated 11/17/99

For more information, contact presnick@umich.edu.

Are you worried about the gap between the information rich and information poor? Are you worried about the national trend toward disengagement from the public life of our communities? Lots of other people are, too. Now you can join them in doing something about it.

This 1-credit seminar course offers reading, reflection, and social networking experiences for students who are engaged in projects or considering careers that put information to work for community and public purposes. Most students will enroll concurrently in some kind of project work, either through a Directed Field Experience (DFE), an independent study, a workshop course such as 695 or 699, or a professor-led project.

In this seminar, students will read about and discuss theories of community, civil society, and the role of the non-profit sector, and draw connections with their project work (reading and reflection). There will also be frequent opportunities to learn about other students' projects and to meet some of the national leaders of the community information movement (social networking) and possibly travel to relevant conferences and workshops. At the end of this course, students who are interested in pursuing careers in the community information movement will know how to begin a job search in this area.

You are encouraged to participate for multiple semesters (even all four semesters of the master's program); while we'll keep revisiting similar themes, there will be minimal overlap in the readings and activities.

The first day of each semester will be a project-fest, where faculty announce project opportunities and try to recruit you to join the projects, and Karen Jordan presents Directed Field Experience opportunities.