PEAC 499
Senior Portfolio
1. Catalog Entry
PEAC 499
Senior Portfolio
Credit hours (1)
Prerequisites: Enrollment in Peace Studies Minor, senior standing
Students will prepare (under the direction of a Peace Studies faculty mentor) a Senior Portfolio of work produced in courses taken for the minor, show how they are all thematically connected, and prepare a public presentation of these examples of work (1 credit hour).
2. Detailed Description of Course
Creation of student portfolio and presentation of that portfolio.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The process required by each faculty mentor will vary, depending upon the student鈥檚 theme. The faculty member will work closely with the student to prepare a portfolio of work done in the various courses taken for the minor and how each connects to the major theme/concentration of the minor (e.g. the student will write a self-reflection essay to assess how well each piece of work ties to the theme of his/her Peace Studies Minor and how pursuing the Minor has affected the student鈥檚 education and preparation for the future). The student will do multiple revisions of work so that it attains a professional level of writing. The student will be expected to prepare a public presentation of the overall portfolio, at such events as the RU Undergraduate and Graduate Forum, a professional conference, or other appropriate venues as approved by the Director of Peace Studies.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate:
1) A basic understanding of the nature and methods of peace studies as an interdisciplinary
field, and how their chosen them connects
to this field;
2) A basic understanding of the range of global problems and international issues
facing humankind in the 21st century, and how their
thematic study of peace can aid in the resolution of these problems and issues;
3) An awareness of the dynamics and complexity their particular thematic focus;
4) An appreciation of the relevance that peace studies 鈥� as critical reflection
on some of the most fundamental issues of our
contemporary world 鈥� has in their own lives.
5. Assessment Measures
The Senior Portfolio and the public presentation of it will constitute the assessment
instruments for the course. The Senior Portfolio will be assessed according to:
1) the appropriateness of the examples of previous work selected by the student
for inclusion in the portfolio;
2) the effectiveness of the explanations the student provides for how each course
in the minor connects to the overall theme developed
by the student; and
3) the analytic strength of the reflections that the student writes about each
example of work to explain how it connects to that theme.
The public presentation of an example of work will be assessed according to:
1) the substantiveness of the content with relation to Peace Studies issues;
2) the clarity of oral presentation; 3) the effectiveness of the presentation
format, visual displays, or technology.
Students will receive a letter grade from A-F in the course.
6. Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
April 23, 2014