Quest III Community Engagement

Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

Global Citizenship
Explore – Culture – (3 credits)
GLC 230 – Migration, Culture, and Human Rights in the Americas

Brazil migrants, Salgado

Instructor: Dr. Catherine Bryan (she, her, hers)

Office: Clow Faculty Tower 333
Office hours: Tuesdays 3:00-4:00pm and by appt. face-to-face or online
Teléfono: 424-4004 (GLC main office)
E-mail: bryan@uwosh.edu
Classroom: Nursing/Education 222

Class Meetings : Tuesdays 9:40-11:10am

Thursdays 9:40-11:10am

Beginning Week 3 students will work on their Community Engagement project at:

Merrill Middle School, Webster Middle School, Tipler Middle School, North High School,
and Oakland Elementary School. Quest 3 students will work with school children from
those school with homework help, recreational activities, relationship building. The school
children are of international immigrant and refugee backgrounds.

Each student will work a total of 14 - 20 hours during the semester. There will be specific
days/times each week that students will work, as required by their project and according to
their own schedules during Weeks 3 to 14. Beginning Week 3 and through Week 14, the
class will no longer meet on Tuesdays from 9:40-11:10am. During Week 14, the class will
meet on Thursday, December 16th 9:40-11:10am.

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 This course will address the signature question:
How do people understand and bridge cultural difference?

Andean migrants, Salgado

Course Description:
Our context for discussion will be Latin America and our focus will be on human
migration within national borders and beyond. Through our studies of Latin American
migration, we will examine historically the national, cultural, political and social situations of
selected Latin American countries as we attempt to discern:

Why do people migrate? What does migration mean to them? What are the results of
migration personally and nationally and globally? What happens at the intersection of the
dream of migration and the reality migrants find in the new space/community? What
happens when the migration is not voluntary, but forced? How are the circumstances,
process, and results different in the cases of forced migration, exile, displacement, relocation,
the seeking of political asylum or refuge? How do nostalgia, a sense of place, resistance,
assimilation, acculturation, integration figure into the clash of cultures with relocation? How
do the forces of tradition, language, work, worldview, education, modes of production,
gender, race, class, ethnicity, interaction/interdependence/inequity come together in the
migrant process locally, nationally, globally?

We will approach these issues through the study of cultural representations of the migrant
experience – novel, short stories, essays, poems, films, television, music, paintings and
murals, testimony – all produced by migrants, socio-cultural travelers within Latin America.
What can these stories – oral, visual, written – tell us about the migrant experience?

At the same time, we will study official international socio-political and legal ways of
addressing the situation of migrants, exiles, refugees. In this broader arena, we will take as a
basis for our analysis the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations

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Refugee Agency as fundamental international protection mechanisms for migrants, exiles,
and refugees.

Finally, through our community engagement project, we will place the important issues of
migrant settlement and integration at the center. Our work with Merrill Middle School
virtually and in person at Zion Lutheran Church, and COMPAS de Nicaragua, will permit
us to work directly with international refugees and immigrants currently living in the
Oshkosh area in diverse phases of the resettlement and integration process as well as people
in Nicaragua.

Through our studies and our practical community work, we will seek answers to the
question: What does migration, resettlement, and integration mean in terms of intercultural
understanding, in terms of human rights, in terms of Global Citizenship? And, what is our
role in that process?

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

These objectives and outcomes are expected to develop at the intersection of our
coursework and our community engagement projects. Our in-class studies will give context,
set up problems, and provide a space for discussion and reflection about those problems.
Our community engagement work will permit us to put our ideas into practice, to work in a
positive, constructive way with international refugees and immigrants, to be part of a process
that can improve their quality of life.

1. Develop greater understanding about different cultural groups of Latin America, in

particular migrant communities.
2. Understand the history and reasons for human migration in Latin America and its
implications on a global level.
3. Recognize the connections between personal experiences, local action, and global impact.
4. Critically, creatively, independently and collaboratively engage with global challenges and
opportunities.
5. Recognize and analyze the construction of migrant identities as shaped by cultural
heritage and patterns of power or privilege.
6. Ask complex and respectful questions about other cultures and seek/listen to answers
reflecting a multicultural perspective.
7. Develop strategies to suspend immediate judgment of others who are different from us in
order to interact with them in an open and non-threatening way.
8. Communicate in ways that honor diversity.
9. Interpret cultural production from Latin America as it represents diverse human
experiences, both orally in class and in written format through reflection papers and essays.

A central theme that is woven throughout this course is Global Citizenship. Each student
at UW Oshkosh is required to complete at least one Global Citizenship course. Students
may also work toward a Global Scholar designation in advanced-level courses.

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What do we mean by Global Citizenship?
Global Citizenship is the knowledge of nations, cultures, or societies beyond the U.S.; the
recognition of how interaction, interdependence, and inequity among diverse geographical,
social, political, or economic systems have shaped historical and contemporary global
challenges and opportunities; and the skills to engage with the responsibilities of informed
citizenship in a complex, interdependent, and changing world.

Incorporated into this course are the following Global Citizenship Course Criteria:
In this course students will…
1) examine nations, cultures, and societies of Latin America from a historical
perspective that connects to current realities associated with human migration;
2) appreciate diverse human ideas and traditions of Latin America; and
3) understand forms of and sources of interaction, interdependence and inequity at
the local and global levels through our in-class studies of Latin American migration
and then our community engagement project with the Winnebago County Literacy
Council and Merrill Middle School working directly with international refugees in the
Oshkosh area.

Specific Global Citizenship Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize and analyze the construction of migrant identities as shaped by cultural

heritage and patterns of power or privilege.

2. Recognize the connections between personal experiences, local action, and global impact.

This Quest III course fits especially well within the Global Citizenship criteria in that:

- Our studies will include numerous social groups from different nations of Latin
America, from different regions, cultures, ethnicities that practice different traditions
and hold differing beliefs and ideas. And, at the same time,
- Our community engagement work, will directly connect issues of Latin American
migration to our own local reality, as we work with international refugees and
immigrants at Merrill Middle School, Zion Lutheran Church, and COMPAS de
Nicaragua. These refugees and immigrants are not from Latin America only, but
from Asia and Africa as well, thus further broadening our scope and points of
contact allowing us to see ourselves as part of a global network providing migrants
with some of the tools necessary for creating a better life in their settlement
community.

Our USP Signature Question: How do people understand and bridge cultural
differences? will serve as a frame and focus for our studies. What do we mean by
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence in the USP?

“Intercultural Knowledge and Competence” is the understanding of one’s own culture as

well as cultures beyond one’s own; the recognition of the cultural values and history,
language, traditions, arts, and social institutions of a group of people; the ability to negotiate

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and bridge cultural differences in ways that allow for broader perspectives to emerge; and the
skill to investigate a wide range of world views, beliefs, practices, and values.

Many of our central course objectives, knowledge, skills, and attitudes are reflected in
that description:
- Growing knowledge and understanding of the history and worldviews of
various socio-cultural groups from different national contexts
- Cultural self-awareness and respectful attitude and behavior toward people of
other cultures
- Communicate in ways that honor diversity in writing, speaking, and
nonverbally
- Desire to learn and grow in ways that broaden one’s perspective and lead to
points of contact with others
- Development of leadership skills as well as teamwork
- Empathy and openness

Coursework and Grading

1. Reflection papers (2) 20%

2. Immigrant and refugee country of origin group presentation 15%
3. Blog project (4 entries) 20%
4. Cultural project 5%
5. Update from the border project 5%
6. Work reports 5%
7. Final project (3 options) 20%
8. Class attendance and preparation, engaged, active participation 10%
and Community engagement project participation

Note: Failure to complete the Community Engagement project will result in failure of the
course.

Grading Scale
93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82; C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76;
C- = 70-72; D+ = 67-69; D = 63-66; D- = 60-62; F = 0-59.

Course Requirements and Expectations

Final Project Related to the Community Engagement Work and Course Content.
The Final Project will require that students describe, reflect, and analyze their experience
working with international refugees and immigrants within the context of themes and issues
we studied and discussed in class on migrants, culture, and human rights. Complete
instructions will be provided. There will be three options for the final project. Students will
select one.

One Global Citizenship artifact. The Final Project will also serve as a Global Citizenship
artifact in that it will also relate to the Global Citizenship criteria. Complete instructions will
be provided.

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Reflection papers (2) - based on course readings, films, classroom discussions. Due on
October 22rd and November 19th. Further instructions will be provided.

Blog Project (4) - 250-500 words per entry, photos in at least 3 of the blogs, online sources
include “I am a migrant” among others, course readings and content, and your learners.
Instructions will be provided for each blog entry.

Immigrant and Refugee Country of Origin Group Research Presentation: Members of

class will get into groups and will research and prepare a classroom presentation of social
and historical information and conditions related to the countries of origin of the immigrants
and refugees we will be working with this semester. Further instructions will be provided.

Cultural project, Update from the border project, Work report. Each item will help you
focus on themes from the course and connect them to your life, community, work.

Attendance and active participation:

It is expected that all students will read and prepare the assignments before coming to class
in order to participate fully in class activities, discussions, brief written assignments. If you
are not in class, you will receive an absence. If you are texting or otherwise engaged with
your telephone, you will receive a zero for the day in participation. (I will not necessarily call
you on this, but will note it in the grade book, if I observe it.) You are allowed one free
absence (please inform me before class if you will be absent, if possible); any subsequent
absence from class will lower your final attendance and participation grade.

Community Engagement Project Participation - All students are required to participate

in all community engagement project activities. Failure to participate will result in an F in
the course.

Required Course Materials:

Tell me how it ends: An essay in 40 questions by Valeria Luiselli
All other materials will be found on CANVAS in files or links.

Literacy and Refugee Resources connecting the Local with the Global:
(descriptions taken from the groups’ websites)

ProLiteracy - http://www.proliteracy.org/ Every adult has a right to literacy. We develop

and promote adult literacy learning, content, programs and advocacy to help adult learners.

ProLiteracy – Literacy for Social Change - http://www.proliteracy.org/literacy-for-

social-change/overview

Global Literacy Matters Blog - http://proliteracyinternational.blogspot.com/

ProLiteracy’s International Programs: Everyday our partners around the world find new
and innovative ways to help people improve their lives and communities through literacy
and action.

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U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants - http://www.refugees.org/ For the past
100 years, USCRI has helped shape our nation’s history. From publishing the first book on
U.S. citizenship to helping refugees from war-torn places like Europe, Vietnam, Cuba,
Burma, Iraq, and Sudan build new lives in the United States, USCRI has led the way in
helping refugees and immigrants achieve their American dream.

The United Nations Refugee Agency - http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on
December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to
lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems
worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It
strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in
another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a
third country.
In more than six decades, the agency has helped millions of people restart their lives. Today,
a staff of more than 9,300 people in 123 countries provides protection and assistance to
nearly 55 million refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless people. A further 5.1
million registered refugees are being looked after in the Middle East by the UN Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

UNICEF and the Convention on the Rights of the Child – http://www.unicef.org/crc/

Nearly 25 years ago, the world made a promise to children: that we would do everything in
our power to protect and promote their rights to survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to
make their voices heard and to reach their full potential. In spite of the overall gains, there
are many children who have fallen even further behind. Old challenges have combined with
new problems to deprive many children of their rights and the benefits of development. To
meet these challenges, and to reach those children who are hardest to reach, we need new
ways of thinking and new ways of doing - for adults and children. The principles outlined
in the international human rights framework apply both to children and adults. Children are
mentioned explicitly in many of the human rights instruments; standards are specifically
modified or adapted where the needs and concerns surrounding a right are distinct for
children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child brings together the children’s human
rights articulated in other international instruments. This Convention articulates the rights
more completely and provides a set of guiding principles that fundamentally shapes the way
in which we view children.

Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. Remember that
assignments and research and reflection papers must reflect your own knowledge and ideas,
so you may not copy, present the work of others as your own, or use someone else’s words
without appropriate citation. Piecing together a paper using texts obtained from the Internet
is fraudulent. If you need help in expressing particular ideas, ask your instructor for help.
Giving or receiving help on any exam is considered cheating. These offenses will result in a
zero for that assignment/exam. The second offense will result in an “F” for the course, and
action will be taken up with the Dean of Students. See the UW Oshkosh Student Discipline
Code for additional information on academic dishonesty
(http://www.uwosh.edu/dean/studentdisciplinecode.html).

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Human Rights and Respect for Others in the Classroom
There will be zero tolerance for disrespectful or threatening attitudes, statements, or actions
between and among students in the classroom. All students have the right to study and learn
in a safe, peaceful and respectful environment. Debate, conversation, the sharing of ideas
and opinions in the classroom are encouraged, but only insofar as they are expressed in a
respectful way.

Statement on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in the Classroom

I want you to know that I created this course to be inclusive of all students. When striving
for inclusion, I find it important to recognize that some communities have been historically
marginalized from education. Thus, I want to affirm that I identify as an ally to LGBTQ+
students; Native, Latinx and Hispanic, Asian, Black, and African American students; first
generation college students; students with disabilities; women students; students of diverse
religious backgrounds; and students facing financial challenges in affording college.

I am committed to creating an anti-discriminatory classroom climate in which all students

feel safe, supported, and affirmed. I ask that everyone in the class join me in committing to
the creation of a welcoming space free of discrimination, bullying, and harassment in which
each student can find a sense of belonging.

I value all my students and want to assist you in finding the support and guidance that you
need. So, if any of you face challenges this semester, whether academic or outside of
academics, I can help connect you with resources on campus to assist you in addressing
these challenges. My goal is to help you to be successful and to ensure that both our
classroom and our campus are safe and equitable.

Pronouns/Names: My personal pronouns are she/her/hers. If you feel comfortable,

please feel free (but not required), to let us know your personal pronouns. I will do my best
to use them. Also, please note that in all the courses I teach you can always submit written
work using gender-neutral pronouns (they, them, theirs, ze, hir, hirs, etc.). Please respect
your peers’ personal pronouns in our online discussions as well. Please let me know the
name you use as well. I will note it and do my best to use it.

The Early Alert Program

After the third week of class, you will receive a grade for your overall progress in this course
and each of the courses you are taking in your first semester. This process is called “Early
Alert.” You will receive this information in an email during the 5 th week of classes. It is
important that you read this email and take the action that the email suggests. Early Alert is
designed to help you evaluate your study skills and your class attendance so that you know if
you are on the right track. If you need to make some changes, there are resources available
to support your academic success. These Early Alert grades are not permanent and will not
appear on your transcript.

Students are advised to see the following URL for disclosures about essential consumer
protection items required by the Students Right to Know Act of 1990:
https://uwosh.edu/financialaid/consumer-information/

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 The University Studies Program and a Liberal Arts Education

Defining a Liberal Arts Education

Liberal Education is a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad
knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement.
These broad goals have endured even as the courses and requirements that comprise a
Liberal Education have changed over the years. Characterized by challenging encounters
with important and relevant issues today and throughout history, a Liberal Education
prepares graduates both for socially valued work and for civic leadership in their society. It
usually includes a general education curriculum that provides broad exposure to multiple
disciplines and ways of knowing, along with more in-depth study in at least one field or area
of concentration. Original source: Advocacy “What is a liberal education?”
www.aacu.org/leap.

How does that definition connect to Global Citizenship and to our Quest III course?
Following the AAC&U, “A liberally educated person is prepared for citizenship in a global
world; and able to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. Such individuals possess
broad knowledge and understanding of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as
well as in-depth knowledge of their specific area of interest.” In this course, our focus is on
human migrants from the Americas, culture, and human rights. Drawing upon literature,
scholarly articles, film, music, paintings we consider the migrants within their historical,
social, cultural and national contexts and study reasons for migration and issues associated
with their situation upon arrival in the destination city. We simultaneously will work directly
with refugees who are negotiating that very situation upon arrival in the destination city,
Oshkosh. Thus the course helps students develop knowledge of and respect for diverse
human cultures and ways of knowing, creative and critical thinking skills, empathy for the
situation of others, a sense of social and community responsibility, the pride of taking action
to help others, and global awareness.

USP and the Signature Questions

The University Studies Program (USP) is your gateway to a 21st century college education at
the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This Quest III course is the last in a series of courses
you will take to introduce you to the campus and all it has to offer, the vibrant Oshkosh
community, and the challenges and opportunities of academic life as you pursue a liberal
education. In the first year of your Quest, you addressed two of the three “Signature
Questions” that are central to a UW Oshkosh education:

• How do people understand and engage in community life?

• How do people understand and create a more sustainable world?
• How do people understand and bridge cultural differences?

In this course, you are addressing the third of the Signature Questions. Upon completion of
Quest III, you will be ready to enroll in Connect, in which you will synthesize the three
Signature Questions.

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The Quest classes are designed to provide a solid foundation for the rest of your education
here, no matter which major you choose. Your USP courses will also provide the
opportunity for you to Explore and Connect as you begin your college education. For
further information about the unique general education at UW Oshkosh, visit the University
Studies Program website: http://www.uwosh.edu/usp .

How is this Quest III course different from my Quest I and II courses?

This Quest III course is different from your other Quest courses in that it includes a new
and important facet to your university experience: community-based learning. This will
allow you to directly experience the issues you are studying in the classroom and work
toward contributing positively to improving the quality of life of international refugees as
they are in the process of settlement and integration. A key element in Quest III is the opportunity
students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world experiences and reflect in a classroom setting on
their service experiences. This course plan models the idea that giving something back to the community partners is
good preparation for citizenship, work, and life. www.aacu.org/leap.hip.cfm

The goals of the Community Experience include the following:

1. Develop students’ teamwork and leadership skills;

2. Connect students more to the University and the local community through a
community-engagement project;
3. Engage students in action that has benefits in real time and makes academic
knowledge relevant and meaningful;
4. Enhance students’ ability to reflect on the relationship between their educational
experiences and their actions within communities;
5. Promote students’ ability to engage in dialogue with and have empathy for
community members.

Our Quest III Community Experiences (CE)

Merrill Middle School is located at 108 West New York Avenue, Oshkosh. Just a little
over a mile from the UW Oshkosh campus.
Tipler Middle School is located at 325 South Eagle Street, Oshkosh. 1.6 miles from the
UW Oshkosh campus.
Webster Middle School is located at 915 Hazel Street, Oshkosh. 1.5 miles from the UW
Oshkosh campus.
North High School is located at 1100 West Smith Avenue, Oshkosh. 1.2 miles from the
UW Oshkosh campus.
Oaklawn Elementary School is located at 112 Viola Avenue, Oshkosh. 1.4 miles from the
UW Oshkosh Campus.

Quest III students will work with school children who are international immigrants and
refugees at one of the above Oshkosh Area School District schools. Quest III students will
provide homework help, participate in recreational activities and relationship building as a
college buddy.

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Community Partnership requirements:
Students are required to fill out an application for their selected worksite. The USP Civic
Engagement Coordinator, Michael Lueder will perform criminal background checks as
needed by specific CE programs for students, and, each student will receive training
including expectations and responsibilities regarding performing their volunteer duties with
their selected partner.
Complete the following online OASD Application Form by Wednesday, September 15th.

Please note:
Students are expected to abide by the UW Oshkosh Student Academic and Non-Academic Disciplinary
Procedures during their Quest III Community Experience. All students will be asked to acknowledge in
writing that they have been made aware of these policies. Other policies that may be relevant to the
Community Experience in this course are described in the online Quest III Handbook available on the
course D2L site and may include criminal background checks, travel arrangements, and/or expectations
for research with human subjects.
CE transportation for in person project: students will get to their Community Partner
site by walking or biking, bus route, private cars, carpooling with classmates.

University Services for Student Support – Accessible to All

The Division of Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence (ASIE) at UW Oshkosh is

dedicated to the academic growth and personal development of UW Oshkosh students
comprising first-generation, low-income, students of color, women, and LGBTQ+ students.
You can learn more about the ASIE programs listed below at: https://uwosh.edu/asie/
• American Indian Student Services
• LGBTQ+ Resource Center
• McNair Scholars Program
• Men of Color and Latino/a/Hispanic Initiative
• Student Achievement Services and Student Support Services
• Women’s Center

Accommodations: It is the policy and practice of myself and all UW Oshkosh to create an
inclusive learning environment. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course
that result in barriers to your inclusion, please notify me as soon as possible. You are also
welcome to contact the Accessibility Center at (920) 424-3100 or
accessibilitycenter@uwosh.edu. For more information, visit the Accessibility website
at http://www.uwosh.edu/deanofstudents/accessibilitycenter

If you have a learning difference or would benefit from a modification of our space for this
class, let me know as soon as possible so I can help. You may also find the Disability
Services staff helpful in the Dean of Students Office (Dempsey Hall, 125 • 920-424-3100).

In the University Studies Program, we want you to be successful. Specific resources related
to our course are noted on the course CANVAS page and will be discussed in class. Below
you will find useful general resources for your academic success on campus. You may also

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visit this resource page to read about all the campus services available to support your
success. http://www.uwosh.edu/home/resources.

The Center for Academic Resources (CAR)

The Center for Academic Resources provides one-to-one and small group tutoring for many
courses on campus at no additional cost. Both online and in-person options are available to
students. CAR tutors have earned high grades in the courses they tutor and are faculty
recommended. Tutors can help students organize and understand course content in addition
to strengthening overall study skills. Please visit the CAR website for more information and
how to access tutoring: https://uwosh.edu/car/

Information Literacy (Polk Library)

Polk Library offers many professional librarians who can help you find library resources for
your research. You also may set up a Research Advisory Program session with a librarian
at rap@uwosh.edu. We will have a meeting with a librarian about your work in the course,
but you consider making the librarians regular resources for your work in all of your classes
that require research.

Bias Incident Reports: The campus community is committed to fostering an inclusive

environment where every member of our community is respected and valued. If you witness
or experience an incident of bias, you are invited to file a bias incident report so that the
situation can be addressed. If you choose to share your name, a UW Oshkosh staff member
will follow up with you within one business day. Bias incident reports can be filed
here: https://uwosh.edu/police/bias-incident-report/

Title IX: Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based
on sex (gender and gender identity) in educational programs including recruitment,
admissions, financial aid, classroom instruction, on campus housing, employment, and other
areas. Title IX also protects pregnant arid parenting students, and prohibits sexual
harassment including sexual violence. To report complaints of sexual harassment or
discrimination based on gender, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at
(920) 424-1166 or (920) 424-2021. To report complaints of sexual assault, students can also
contact the Dean of Students Office at 424-3100 or University Police at 424-1212.

Counseling Center
The Counseling Center focuses on helping students flourish, which means to feel good and
function well. We provide individual and group counseling, wellness workshops,
biofeedback, mindfulness practices, crisis services and more. During the pandemic, we will
be providing services through teletherapy. To schedule an appointment, call the Counseling
Center at 920-424-2061 and check out our services on our website
at https://uwosh.edu/counseling/

The Oshkosh Area Food Pantry If you are experiencing food instability, you may
reach out to the Oshkosh Area Food Pantry.

Multicultural Education Center:

“MEC serves as a resource and information center for students, staff, faculty and

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community members interested in improving cross-cultural human relations and
understanding cultural differences. The MEC also continues to serve as the "embassy" for all
multicultural and international students on campus. To many multicultural and international
students, the MEC provides a "home away from home" atmosphere.” From:
http://www.uwosh.edu/usp/resources
Location: Center for Equity and Diversity
Phone: (920) 424-3081; Email: acadsupp@uwosh.edu

*Syllabus statement regarding classroom mask requirements:

“All students are required to wear an appropriate mask that covers their
mouth and nose when they’re in the classroom. They must also adhere to
additional expectations communicated by the instructor or posted in the
classroom. Note: UWO procedure dictates that, during the COVID-19
pandemic, an instructor cannot begin class until all students are wearing a
mask properly. If a student is non-compliant with the masking policy and
refuses to leave the classroom promptly when requested, the instructor is
required to cancel class. Students responsible for class cancellation for
these reasons will be referred to the Dean of Students office, and the
student will be unable to attend class until they meet with the Dean of
Students. The student may be dropped from the class by the Dean of
Students."

Existing protocol for student conduct should be followed.

https://uwosh.edu/deanofstudents/student-conduct/

Land Acknowledgement Statement

We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this area, the Menominee and the Ho-Chunk
nations. This land encompasses the three campuses of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
in the Lake Winnebago region. Please take a moment to honor these ancestral grounds and
celebrate the resilience and strength that all Indigenous people have shown worldwide.

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 Central American Migrants

Course Plan
The following schedule of assignments is tentative. Based on the needs of the class, the
professor reserves the right to alter the schedule at any time. Students will be given sufficient
advance notice should a change in the schedule be necessary.

Week 1
September
Thursday 9 Introduction to the course and community engagement project
options
Introductions of Professor and Students
Discussion of course organization and expectations.

Next week: -Our community partners will “visit” us to tell us about their
project in class on Tuesday the 14th.
-Student community partner work schedule and location will
be finalized.
-Students will fill out any paperwork required by each partner
and have it ready to hand in at orientation on Tuesday of
Week 3.

Then, Week 3, each student will have their first meeting with
their community partner at the partner site.

Beginning Week 3, we will no longer meet as a class on

Tuesdays.

Migrants: Who are they? Why do they migrate? What does it mean
to be a migrant?
Migration – Immigration – Refugee – Exile – Forced Relocation

Working definitions of key terms and concepts.

(Readings for next Tuesday on CANVAS)
Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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Week 2
Tuesday 14 Guest speaker: Michael Lueder, Asst. Director for Civic Engagement

Community Partners Present their Volunteer Opportunities.

Pitches for:
Merrill Middle School, Tipler Middle School, Oaklawn Elementary
School, Webster Middle School, North High School

Decide by Noon on Wednesday, Sept. 15th which project you would like to participate in,
time/day

Each student is required to complete the following online OASD Application Form by
Wednesday, September 15th. If you have any questions regarding the form, please contact
Mike Lueder (luederm@uwosh.edu) or 920-424-4231.

Class discussion of:

Language: Migrant, Refugee – discussion of readings from CANVAS
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its history also
found on CANVAS

Thursday 16 Literacy and Refugee Resources:

Connecting the Local with the Global (links in syllabus)
i am a migrant gives voice and puts a human face on the myriad personal stories of migration.
Contained here are tales of extraordinary personal achievement in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds;
people leaving their homes in search of a better future.
Often vulnerable and friendless, they rely on the generosity of those they meet along way; they are sometimes
children traveling without a guardian or young adults starting anew, learning a new language, a culture and
seizing opportunities to achieve their long held dreams.
One in every seven persons on our planet is today a migrant—someone far from his or her home. Be it an
overseas laborer, a student, it can be almost anyone. The banker who picks up and leaves London for Hong
Kong, or the nomadic herder forced to leave Somalia for Kenya during this era of global climate change.
We aim to counter the misperceptions that categorize migrants as opportunistic and not interested in
integration; stereotypes that many are willing to foster. WEBSITE and TWITTER

Instagram: UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, United Nations Human

Rights, United Nations, UN Refugee Agency…

Sebastião Salgado – Migrations: Humanity in Transition

Read S. Salgado “Introduction” (CANVAS)

Blog set up “how to” demonstration.

Set up your blogspot blog and send me the link.

Week 3
Tuesday 21 First meetings with Community Partners begin this week!
Students meet with their selected community partners:

We will confirm times, places, protocols with the partners when they visit on the 14th.
We do not meet as a class today

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 Thursday 23 Questions, comments, concerns regarding first week of fieldwork
with Community Partners

Film: “The Salt of the Earth” Sebastião Salgado

BLOG 1 due before midnight on Sunday, September 26th

Week 4
Tuesday 28 Students work with Community Partners…

Thursday 30 Questions, comments, concerns regarding fieldwork!

Discussion of “The Salt of the Earth”

Push/Pull Theories of Migration – Reading in CANVAS

Selection of groups, countries, schedule for Country of Origin

presentations. Time for initial organization of groups.
Week 5
October
Tuesday 5 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 7 Migration 1: Internal Migration - Country to the City – drought,

poverty, favelas, shantytowns.
The Case of Brazil

El sertão
Barren Lives/Vidas secas by Graciliano Ramos

A peasant family, driven by the drought, walks to exhaustion through an arid

land. As they shelter at a deserted ranch, the drought is broken and they
linger, tending cattle for the absentee ranch owner, until the onset of another
drought forces them to move on, homeless wanderers again. Yet, like the
desert plants that defeat all rigors of wind and weather, the family maintains
its will to survive in the harsh and solitary land. Intimately acquainted with the
region of which he writes and keenly appreciative of the character of its
inhabitants, into whose minds he has penetrated as few before him,
Graciliano Ramos depicts them in a style whose austerity well becomes the
spareness of the subject, creating a gallery of figures that rank as classic in
contemporary Brazilian literature. (amazon.com)

Group Presentation work in class – breakout sessions

BLOG 2 due before midnight on Sunday October 10th

Week 6
Tuesday 12 Students work with Community Partners

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 Thursday 14 Migration 1: Internal Migration - Country to the City – drought,
poverty, favelas, shantytowns.
The Case of Brazil

“Barren Lives” – film adaptation of the novel by Nelson Pereira

“A sense of place” migrants, refugees, ourselves

Week 7
Tuesday 19 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 21 The Case of Peru: “Recipe for a House”

From Coracora to Villa El Salvador

Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth. “Birth” (video)

Group Presentations: Countries of origin of our partner

immigrants and refugees (3)

First Reflection Paper due Friday, October 22rd by 11:59pm:

a reflection paper of 500 words, typed and double-spaced, 12 font, CANVAS.

Week 8
Tuesday 26 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 28 The Case of Nicaragua: “Surviving in a City of Disasters: Every

Day We Live is the Future” by Douglas Haynes

BLOG 3 due before midnight on Sunday, October 31st

First Tutor/Work Report due before midnight on Monday, November 1 to CANVAS

Week 9
November
Tuesday 2 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 4 Migration 2: Exile, Refugees, and Forced Relocation – military

repression, resistance, exile.
The Case of Dictatorships of the Southern Cone

Introduction to golpe militar, dictatorship, Operation Condor, exile

Group Presentations: Countries of origin of our partner

immigrants and refugees (4)
Week 10

Tuesday 9 Students work with Community Partners

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 Thursday 11 Migration 2: Exile, Refugees, and Forced Relocation –
dictatorship, military repression
The Case of Dictatorships of the Southern Cone – Chile

Kanopy film: “Memories of a Dreamer: Journeys of a Political

Prisoner. Based on the Life of Félix Mora” Chilean exile.

BLOG 4 due before midnight on Sunday, November 14th

Week 11
Tuesday 16 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 18 Migration 3: “The Dominican Republic and Haiti: An Island

Divided”

Group Presentations: Countries of origin of our partner

immigrants and refugees (3)

Second Reflection Paper due Friday, November 19th by 11:59pm:

a reflection paper of 500 words, typed and double-spaced, 12 font, CANVAS.

Thanksgiving Week
Tuesday Most will not work with Community Partners this week
Thursday due to Thanksgiving Break

Week 12
Tuesday 30 Students work with Community Partners
December
Thursday 2 Migration 4: Migrants from the Central American Triangle:
Unaccompanied Minors, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli

Structured around the forty questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented
Latin American children facing deportation, Tell Me How It Ends humanizes
these young migrants and highlights the contradiction between the idea of
America as a fiction for immigrants and the reality of racism and fear—both here
and back home.

Valeria Luiselli was born Mexico City in 1983 and grew up in South Africa. A
novelist (The Story of My Teeth and Faces in the Crowd) and essayist
(Sidewalks), her work has been translated into many languages and has
appeared in publications including the New York Times, the New
Yorker, Granta, and McSweeney’s.

Winner of a 2018 American Book Award, Nonfiction Finalist for the Kirkus
Prize, Finalist for National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism
(amazon.com)

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Week 13
Tuesday 7 Students work with Community Partners

Thursday 9 Migration 4: Migrants from the Central American Triangle:

Unaccompanied Minors, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers
Migration in the “Age of COVID-19”

Dr. María Graf, Transcultural Nurse – healthcare and

immigrant/refugee communities

Community Partner appreciation project creation.

BLOG 5 due before midnight on Sunday, December 12th

Week 14
Tuesday 14 Community Partner appreciation project delivery.
Students work with community partners.

Thursday 16 Final class – wrap up and reflections

Final Projects due Friday, December 17th by 11:59pm in the CANVAS

Favela, Rio de Janeiro, Neville Mars

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