Why IAH? | Teaching IAH | Teaching IAH in the summer | Supplies and Services | Complaints and Grievances | Reports on CISAH
IAH is MSU's unique approach to general education in the arts and humanities, offering courses that integrate (therefore "integrative") multiple ways of knowing into an enhanced appreciation of our humanity, creativity, knowledge, and responsibilities for ourselves and our world. Integrative Studies courses introduce students to college level work and important new ways of thinking in the arts and humanities. For more information: http://cisah.msu.edu/about_int_studies.php
Close AnswerAll departments of the College of Arts & Letters, the Department of History and the College of Music contribute teaching assignments to deliver IAH courses. The number of teaching assignments that each unit is responsible for depends on the unit’s agreement with the dean’s office of Arts and Letters.
Based on a variety of factors, the chair’s office of each contributing unit makes the decision on who will be teaching IAH courses in fall and spring.
If you want to know more about these agreements, contact the chair of your department, the CISAH director and/or the dean’s office.
IAH is part of the Integrative Studies curriculum at MSU and all UG students must complete a total of 24 credits, with at least eight (8) credits in each of the three broad knowledge areas: IAH, ISS and ISB/ISP.
In the case of IAH these 8 credits are distributed in the following way: 4 cr. A-course + 4 cr. B-course.
In addition, IAH courses are writing intensive and 4 contact hours are needed to comply not only with the credit requirement for general education, but also to achieve this academic goal.
No. IAH courses are made to fulfill the general education requirement in the Arts & Humanities at MSU. Certain groups recommend students to take specific IAH courses as a basis for their specialization (for example 211C for Latin American Studies) but those courses cannot be required as part of a specialization.
Close AnswerOnly once the IAH requirement has been fulfilled. Students may enroll in IAH courses to use them as electives beyond the required 8 credits and only if they enroll in an IAH course for which they do not already have credit.
Close AnswerWe have two sets of IAH courses: Tier I (called “A” courses) and Tier II (called “B” courses). Students must take one 4-credit IAH A course and one 4-credit IAH B course to meet their Arts and Humanities general education requirements.
A-courses are those numbered 201 through 210.
B-courses are those numbered 211 through 241.
For requirement information, review: http://cisah.msu.edu/students_iah_require.php
"A" courses are expected to have a certain breadth in subject matter and theme and some historical range. This breadth and range is in contrast with "B" courses, which are somewhat more specialized, focusing in somewhat more depth on a specific subject matter, era, or culture. "A" courses raise questions or themes that can "travel" i.e., can inform additional study in general education, the major, and beyond. For instance, what is America’s role in the world? what is globalization? what are the human questions regarding technology? IAH "B" courses raise questions or themes that are appropriate to the course title and specialized focus but may or may not "travel."
For more information on the difference between A and B courses, consult the Guidelines for IAH courses, p. 2-4. Looking at current IAH courses may also help to clarify this difference.
Course descriptions of A courses
Course descriptions of B courses
Sample syllabi of both, A and B courses
No. The letter designations for IAH "B" courses (i.e. Tier II IAH courses) indicated specific focus areas within the general topic area designated by the course number. For example, the general topic area for IAH 211 courses is Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations, with A indicating a specific focus on Africa, B on Asia, C on the Americas, and D on the Middle East.
Close AnswerThe current cap for stand-alone IAH sections is 50 students. “Stand-alone” means that the class is taught by one instructor without a TA. The cap for IAH sections that have TAs varies in the following ways:
A Courses:
Faculty + 1 TA = 75 students
Faculty + 2 TA = 150 students
Faculty + 3 TA = 225 students
Faculty + 4 TA = 300 students
B Courses:
Faculty + 1 TA = 100 students
Faculty + 2 TA = 200 students
Faculty + 3 TA = 300 students
All IAH courses are eligible for honors options. CISAH follows university policy regarding honors options: All honors options must be approved and supervised by the course faculty. If a TA is teaching the course, then the honors options must be approved by that TA's faculty of record. CISAH does not require the use of the honors option agreement, but we do recommend it. The honors option agreement is available at https://www.msu.edu/unit/honcoll/H-OAgreement.pdf General information regarding the honors option is available at https://www.msu.edu/unit/honcoll/H-Options.html
Close AnswerOnce the chair of your department has sent us your name to teach an IAH course in the fall and spring, you will be contacted by our office. Several requests will be made such as preferred class schedules (days/times/classrooms); course description and focus (specific title of your course), syllabus if this is a new topic for an existing IAH course. You will also be invited/reminded to navigate our site to know/update your information about our services and support.
Close AnswerJan Cornelius (patter24@msu.edu) handles schedulng for IAH courses. You will need to fill out two forms and send them to Jan by the deadline that she will indicate: (1) Schedule and Classroom Response Form and (2) Course Focus and Description Form (fall/spring or summer). Both are available in the Faculty home page as Word documents.
Close AnswerThe Schedule and Classroom Response Form serves to indicate your three top preferences for class schedule (days/times) and classroom. Please keep in mind that we do our best to accommodate your preferences and needs. However, we cannot guarantee that you will get your first choice, especially if your form arrive late to our office. The sooner you get this information back to us, the more likely you are to get what you exactly want.
Close AnswerThe Course Focus and Description Form is available in the Faculty home page as Word document. We need this information for two purposes: (1) to include the focus (specific title) of your course in the MSU schedule of courses; and (2) to include it the course descriptions of our web site (viewable, for example, in: http://cisah.msu.edu/students_b_ss08.php) Posting this information saves you and us time, since students want to know the topic of the IAH course to decide enrollment.
Close AnswerThere are several reasons to request a syllabus in advance. IAH courses are unique and different from courses that faculty design for their departments and programs:
To assure that these goals are met in IAH courses, the CISAH Advisory Committee (composed by 11 faculty) review syllabi of new courses and provide feedback using the Review Chart for New IAH courses that may be found in the faculty home page. Following discussion of the proposed syllabus, the CISAH director will communicate with the faculty member about the committee’s response, including queries and suggestions. Syllabi that do not meet the basic guidelines and expectations for IAH courses shall be resubmitted to the Director in a timely manner and prior to the start date of the course.
Close AnswerConsult the Guidelines for New IAH courses. Make sure that you use the check list in page 5 of these Guidelines. Visit also our website, especially Resources for Faculty and the Features: Course Highlights. If you require further information, make an appointment with CISAH officers.
Close AnswerSyllabi for courses offered in Fall semester: July 15
Syllabi for courses offered in Spring semester: September 30
Syllabi for courses offered in Summer sessions: March 15
The deadlines are relatively early for several reasons:
Visit: http://cisah.msu.edu/features_highlights.php and visit our office in 305 Linton Hall to review syllabi of past IAH courses.
Close AnswerThe Code of Teaching Responsibility (CRT), was approved by the Academic Council on November 4, 1969 and the Academic Senate on November 19, 1969; it was subsequently revised by Academic Council on May 19, 1976, February 27, 1996, and April 19, 2005 (effective Fall semester 2005). MSU conceives these responsibilities to be so important that performance by instructors in meeting the provisions of this Code shall be taken into consideration in determining salary increases, tenure, and promotion. A pdf version of the CTR is available in the Faculty Home Page.
Close AnswerFirst, you need to notify your department of your desired changes, since CISAH works closely with each department to avoid overlapping of courses by the same instructor. If your chair agrees, then contact CISAH main office to explore the possibility of this change.
Close AnswerYou need to notify your department chair immediately and s/he is responsible to schedule a replacement for your course. CISAH will not make any changes unless we receive official notification from your department chair.
Close AnswerClass Lists: you will be authorized to access your electronic class list (hard copies are no longer available) by pointing your browser to: http://www.reg.msu.edu/Forms/FormsMenu.asp and selecting ‘Instructor Systems’. If you have questions, please e-mail Jan Cornelius (patter24@msu.edu).
Please remember that after the close of the free add period (usually the friday of the first week of fall and spring semesters) you should match the names of students attending your course with the class list of the students registered for your course. No student should be allowed to remain in your course unless his or her name appears on the class list. The Registrar’s Office has cautioned us that except in rare circumstance, and then only if university error contributed to the situation, will students be added to a course after the end of the semester the course was offered.
Schedule of your IAH course
Please refer to the web Schedule of Courses to assure accuracy of time and location of your course. Notify us immediately of any discrepancies. To see a detailed description of the room you have been assigned go to https://reg.msu.edu/Forms/EventSched/PublicCalendarView.asp.
Yes. We must have on file a copy of your syllabus for each semester as well as your office hours and location of those hours. Please send to 305 Linton Hall or wardsar@msu.edu by the first Friday of the semester/session (if you have not already done so).
Close AnswerYou need to be attentive to the call sent by CISAH in late September each year. The CISAH Director sends a call to the chairs of each department requesting proposals for summer courses. The summer request form must be filled out and sent to the CISAH director by the end of the first week of October. Keep in mind that submitting your summer course request does not guarantee having an IAH course in the summer session. It depends on budget approval by college and university administration and sometimes we cannot honor all requests.
Close AnswerAs soon as we get the final approval of the College. This may happen as early as mid-January, but we cannot guarantee any specific date. You will be notified by mail if your course has been approved and included in the next summer session.
Close AnswerWe observe the enrollment pattern from previous summer sessions and plan accordingly. Following students’ demands, CISAH scheduling priorities as for US 2008 are online and hybrid courses. This means that any instructors (tenure stream or fixed-term) who proposes a fully online or a hybrid course will have priority over others. Off campus courses are lowering their enrollment because of online/hybrid courses, and we anticipate that this will continue in the years to come.
Close AnswerContact the CISAH office immediately and we will let you know what to do next. For more specific information on how to design your IAH syllabus, please look at the Teaching IAH section of this FAQ.
Close AnswerDuring the semester you are teaching in IAH, we have equipment and materials for you to use:
Supplies
For you or your TAs, we can provide basic supplies like paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, bluebooks, and manila folders upon request. If you require something that is not in the supply area, please let us know and we will see if it may be ordered for you.
Audiovisual equipment
If you need audio visual equipment, please contact MSU's Instructional Media Center (IMC) directly at 353-3960. This same number is to be used if you have questions regarding the equipment or its operation. IMC can provide a range of AV equipment, and will deliver and retrieve the reserved equipment directly from your specified classroom location.
Photocopies
Your copying needs may be taken care of in our copy room 309 Linton. But we must ask that you honor the 3-5 day advance copy request if you wish us to copy your material. Copies of the request form can be obtained in this office. Please feel free to copy any material by yourself or by your TA, if 3-5 days advance notice can’t be given. You and your TA have been assigned a pin number for access to our two copiers for the session in which your course is scheduled. The pin number is the first six digits of your social security number. You and your TA will have access to each machine (there are two in the copy room) Monday through Friday, 8:00 am. – 5:00 pm.
Computer Resources
The Center also has an in-house computer lab, a laser printer, and a scanner for your use, as well as a video library.
Videos and DVDs
We have a video and DVD library in 305 Linton available for your use. If you would like us to order a video for class use, please follow the instructions that are in the multimedia library site.
Book Orders & Desk Copies
If you have placed your book order with Sarah Ward (wardsar@msu.edu) and you requested desk copies but have not received those copies yet, please let her know as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call Jan and/or Sarah at 353-3560. We look forward to working with you.
Close AnswerEngaged IAH faculty who would like to work on a web-enhanced, hybrid or fully online course may apply for course development funds. Requests shall be received by CISAH until June 1 of the previous fiscal year. Funds will be used between July 1 and June 30 of the current fiscal year. For detailed guidelines on how to apply, review: Support for IAH Courses and IAH Course Development Funds Guidelines (PDF)
Close AnswerCISAH provides a limited amount of travel funds for research-related initiatives. For the current year, actively engaged IAH faculty are eligible for travel funds to attend/participate in academic events related to their field of specialization and Integrative Studies in the Arts & Humanities. Only IAH faculty teaching during the academic year are eligible. (For more details on how to apply, please review guidelines).
Close AnswerIn many different ways. Visit: Support for IAH courses to see ways in which we can help enhance your IAH class experience. Before applying for any of these resources, we request that you read the guidelines for each category.
Close AnswerInform the CISAH Director or Assistant Director of this plan and review our Digital IAH site. Designing and teaching a digital course takes time for careful planning and implementation. We have the resources to assist you, but we need to work within a timeline. All this information will be found in the link above. Please review it before your first meeting with CISAH officers and web-developers.
Close AnswerYes, students contact our office to file complaints related to IAH courses, grades, and instructors year-round.
Close AnswerThere are at least the following categories for students complaints:
When we receive a complaint from the student, we ask him/her to address it with the instructor in first place.
If this fails, we then ask him/her for an appointment in which s/he must provide factual evidence that backs up his/her complaint. At the same time we notify the instructor that a complaint has been received and that we will follow up with him/her after the initial meeting with the student(s).
When we meet with the student, we follow the Grade Appeals process recommended by the MSU Ombudsman .
Based on the factual evidence provided by the student, we notify the instructor and mediate a possible solution-if there is any.
We do not interfere with the academic freedom of any instructor, but we do listen to the student. If there are facts that sustain the student’s appeal, we will ask the instructor to consider the evidence and make changes as needed.
As in any legal process, “factual” evidence consists mainly of written documents. This is why having a well designed syllabus that complies with the CTR and our guidelines is so important. If the syllabus is incomplete or does not comply with the CTR or our guidelines and the student presents it as part of the “factual” evidence, s/he might have a strong case against the instructor. In other situations, witnesses that are willing to back up the student’s complaint (especially when the student has been mistreated in the classroom) may constitute factual evidence.
Close AnswerYou should not allow the intervention of any third party in this process, except the CISAH officers who act as mediators. Neither the instructor nor CISAH officers are authorized to release any information since the student is an adult. We base this information on FERPA. Please see also: http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/MomandDad.html:
Since the adoption in 1967 of a document called Academic Freedom for Students at Michigan State University, this University has considered its students as adults. This means that we expect to deal with your son in resolving his problem. Second, part of the broader goal of a college education is learning how to manage one's own affairs and to speak for one's self. It's an important lesson, so don't take charge of the problem for your son; instead, insist that he take the lead. You can provide support and guidance behind the scenes.
Close AnswerThe student is notified by CISAH that the grade appeal has been denied. The student has the right to bring it to the next level, which the College of Arts and Letters, and a similar process will follow. This is why it is very important to do things in order (step by step), have follow-ups and keep records.
Close Answer