Instructionally Related Activities Funds Request Summary
| Project Sponsor | Jesse Elliott |
|---|---|
| Activity Title | UNIV 392: Mathematics, Science, Music, Art and Culture of Australia |
| Activity/Event Date | Spring 2015 |
| Date Funding Needed By | January 28, 2015 |
| Previously Funded? | No |
| Semester/Year | — |
| Proposal # | — |
| Report submitted for previously Funded Activity? | — |
| Report submitted for previously Funded Activity | — |
| Academic Program or Center Name | Mathematics and Applied Physics Programs |
| Estimated total Course Fee revenue | $18,370 |
| Amount Requested from IRA | $42,580 |
| Estimated Number of Students Participating | 20 |
| Conditions and Considerations | Field Trip, International Travel |
| Brief Activity Description | This multicultural and interdisciplinary course combines the STEM disciplines with the culture, art, music, and architecture of Australia. The objective of this course is to give students exposure to the culture of Australia and some of the continent’s world contributions and accomplishments in mathematics, engineering, art, and music, as well as to provide students with practical and historical knowledge of the interdisciplinary applications. The instructors are experts, respectively, in connections between the STEM disciplines and art/architecture (Dr. Ivona Grzegorczyk) and music (Dr. Jesse Elliott). The course has no prerequisites and invites all students to apply. The instructors will select students though an application process on the basis of the students’ maturity and dependability, on their interest in mathematics, science, art, and music, and on recommendation letters from faculty. The connections between mathematics, science, art, and music, are very deep and span many cultures and times. Australia’s architecture is very modern and mathematically sophisticated and includes iconic structures like the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Parliament House in Canberra, the nation’s capital city. Both Sydney and Canberra have many famous museums. Their modernism includes the works of the famous Australian artists Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, and Albert Tucker. Our travel will begin by visiting Sydney and its incredible museums, the Sydney Opera House, the Aboriginal Museum, the Harbor Bridge, the Botanical Garden, and other cultural landmarks. From there we will visit the nation’s capital city, Canberra, where we will be hosted by faculty from the Centre for Mathematics and its Applications, of the Mathematical Sciences Institute of the Australian National University (ANU). Students will have the unique opportunity of visiting ANU and interacting with its faculty and students in the mathematical sciences. As with similar programs organized by Drs. Elliott and Grzegorczyk in Italy and in the Benelux countries, there will be an organized daylong conference on mathematics where students and faculty of both CSUCI and ANU will present their studies and research on topics related to the course themes. The program will have cultural, artistic and scientific value and will be suitable for an undergraduate audience. Early in the semester, students will be assigned the project of researching an interdisciplinary application of one or more STEM disciplines to art, culture or music that is relevant to the travel program. For example, a student may choose to research information on algebraic surfaces that describe the Sydney Opera House, to provide an analysis of the acoustical properties of the didgeridoo, or to study the geometry of Aboriginal art patterns. There will be several class sessions prior to the trip during which students will be given guidance on a) their projects and presentations, b) the history and culture of the regions, and c) preparation and orientation for the trip. There will also be one post-trip presentation for the entire university population with a poster and project session. |
| Learning Outcomes and Relation to IRA to Course Offerings | The proposed activity would be a section of UNIV 392 and, as demonstrated in the proposed syllabus, meets all of the course's learning outcomes. UNIV 392 • Develop a proposal on an international experience with a faculty advisor • Implement their proposed international experience • Demonstrate an understanding of various cultures • Demonstrate an increased familiarity with a foreign culture • Evaluate the contributions of diverse cultures The activity also relates to MATH 499 Senior Colloquium. Students will present at the weekly seminar. |
| Description of Assessment Process | Assessment will be based on: Project and Presentation (20 points). Students will be assigned into small groups. Each group will prepare an interdisciplinary presentation related to Australian architecture, art, music, or culture. Examples of possible projects include: Mathematics of the Sydney Opera House, Mathematical Patterns in Aboriginal Art, Mathematics of the Harbour Bridge, Mathematics of the Didgeridoo, Modern Architecture in Sydney and Canberra, and History of Science in Australia. Student projects will be presented prior to the trip to the other UNIV 392 students and to attendees of the mathematics seminar. Math-related talks will also be presented at a conference at ANU. Attendance and Good Citizenship at Activities and Cultural Events (50 points). Students will be evaluated on their attendance, citizenship, cooperation, and collaboration. Each missed required activity will result in a deduction of points (in inverse proportion to the total number of required activities). Pre-Trip Presentation and Activities (15 points). Students are required to attend six pre-trip sessions. Students will research the culture, traditions, and history of Australia and present their findings to the class. Each student will also have tasks assigned related to trip organization. Final Poster Presentation (15 points). After the trip students will prepare posters related to culture, arts, and architecture of Australia and related mathematics and deliver a poster presentation on campus. The presentations in Australia and the post-trip posters will be scored via rubrics (to be distributed). The final grade for the course will be calculated as follows. A+ 97-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 65-70 A 93-96 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 60-64 A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 F 0-59 |
| Activity Budget | australia-univ-392-budgetworksheet-final.xls (MS Excel, 25.5KB) |
| CIA Budget | australia-univ-392-budgetworksheet-final.xls (MS Excel, 25.5KB) |
| CIA Proposal | australia-cia-a1-form-university-392-final-25-feb-2014.doc (MS Word, 111KB) |
| Course Syllabus | australia-cia-ira-proposal-2015-final.docx (MS Word, 6.61MB) |
| CIA Certification | I certify that students attending this trip are not previous or repeat attendees of a prior International UNIV 392 Trip |
| Other Sources of Funding | The projected cost at the 66% funding level (for 20 students) $918.50 per student. This will raise $18,370. We currently have no other sources of funding. |
| Target Audience/Student Marketing | If approved the course will be advertised in Fall 2014 with fliers and e-mails. The course will be advertised across the entire university and an effort will be made to attract students across varying majors, cultures, and economic statuses. Students will submit an application with the following information: two faculty recommendations; GPA; mathematics and science courses; interests in art, music, mathematics, and science; student contribution to CI and/or CI STEM programs; and prior projects and presentations. Students will be selected, by Dr. Grzegorczyk (art and architecture) and Dr. Elliott (music), on the basis of their interdisciplinary interests in accordance with the CIA and IRA guidelines. Priority will be given to students majoring or minoring in a STEM discipline. |
| Bring Benefit to Campus | Each group will prepare an interdisciplinary presentation related to Australian architecture, art, music, or culture. Student projects will be presented prior to the trip to the other UNIV 392 students and to attendees of the mathematics seminar, which is a university-wide forum. After the trip students will prepare posters related to culture, arts, music, and architecture of Australia and related mathematics and deliver a poster presentation on campus. Students will present their projects to the university community, discuss the insights they gained from their travels, and attend the talks and exhibitions of their peers. |
| Sustainability | — |
| Program Chair/Director | ivona.grzegorczyk |
| Academic Affairs AVP | karen.carey |
| Acknowledgement | I acknowledge that I have reviewed and accepted the Conditions and Considerations herein. Please check off boxes as appropriate. |
Program Chair/Director Approval
| Approval | I approve the IRA Funds Request described on this page |
|---|---|
| Name | Ivona Grzegorczyk |
| Date/Time | 2/28/2014 2:26:14 PM |
Academic Affairs AVP Approval
| Approval | I approve the IRA Funds Request described on this page |
|---|---|
| Name | Karen Carey |
| Date/Time | 2/28/2014 3:38:51 PM |