Time Schedule:
Peter Soverel
SIS 495
Seattle Campus
Small-group seminars address current problems in international affairs, each focusing on one specific policy question and producing a joint task force report. Restricted to senior majors in International Studies. Prerequisite: SIS 200; SIS 201; SIS 202; SIS 401.
Class description
National Security Strategy 2006-2011 The Task Force is responsible for : • Determining U.S. interests; • Assessing the threats to those interests in the context of the current global security environment; • Devising a national strategy to protect/secure those interests, including especially in Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terrorism.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Task Force is the capstone of your education in the Jackson School. It is an extremely demanding and challenging group undertaking. You and your classmates do the research, analyze the topic and develop a comprehensive national policy. You must work as a team and do depend heavily upon each other for analysis, perspective and policy development. With the foregoing in mind: · Task Force will be the most enjoyable course you take—guaranteed. You will put to use all you have learned at the university and more; · Classroom attendance is REQUIRED at EVERY class. Failure to attend class will result in your prompt dismissal from the task force; · Assignments are due when they are due. Late submission will not be accepted; · Task Force demands much more than a standard 5 credit hour class. Most successful students limit their credit hours during winter quarter;
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
A combination of lectures, guest lectures, readings, individual directed research, classroom discussions.
You will be graded on a composite of the National Security Strategy [the Task Force report], your individual paper, peer rating and my assessment of your contribution to the group work broken down as follows: ·40% National Security Strategy for the Twenty First Century [task force report: a comprehensive, integrated paper of 30 pages]; ·20% Individual paper [evenly weighted between draft and final papers]; ·10% Individual essay (5-7 pages); ·30% Peer evaluation.
