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Fall 2023 - MACS265: Innovation Illinois

Assignment 6: Reading Response and Preliminary Proposal Worksheet

Part 1: Reading Response

Read the 3 assigned readings on Unit One/Allen Hall History (1994) and the Proposal to Encourage Undergraduate Education Development at UIUC (1972). Now consider:

1. In the "To the University with Love" (aka the Educational Reform Manifesto, c. March 11, 1968; from University of Illinois Archives, Paul C. Schroeder papers-addition, 1960s, unprocessed), what critiques are being made about undergraduate education and what solutions does the manifesto suggest? In 1 paragraph:

a. Provide an example(s) where the writers think American universities have failed 'modern' students;
b. Example(s) of solutions they offer?

2. In the Proposal to Encourage Undergraduate Education Development at UIUC (1972) [a report from the Commission for Reform of Undergraduate Education and Living (CRUEL; 1970-72), a committee formed by Chancellor Peltason in 1970], Peltason notes that “now is the time” for reform. In 1-paragraph, respond to the following: Why ‘now’? What is articulated in this proposal, and what is implied? What pressures might undergraduate education be feeling, and from where?

3. Unit One/Allen Hall, an innovation for UIUC and the first residential learning community on campus – emerged at a moment when a ‘revolution’ in undergraduate education was taking place, influenced by a larger context beyond questions about higher education. In the Unit One/Allen Hall History" (1994), can you glean from the structure of the early program years what critiques had been made about undergraduate educational experiences at UIUC (and of higher education more broadly)? In 1 paragraph:

a. Provide an example(s) of possible critiques;
b. Identify at least 1 challenge the program faced from its inception, and why was this so?

4. To what extent can you see different versions of safety for the campus being argued for by students and University leadership in these documents?

Part 2: Preliminary Project Worksheet

On Thursday, our lab will be held in the Archives Research Center/Student Life & Culture Archives (1707 S. Orchard Street).

As a travel tip, the Red, Teal, Raven, and 22 buses stop near the SLCA. (You can also walk to the SLCA from the FAR/PAR stop). You can use this Trip Planner to arrange to get there by noon. If it were us, we would take the Bronze East bus (#8) that leaves the Illini Union (South Side Shelter, Green Street) at 11:34am and drops you off at Orchard Downs North Shelter West, right in front of the SLCA at 11:44am.

You'll also have lab time to do some background searches on primary sources that could be related to your Final Project topic and start thinking about possible sub-topics and questions for your Final Project.

Download and complete this PRELIMINARY PROJECT PROPOSAL WORKSHEET to guide your searches and exploration of your topic. The worksheet asks you to make a preliminary topic selection and to search for sources related to your preliminarily proposed topic using the Illinois news resources data base (which includes the Daily Illini database), UIUC's Library Easy Search and Google Search. Complete the worksheet, and copy and paste the contents to your Scalar Page.

Post your Reading Response and Project Worksheet to your Scalar page and send us (MACS265TeachingTeam@gmail.com) the link by 12pm (noon) Monday.