From matloff Thu Sep 28 12:43:04 2006 Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:43:04 -0700 From: Norm Matloff To: makbari@ucdavis.edu, imbartolomei@ucdavis.edu, ebyrne@ucdavis.edu, sochan@ucdavis.edu, jgdaliva@ucdavis.edu, dzduncan@ucdavis.edu, efernandez@ucdavis.edu, aahoffman@ucdavis.edu, athsu@ucdavis.edu, kairingan@ucdavis.edu, lmli@ucdavis.edu, smyng@ucdavis.edu, mosiracusa@ucdavis.edu, limsong@ucdavis.edu, afthompson@ucdavis.edu, dasasson@ucdavis.edu, thphan@ucdavis.edu, marod@ucdavis.edu, jdschilling@ucdavis.edu, skghuman@ucdavis.edu, jnkazi@ucdavis.edu, hnshah@ucdavis.edu, sjang@ucdavis.edu Bcc: Norm Matloff Subject: freshman seminar on immigration policy Message-ID: <20060928194304.GA7382@laura.cs.ucdavis.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Status: RO Content-Length: 3626 Lines: 73 Hello, everyone, I am writing to you because you are either enrolled in, or on the waiting list for, my freshman seminar on immigration policy, FRS 001, section 2. Since we won't meet until next Wednesday, I thought you might like a bit of a preview of what the course will be like. In this e-mail message, I will discuss some issues involving course structure. Then in a second e-mail message, I will bring in some material on immigration, as a way to get you thinking about some of the issues. I assume most of you have already read the course description, at trc.ucdavis.edu/trc/freshSem/Fall06/matloff.html If you have not done so, please read it as soon as possible, so that you understand the goals and format of the course ahead of time. This is a one-unit course. According to the so-called Carnegie Rule, which is the usual standard in colleges and universities nationwide, the workload of a course should be about two hours per week for each hour spent in class. So, in our course you should average about two hours per week of outside work. Note that this is an average over the ten weeks of the quarter, and there will be week-to-week variation. The format of the course consists mainly of discussion in class, and student research outside of class. Since this is likely quite different from what you've experienced before, where the instructor lectures while the students passively take notes, please be psychologically ready for it. I believe you will come to enjoy it, and that you will find that the research aspect to be very valuable in your subsequent coursework and your future professional career, no matter which field you are in. Within the last six months to a year, the term "immigration" in the popular press has come to mean only illegal immigration. This of course is incorrect. In our class, you students will develop your own ideal policy on immigration in general, including both legal and illegal immigration. There are many issues to consider involving legal immigration, and thus illegal immigration will be only one of the many aspects of immigration which we will look at. By the way, some people object to the term "illegal immigration," or at least to "illegal immigrant." The common alternative, "undocumented," is misleading, though. So, we will use the term "unauthorized immigration" instead. In that light, a point which needs to be emphasized here is that we all must keep in mind the need to respect each other. I am looking forward to lively discussions in class, the livelier the better. The vigorous exchange of ideas is what a university education is (or should be) all about. However, this must be done in an atmosphere of full respect for others. If you would like to know something about me, especially my connections to the immigration issue, you can read my bio at http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/matloff.html Since we will be meeting only once a week, e-mail contact is crucial. Please check your e-mail every day. In order for me to verify that you are reachable at this e-mail address, please reply to this message today (whether you are enrolled or on the waiting list). If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me. It is a great way for us to get to know each other. My office hours will be Mondays and Fridays, 1-2 p.m., in 3053 Kemper Hall, 752-1953. (I will not be in the office on October 2.) Also, I am available via e-mail virtually "24/7." I believe we will all gain a lot in this course, and am really looking forward to meeting you on Wednesday and working with you throughout the quarter. Norm Matloff