ECON 277 Economics Journeys in Alaska

Instructor Dr. Alice Louise Kassens Phone (540) 375-2428

Office West 234, Appointments E-mail kassens@roanoke.edu

Office Hours TBA (on ship) Twitter @kassensEJAlaska

Course blog http://kassensEJAlaska.wordpress.com

Required text:
Knight, R. M. (2010). Journalistic Writing: Building the Skills, Honing the Craft. Portland: Marion Street Press. (Available
online for ~$14.00)

Other resources:
A list of other helpful resources on the principles of economics, Alaskan economy, and journalism will be provided.
Most are online and students are encouraged to download the materials prior embarking.

Description:
An intensive and experiential application of selected principles of economics to the Alaskan economy. Students will
travel to various Alaskan locations and communicate their economic observations through various journalistic
forms, including feature stories and news analyses.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

Display a firm grasp of economic knowledge and concepts.
Demonstrate proficiency in a variety of communication skills.
Critically reflect on their learning about economics journalism and the Alaskan economy in an intensive learning
environment.

Prerequisites:
ECON 121 or 122

Required course materials:

Textbook
Journal/Physical notebook
Camera
Passport and second photo ID

Course format:
The course is composed of two phases:
Travel – The period in which you will gather the majority of the content for your journalism submissions. On days
that we are in a port, we will meet in the morning before you set out to establish an agenda and in the evening to
ECON 227 Economics Journalism in Alaska – Spring 2018

review the day. Some days in port will be very structured (I will have an interview lined up for you or some other
assignment), others will be less so (you are expected to find your “story”). Regardless of the format you are
expected to use your time in port wisely and responsibly. On “at sea” days we will have scheduled editing periods in
which you will work on your pieces. Individual status update meetings will take place in the afternoons and
evenings. You should bring your course textbook to reference and continue reading. If you have a laptop or tablet
you are encouraged to bring it on the trip to simplify the editing process.
Post-travel editing and exam – Once we return to the mainland, students will spend a considerable amount of time
editing all journal content for submission on their own (from home.) You will polish your journalism pieces and
submit them to Dr. Kassens via email by the due date. The final exam will be posted once we return from the
travel and is due at the same time as the journalism pieces. Please submit all elements in ONE email.

Course Schedule:

Day Location Topic/Activity Required

Reading/Assignments

May 8 (T) Charlotte Meet at hotel

May 9 (W) Travel to Seattle (Reading)

May 10 (H) Seattle (Reading)

May 11 (F) Seattle (Reading)

May 12 (S) Seattle Group meeting (AM) Journalism content #1

Group dinner

May 13 (S) Seattle, WA (EMBARK) Editing on own

May 14 (M) At sea Group meeting (AM)

Editing meeting (PM)

May 15 (T) Juneau Group meeting (AM and PM) Journalism content #2

May 16 (W) Skagway Group meeting (AM and PM) Journalism content #3

May 17 (H) At sea Editing meeting (PM)

(Cruise Glacier Bay)

May 18 (F) Ketchikan Group meeting (AM and PM) Journalism content #4

May 19 (S) Victoria, BC, Canada Group meeting (AM)

May 20 (S) Seattle (DISEMBARK)

Travel to Charlotte

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ECON 227 Economics Journalism in Alaska – Spring 2018

May 21 (M) Charlotte

May 25 (F) Online Final exam, all final materials

due

Assessment:

Instrument %

Attendance 20

Status Updates 20

Journalism content (4) 50

Reflection/final exam (1) 10

Attendance – Due to the intensive nature of the course, attendance is a crucial part of your success. Attendance will
be taken at all class meetings, which include status/editing meetings. You will receive a point for each meeting
attended.
Status updates – Your progress on the journalism content will be checked frequently throughout the trip. For these
updates you are expected to meet with Dr. Kassens or Dr. Enz and discuss your progress since the previous update.
You will be expected to bring your journal and camera to these meetings. The updates will be graded on a check
system (√-, √, and √+). The locations of the status update meetings will be announced at group meetings.
Journalism content – You are expected to complete and turn in four (4) journalistic pieces. Your pieces can each be
in a variety of forms including editorial, news story, column, or current event. It is crucial that economics and
economic theory play a role in all content.
Reflection/final exam – The final exam will assess the three intended learning outcomes for the course. The
assessment will include a set of reflection questions about the course.

Journal:
Internet access is not reliable in Alaska, particularly on the boat. You are expected to purchase a physical journal
that you can carry with you for content and bring to our status update meetings. I do not want to collect laptops,
tablets, etc. You are encouraged to transcribe your notes onto your laptop or other device.

Camera:
A camera is required for the photo journalism component. Pictures are also useful to emphasize or elaborate the
written word. You can use any type of camera, including a cellphone or tablet, but the pictures must be
downloadable.

Academic Integrity Statement:

This course requires both group and individual work. You are expected to follow the instructions for all
assignments, including what are considered acceptable and unacceptable resources. Doing your own work and

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ECON 227 Economics Journalism in Alaska – Spring 2018

properly acknowledging the work of others are fundamental and crucial values in an academic environment.
Violations of academic integrity will immediately be referred to the proper authorities.

Accessible Education Services:

Accessible Education Services (AES) is in the Goode-Pasfield Center for Learning and Teaching in Fintel
Library. AES provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. To register for
services, students must self-identify to AES, complete the registration process, and provide current
documentation of a disability along with recommendations from the qualified specialist. Please contact Dr. Sue
Brown, Director of Academic Services and Acting Coordinator of Accessible Education Services, at 540-375-
2247 or by e-mail at sbrown@roanoke.edu to schedule an appointment. If you have registered with AES in the past
and would like to receive academic accommodations for this semester, please contact Dr. Brown at your earliest
convenience to schedule an appointment.

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