(Final Revision – 5 Febr.

2010)

HUNGER STUDIES CAPSTONE COURSE

HUSC 4000
Spring Semester, 2010 - 3 credit hours
Tuesdays, Thursdays - 9:00 to 10:30 am

Spidle Hall 336

Professor Douglas Casson Coutts, UN World Food Programme

Office: 356 Spidle, Office phone: 844-3215, Cell phone: (334) 728-4350
Office Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays 10:30 – 12:00 and by appointment
Email: dzc0008@auburn.edu or douglas.coutts@wfp.org

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This senior-level class is designed to help students interested in hunger studies develop their critical thinking
skills and expand their capacities to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary group setting as they
conceptualize, develop and implement a comprehensive hunger-based learning assignment. Specifically, under
the guidance of the instructor, student participants will be assigned a group project that combines issues related
to hunger within their major field with hunger issues related to the major fields of others in the group. Hunger-
related topics will vary from semester to semester. Regardless of subject matter, however, an examination of
the hunger issue from diverse perspectives will inform the creative projects being developed by the
multidisciplinary groups. This course is the final senior seminar required for the Hunger Studies Minor.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1) To deepen students’ understanding of hunger and its related causes, consequences, and responses; and

2) To enhance professional skills in the areas of team building, leadership training; advocacy; and project
development and implementation.

3) To assist and support the student in understanding the role that his/her chosen or potential future profession
(based on his/her major area of study) plays in addressing and helping to solve global hunger.

Each student will discuss research articles with his or her peers, co-design a research-supported project,
implement and evaluate the project, and co-author a paper that describes the project experience from start to
finish (i.e., the research base for the project, the details of the project design and implementation, and
evaluation of the outcomes of the project).
SEMINAR TOPIC and REQUIRED READINGS: Since this is a pilot launch of the first Hunger Studies
Capstone Course, the particular topic (s) for this seminar will be decided by the instructor in consultation with
the students enrolled in this course (based on individual interest and major areas of study) by the end of the
second week of classes. Accordingly, there may be one overall topic for the seminar and one class project or
several. Depending on the final choice of topic (s), a list of books, articles and other required reading will be
provided within the first couple weeks of class and also by week and class on Blackboard (as were assigned in
the Intro. Course – HUSC 2000).

SUGGESTED READINGS:

Making Globalization Work by Joseph E. Stiglitz

The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by
William Easterly

World Hunger: Twelve Myths (Paperback) by Frances Moore Lappe (Author), Joseph Collins (Author), Peter
Rosset (Author), Luis Esparza

Growing up Empty: The Hunger Epidemic in America by Loretta Schwartz Nobel

Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen

Ending Hunger in Our Lifetime: Food Security and Globalization by C. Ford Runge

Graded Requirements for the Course (based on 400 total points)

There will be two separate but related projects for this class (Spring 2010) - one research paper with
literary review and one operational group project (Campus Kitchens Project – CKP). Since the group
project will necessarily be local, much of the work of the domestic research paper group will support
and complement the needs and background assessment for the CKP project.

1. Research Paper (100 points) plus Literature Review (50 points)

The Class will be divided up into two primary working groups – Domestic and International, based on the
interests of the students and their approach (relating to their major area of study) to the agreed Capstone
Course Theme – “Vulnerability – Women and Children”, for the Spring Semester 2010.

A paragraph briefly describing the student’s interest and approach will be prepared, discussed and agreed with
the instructor and an Outline for the Research Paper will be developed based on this paragraph. Students with
similar and comparable interests will be grouped together.

The research paper will be an in-depth analytical paper. It will be a work of the student’s own research, views,
opinions and thinking, not simply a summary of existing work.

Each team will produce one Research Paper - 20 to 30 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman or Arial 12
point font, 1" margins. The Literature Review will also be collectively prepared by the team and will contain 15 to
20 sources - primarily scholarly/academic and not current events sources, i.e. newspapers, magazines, etc.

The literature review will be written from a multidisciplinary perspective and will lay the foundation for the
research paper and the group presentation. For example, in a team that includes a political science student, an
agriculture student, and a human development and family studies student, the presentation will include a review
of hunger-related research from the specific perspective of the students’ three disciplines. The political science
student might review research related to policy implications of hunger, the agriculture student might incorporate
how applied research in agriculture can improve access to food for the poorest communities, and the human
development and family studies student might cover research that has addressed past efforts that have
improved the quality of life for food insecure individuals and families.
Research Paper, Thesis, Outline and Literature Review Guidelines will be distributed, reviewed and discussed
in class.

Literature Review - due 9:00 am, Tuesday, 2 March

Research Paper - First Draft – due 9:00 am, Tuesday, 23 March

Second Draft – due 9:00 am, Tuesday, 6 April

Final – due 9:00 am, Thursday, 22 April

2. Project Proposal (25 points) – “Letter to your Grandmother”

Students will be grouped together based on their complementary interests and areas of special study. A formal
project proposal must be approved before the student group proceeds with implementing the project. The
proposal will include:

• the purpose and goals of the project,

• the methodology for implementing the project,

• a means for evaluating the successfulness of the project, e.g.

o evaluations can include number and description of participants/recipients,

o closed-ended/open-ended responses from participants/recipients,
o observations of the project implementation, or other means of determining project outcomes

• a detailed week to week schedule of activities to be accomplished for the project during the semester.

This project proposal will be written together in plain language without jargon and understandable to a layman in
this subject, i.e. your grandmother.

Project Proposal – “Letter to your Grandmother” – due 9 Febr, 9 am, Tuesday

3. Research Paper Presentation (25 points)

There will be two class presentations towards the end of the semester, one by the International Team (Subject –
Case Study on Haiti) and the second by the Domestic Team, based on their collective research and findings,
solutions, recommendations, from their respective Research Papers. For one entire class period, each Group
presentation will be an engaging overview of the various areas of their research and include a class discussion
managed by the team.

Domestic Team Presentation – Tuesday, 20 April

Int’l Team Presentation – Thursday, 22 April

4. Group Project – Campus Kitchens Proposal, Assessment, and Application (100 points)
As a team, the entire class will work together to establish a Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) at Auburn
University. Key outputs will be the successful completed of the entire CKP application and establishment of a
pilot CKP Task Force to launch the plan, at minimum, on a pilot basis by the end of the Spring Semester 2010.
The two teams, domestic and international – based on the research paper, will meet on a regular basis in class
and outside of class to organize the strategy and approach to complete the CKP application process. An
extensive and detailed assessment will be completed as per CKP guidelines.

Both teams as a class overall will prepare the CKP proposal as one final document, as per the CKP pro forma,
which will include

• the purpose and goals of the project,

• the methodology for implementing the project,
• a means for evaluating the successfulness of the project,
• a detailed week to week schedule of activities to be accomplished for the project during the semester.

Deadlines to be discussed/agreed in class with Teams.

5. Group Project Presentation – Campus Kitchens (25 points)

The final CKP plan, recommendations and proposal will be presented by the class as a team to a selected
Auburn University management team or/and established CKP Community Advisory Board (depending on
progress made) at the end of the semester.

Individual grades on the team will be based on the success of the entire team success which will be judged by
those being presented to.

Team Presentation – Tuesday, 13 April

6. Project Journal (25 points) – Research Paper and Campus Kitchens Project

Each student will keep a journal of his/her project progress on both the research project and the operational
project. Entries should be made in the journal several times a week to:

• document resources consulted,

• time spent in the field implementing the project,
• experts consulted,
• personal thoughts about the topic, ideas,
• quality of the multidisciplinary team’s process for moving forward with the project,
• problems encountered, etc.

The journal is a way for the student to keep track of her/his progress based on the plan of work. It is also a way
for the instructor to ensure the student is making progress and to be able to offer assistance in the event a
student gets off track.

Email format should be used and a weekly page submitted to the instructor each Friday by 5:00.The instructor
will review journals and provide feedback every two weeks and/or as requested. A final grade based on a 25
point scale will be assigned at the end of the term.

7. Inspired Philanthropist Exercise (25 points)

As part of this course, there will be one class dedicated to understanding the concept of philanthropy. An
individual written exercise will be completed by each student based on their own personal goals, objectives and
interests in Philanthropy. This exercise will be completed towards the beginning of the semester and the
written portion will be reviewed by the instructor, and revised by the student until finalized by the end of the
semester.

Inspired Philanthropist Written Exercise – First Draft, due 9:00 am, Tuesday, 2 Febr.

Based on feedback from the instructor, the plan will evolve over the semester

Final version – due 9:00 am, Tuesday, 23 Febr.

8. Class Participation (25 points)

The success of this class will depend in large part on the full participation of each student and the exchange of
ideas and perceptions. Participation can take various forms and will be different for each person. Some
examples of “participation” include: asking relevant questions, verbally examining a concept or perception,
listening actively, and learning from your colleagues about their own discipline. Obviously, behaviors like
sleeping and talking with your classmates indicates a lack of attention and focus. Likewise, civility in the
classroom is crucial to enlightened discussion. Students who show disrespect for the ideas and expressions
shared during lectures and discussions will fare poorly in their discussion grade. While grading for class
participation is necessarily a subjective assessment, students will be evaluated on preparedness for
class, frequency and quality of your contribution to class discussions.

Attendance will be taken at each class period, partly as a way of learning your names, and partly as a record.
Poor attendance will affect your class participation grade. Unexcused absences greater than 1 week’s worth
of classes (i.e. 2 classes for a TTH class) will result in a 5 pt reduction per absence from class
participation grade.

Completion of reading before the appointed class is required. It is expected that all students will check both
their email accounts frequently (for communications and assignments) and the Blackboard site for this course
well before each class in order to complete all reading and relevant assignments prior to class.

Final grades will be based on the following scale: A=360-400points; B=320-359 points; C=280-319 points;
D=240-279 points; F=239 points or less.

Class Policies:

E-Mail and Telephone Communications:

Auburn University has recognized e-mail as the official form of communication. It is imperative that students in
this class regularly check their Tigermail accounts for communications about the course. Student e-mail will be
answered within 24 hours, except on weekends or university holidays. E-mail or the telephone cannot be used
to discuss grades. If the nature of a student e-mail is too complex to answer electronically, you will be asked to
come during office hours or to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time.

Students with Disabilities:

Students needing accommodations should arrange a meeting the first week of class. Come during office hours or
email for an alternate time. Bring the Accommodation Memo and Instructor Verification Form to the meeting. Discuss
items needed in this class. If you do not have an Accommodation Memo but need special accommodations, make an
appointment with The Program for Students with Disabilities, 1244 Haley Center or call 844-2096 (V/TT).

Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating, forged excuses, or plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, which can range from a lowered grade,
to failing the course. The offense will also be reported to the University Academic Dishonesty Committee, which
has the power to remove a student from the university. Students should become familiar with the policies
regarding plagiarism in The Tiger Cub. It is very important to understand plagiarism when working on any writing
assignment. The instructor will gladly assist any student who is unclear about what constitutes plagiarism.
You will also need to complete the plagiarism exercise created by the University of Adelaide in Australia. It is
based upon a resource written by Ted Frick at Indiana University. To document the completion of the plagiarism
exercise, please attach a copy of the final webpage (“Quiz Completed”) that asks for your name, etc. You do
not have to actually submit comments or your name back to the University of Adelaide, but must at least print
the page with your name included.

The link to the exercise is:

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/online/examples/media/PoliticsPlagiarismQuiz/page01.htm

I will also put a link to this exercise in Blackboard Weblinks.

Research Paper Guidelines

Useful guidelines on writing a research paper, a thesis statement and outline are available on the weblinks
below. Additional information is available on the AU Writing Centre website.
http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html#step4

http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/13_Thesis_Statement.asp
http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/outlining.html

Tentative Course Schedule

Class Day Date Topic

1 Tues. Jan. 12 Week 1: Introduction to Course; Review of Syllabus; Presentation/Discussion

of Project Ideas and Themes – Case Studies and Field Work

- Key Issues to Review from Introductory Hunger Course?

2 Thurs. Jan. 14 Discuss paper and journal requirements and potential student project topics

- “Moving beyond Google” - Literature Review Discussion

- Review of Current Hunger/Poverty Issues for 2010 (Int’l and Domestic)

- Int’l - Sec. of State Hilary Clinton, Development in the 21st Century

Speech

- Domestic - Coalition Against Hunger letter to Pres. Obama

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3 Tues. Jan. 19 Week 2: “It’s a Thick Book” Alabama’s Constitutional Reform Debate

- Discussion on Advocacy and Public Policy – Issues Affecting Hunger

and Poverty

4 Thurs. Jan. 21 Overview of disciplinary perspectives on global hunger issues - Group Discussions
and Decisions on Class Project(s)

_______ ________________ _______________________________________________________________

5 Tues. Jan. 26 Week 3: “Turn Your Passion into a Plan -- Maximizing Your Philanthropic
Potential” – Professor Sidney James, HUSC

6 Thurs. Jan. 28 Campus Kitchens Project – discussion and work plan development

(Groups and/or individual students should make an appointment to talk with the
instructor about their selected topic)

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7 Tues. Febr. 2 Week 4: Domestic/Int’l Hunger Team Assignments/Breakdown;

Group Research Team Organization/Arrangements – discuss and review plans

 for review of literature and draft proposal for project - “Letter to my
Grandmother” – due 9 Febr.

(Inspired Philanthropist Exercise – First Draft due, 9:00 am)

8 Thurs. Febr. 4 Team Meetings in Class – Research Teams and CKP

Group meetings with instructor

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9 Tues. Febr. 9 Week 5: Class CKP Discussions

(Group Research Paper Proposal w/ Workplan – “Letter to my Grandmother”,

due 9:00 am)

10 Thurs. Febr. 11 Discussion and feedback from class

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11 Tues. Febr. 16 Week 6: Class Discussions

12 Thurs. Febr. 18 “Letter to my Grandmother” - Final proposal revisions due (including the week
by week project plan)

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13 Tues. Febr. 23 Week 7: Class Discussions – CKP planning

“Inspired Philanthropy Exercise – final due, 9:00 am

14 Thurs. Febr. 25 Biweekly oral progress reports and discussion

15 Tues. Mar. 2 Week 8: Bi-weekly oral progress reports* and discussion

Submit journals for review and feedback

(Group Literature Review – due 9:00 am)

16 Thurs. Mar. 4 Class Discussions

17 Tues. Mar. 9 Week 9: Building positive community relationships - CKP

18 Thurs. Mar. 11 Class Discussion

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19 Tues. Mar. 23 Week 10: Biweekly oral progress reports and discussion

(Group Research Paper, First Draft, due 9:00 am)

20 Thurs. Mar. 25 Documentary and critique - Silent Killer: The Unfinished Campaign against
Hunger

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21 Tues. Mar. 30 Week 11: “Sicko” – Excerpts from Michael Moore’s film on Health Care Access

- Discussion - Implications for Hunger and Poverty in the USA

22 Thurs. Apr. 1 Class Discussion - CKP

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23 Tues. Apr. 6 Week 12: Biweekly oral progress reports and discussion
Documentary and critique - Changing Faces of Hunger
Submit journals for review and feedback

(Group Research Paper, 2nd Draft, due 9:00 am)

24 Thurs. Apr. 8 Class Discussion

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25 Tues. Apr. 13 Week 13: Campus Kitchens – Team Project Presentation

26 Thurs. Apr. 15 Class Discussion

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27 Tues. Apr. 20 Week 14: Domestic Hunger Team Presentation

28 Thurs. Apr. 22 Int’l Hunger Team Presentation

(Group Research Paper – Final due, 9:00 am)

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29 Tues. Apr. 27 Week 15: Course evaluations and review; journals due
Biweekly oral progress reports and discussion
Field work wrap-up

30 Thurs. Apr. 29 Course evaluations and review

(Individual meetings with the Instructor will be scheduled once a

month)
Suggested Book List – for reference:

Renewing American Leadership in the Fight Against Global Hunger and Poverty: The Chicago
Initiative on Global Agricultural Development, (Catherine Bertini and Dan Glickman, Co-
Chairs),The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, February 2009

Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done
About It (Oxford University Press, 2007) ISBN 978-0-19-531145-7 (cloth)

Roger Thurow and Scott Kilman, Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty
(Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group, 2009) ISBN 978-1-58648-511-5

George McGovern and Bob Dole, Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith (Fortress
Press, 2005) ISBN 0-8006-3782-8

Tony P. Hall, Changing the Face of Hunger (W Publishing Group, 2006) ISBN 0-8499-0050-6

Jeffrey D. Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time (The Penguin Press,
2005) ISBN 1-59420-045-9

William Easterly, White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s efforts to aid the rest have done so much
ill and so little good (The Penguin Press, 2006) ISBN I-59420-037-8

George McGovern, The Third Freedom: Ending Hunger in our Time

(Simon & Schuster, 2001) ISBN 0-684-85334-5) ISBN 1-58648-225-4

Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) ISBN 0-06-093845-5

Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics (Public Affairs, 2004)
ISBN 1-58648-225-4

Dambisa Moyo, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa,
(Farrar, Straus, Giroux – 2009) ISBN-10: 0374139563

William Easterly , The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done
So Much Ill and So Little Good, ISBN-10: 0143038826

Janet Poppendieck, Sweet Charity?: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement (Penguin,
2009) ISBN-10: 0140245561

Sharma Apt Russell, Hunger: An Unnatural History (Basic Books, 2005) ISBN-13:978-0-465-
071635-4 (ppk.)

Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (B&N Classics, 2004) ISBN-13: 978-1-59308-164-5

(first published 1906)

Prabhu Pingali, Agriculture Renaissance: Making ‘agriculture for development’ work in the 21st
Century, chapter from Handbook of International Association of Agricultural Economists, 2009 (in
draft)
Muhammad Yunus, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of
Capitalism (Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group, 2007) ISBN 978-1-58648-667-9 (Pbk.)

Robert Paarlberg, Starved for Science: How Biotechnology is Being Kept Out of Africa (Harvard
University Press, 2008) ISBN-13: 978-0-675-02973-6 (cloth)

“Household Food Security in the US, 2006” (ERS Report Summary), November 2007

Jared M. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (Norton, 1997) ISBN 0-
393-31755-2

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food (Free Press 2004) ISBN
13 : 978-0-7432-2740-7 (Pbk)

Marion Nestle, What to Eat (North Point Press, 2006) ISBN 10: 0-86547-738-8)

Walter C. Willett, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy
Eating (Free Press, 2001) ISBN 0-684-86337-5

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Three Cups of Tea (Penguin Books, 2006) ISBN 978-0-14-
303825-2 (pbk.)

James E. McWilliams, Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong (Little, Brown 2009)
ISBN 978-0316-033749 (Pbk)

Nick Kotz, Let Them Eat Promises: The Politics of Hunger in America (Prentiss-Hall, 1969) ISBN
13-532739-3 (Introduction by George McGovern)

Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food (The Penguin Press, 2008) ISBN 978-1-59420-145-5

Karl Weber, Food, Inc.: How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer – And What
You Can Do About it (Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group, 2009) ISBN 978-1-58648-694-5 (pbk.)

Household Food Security in the United States, 2006, USDA/ERS, November 2007

Beyond Assistance: The HELP Commission Report on Foreign Assistance Reform, (Executive
Summary and Introduction), December 2007

Hunger Report 2006: Frontline Issues in Nutrition Assistance (Bread for the World Institute)

The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2006: Eradicating World Hunger – Taking Stock Ten
Years After the World Food Summit (FAO website)

Reports

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, United Nations, New York, 2009

Household Food Security in the United States, 2008, USDA Economic Research Service

Rethinking School Feeding: Social Safety Nets, Child Development, and the Education Sector,
World Bank/World Food Programmme, June 2009 (Executive Summary)

Lectures, Speeches, Testimony, and Articles

 “Farmer in Chief: Open Letter to the President-Elect”, Michael Pollan, New York Times
Sunday Magazine, October 12, 2008

US Senate Floor Remarks on Introduction of S. 1524, “Foreign Assistance Revitalization and

Accountability Act of 2009, July 31, 2009 (Senators Kerry, Lugar, et al)

Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act, www.lugar.senate.gov

“Agriculture for Sustainable Economic Development: A Global R&D Initiative to Avoid a Deep and
Complex Crisis”, Joachim von Braun, IFPRI, Riley Lecture, February 28, 2008

Films

The Girl in the Café (HBO-BBC Co-production, 2005)

The Constant Gardener (Focus Features, 2005)
Blood Diamond (Warner Brothers, 2006)

Articles:

“Is a ‘Food Revolution Now in Season”, Andrew Martin, New York Times, March 22, 2009

“What Bono Doesn’t Say About Africa”, William Easterly, Los Angeles Times, July 6,
2007

USAID Fact Sheets: (5), Africa funding, programs, and MCA

“Challenge and Opportunities in World Food Security: The University Connection”,

Ambassador Tony P. Hall, Ohio State University, April 17, 2003

“The Omnivore’s Delusion: Against the Agri-intellectuals”, Blake Hurst, The America: The Journal of AEI, July 30,
2009

“The Chance for Peace”, Dwight D. Eisenhower, April 16, 1953

Reports

Household Food Security in the United States, 2006, USDA/ERS, November 2007

Beyond Assistance: The HELP Commission Report on Foreign Assistance Reform, (Executive Summary and
Introduction), December 2007

Hunger Report 2006: Frontline Issues in Nutrition Assistance (Bread for the World Institute)

The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2006: Eradicating World Hunger – Taking Stock Ten Years after the
World Food Summit (FAO website)