INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND 2003 - 2005 BULLETIN
Division of Labor Studies
Office: Riverside Hall, 128
Telephone: (574) 237-4595
Internet Address: www.iusb.edu/~labor/
Assistant Professor: Mishler
Lecturer: Sovereign
Professor Emeritus: Knauss
Counselor-Recorder: Klein
Northern Region Coordinator: Mishler
Labor-in-the-Schools Coordinator: Bradford
General Information
As a discipline, labor studies deals with work, the workplace, and workers and their organizations. It advances a body of knowledge that reflects the concerns of modern labor organizations.
As a program, labor studies is designed to enable participants to serve more effectively as members and leaders in their organizations. Participants can also gain a sense of the past and present contexts of work and unionism. Because union leaders need to be familiar with economics, communications, and other subjects, labor studies can assist them in mastering a broad range of learning.
An important goal of the program is to enable participants to make socially useful choices in carrying out the many responsibilities of union membership, union leadership, and community citizenship.
Labor Studies Certificate and Degree Requirements
Courses from three groupings are used by students to complete certificate and degree requirements. These groupings are labor studies courses, major areas of learning, and electives. The accompanying chart shows the credit hour distribution required for each certificate and degree in labor studies.
Credit hours required for
Certificate
Associate of
Bachelor of
in Science in Science
in
Group Subgroup Labor Studies Labor Studies Labor Studies
Labor Studies: Core courses 15 15 15
Additional Labor Studies 3 12 27
Major Areas of Learning
Arts
and Humanities 3 12
* 12
*
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 9 ** 12 **
Sciences and Mathematics 3 6 *** 15 ***
Additional from one area above 3 12
Electives 6 27
* ENG W131 Elementary Composition and one additional writing course required
** One economics course
required, ECON E103 Introduction to Microeconomics (recommended); or LSTU
L230 Labor and the Economy
*** To meet the math/science requirement, for A.S., one
course in computer science/technology is recommended; for B.S., one course in computer
science/technology is required.
Certificate and Degrees
The Division of Labor Studies offers a Certificate in Labor Studies, an Associate of Science, a Bachelor of Science, and a minor in labor studies.
The division has a long history of working with unions in the state of Indiana to develop and deliver educational programs. These programs are coordinated by members of the Division of Labor Studies faculty. They and associate faculty members also teach the courses. Faculty qualifications typically combine academic credentials with union background.
The Certificate in Labor Studies, Associate of Science in Labor Studies, and Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies are also available to people who cannot enroll in classroom- based courses on Indiana University campuses where the program is offered. By enrolling in labor studies courses through correspondence study, one can complete a growing number of courses. In this unique effort, the Division of Labor Studies works closely with the Indiana University Independent Study Program.
Minor in Labor Studies
A minor in labor studies requires the completion of 15 credit hours in labor studies courses consisting of 6 credit hours from our list of core courses and 9 additional credit hours to be determined through consultation with the campus faculty.
Additional
Requirements
For the Associate of Science in Labor Studies, at least 12 credit hours must be earned from Indiana University, 10 credit hours of these after admission to the Division of Labor Studies. No more than 15 credit hours may be earned within a single subject other than labor studies.
For the Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies, at least 24 credit hours must be earned from Indiana University, 20 of these after admission to the Division of Labor Studies. No more than 21 credit hours may be earned within a single subject other than labor studies. Thirty credit hours must be earned in 300- or 400-level courses, and at least 12 of the 30 credit hours must be earned in labor studies courses.
For the Certificate in Labor Studies and both the associate and bachelor’s degrees, an overall 2.0 (C) grade point average must be maintained. Courses in which grades below C– are received may be counted only as electives. For the associate and bachelor’s degrees, courses within a major area must be in at least two different subjects. For additional standards, see the section of this Campus Bulletin on Academic Policies.
Major Areas of Learning
Following are representative subjects and courses falling under each of the three major areas of learning listed under certificate and degree requirements. For information about subjects not listed here and about specific courses, contact the labor studies office.
Arts and Humanities
Afro-American Studies
Classical Studies
Comparative Literature
English
Fine Arts
Folklore
History
History and Philosophy of Science
Journalism
Music
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Speech and Communications
Theatre and Drama
Women’s Studies
All language courses
Sciences and Mathematics
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science/Technology
Geology
Mathematics
Physics
Zoology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Anthropology
Economics
Geography
Linguistics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Electives
Students may select any of the courses offered by Indiana University to fulfill elective requirements. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor and to concentrate their elective course work in related subjects.
Application and Admission
The certificate and degree programs in the Division of Labor Studies are open to all qualified high school graduates or persons with the General Education Development (GED) certificate. Adults over 21 who do not meet these requirements may be admitted on a provisional basis and may apply for regular admission upon successful completion of 12 credit hours.
Applicants must submit the following:
• A completed application for admission to the labor studies program.
• A nonrefundable application fee payable to Indiana University, if you have not previously been admitted to Indiana University.
• A high school transcript.
• An official transcript of previous college work, mailed by the college.
All application materials should be forwarded to the Division of Labor Studies office on the campus where the applicant intends to enroll. Applicants who do not live within commuting distance of a campus and who wish to participate through the Independent Study Program by correspondence should send materials to the Bloomington office, attention Independent Study Program. International students should request the international application for admission and related materials from the Bloomington office. The address of the Bloomington office is Labor Studies, Poplars 628, 400 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405-3085.
Transferring Credit
Official transcripts, when received, will be forwarded to the admissions office for evaluation. Within a few weeks applicants should receive official notice of admission status and a credit transfer report indicating which courses are accepted at Indiana University (generally those in which you earned grades of C or better from accredited institutions). The Division of Labor Studies office will then prepare a summary of how these courses apply to labor studies certificate and degree requirements.
Correspondence participants should contact the Bloomington office for advising and should use the current booklet entitled Indiana University School of Continuing Studies Distance Education Courses.
At this point, if you have not already done so, proceed to plan your program in consultation with your advisor and enroll in courses. Check with the Division of Labor Studies office for schedules and directions.
Progress Options
One or more of the methods listed in this section may provide the labor studies participant a means of receiving Indiana University credit without taking conventional classroom-based courses. This allows accelerated progress toward a labor studies degree.
College-Level Examination Program
CLEP has available tests in a variety of subject areas. If your score exceeds a certain level on an Indiana University accepted test, you receive credit (3 credit hours for most examinations). CLEP brochures are available at Division of Labor Studies offices.
Independent Study by Correspondence
Many labor studies courses are available by correspondence through Indiana University School of Continuing Studies Independent Study Program. Please contact the labor studies office for further information.
The Indiana University Independent Study Program offers over 200 university-level independent study courses. Students enrolling in independent study courses receive a learning guide that contains reading assignments in the required textbooks, discussion sections, and written assignments. Lessons are sent to an instructor, who comments on and grades student work. Most courses have one or more examinations, which must be taken under supervision at an accredited school. Students are allowed one year to complete a course.
Credit for Military Service
Depending on the length and type of training you have received, you may receive up to 6 credit hours based on military service. Additional credit hours may be awarded for special training programs in the military. This credit can only be applied as elective credit for labor studies degrees. To apply, present your DD-214 form and, if applicable, training completion certificates to the Division of Labor Studies office.
Credit for Self-Acquired Competencies
Labor studies participants may apply up to 15 credit hours of Self-Acquired Competencies (SAC) to the Associate of Science degree and up to 30 credit hours (including any applied to the associate degree) to the Bachelor of Science degree. SAC credit can be awarded for learning gained outside the university and may be based on a wide variety of experiences. Labor studies students can apply for SAC credit on the basis of learning derived from their union activities.
Self-Acquired Competencies refer to learning or competency that can be documented. SAC credit is not granted simply for time served. Thus, it is not granted on the basis of the number of terms served as a union officer. Nor is it multiplied by the number of times the same experience has been repeated. A secretary-treasurer who has performed the same functions for four terms is not likely to receive significantly more credit hours than one who has performed the same functions, and has learned as much, from one or two terms.
SAC credit is of two types:
• Course-specific credit hours are granted where the applicant’s competency is substantially equivalent to the competency that is expected in an Indiana University course. Credit hours for the specific course is awarded.
• General credit hours are granted for competencies that are not the full equivalent of individual courses but are nevertheless the equivalent of college learning.
This is the only form of SAC credit hours available outside of the Division of Labor Studies.
Tuition for SAC credit is the same as for Independent Study courses.
In general, the following procedures and limitations govern the award of credit hours for Self-Acquired Competencies:
• A student must be admitted to the labor studies program and be in good standing before any credit for Self-Acquired Competency is awarded.
• A maximum of 15 credit hours of Self-Acquired Competencies credit may be applied to the Associate of Science in Labor Studies and a maximum of 30 credit hours to the Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies.
How To Apply for Self-Acquired Competencies
The process of building the SAC portfolio is time consuming. It begins with the development of a resume and the listing of experiences that may have led to college-level competencies. The competencies are then organized and phrased to demonstrate the connection to specific labor studies courses or to general areas of knowledge in labor studies. Finally, appropriate documentation is added.
Each portfolio is evaluated by two members of the Division of Labor Studies faculty, who also conduct an interview with the applicant.
Supplementary materials and counseling are available from labor studies faculty on campuses offering the program.
Transfer of
Self-Acquired Competencies Credit within the Indiana University System
Self-Acquired Competencies credit awarded by the faculty of one Indiana University campus is recorded and explained on the student’s permanent record. Such credit will be honored, therefore, on any other Indiana University campus to which the student may transfer in order to complete the associate or bachelor’s degree in labor studies. The student should be aware, however, that such credit will not necessarily be honored by other degree programs of Indiana University or by other institutions.
Academic Policies
Institutional academic policies are stated in the front section of this Campus Bulletin. All these policies pertain to students enrolled in labor studies; however, the following policies are particularly relevant.
Academic Forgiveness Policy for Former Indiana
University Students
Students with academic deficiencies (cumulative grade point average below 2.0 or C average) in course work done within the Indiana University system may be admitted to the labor studies program on probation. The student must achieve a 2.0 grade point average for all courses taken at Indiana University before and after admission to the program in order to obtain a degree. Students who have been dismissed from another academic program of Indiana University may not be admitted to labor studies programs until at least one calendar year has passed from the date of dismissal.
A student prevented from attaining a cumulative 2.0 grade point average because of poor work in a semester at Indiana University that was completed five or more years before enrollment in the labor studies program may request the removal of the poor semester from the Division of Labor Studies records. In general, such a request is granted automatically, particularly in those cases where the student would be prevented from graduating because of the one poor semester. All credit earned during this one semester is also removed from the grade point average by the Division of Labor Studies under this forgiveness policy.
A similar request may be made for the forgiveness of a poor semester completed at Indiana University within five years prior to admission to the labor studies program. Approval of such requests is usually dependent, however, upon the successful completion of 12 credit hours in the labor studies program. Because all credit earned during the forgiven semester is removed from the grade point average, students are encouraged to consult with their advisor concerning the advisability of this procedure.
This policy is designed to avoid placing an excessive burden on students who, in the past, have made a poor start at Indiana University. It is not intended to permit students with chronically poor performance in the university to stay in school, nor to raise false hopes for students who are not making progress toward a degree.
Academic Forgiveness Policy for Students Dismissed
from Other Institutions
Students who have been dismissed from another postsecondary institution may not be admitted to the labor studies program until at least one calendar year has passed since the date of the dismissal.
University regulations require that the admissions office indicate any deficiencies in grade point average (average grade below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) at another institution on the credit transfer report. The policy is to maintain a student’s grade point average based only on work done at Indiana University. These grades must be of average, or C quality (2.0 on 4.0 scale) in order to earn a degree. If a student’s cumulative grade point average from another institution is below 2.0, however, the student is admitted on probation.
Graduation
Degrees are awarded every December, May, and August. Participants expecting to graduate must file written notice of intent, citing the degree and expected date of graduation, with the labor studies office at least three months prior to graduation.
Graduation with Honors
Students who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours for the Associate of Science in Labor Studies or 60 credit hours for the Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies at Indiana University will be graduated with honors if they have attained the appropriate grade averages: 3.90, highest distinction; 3.75, high distinction; 3.50, distinction.
Union Education Program
The Division of Labor Studies also offers an extensive noncredit program, the Union Education Program (UEP).
UEP open enrollment courses and conferences are available to workers in communities throughout the state; they are offered in local union halls, on the various campuses of Indiana University, and on the campuses of other educational institutions.
Classes usually meet weekly for 4 to 10 weeks. They are open to participants from both large and small unions, craft and industrial unions, and public and private sector unions. Typical topics for these classes are labor law, collective bargaining, steward training, communications, OSHA, and arbitration.
Other programs are designed to meet the educational needs of individual unions. Local or international unions may contract with the Division of Labor Studies to conduct these programs. Enrollments are limited to members of the contracting union.
There are no special entrance requirements, tests, or grades. Participants who complete a class or conference are awarded a Certificate of Achievement from the Division of Labor Studies. Upon completion of 150 classroom hours in the UEP, the participant is awarded a Certificate of Recognition. Upon completion of 300 classroom hours in the UEP, the participant will be awarded a Certificate of Recognition and a plaque. There is a nominal charge for UEP classes and conferences.
Organization and Faculty
The faculty of the Division of Labor Studies is made up of people with both union experience and academic credentials. The faculty uses a variety of teaching methods, including video-tape recording, case studies, films, group discussion, and role playing to promote student interest and participation.
A Statewide Advisory Committee on Labor Education and Research, appointed by the president of Indiana University, advises the division on educational programs offered to Indiana union members. Similarly, the LaPorte, Michiana, and Warsaw Area Labor Education Advisory Committees guide the program at IUSB.
