Assignment 1
This assignment complements the first section of the course, called "The Idea of Progress and Planning". The task is to identify a person who influenced the debate on progress and/or planning in a country that you are interested in. Examples from history are welcome, and you do not have to agree with this person's position in order to discuss his or her trajectory.
When preparing your essay, you should consider what the person's view on progress and planning was; how the person came to think the way he / she did; and how he / she propelled or acted upon his / her ideas. Explore personal motivations, educational and family background, political affiliations, and, to the best of your capability, try to place his / her actions within their historical context.
You do not have to restrict yourself to people who acted simultaneously on the social, political, and economic realms. The person may have acted in any one of these fronts, or in any combination of them.
This is a short paper, and its objective is to help students get a broad understanding of progress and the role of planners. You do not need to conduct extensive research to write it. In fact, research should only complement required readings, class discussions, and your previous knowledge.
The assignment should be double spaced, written in 'times new roman' 12pts or equivalent, and contain a maximum of 4 pages (less is OK).
Assignment 2
Term paper (20-25 pages plus references, etc.)
Students are expected to probe and discuss in depth one particular planning sensibility they think they need to cultivate the most for effective planning practice. Drawing on the extensive references provided for each section of the course, select one section and a particular sensibility - e.g. political savvy, legal awareness, or organizational understanding - and describe how your thinking on this aspect of planning expertise has changed and evolved over the semester.
To do this, students should first state how they thought about this aspect at the beginning of the semester, and then explain what led them to change their views, and, finally, what are the questions they may be asking themselves by the end of the semester. In writing this self-reflective essay, students should use evidences and examples, as many as possible, in support of their arguments. They can draw on their own work experiences, others' experiences, and evidences provided in the references. The key point to note is: I want to understand each student's intellectual trajectory, and the work will be graded according to the complexity of each student's journey and how well a student is able to capture his or her own thoughts in writing.
The following selection of student work represents an exemplary term paper project written by a student in the course. All work is courtesy of the student named and used with permission.
Seth Pipkin - "Colonias, You Need Us": Reflections on Problem Identification, Professionalism, and Getting Things Done in South Texas - (PDF)