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Center for Social Concerns

 

Washington, DC Seminar:

Changing the Face of American Healthcare

THEO 33951 / CSC 33951

Seminar Learning Agreement

Immersion Dates: Sunday, March 8 - Saturday, March 14, 2009

Application Deadline: Thursday, Jan. 22nd
Cost: $250 and $75 - $100 for DC expenses

Size: 12 students

Application: (online application will be availible sometime in the fall)

Seminar Director: Angela Miller McGraw

Course Overview

As American citizens have begun calling for changes to our deteriorating health care system, politicians have responded by making health care reform a major issue in the upcoming elections.  As voters, we have a responsibility to evaluate our current system as well as the various proposals to reform it.  Furthermore, the Catholic Social Tradition invites persons of good will to pursue a health care system that raises the dignity of each person.  This seminar invites you to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of our health care system, explore the possibilities for the future of American health care, and ask how modifications might help create the society we hope to become. 

A survey of our current system will include an evaluation of: employer based healthcare (historical and current), causes and consequences of uninsurance, public safety nets (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and community health clinics), underserved populations (working poor, children, minorities, immigrants), factors driving up costs (technologies, overuse, emergency care, lack of

prevention & public health). 

Additional examination will be paid to the following fundamental questions both in the pre-immersion classes and during site visits to various healthcare organizations and government agencies in Washington, DC:

  • Should healthcare be guaranteed? What services should be included?

  • Is it a human right? Who should and/or deserves be covered?

  • Whose priorities are most important (patient, physician, hospital, insurance company, research and development)?

  • What are the most effective proposals for managing health care costs and needs?

  • What role should the Catholic Church play in advocating for institutional and policy positions that place human dignity at the center of the discussion?

We hope you will join us as we learn about and discuss the future of American health care.

Course Requirements

The Washington Seminar is a one credit course, graded "S" or "U," cross-listed in the departments of Theology (THEO 33951) and Center for Social Concerns (CSC 33951).

  1. Participation in four classes prior to the immersion and one follow-up class (see calendar for class dates and times).
    Completion of assigned readings, short reflection papers and a research paper (4-6 pages).
  2. Participation in all activities in Washington, D.C.
  3. Completion of course evaluation forms submitted by the Seminar Director.

Application Process

  1. The deadline is January 22, 2009 (online application will be availible sometime in the fall).
  2. Saint Mary's College students must contact Sally Burns for application and registration instructions.
  3. By completing the application you are agreeing to all requirements of the Washington DC Seminar.
  4. All applicants will be notified regarding seminar selection by email on or before Sunday, January 25, 2009. If you are applying to more than one seminar, you will receive a single email noting whether or not you have been selected to participate.

Criteria For Selection  

  • The Seminar is open to any student in good standing at the University of Notre Dame or Saint Mary's College. Admittance to the Seminar is based on a variety of factors. The primary criterion is expressed interest in and enthusiasm for the goals of the Seminar. Preference will be given to upper class students who may have fewer opportunities to participate in the future.  
  • We have a limited number of spots available. While previous study in social justice issues is not necessary, all participants are expected to be acquainted with the Seminar theme and to demonstrate how they might contribute to a Seminar learning community.

Course Registration

  • You will receive email notification on a) whether you have been selected to participate in a seminar and b) which seminar you have been selected to participate in. (This circumstance applies if you have applied to more than one seminar.) Subsequently, the course instructor will email instructions for course registration, and you will need to register within the first seven days of the semester.
  • Contact the Assistant Dean's office of your College if you are over the maximum number of credit hours (Maximum Hours Exceeded) allowed by your College. The assistant deans of your college will be able to grant special approval. Contact Sally Burns at the Center for Social Concerns if you have a class time conflict.

Fees and Expenses

  • The cost of the seminar is $250.  This fee will be assessed through Student Accounts.  This fee contributes to van rental, lodging site fees, gas, tolls, course packets, speaker fees and food.   Personal expenses are the responsibility of each student.  Students will be responsible for their meals while in transit between ND and DC and for metro charges.  An additional $75-$100 should cover these expenses. 
  • If you are accepted and you decide not to participate in the Seminar before the final day to drop noted on the calendar below, your student account will be charged a $40 cancellation fee.   If you are accepted and you decide not to participate in the Seminar after the final drop day, your student account will be billed the full $250. This is necessary because the Center has pre-paid Seminar expenses based on your acceptance into the program, and your acceptance may have precluded someone else from participating.
  • Limited financial aid is available. To apply for financial aid, please contact Sally Burns prior to the first scheduled class.

Lodging, Meals and Transportation

  • Students will be staying at the Church of the Pilgrims (PCUSA)/The Pilgrimage (http://www.thepilgrimage.org/) at 2201 P Street in Dupont Circle. You will be preparing your own meals throughout the week and will be provided a food allowance of $30 per participant. You will need to bring your own linens (sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, towels) to the site. 
  • Students will be responsible for their meals while they travel to and from the site.
  • Students who receive University Driver's Training drive the seminar team to Washington, DC using 7-passenger mini vans. Vans are rented through local rental agencies and are regularly serviced. The metro will be your primary means of transportation in Washington, DC. 

 

Withdrawal from the Course

  • Please notify the Seminar Director if extenuating circumstances prevent your participation in the Seminar.   Final day to drop is noted on the calendar below.  To withdraw from this course, an Academic Course change form (obtained from the Center for Social Concerns), must be completed and signed by the Center's Seminar Director.  Saint Mary's students must complete the SMC drop-slip, signed by the student's academic advisor and the Seminar Director, and processed through the SMC Registrar.
  • Drops after the final day to drop and failure to follow proper withdrawal from course procedures will automatically result in a grade of "U."  

CALENDAR SPRING 2009

Thurs., Jan. 22, 2009
Online application deadline.

Sun., Jan. 25
Acceptance confirmed by email. If you apply to more than one seminar, you will receive ONE email for the seminar you have been admitted into.

Wed., Jan. 28
Last date to register. You must register with ND's online system by the end of the day.

Fri., Jan. 30

Final day to drop. Change of course forms must be turned into the CSC

Wed., Feb. 11
REQUIRED: WA Class I - Time and Location TBA

Wed., Feb. 18
REQUIRED: WA Class II - Time and Location TBA

Wed., Feb. 25
REQUIRED: WA Class III - Time and Location TBA

Wed., Mar. 4

REQUIRED: WA Class IV - Time and Location TBA

Thurs., Mar. 5

Seminar Send-Off Mass, 7 pm; Alumni Hall Chapel

Sun., Mar. 8 - Sat, Mar. 14
Immersion; exact dates and time TBA

Wed., March 25
REQUIRED: WA Class V - Time and Location TBA

Questions about registration specifically may be addressed to Sally Burns at the Center for Social Concerns (574) 631-5293.

 
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