This is the course homepage for students enrolled in Fitchburg State College's Spring 2006 Global Issues class taught by Professor David Rice. This is a supplemental page to the Blackboard™ site which can be accessed via the FSC intranet.

On this page you will find the course syllabus, which includes assignment dates, policies and procedures, course schedule and readings, and the overall objectives of the class. This site also includes links to relevant news outlets and resources to prepare for class, exams, and conducting research for your Issue Analysis.

As the topic of global issues is inherently dynamic, students should consult this page and the Blackboard™ site regularly for suggestions on additional readings as world events unfold throughout the semester since these events will be discussed in class and students will be expected to participate.

Course Description
The course is designed to inform, to provoke, and inspire students to think seriously about pressing political, economic, social, and ecological concerns in the contemporary world. Upon completion of the course, all students will emerge with a more sophisticated understanding of important core concepts, awareness of alternative perspectives on global dilemmas, and with an enhanced confidence in students' own ability to articulate informed positions on important issues.

The course focuses on selected international issues from a global perspective, emphasizing transnational and interdependent relationships. "Global" issues are those that affect people throughout the world regardless of national boundaries such as population, resources, trade, conflict, terrorism, North-South development, governance, democratization, increasing important of multinational corporations and civil society, environmental problems, human rights, and sustainable growth. In looking at these issues in greater detail, students will also gain a greater understanding of the international governance system, how it functions and what the problems are, as well as think through creative ways to improve it.

Course Objectives
The course objectives are to develop students' competency in the following areas:

• Understanding of the phenomenon of globalization
• Comprehension of the global system of governance
• General knowledge of the essential global issues
• Ability to analyze global issues from a variety of viewpoints
• Capacity to conduct research and provide a comprehensive analysis on a topic

• The Global Information Technology Report 2000 - 2001, World Economic Forum, p. xiii - 9 (Part 1)
• The Global Information Technology Report 2000 - 2001, World Economic Forum, p. xiii - 9 (Part 2)
• "Asia's Widening Technology Gap - Building A Bridge to Social and Economic Prosperity", David Rice