The Practice of Public History

Scope: History H542, the foundation course for the department=s graduate program in public history, provides an introduction to the theory and practice of interpreting history for the public. During the semester the class will consider the development of public history in the United States, discuss key issues and concepts related to the public practice of the historian=s craft, and gain practical experience in the methods and instruments of public history. Guest speakers will provide additional insights to various venues where public historians practice.

Methods: Students are expected to be familiar with the readings in the assigned text and the handout materials. Most of the class periods will be devoted to discussion. However, there will be frequent individual student presentations of their completed assignments. All students are expected to engage in class discussions and in dialogues with guest speakers. In addition, students will be expected to share their knowledge with the local community. All public history students should participate in community history activities. Over the course of the semester a number of opportunities will be announced in class.

Evaluation: In addition to class and local community participation, this course requires satisfactory completion of nine written projects which are identified in the weekly assignments. Each project will be discussed in class in advance of the due date, and all projects are described below. Each project represents the following proportion of the final grade:

*please print enough copies to distribute to your classmates

Policies:

All students are expected to attend and participate in every class. Absence without the advance consent of the instructor (barring unforeseen disasters) will result in the loss of two (2) points on the final course grade.

All projects are due on the date assigned. Failure to turn in a project on the date due will result in the loss of two (2) points on the final course grade for each day the assignment is late.

A grade of zero (0) will be assigned to any work which has been produced by cheating or plagiarism. The definitions of IUPUI are:

Cheating: Cheating is dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations. It is the responsibility of the student not only to abstain from cheating, but, in addition, to avoid the appearance of cheating and to guard against making it possible for others to cheat. Any student who helps another student to cheat is as guilty of cheating as the student assisted. The student should also do everything possible to induce respect for the examining process and for honesty in the performance of assigned tasks in or out of class.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the offering of the work of someone else as one=s own. Honesty requires that any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. The language or ideas taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences, or paragraphs to entire articles copied from books, periodicals, speeches, or the writings of other students. The offering of materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgement is also considered plagiarism. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas or materials taken from another source is guilty of plagiarism.

A grade of Aincomplete@ will not be assigned except in the event of a catastrophe such as serious personal illness or death of a family member. All incompletes must be arranged in advance of the final day of class. Arrangement for an incomplete will require the instructor=s approval of a signed statement from the student about the reason for requesting the incomplete and a date when all remaining work will be submitted.

TEXTS:

• James B. Gardner and Peter S. LaPaglia (eds). Public History: Essays from the Field. (Malabar, FL: Krieger, 1999)

• Kate L. Turabian. A Manual for Writers (Chicago; University of Chicago Press, 6^th ed. or later).

• Willa K. Baum. Oral History for the Historical Society. (Nashville, TN: AASLH, 1987).

• Occasional handouts and articles.

GENERAL FORMAT FOR SUBMITTED PROJECTS:

All projects for this course must be typewritten, one-inch margins, double-spaced, and in a readable print font similar in size to this syllabus. All projects must also be composed in excellent grammar and style with no spelling errors. All notes and citations should conform to Manual for Writers (see texts). All projects should be proof read. Asking someone to proof your project does not constitute cheating. Your name should be typed in the upper right corner of the first page and may also be shown on subsequent pages. Please do not use a title page. All pages should be numbered. In general written projects should be stapled together (no folders, binders, or dogears). In some cases (see above) you are required to print copies for your classmates as well as the instructor. In all circumstances be sure to keep a copy of your project for your own files.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS:

Exhibit Review (due August 28): each student will choose an exhibit to review with the advice and consent of the instructor during the orientation/August dinner of the department on August 21. The assignment is two-fold. Before visiting the museum students should familiarize themselves with exhibit reviews in the journal literature. I especially recommend as well Thomas Schlereth, AMuseum Exhibit Review,@ JAH 76 (June, 1989) 192-195. The review should be no more than 3 pages long and should address such features as: whether the exhibit is permanent, temporary, or traveling; what are the physical circumstances of the exhibit; who created the exhibit; when was it created; what was the intended audience; what is the primary (secondary, tertiary) message of the exhibit; do the text and artifacts work well together; could the message have been better presented in a different format. At the beginning of your review be sure to show an appropriate citation of the exhibit (again, see samples in professional journals). Don=t forget to make copies for your classmates. Part two of the assignment will be to give a three-minute oral presentation.

Exhibit Proposal/news release (due Sep. 25): each student will select an object/topic/theme from a list handed out in class and create an exhibit and news release related to it. The student may choose a hypothetical exhibit format, location, budget, audience, and theme. Proposed exhibits may be traveling, permanent, or temporary. They may be located in large well-funded museums or temporary installations like state fairs or conventions. Audiences may vary from the public at large to employees in a factory. Themes may vary from the role of the object/topic/theme in society to its role for a small group of individuals. The exhibit proposal will include a statement of purpose, identification and description of the conditions listed above, a news release announcing the exhibit, an exhibit script, identification of artifacts to be included (with illustrations), and annotated list of sources consulted. There will be between four and six panels or other exhibit features. Maximum length of the proposal and support documents is 12-15 pages.

The news release should be clearly written, in a correct format (look for samples), accurate, and newsworthy. Of course you should include in the first paragraphs the standard what, where, when, who, and how (in whatever sequence seems appropriate). Remember to be brief, but interesting, and keep in mind that the public=s knowledge of history is limited. Also remember to avoid jargon. Always include a name and address for further information.

Interview and resume: (due Oct. 2): with the advice of the instructor each student will select a public history professional in the Indianapolis area, interview him/her, write a report of the interview and briefly discuss the interview in class. Interview choices and appointments will be made by September 18. Etiquette for interviews will be discussed in class. Each report will discuss the conditions of the interview, the educational background of the interviewee, his professional experience prior to the current job, a definition of the current job, how his previous education and experience have fitted him for the job, what additional education/experience he would like to have, what are his career goals, and what is his advice to students planning to enter the field, After the interview the student will write a thank-you note to the interviewee. A copy of the note must be attached to the interview report. Don=t forget to make copies for your classmates. Each student will also submit a copy of his or her resume. Resume preparation will be discussed in class.

Antiques Roadshow (due Oct. 9): each student will select an object and analyze it. While this project does not focus on the estimated value of the object, be sure to research and discuss: provenance, material(s), craftsmanship, age, condition, use, and market. The assignment is two-fold. Part one is to prepare a brief (roughly 4-5 page) paper that includes the research and discussion points listed above. The second part of the project will be a presentation in class on the night the project is due. Presentations will be limited to 3-5 minutes and the presenter will entertain questions afterwards. I will invite a guest authority to be our audience.

Grant proposal (due Nov. 6): each student will prepare the standard application materials provided by the Indiana Humanities Council and the Indiana Historical Society to apply for an Indiana Heritage Research Grant (IHRG). Guidelines and samples will be handed out in early October. Before students begin to fill out the application, they must prepare the Aprospectus@ form and discuss it with the instructor. These discussions and approval of the project topic must be completed by October 23. Applications must meet the IHRG guidelines; be feasible in terms of time frame, volume of work and human and financial resources; clearly state the purpose and significance of the project; and demonstrate the appropriateness of the budget. In the past, many students have found local historical institutions that will host these projects. Thus this assignment can serve as a rough draft for a full-fledged grant proposal that can fund a student during the summer and provide an important resume entry.

Citizenship/class participation (due Nov. 20): each student is expected to participate in class and in the local history community. Class participation extends well beyond being familiar with each week=s reading assignments and presenting exhibit reviews, interview reports, and Antiques Roadshow analyses in class. All students are expected to participate each week in class discussion and will be called upon if they do not volunteer. Be sure not only to read the weekly assignments, but also to consider the connections between the readings, guest speakers, and tours of institutions. Students should also relate the readings to their own internship experiences. All students are also expected to enter into dialogues with guest speakers.

Each student will submit a brief (2-3 page) description of their community history participation. This participation could include attending conference sessions and/or volunteering in local museums. A number of opportunities will be announced in class, and for those of you with special interests, special activities can be arranged. For example, this fall the Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is seeking speakers on various Civil War topics; the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers= Board of Directors will meet in Indianapolis on November 10-13; planning will be underway for the annual meetings of the American Association for State and Local History which will meet in Indianapolis in September of 2001 and the Midwest Archives Conference will also meet in Indianapolis in the fall of 2001. Our public history graduate students have been asked to create exhibits for the Morris-Butler House and the Indiana Medical History Museum for the AASLH meeting in 2001. Both of these institutions will also train public history students to give tours of the museums, especially for school and scout groups. Public history students have also agreed to prepare new exhibits for the glass exhibit case on the 2^nd floor in Cavanaugh Hall. Students are also expected to participate in the Indiana University O=Brien Conference on Historic Preservation (October 13-14 in French Lick, IN), the Association of Midwest Museums conference in Columbus, Ohio October 4-7, 2000, the local chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (meets 3^rd Thursdays each month), the Marion County Historical Society, and the Indiana Historical Society. A list of activities will be provided early in the fall.

I will look for evidence that you have actively worked to promote history enterprises in the local community. There is no set number of required activities because quality of participation is as important as quantity. I will be attending most of the likely activities myself, as will Bob Barrows, and we will be pleased to introduce you to our (and your) colleagues.

Issue paper (due Dec. 4): each student will select an important and contemporary issue in public history and prepare a ten-page paper discussing the context of the issue. Students should consider the history of the issue, public policies relating to it, possible approaches to resolving the issue, and your forecast of what will be the eventual outcome. Essays should be carefully organized, present various points of view objectively, predict the outcome, and persuade the reader that the issue has been thoroughly addressed and that the opinions stated are to be valued. Papers should include footnotes (or endnotes) and provide a complete bibliography. Topics should be chosen with the advice and consent of the instructor by November 13.

WEEKLY TOPICS, ASSIGNMENTS, GUEST SPEAKERS, TRIPS