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Bolivia (photograph by Randall Lanou) North Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville, NC (photograph by Amy Lanou) Deluxe Foods, Aptos, CA (photograph by Amy Lanou)					Syllabus Statement: Food for Thought: Engaging the Citizen in the Science and Politics of Food Information, Food Consumerism, Nutrition and Health The Food for Thought cluster focuses on developing the student as an informed consumer of food by providing a platform for discussion of what we eat, why we eat, where our food comes from and its journey from production to consumption, and how food affects our bodies and health. Across the semesters of participation in the cluster, we hope you will gain insight into the often hidden ways that food consumption impacts us on both the individual and collective levels. As human beings, our bodies and our societies are interlinked by numerous processes, many of which can be understood by investigating the dynamics of food in chemical, biological, and social systems. Whether or not you are enrolled in this cluster, our primary goal for students is an enhanced, interdisciplinary understanding of the interplay of these systems and a more attuned sense of how food is a civic issue. For more information, please visit the Food for Thought Cluster webpage (http://www.unca.edu/foodforthought/) where you can learn more about activities occurring during the semester, resources on contemporary food issues, local food events, and the work of students in this and other cluster courses. Funding: Initial development of Food for Thought was funded through a National Center for Science and Civic Engagement Post-Institute Implementation SENCER NSF Sub-Award, awarded through SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities). Additional funding has been provided by a UNCA Integrative Liberal Studies Block Grant Award. Thank you to the following Asheville restaurants for supporting the Fall 2008 Harvest Bounty Shared Meal and other Food for Thought cluster activities through their generous donations. Faculty Wishing to Add a Course to the Cluster: The Food for Thought cluster intends to remain a small, slow-growth, focused cluster with a fairly high level of coordination between faculty. In addition to the guidelines for clusters specified on the ILS website, the Food for Thought cluster has the following additional expectations of participating faculty: 1. The course must include significant content related to the mission of the cluster (see above statement) 2. Help develop and participate in cluster activities that make integrated connections across courses 3. Participate in some form of class-to-class interaction during the semesters your course is offered 4. Participate in cluster assessment activities 5. Attend cluster planning meetings If interested in adding a course to our cluster, we ask that faculty submit a copy of their syllabus to the cluster coordinator. She will then schedule a face-to-face meeting with the cluster team to address questions and determine the fit of your course with the cluster. Assessment Research: Understanding Student Learning in a UNCA ILS Cluster (Food For Thought) The Food for Thought cluster faculty are interested in understanding more about how students learn in UNCA’s ILS Cluster program, and especially in how that learning happens in courses that cross disciplines in both the social and natural sciences. In addition, we are interested in what knowledge, experiences, and tools students transfer from one course to another. Finally, we are interested in how students perceive and account for their learning both within the context of a given course and across time. To address these questions, we are studying students enrolled in courses included in the new Food for Thought Cluster. We plan to continue our study across several semesters. Results will be presented after the conclusion of the study. CONSENT FORM (Fall 2007) CONSENT FORM (Spring 2008) CONSENT FORM (Fall 2008)
Contact Us:		Karin Peterson–Sociology, cluster co-coordinator							ILS Homepage
		Sally Wasileski–Chemistry, cluster co-coordinator
		Amy Lanou–Health and Wellness							UNCA Homepage
		Leah Mathews–Economics
		David Clarke–Biology
Page last updated: 8/18/08