Instructor:  Sarah Givens
Office Hours:  Monday 10:00-12:00 or by appointment (647-6425)
Office Location:  422 Pacific Avenue, Suite 200 (corner of Franklin & Pacific)

Course Description:

This course is designed both to provide an overview of current trade policy issues and to help students develop writing skills appropriate for professional settings.  Students will:

·        develop a basic knowledge of the key institutions and individuals who make and influence trade policy,

·        become conversant in the issues targeted for Fall 1997 (see calendar),

·        develop their ability to decipher and analyze trade policy issues, and

·        develop writing skills.

Additionally, by making extensive use of guest lecturers, the course aims to give students an opportunity to interact and learn from actual trade policy practitioners who are expert in their fields.  Students are advised that it is often difficult for guest lecturers to gauge the knowledge level of their audience and some of the speakers will not be accustomed to speaking to audiences that do not have extensive trade policy backgrounds.  Accordingly, students are expected to come to the lectures well prepared.  The more questions you ask and the more you engage a speaker in dialogue, the more you will learn. 

Required Reading:

Assigned readings will be either handed out in class or placed on reserve on the library.

In addition to assigned readings, students are encouraged to read about trade issues on a daily basis in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Journal of Commerce, the Economist, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Time, Newsweek, Inside U.S. Trade etc.  All of these publications except the Washington Post and Inside U.S. Trade are available in the MIIS library.  The Washington Post is available at the Monterey Public Library, and Inside U.S. Trade is available at the Center for Trade and Commercial Diplomacy.

Assignments:

Students will be required to submit four (4) short writing assignments. The assignments are designed to make students focus on the development of writing, presentation and analysis skills rather than research skills. The assignments require little to no research and reading beyond that which is required for class preparation.

For assignments #1 and #2, students will be required to submit revised second drafts after the instructor has read and commented on first drafts.

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated largely on the quality of written assignments.  However, students are expected to come to classes prepared to discuss assigned readings, and class participation will be factored into final grades.