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Units |
Topics |
Student Learning Outcomes |
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1 |
context of US & Texas politics & government |
1, 3-8 |
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2 |
US & Texas constitutions |
1, 3-8 |
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3 |
federalism |
1, 3-8 |
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4 |
civil liberties & civil rights |
1, 4-8 |
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5 |
political socialization |
1-8 |
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6 |
interest groups & movements |
1-8 |
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7 |
political parties |
1-8 |
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8 |
participation |
1-8 |
Communication Policy
1. Please note that there are two sections on the Online Courses page - using Email In College Courses and Online Participation Policy - the contents of which are part of this syllabus and the policies of this course. You are required to read both sections. I will expect you to know and follow the policies those sections contain.
2. This syllabus contains very specific instructions on how to complete and how to submit every assignment. The chart in the Course Schedule section below shows all assignments and their due dates. The unit pages give the details on how to complete and submit the assignments. Please do not assume you already know what to do. If you ignore the syllabus instructions you run the risk of performing poorly in your course. Your syllabus isn't window dressing for your course. It is a serious document covering important policies and requirements. Students who do not bother reading the course requirements & policies cannot suddenly feign ignorance of elements affecting their course grade at the end of the semester. I'm warning you in advance that “I shouldn’t be penalized just because I didn’t follow some stupid instructions” or “I didn’t see those requirements" are not acceptable excuses.
3. Unless otherwise instructed, submit each assignment in the body of a new email. (Refer to Online Participation Policy on the Online Courses page for details.) I do not accept:
a. assignments in attached files
b. assignments in forwarded emails
c. assignments in reply emails
d. faxed assignments
e. mailed assignments
f. several assignments in one email
4. Always use GOVT 2301 as your subject line. The subject line must look exactly as I have typed it here - capital letters, one space and the course number - with nothing else in the subject line. I get a hundred or more emails each day and so have very strict spam controls on my software. My software deletes emails with any other subject line before they reach me. If you send an assignment in an email with an incorrect subject line, it will not reach me. It won't help if you tell me that you really did send your assignment and/or really did send it on time. If you read the sections you were told to read in #1 above, you know that when you send an assignment isn't as important as when I receive it. I consider an assignment to be on time if it is correctly completed and in my Inbox by midnight of the day assigned. That won't happen if you use the wrong subject line. If you are unsure about your subject line in an email you've already sent, it's easy to check. Most email software has a folder labeled something like Sent Items that shows every email you sent by date and time. Go to that folder and find the email you sent me. If the subject line you used is incorrect, you'll know that I never received it. In that case, paste your assignment into a new email using the correct subject line and send it again.
Academic Integrity Policy
Institutional policies are in effect. All your work must be your own, unless I authorize collaboration, in which case you must, in writing, acknowledge the help you have received. Presenting as one's own work the words, ideas or expressions of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism and neither your institution nor I tolerate it. The claim of ignorance is no excuse.
The web is a marvelous resource for today's students. I encourage you to use web resources in preparing your work. However, you must list any sites used at the end of your work. Too, using web resources does not mean you can simply copy-and-paste from a site for use in an assignment, even if you give credit to the site. I use web resources extensively and I can usually spot a copy-and-paste job instantly.
If you have a friend that has taken this course from me, you are welcome to ask him/her for help in the course (assuming your friend made a decent grade) but I caution you against turning in your friend's work as your own. I keep a data base of past student submissions and compare all current submissions to the work in the data base. If you try to submit someone else's work, chances are you will be caught.
Your work must be precisely that ... your work in your words. At the least, I will refuse to accept your assignment. At the worst, colleges frequently expel students for academic dishonesty. It's a huge risk for a limited return.
Drop Policy
At the beginning of each semester I will follow institutional policies regarding student drops. At the end of the late add/drop period, I will send the administration the name of any student with whom I have not yet had contact. That student will have one week to successfully email me and begin the course work. At the end of that week, the institution will drop any student who has not done so and will provide that information to any student loan/grant agency that might be affected.
After that initial period, each of you must take responsibility for your decisions and your performance in your course. I will not drop you should you decide to stop participating. If you miss assignment deadlines, I'm likely to email you a reminder but at no point will I assume what should be your decision on whether to continue in your course. If you stop participating, you will earn whatever points you had accumulated at that time. If you do not want that to happen, you need to complete the course or initiate a drop yourself by contacting the college through which you registered. You can find a more detailed explanation of how to do that in the Online Participation Policy section of your syllabus.
Grading Policy
The grading scale for your final course grade is as follows: A = a total of 90 points or above; B = a total of 80-89 points; C = a total of 70-79 points; D = a total of 60-69 points; F = a total of 59 points or below. I do NOT average grades or use percentages. I simply add up the points you earn for the assignments you complete. The assignments add up to a potential of 100 points and are as follows.
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1. |
activity #1 |
10 points |
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2. |
activity #2 |
10 points |
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3. |
activity #3 |
10 points |
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4. |
activity #4 |
10 points |
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5. |
CRITICAL THINKING PAPER |
20 POINTS |
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6. |
PROJECT |
20 POINTS |
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7. |
final exam |
20 points (½ point per question) |
I reply to all assignments with the number of points you earned for that assignment. You must keep up with your points and take responsibility for tracking your total during the course. Don't expect me to do that for you. There is no reason for you to be confused, unsure or clueless about the number of points you've earned at any time during the course.
In general, I am responsible for giving you prompt, clear & useful feedback and for helping you become a better student & writer and a more critical thinker. You are responsible for:
Reading assigned sections of the Margin Notes,
Watching assigned power point presentations,
Correctly completing all assigned activities by the due dates given,
Completing any additional reading or activities assigned, and
Completing a final exam.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Except for the final exam, I will accept late assignments but I will deduct 1 point per day late, including holidays and weekends. Be careful about turning in late assignments, though. Even if your work is outstanding, a 10-point assignment turned in 10 days late will earn 0 points after late points are deducted. Don't waste your time and effort ... stick to the schedule below and get credit for your work.
SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS AND THE DUE DATE FOR EACH ARE IN THE
Course Schedule (BELOW).
TEXT RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED
The Struggle For Democracy, 9th edition
ISBN 0-205-64846-0
Greenberg & Page
Longman Publishing
TEXT RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED
Texas Government: Policy & Politics, 10th edition
ISBN 0-205-70248-1
Tannahill
Longman Publishing
Textbooks usually are much cheaper if purchased online. You have to be careful to purchase the correct text, though, so I have given your texts' ISBNs above. You are also welcome to use an older edition of the texts (Greenberg 8th edition - 0-321-42083-7, Tannahill 9th edition - 0-321-41466-7) . But ... if you buy an edition other than the ones I've listed above, you will be responsible for matching up the appropriate material in the units below to the chapters in the text you buy and for any "holes" in the coverage.
BUY A PRINT TEXT ONLINE
Go to http://gettextbooks.com. Type or paste the ISBN above into the search box and click GO. You will get a list of online merchants with your text for sale, sorted by price. Choose the link for the merchant of your choice.
If you prefer, you can go straight to an online merchant's site and use the ISBN to see if your text is for sale. The following are some of those I've found to be dependable.
www.varsitybooks.com
www.efollett.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.amazon.com
www.directtextbook.com
www.ebay.com
If you prefer to rent your texts, go to www.chegg.com.
BUY AN ONLINE TEXT
The Greenberg text is available from Course Smart in both eBook and eChapter formats. To purchase or for more information use this link. 
You can also go to the main page at www.coursesmart.com and type or paste the ISBN in the search box.
The Tannahill text is available from Course Smart in both eBook and eChapter formats. To purchase or for more information use this link. You can also go to the main page at www.coursesmart.com and type or paste the ISBN in the search box.
SELL YOUR TEXT
If you decide to sell your texts at the end of the
semester, check the offers at
.
Don't forget to read the ANNOUNCEMENTS!
What are your responsibilities in this course? Each week you must read specific sections of the margin notes, watch 1 or more power point presentations, read 1 or more chapters in your textbook (recommended, not required) and complete any assigned activities. The specifics of these four things are shown on the web page for each unit, the links to which are in the Course Schedule below.
(If you don't have MS Power Point on your computer, you can download a free viewer at POWER POINT VIEWER.)
| UNIT DATES | UNITS |
01/09-13 | Send a test email. The announcements on the Online Courses page have the details. |
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01/16-20 01/23-27 |
Activity #1 due by midnight Monday, 01/23 |
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01/30-02/03 02/06-10 | Activity #2 due by midnight Monday, 02/06 |
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02/13-17 02/20-24 | Activity #3 due by midnight Monday, 02/20 |
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02/27-03/02 03/05-09 | There is no assignment due for this unit ... use the time to work on your CT Essay. |
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03/12-16 |
SPRING BREAK WEEK Spend some time with family & friends! |
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03/19-23 03/26-30 | Critical Thinking Essay due by midnight Monday, 03/19 |
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04/02-06 04/09-13 | Activity #4 due by midnight Monday, 04/02 |
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04/16-20 04/23-27 | Project due by midnight Monday, 04/23 |
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04/30-05/04 |
Before you take the exam read carefully through the instructions in the section below. Failure to follow the instructions can lead to failure on your exam.
Don't forget the final exam review, a link for which is at the top of this page.
You may take the exam whenever you feel ready as long as you finish it by midnight on Monday, 04/30.
I won't accept YOUR EXAM OR any OTHER WORK received after THE FINAL EXAM DEADLINE ... MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND PLAN AHEAD! |
VI. ONLINE FINAL EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
When you are ready to take your final exam, use the following link. (Don’t try to type it into your browser. Instead just click on the link below.)
[link will be posted as soon as exam is ready]
When the login screen pops up, use the following password. The password is case-sensitive so make sure you type it exactly as shown. (Or, copy and paste it if you prefer.)
GOVT2301122
You may only access the exam one time. Once you have entered the password and been given access to the exam questions, you will not be allowed to access the exam again.
At the beginning of the exam are boxes for your first and last name. These are required fields. The software will not allow you to submit your answers until you’ve entered both your first and last name. If you finish the exam, try to submit your answers and get a message about “required fields,” chances are you forgot to enter your first and last name at the beginning of the exam.
[ONE CAUTION: Occasionally a student will decide to cheat by logging into the final without entering his/her name or with a fake name. It's true that if someone does that, he/she will probably be able to log in again later with a real name. There are two problems with that. First, the correct answers aren't available, only the questions … and anyone can get the questions from the final exam review, without the risk of failing when caught cheating. Second, any time someone logs into the exam – whether with a fake name, a real name or with no name – the software records the ISP of the computer that person used. It takes me about 5 minutes to copy-and-paste a suspicious ISP into a small program that provides the exact street address for the computer associated with that ISP. It doesn't matter if the computer belongs to the student, a best friend, a grandmother or the college … it's easy to establish the cheater's identity. I can't stop someone who is determined to cheat but in this case cheating would be stupid ... it won't help much and I will know who that person is.]
Your exam is timed, with a timer on the exam page that keeps track of the time you’ve used. You must submit your answers before the time is up. Once you hit the Submit button at the bottom of the exam page your answers are locked and cannot be accessed.
Once you have submitted your answers you will get a score ranging from 0 to 20. This is the number of points you earned, not the number of correct answers. Since each question is worth 0.5 points, a score of 20 points means you correctly answered 40 questions. A score of 15 points means you correctly answered 30 questions. Etc.
You must finish the exam (hit the Submit button) by midnight of the due date given in your syllabus. If you submit your answers after that time, they will not be recorded and you will receive a zero for your exam.
I strongly encourage you to use the final exam review. (It's linked at the top of this page.) Pay attention to the review and you will have no problem doing well on the exam. Good luck!
Copyright © 1996 Amy S. Glenn |
