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Contemporary Social Problems SyllabusTABLE OF CONTENTS LINKS Course Description | Expected Student Learning Outcomes
I. COURSE DESCRIPTIONSOCI 1306 Social Problems Social Problems is the study of societal problems from the perspective of sociologists. This course deals with human nature and human behavior in group life. Topics include: application of sociological principles to the major problems of contemporary society such as inequality, crime and violence, substance abuse, deviance or family problems.
II. EXPECTED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)After successfully completing this course, a student is able to:
analyze and interpret a variety of materials, place concepts in a larger context and make a case for his/her interpretation. produce clear, correct and coherent communication appropriate to the purpose, occasion and audience. analyze and interpret various forms of communication, formulate a thoughtful response based on the ideas and information presented and understand complex instructions. think and analyze at a critical level, relying on reason, evidence and objectivity. use a variety of technological tools to communicate, solve problems and acquire information.
III. COURSE POLICIES
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:
4. Always use SOCI 1306 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.
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.
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:
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. SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS AND THE DUE DATE FOR EACH ARE IN THE Course Schedule (BELOW).
IV. RECOMMENDED TEXTS
TEXT RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED
Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Social Issues, Expanded, 13th Edition
TEXT RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED
Reading Between The Lines:Toward an Understanding of Current Social Problems, 3rd edition
Textbooks usually are much cheaper if purchased online. You have to be careful to purchase the correct text, though, so I have given your text's ISBN above. You are also welcome to use an older edition of the text. But ... if you buy an edition other than the one I've listed above, you will be responsible for matching up the appropriate material in the chart 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.
BUY AN ONLINE TEXT These texts may be available from Course Smart or iChapters in an eBook or eChapter format. To search using the ISBN or for more information, go to www.coursesmart.com or www.ichapters.com and type or paste the ISBN in the search box.
V. COURSE SCHEDULE
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 PowerPoint Viewer 2003.)
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.
SOCI1306101
At the beginning of the exam are boxes for your first and last names. These are required fields.
A few things to keep in mind as you take your final:
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Copyright © 1996 Amy S. Glenn |
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