Govt. 2301 Internet Course Syllabus
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Office: Gibbs A122 |
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email: bodom@tvcc.edu |
Ph.: 903-675-6320 |
Fax: 903-675-6291 |
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO TO ASSURE SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE ARE TO READ, STUDY, AND UNDERSTAND THESE TEXTBOOKS:
Textbooks: These books are used for both Govt. 2301 and 2302
Janda, Berry, and Goldman, Challenge
of Democracy, 9th ed.
Maxwell and Crain, Texas
Politics Today, 13th ed.
BLACKBOARD
You will use online educational course software called Blackboard. Everything for the class will be found there including Orientation, Assignments, Exams, etc. It closely resembles WebCT for those of you who have used it in the past.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course description: Study of the
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students are expected:
1. To comprehend the origins and evolution of U.S. and Texas political
systems, with a focus on the growth of political institutions, the
constitutions of the U.S. and Texas, federalism, civil liberties, and civil and
human rights.
2. To gain factual knowledge about US and
3. To learn to apply course materials to improve rational thinking,
problem-solving, and decision-making.
4. To gain a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual and
cultural activity as they relate to, or impact, US and
5. To develop a sense of personal responsibility (self-reliance,
self-discipline).
6. To recognize and assume one's responsibility as a citizen in a democratic
society by learning to think for oneself, by engaging in public discourse, and
by obtaining information through the news media and other appropriate
information sources about politics and public policy.
7. To differentiate and analyze historical evidence (documentary and
statistical) and differing points of view.
8. To understand the evolution and current role of the
Self-government is not easy. Democracy has always required educated voters in order to be successful. It is also required as part of a "liberal" or broad education, along with English, History, Science, etc., that is designed to provide people with knowledge and understanding in many different areas and tolerance for differences in ideas, customs, cultures, and ideologies. A person who does not want a liberal education can enroll in an occupational training program or institution.
TVCC/VCT
Students are enrolled in this class from my college--
Distance education is designed for students who wish to take courses in a more convenient setting. However, since it is based on technology there will be times when your particular machinery may not be working. At those times you are responsible for finding working equipment so you can keep up with the class and meet all deadlines.
You should treat this class as much like a regular class as possible in keeping up with what is going on. Therefore I urge you to login at least every other day so you won't miss anything.
TRAVEL
If you enrolled at TVCC you will have to come to the campus nearest to you four times for the four Exams. If you are taking the course through the Virtual College of Texas you will take the Exams at your institution or another site approved by me. Exam Dates for these events have been entered in the Course Calendar linked from the Course Menu on the left side of this page.
METHODS
You will learn the material for this course on your own since you will not attend a regularly scheduled lecture; however, it is not a self-paced course. You are on your own to meet the requirements by the deadlines for assignments and Exams. The requirements seem to be surprisingly undemanding for some students and almost insurmountable by others. You are basically required to thoroughly study the textbook assignments as preparation for four rigorous Exams. You also must submit at least two written assignments of two pages in length. There will be two online discussion sessions during the semester. The textbooks are the core of the course while the writing assignment are intended to get you to look at examples of government and politics in the real world.
It is of the utmost importance that each student comprehend that the source of the conflicts and tensions underlying most of the major disputes in our society and government come from our attempts to deal with the conflicts and tensions among the concepts of freedom, order and equality. You also need to thoroughly understand the difference between majoritarian and pluralist democracy.
STUDY GUIDES
Study guides for the chapters assigned for each unit will be posted to give direction to what you read. These study guides do not include Exam questions as such; they list areas of the reading assignments that will be the source of Exam questions. You will quickly see that the intent is for you to be thoroughly familiar with practically everything in each chapter! It would be possible for you to have several questions about each item in the study guide. I generally don't ask several questions about each item but I hope this explanation helps you understand the purpose of the study guide.
In this course, and all the others you are taking, please be mindful of the rule of thumb that you should spend at least three hours on the subject outside of class for each one hour you spend in class. Since you do not meet class for this course this means you should set aside about 10 hours a week for it. If all of you spent that much time on this course you would all make "A's." Family, jobs, extra-curricular activities, recreation, etc., requires additional time; you must set the priority with the realization that the priority you set will have consequences for the grades you receive in your college courses.
ASSESSMENT
Exams
You must take your Exams under proctored conditions at your college testing
center or other facility that meets my approval. The Exams will be taken online
through Blackboard. You must send me the name and phone number of the person
who will proctor your Exams or the head of the testing facility you will use.
VCT students will take their Exams online at the institution they attend.
Arrangements will be made by the instructor and the student with the
appropriate
There will be four Exams during this semester including the Final Exam. Due to the amount of material to cover, these Exams will require a large amount of reading as preparation. The Exams will be difficult multiple choice questions. The Final Exam will be COMPREHENSIVE. That means that it will review all the material that has been covered during the semester as well as the new material covered since the Third Exam. The Final Review study guide can be seen by clicking here.
Exam questions will be of a factual nature but there will also be many questions of an abstract nature. These questions will require your knowledge and understanding of facts so you can choose the correct answer based on an analysis of the facts.
Each of our textbooks has a website which includes exam questions. You are urged to use these for Exam preparation. Challenge of Democracy has an excellent website that can give you a lot of help with the class. Click on Navigate by Chapter and click on Prepare for Class. The Student Study Guide should be particularly helpful, especially the questions at the end. They will likely appear on the Exams you have. Under General Resources is a feature called "In Our Own Words" which is a short audio summary by the authors of each chapter. Texas Politics Today is also supported by a website that includes some practice multiple choice questions.
Make Up Exams
You have a three-day window to take an Exam so I don't anticipate any makeup Exams. If you can't take an Exam within the time period the comprehensive Final Exam score will be counted as the score for that missed Exam. This double counting of the Final grade will be done for only one of the first three Exams. If more than one Exam is missed one of the grades will be "0". The Final Exam can be missed only if you can show evidence of an emergency and will result in a grade of Incomplete (I).
Internet Assignments
You are required to submit at least two of the three internet assignments that I make during the course. If you choose to do all three internet assignments the average of the two best scores will be used. This average score will count as much as an Exam. This will be the part of the course that will take up some of the time you would have spent in class. With a little effort it can be rewarding on your course grade report. If you do not submit two internet assignments your course grade will be lowered one letter.
These are not research papers. They are essays that give me an opportunity to see how well you can think and write about the assigned topic. I expect them to be be well thought out and well written. You must pay attention and do what the instructions require. You will lose one point for each grammatical mistake and more for some.
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SENDING ASSIGNMENTS TO ME
The easiest and cheapest way to send your internet assignments to me is by attaching them to an email in Blackboard.
DISCUSSIONS
I will post two discussion board topics during the semester for you to tackle. The participation format will be included when the topic is posted. Failure to participate in the discussion will result in a one letter reduction in your course grade.
GRADING
Your course grade will be based on the average of these five grades -- four Exams, and the internet assignment average. The Final Exam will count 25% and each of the other scores will count 18.75% of your course grade. Failure to submit at least two internet assignments or participate in the discussion will result in a one letter grade reduction.
The grading scale for this course is: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59.
Ultimately, your achievement in this course is your responsibility. The instructor will do as much as possible to help and encourage, but is of utmost importance that you do your work and don't get behind.
ATTENDANCE /DROP POLICY
Attendance policy for TVCC students is the same as that described in the current TVCC Catalog. A student who accumulates three weeks of absences in this class will be automatically dropped unless I have been informed that a drop is not desired. Absences are not cumulative, that is, the policy doesn't mean three weeks in a row; it means the number of classes you miss that equals the number of classes in three weeks. I will consider this class a once-a-week class and I will keep a record of email contacts. If I don't hear from you during a week that will count as a one week absence. For students enrolled through TVCC I will drop you if I don't hear from you by email during any three weeks of the semester.
For TVCC students the last day to drop a class, or drop out of school, and receive a "W" is . . .. After that date you can disappear but you can't be dropped. However, any work due and missed will be recorded as "0" and averaged into your course grade.
For VCT students it will be up to you to drop through your institution because I can't do it for you. Please drop the course if you decide you don't want to continue or it becomes impossible to continue. When the course grades have to be sent to registrars I can only send the grade you have earned. VCT students are urged to thoroughly familiarize themselves with their college drop policy and the last day to drop.
STUDY SKILLS
You will find tips on how to improve your study habits if you click here and here and here.
MISCELLANEOUS
TVCC students are welcome to visit with the instructor in the office, when possible, or to confer by phone or email if there are any academic problems that need to be discussed or to discuss the political news and controversies of the day. VCT students are encouraged to email or phone me with any problems or questions they may have.
Tutoring is available on each TVCC campus for students who are having difficulty with a course or with their study habits. It is also a place where students who are doing well in a course may be employed as tutors. Contact the appropriate Tutor Coordinator for more information. (I'm not sure this is true in the summer.) VCT students are encouraged to check on the availability of this service at their institution.
Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing on any work will receive an "F" in the course. Plagiarizing is using someone else's work or ideas as if they were your own. In academic work we always give credit for the sources of our information in all written work. Failure to do so is a serious ethical as well as legal violation.
You will complete this course by fulfilling the following requirements: