Political Science 1100-A American National Government Distance Education Online Course

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1 Political Science 1100-A American National Government Distance Education Online Course Instructor Information: Samantha Woolsey, Ph.D. Department of Political Science use the Blackboard internal or Contact Information/Office Hours: The best way to contact me is via Blackboard . My other address is noted at the top of the syllabus, but it should only be used if the Blackboard system is not available. Most inquiries can be addressed via and I check my Blackboard frequently. However, if you would like to set up a telephone conversation or meet via Wimba an online virtual office I am happy to set up an appointment for a call and/or virtual visit. Please provide me with your phone number and the best time to reach you for a telephone appointment, as well as good times to meet if you prefer to use Wimba. The link to Wimba is available on the home page of the course. Setting up appointments in this way enables me to have all of the materials relating to your inquiry in front of me when we talk. You are encouraged to read and understand this entire syllabus prior to beginning the first lesson. In addition, please explore and become familiar with the entire course site. Before you begin your lessons you must pass an Introduction quiz with a 100%. It is located in the Assessments tool or in the Course Content folder. You may take the quiz as many times as needed. Answers to the quiz are located in this syllabus and from the contents located in the Start Here folder. Welcome to Class Having taught this course several times, I have learned it is very important for everyone to know and understand the following rules for the course: A. If you have never taken an online course, please explore the student Blackboard tutorial page located in the Start Here folder. It provides an orientation for new students. Knowledge of how this software operates is essential as is ensuring that your computer can function with the software. University of Utah 1

2 B. The quizzes and assignments become available after you have received a score for the previous assignment (i.e., Lesson 2 opens after assignment 1 has been graded and scored.). Please refer to the Course Schedule to see the order of assignments and quizzes. C. The discussion board function of this course is a very important part of your grade. Make sure to post your mandatory initial and response postings under the designated lesson on the discussion board. You can find a complete description of my posting expectations under Participation in this syllabus. D. Your scores The quizzes are graded automatically in the Blackboard program and your scores are available immediately. I will read and grade each of your essays. The numerical scores are available by clicking on My Grades in the My Tools area on the left. I will also provide comments. In order to view those comments, click on Assignments in the Course Tools area and then click on submitted assignments. You will also receive scores for your participation on the discussion board. The numerical scores are available by clicking on My Grades in the My Tools area on the left. I will also provide comments privately to each mandatory and responsive post via your Blackboard . Be sure to check the Mail icon in the Course Tools area on the left. That is how I will communicate with you privately. E. The final exam consists of 100 questions taken directly from the quizzes. Your completed quizzes are an automatic study guide for the final. Course Description For many of you this will be a new and exciting learning experience. Communication between the instructor and individual student will be far greater than in a normal classroom setting. The goals of this course will be the same as those in a normal classroom setting. First, this course is meant to broaden and deepen our knowledge of politics in the United States. We will accomplish this through the study of the Constitution, the institutions which comprise contemporary American governments, and the organizations which connect American citizens to their government. Second, as a political scientist, I am especially interested in reexamining that which you have learned before about American government, and hopefully creating a more realistic and informed view of American government and politics. I am looking forward to a lively, academic discussion of American government and the politics that surround us. University of Utah 2

3 Texts Janda, Kenneth, Jeffrey M. Berry and Jerry Goldman The Challenge of Democracy. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. ISBN Miroff, Bruce, Raymond Seidelman, and Todd Swanstrom Debating Democracy. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN On Electronic Reserve (no need to purchase): Parenti, Michael. Democracy for the Few (7 th Edition) Wadsworth. ISBN Chapters 2 and 5. The textbook can be purchased through Specialty Books ( or Amazon.com. Please note the ISBN number to make sure you get the correct edition. Course Requirements 1. Assignments: There are six assignments/essays. Each one should be between three to four pages. Each assignment/essay is worth 50 points. Total points for assignments = 300 points (30% of your grade) 2. Quizzes: There are 10 quizzes; each has 20 questions at 1 point per question. Total points for quizzes = 200 points (20% of your grade) 3. Final Exam: There are no time limits on the quizzes. You may take as long as you like to complete each quiz; however, your first submission will be your score. After you have received your score you may take the quiz multiple times to ascertain the correct answers. The final exam will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions, which will be taken from the quizzes. Each question is worth 3 points. Total points for final = 300 points (30% of your grade) You should study your quizzes because the final exam questions will be taken from the quizzes. University of Utah 3

4 DISPUTES ON EXAM QUESTIONS/GRADES: All disputes regarding exam questions must be given to me in writing within a week of the exam (and will not be considered after a week has passed). Please explicitly state your dispute and then after I have read your statement I will either make the necessary adjustment or we can schedule a time to discuss the matter; however, disputing a question does not ensure that your grade will be adjusted simply that I will review and consider it. NOTE: As this course is offered in an online format, students should contact the Distance Education office to make arrangements for proctored exams. You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course. If you fail this exam you will fail the course. This is a requirement of all U of U Distance Education courses. 4. Participation: The course is divided into six sections. As you prepare the assignments and prepare to take the quizzes, each student is required to participate in the online discussions that pertain to the specific section. You are encouraged to participate as much as you like; however, you are required to participate at least twice per section. Your initial mandatory posting will be in response to a question that I post on the discussion board. Your second responsive posting is in response to either my feedback or the posting(s) of another student(s). In terms of my expectations for postings, your postings should use class material, current events and personal opinion. A high quality initial mandatory posting for each lesson will contain a cogent argument, address every section of the question, contain obvious reference to material in both texts to advance and/or illustrate your argument, and will have spelling and grammar checked. A brief paragraph will be insufficient. A high quality response posting will be slightly shorter in length, will reference material in at least one text, and will otherwise adhere to the mandatory posting criteria. Responses should identify the person to whom the response is addressed. One or two sentences will be insufficient. Each posting will be worth 16.5 points and each student will receive 2 participation points automatically. Total points for participation = 200 points (20% of your grade) Total points possible for entire course = 1,000 Your grade will be determined on a percentage basis. For example, if you earn 850 of the 1000 points, your grade will be 85% or a B. University of Utah 4

5 Grade Scale: Grading in this course is based upon the following activities and assignments. A % C A C B D B D B D C E 59 and below Planning Time: Successful students (those that get A s, B s, and C s) use their time wisely. Just like a face-to-face course, the standard formula for college coursework is that for every one hour of class time will result in three to six hours (and sometimes more) of homework. For example, a three credit hour course will require an average of 6-9 (or more) hours of homework (reading, research, and studying) per lesson. As a result, successful students plan their time wisely so that they keep up with assignments by maintaining a pace that fits the course schedule. They also communicate with the instructor often so that they can receive much needed feedback on their work. Online Course Responsibilities: This course requires significant self-motivation. Some lessons take a considerable amount of time to complete. Please note that not all lessons are created equal. Some may take a bit more time than others. Some people believe this to be a much easier way to study this subject than in the on-campus frame work. Others may feel very intimidated at first. Be patient as you work your way through the first few lessons. If you are serious about the material, you will learn as much, if not more, than most on-campus students about this subject and develop reading and communication skills that are vital to the workforce of the 21st century. The following is a list of general notes as they relate to the course: All course communication with the instructor should be completed using the WebCT tool. Assignments are to be submitted in Word format (.doc) or an.rtf file if using other word processing software. Online Courtesy & Communication Policy: Extreme consideration for the feelings of others is expected. People cannot see you smile and may not know when you are joking. Do not tell people they are stupid or wrong. Do explain why you believe differently. If someone has the facts wrong, direct them to the source of accurate information or politely offer your alternative facts. Use of profanity or direct/indirect University of Utah 5

6 insults which defame a person s character, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. are inappropriate and will not be tolerated. Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism: Cheating will not be tolerated in this course. Anyone caught cheating will fail the course and will be reported to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, in accordance with the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Successful students always make sure that their work is original. This is important because the instructor must be able to gauge what the student has learned. Therefore, copying the work of another person, whether an essay, answers on your assignments or during a test, is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Any time a student uses someone else s work and does not give that person credit, it is plagiarism. Anyone who plagiarizes will receive a failing grade on the assignment. If this is repeated, the student will fail the course and can be expelled from the university. If you are suspected of plagiarism, you will bear the burden of proof. You must be able to present rough drafts or related materials and discuss the topic intelligently. Refer to the University of Utah Plagiarism Policy for more details and/or the University of Utah - Policy and Procedures Manual. Equal Access: The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and to the Center for Disability Services, Olpin Union Building, (V/TDD) to make arrangements for accommodations. This information is available in alternative format with prior notification. Please provide the instructor with a letter from the Center for Disability Services as soon as possible. All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disabilities. THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE/MODIFY THE CONTENTS OF THIS SYLLABUS University of Utah 6

7 COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION Copyright notice to students taking online courses: Notice to students that materials used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright protection. TEACH Act Copyright Notice The materials on this course Web site are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated. University of Utah 7