CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY GLOBAL CAMPUS COURSE SYLLABUS

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1 CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY GLOBAL CAMPUS COURSE SYLLABUS I. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION Course: SOC 100 Course Title: Introduction to Sociology CRN: Term: Fall II Location: Online Course Dates: 10/22, 12/14/2012 Course Days and Times: Prerequisites: None. Blackboard Blackboard is a web-based learning management system licensed by CMU. Within Blackboard, a course website, also known as a shell, is automatically created for every CMU course. Face-to-face courses may or may not incorporate Blackboard, whereas Blackboard course shells are always used for online courses and will be available to you prior to the course start date. Seeing the course shell listed in Blackboard with unavailable adjacent to its title is an indication that your instructor has not made it available and is in no way indicative of registration status. To access Blackboard, open a web browser and enter After the site loads, enter your CMU Global ID and password in the respective spaces provided. Click the "login" button to enter Blackboard and then the link to the appropriate course to enter the course s Blackboard shell. If you need assistance, contact the IT Helpdesk at / x Self-guided student tutorial resources are also available at Instructor: Kevin Hylton Primary Phone Number: (240) Address: hylto1kk@cmich.edu Availability: Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Academic Biography: Welcome to the course. I am Dr. Kevin Hylton, and I will be teaching this course from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. My formal training includes a B.S. in Sociology, M.S. in Student Personnel Administration, and a Ph.D. in Sociology, with a concentration in Medical Sociology, Urban Sociology and Demography. By day I am Vice-President of Technical Services for a management consulting firm where I coordinate the design and development and implementation of evaluations and research of public health programs. My primary area of interest is health and human behavior. Most of my work focuses on conducting research on health disparities issues related to under-served communities, include alcohol and other substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mental health and a wide variety of other health and social issues. I have been teaching for nearly 20 years at various colleges and universities. I enjoy working with students. I look forward to working with you in what promises to be an exciting course. II. TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Textbooks and Course Materials: Title: Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings Author: Henslin Edition: 14th 07 ISBN: Publisher: Simon & Schuster Required: Yes Order books from MBS at: Page 1 of 9

2 Title: SOC 100 Course Reserve available through CMU Blackboard Author: CMU Edition: Current ISBN: Publisher: CMU/Bb Required: Yes Title: Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach- With Access (Loose) (new only) Author: Henslin Edition: 11th 12 ISBN: Publisher: Pearson Required: Yes III. COURSE DESCRIPTION Systematic introduction to the field of sociology, its theories, concepts, and methods. Explores social relationships within the context of social structure. (Group III-B) IV. COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to: 1. demonstrate a basic understanding of the theories, concepts, and methods used in sociological inquiry and analysis; 2. discuss the principal findings of sociological research regarding concepts such as culture, self, groups, social inequality, power relations, social change, and the effects of social institutions on individual action; 3. show a critical understanding of the interplay between individual action and collective social life; 4. distinguish between problems that are public issues and those that are private troubles, thereby differentiating social structural and individual phenomena; and 5. apply the sociological imagination to an understanding of contemporary social issues and change. V. METHODOLOGY SOC 100--Introductory Sociology is organized in a weekly modular format. This means that all assignments, readings, quizzes and discussion will be structured and organized according to weekly modules including folders labeled according to the week and dates throughout the semester in which they occur. Each weekly folder ( Week 1 Week 2 etc) will contain all necessary information and directions for students to navigate the lessons and complete the assignments including: Agenda and timeline for readings and assignments Directions regarding supplemental/required readings, interactive demos, materials etc. for each chapter covered that week in the lessons Directions concerning two weekly chapter quizzes consisting of 15 multiple choice, true/false and/or matching questions each Directions regarding discussion boards in which students will respond to exercises, questions and/or interactive demonstrations offered within the discussion boards Directions regarding homework engagement assignments A power point presentation of corresponding material for the week Blackboard Information and Course Communication In this completely online class ALL s, announcements, assignments, quizzes and discussion will be facilitated via the Page 2 of 9

3 Blackboard Learning Management System. This allows the instructor to know immediately which course the student is from allowing them to address and have documentation of the issues within the course more efficiently. Students may access the course by clicking on the course link/title after logging into Blackboard. Please keep in mind the following as it relates to Blackboard, course information and communication: Blackboard: If you need assistance with Blackboard please refer to the student tutorials and help guides by clicking on the Blackboard Resources icon located within Blackboard (once you sign in). Also, the Help Desk is extremely useful when dealing with technology issues please contact them if you need technical assistance. Help Desk information can be found at the following website: Course announcements: Course announcements regarding updates, due dates, and other important information/reminders will be located on the Home/Welcome page of the course (the first page you see when you click on the course link from your Blackboard Home page. You can also locate the announcements page by clicking the Announcements tab located on the left hand side of the course screen. Students in the course can the instructor and fellow classmates by clicking on the /Chat tab on the left side of the course screen and then selecting Send . You have many options in terms of how and who to send s if you have any questions or concerns please refer to the Blackboard tutorials found in the Blackboard information link provided in the course and syllabus. An announcement and will be sent out at the beginning of each week by the instructor and will include the week s agenda while providing a brief overview of which subjects and issues will be covered during the span of the course. The instructor is available throughout the week to accept s and address questions and concerns, although the response you receive may not be immediate or instantaneous. The instructor will respond to your s within a hour period, even if just to notify you that the message was received and the request is being considered, investigated, etc. If you do not receive a response in that time frame you should attempt ing again in case there is some reason the instructor did not receive your the first time around (this rarely happens but just in case you will know what to doj). I encourage students to use the Q & A discussion board to post their questions. Please free to assist one another by posting answers if they know it/them. I will be checking on the Q & A discussion board forum periodically. If you do not feel comfortable posting on this board you can always me at any time privately. Office Hours via Wimba: Virtual office hours (via live chat using Wimba) will be held at TBA times and days (based on student feedback the week leading up to the course) and by appointment so that flexible schedules may be accommodated. If you need to set up a phone conversation that is also possible either leave a message on my phone or send me an to set something up Course Etiquette in Regard to Communication and Discussion: Students must also remember that etiquette is important when communicating in an online environment. Be sure to include your name in your s and to use the subject line when composing an . Please keep in mind that any rude s or discussion board posts will not be tolerated and immediately addressed with warnings and further discipline if necessary. Post with hostile, aggressive and/or offensive language will not receive credit and may result in further disciplinary action if necessary. Remember, even though this is an online setting we need to maintain an environment conducive to professional, articulate academic discussions. The discussion boards are an academic assignment and not a place for opinion or political blogging. Debate is more than welcome but disrespect is not. Thank you in advance for respecting these conditions. VI. COURSE OUTLINE/ASSIGNMENTS Pre-Class Assignment: As a way of preparing for the course please begin by reviewing the "Syllabus" (tab on the left side of your course screen) to view the syllabus this will give you insight into the course objectives, assignments, methods of communication and interaction as well as a comprehensive course schedule detailing reading requirements in addition to assignment and participation due dates. Once you are familiar with the syllabus you will be ready to take the syllabus quiz located within the "Week 0" folder--you can locate this folder by clicking on the "Course Materials" tab on the left side of your screen. As part of the Pre-Class Assignment, students are required to complete the following activities: (1) Respond to discussion forums; (2) Submit "Welcome" Assignments; and (3) take the syllabus quiz. Course Outline: Weekly Readings, Quizzes, Homework/Engagement Assignments and Participation 1) Weekly Readings: Every week students will be required to review a set of readings within the textbooks as well as explore supplemental materials provided for each chapter lesson including, but not limited to power point lectures, audio and video files, links and flash demonstrations. The readings and lessons introduced during the first part of the week will largely Page 3 of 9

4 prepare you for the discussion boards, quizzes and writing assignments that will follow the latter part of the week. 2) Weekly Chapter Quizzes (25% of the total grade): (16 chapter quizzes students choose 14 to complete OR drop the two lowest scores; 15 points each; 210 points total): Weekly chapter quizzes corresponding with the lesson material will be made available to students on Thursday of each week and will be closed to students by 11:59pm (EST) Sunday evening. After 11:59pm on Sunday students will NOT be able to access the quizzes! All quizzes will be located under the Assignments tab (located on the left side of your course screen) with the Weekly Chapter Quizzes folder. All quizzes are randomly generated for each student from a test bank corresponding to the readings from the main Henslin hardback textbook chapters for that week. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice and true/false. There will be a total of 15 questions for each quiz and each question is worth 1 point (15 points total for each quiz). Quizzes will be timed and students will be limited to 25 minutes to complete and submit the quiz. Students will be allowed one opportunity to submit the completed quiz Blackboard will submit the quiz automatically at the end of the 25 minute time period. Students are NOT allowed to use their textbooks, glossary or any other resources that may assist them in completing the quiz. It is assumed that students will abide by the course and CMU s policies of academic honesty and integrity. There will be NO MAKE-UP quizzes offered unless arranged in advance and/or based on the instructor s discretion. The quiz structure allows students to miss two quizzes OR drop the two lowest of the 16 scores if they completed all 16 chapter quizzes. The total score of 14 completed quiz scores will be taken out of a total of 210 possible points. Blackboard will automatically score your quiz after submission so you should see your score immediately after submission. Please contact me if you do not see your score or if you had an issue submitting. 3) Midterm and Final Exams (20% of the total grade): (Midterm=10%; Final=10%): One Midterm exam will become available Monday of Week 4 (7/9) and will be due no later than 11:59pm the following Sunday (7/15). One Final exam will become available Monday of the final week of the course (8/6) Week 8 and will be due no later than 11:59pm the following Sunday (8/12). Both exams will be all written essay and are worth a total of 10% each for a total of 20% of your overall grade. Once students access to the exams they will have 24 hours to complete and submit the exam. No make-up exams will be offered without instructor approval. 4) Homework/Engagement Assignments (25% of the total grade): (4 assignments; 50 points each, 200 points total): At the beginning of the course students will receive details of all homework assignments. Three of the assignments are due every other Sunday of the course including Sunday of Week 3, Week 5, and Week 7. The final Homework Engagement Assignment (4) asks students to watch and critically discuss a documentary the final due date is the last day of class at the end of Week 8 however students can complete this task at any time during the semester. All homework assignments should be submitted no later than 11:59pm (Eastern Standard Time [EST]) on the corresponding due date. Each homework assignment will connect to the previous and current week s lessons. It is recommended that you finish the readings early the weeks you receive a homework/engagement assignment in order to complete the assignment and the quiz for that week. When preparing and completing the assignments please keep in mind the following criteria: Homework assignments will be submitted to the appropriate designated assignment drop box located within the Assignments tab on the left side of the course site screen. All homework assignments will be due by 11:59pm (EST) on the designated due date (always on a Sunday). After Midnight the drop box will indicate late papers submitted. No late homework assignments will be accepted without 20% late penalty. All written assignments should be double-spaced, 12pt with 1 inch margins and saved in rich text format or Word Document to avoid problems related to uploading. Directions will be included in all drop boxes but if you have further questions do not hesitate to ask! You will receive feedback on your assignments approximately 7-10 days past the submission deadline. The instructor will notify the class if this deadline is extended. Due Dates: Homework Engagement Assignment 1: 11/4 by 11:59pm Homework Engagement Assignment 2: 11/18 by 11:59pm Homework Engagement Assignment 3: 12/2 by 11:59pm Homework Engagement Assignment 4: 12/16 by 11:59pm Page 4 of 9

5 5) Weekly Discussion Board Participation (25% of the total grade): (8 Weekly Discussion Boards; 10 points per short answer reaction (1 required per week), 5 points per peer review responses (2 required per week); 20 total points possible per week; Students are allowed to miss one week of discussion or take the top 7 discussion board scores out of a total of 140 points total for the semester): Discussion amongst peers is crucial and extremely beneficial in conceptualizing the issues being addressed. Discussion should also occur while you are reading and reacting to the weekly readings, links and multimedia sources. Taking this into consideration, students will be required to participate in weekly discussion forums by providing a short reaction to discussion questions and/or assignments addressing the weekly lessons and readings during the first part of the week (initial short answer reactions are always due by Thursday by 11:59pm at the latest without penalty) and providing peer review reactions during the second portion of the week (all remaining posts due on Sunday by 11:59pm at the latest without penalty). Students will receive feedback on their discussion board participation within 5 days of the weekly DB deadline. Overall, in addition to your own initial short answer reaction, you are asked to respond to at least two of your classmate s initial short answer reactions resulting in a minimum of 3 posts total (1 initial and 2 response posts). Each initial short reaction post will be worth 10 points and each peer review response will be worth 5 points (two required), 20 points total for the week. The instructor will monitor and react to the class posts and discussion basing the student s grade on the quality, length and relevance of the posts. Please see the detailed instructions and examples of posts as well as general grading structures located under the Syllabus/Schedule and Introduction tabs. Reminder: In order to keep up with postings it is recommended that you check the current week s discussion board at least once a day. Also, please do not wait until the last minute to post your reactions because your classmates are relying on your posts to finish their own requirements for the discussion this is the reason for the Thursday deadline for your initial short answer reaction. Further, in regard to the peer review posts, if everyone waits until Sunday night to post all peer reviews this stalls discussion for everyone else in the group. Remember you are a team and you should be respectful of your classmate s time and schedules. Overall the discussion boards should assist in preparing you for the quizzes and homework assignments due later in the week so use them to your advantage to ask questions that may help in your preparation for other assignments. Finally, keep in mind that participation should be conducted in a professional, academic manner. Reactions and peer reviews that do not reflect quality, critical and well thought out analysis will not receive credit. Examples of acceptable short answers and peer reviews as well as general grading guidelines are located within each discussion board folder. Also, please remember that this is an academic, professional learning environment and your participation should reflect such standards. Discussion etiquette should replicate that found within the traditional classroom environment. Aggression, hostility and offensive language will not be tolerated and posts reflecting such behavior will receive no credit. Please provide respect for your peers by offering articulate responses based in critical analysis supported by the course material. If you have any questions about what this entails please feel free to contact me! 6) Wimba Chat Session (5% of the total grade) Students will be required to participation in at least 3 Wimba office hour chat sessions. Students will have an opportunity to request dates/times for Wimba office hour chat sessions and sessions will be arranged according to the dates and times that fit with the majority of student schedules. Students are required to participate in at least three sessions in part of their participation grade requirement. If students cannot participate live make up details can be located within the Assignments tab. Assignment Due Dates: eek Topic Readings Assignments Quizzes/Exams 0 Pre-Class Preparation Syllabus Respond to discussion forums Submit "Welcome" Assignment Syllabus Quiz 1 Intro to Soc; Research Henslin: Ch. 1, 5 Reader: Ch. 2, 3, 4 Power, Privilege and Difference: CH 2--Course Reserves Respond to weekly discussion board Ch 1 Quiz Ch 5 Quiz 2 Culture; Socialization Henslin: Ch. 2 and 3 Reader: Ch. 12, 14, 15, and 16 Respond to weekly discussion board Homework assignment 1 due Page 5 of 9

6 Ch 2 Quiz Ch 3 Quiz 3 Societies to Social Networks, Bureaucracy/Orgs. Henslin: Ch. 6, 7 Reader: Ch. 23 and 43 Respond to weekly discussion board Ch. 6 Quiz Ch 7 Quiz 4 Economy, Politics Henslin: Ch. 14, 15 Reader: Ch. 36, 41, 42, and 43 Extra article online (located in Weekly DB) Respond to weekly discussion board Homework assignment 2 due Midterm Due Ch. 14 Quiz Ch. 15 Quiz Midterm 5 Global Stratification; Class and U.S. Stratification Henslin: Ch. 9, 10 Reader: Ch. 33 and 34 Extra Article Online (Located in Weekly DB) Respond to weekly discussion board Ch. 9 Quiz Ch. 10 Quiz 6 Gender; Race Henslin: Ch. 11, 12 Reader: 31, 32, and 33 Extra Article Online (Located in DB) Respond to weekly discussion board Homework assignment 3 due Ch. 11 Quiz Ch. 12 Quiz 7 Marriage and Family; Education Henslin: Ch. 16,17 Reader: 37 and 38 Extra Article Online (Located in DB and HW 3 details) Respond to weekly discussion board Ch. 16 Quiz Ch. 17 Quiz 8 Population and Urbanization; Social Change and the Environment Henslin: Ch. 20,22 Reader 44, 45, and 46 Respond to weekly discussion board Homework assignment 4 due Final Exam Due Ch. 20 Quiz Ch. 22 Quiz Final There are 16 chapter quizzes, the student can choose 14 to complete, or take all of them and drop the two lowest scores. Post-Class Assignment: None Student Involvement Hours: Students will be required to participation in at least 3 Wimba office hour chat sessions. Students will have an opportunity to request dates/times for Wimba office hour chat sessions and sessions will be arranged according to the dates and times that fit with the majority of student schedules. Students are required to participate in at least three sessions in part of their participation grade requirement. If students cannot participate live make up details can be located within the Assignments tab. VII. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION Evaluation Criteria: Grading Procedures and Scale: Students can view their scores/grades by clicking the My Grades link on the left side of the course screen Page 6 of 9

7 Grading Composition 4 Homework Engagement Assignments 25% (50 points each or a total of 200 points): Chapter Quizzes (210 total points possible; 14 Required out of 16 offered): 25% Weekly Team Discussion Board Participation: 7 DBs counted out of 8 weeks; (140 total points possible) 25% Midterm and Final Exams 20% (Midterm=10%, Final=10%) 3 Wimba Chat Sessions 5% Total 100% Grading Scale: Grading Scale: A = % C- = % A- = % D = 65-7=69.99% B = % D- = % B- = % E = 59.99% and below C = % Late Assignments: Quizzes There will be NO MAKE-UP quizzes offered unless arranged in advance and/or based on the instructor s discretion. The quiz structure allows students to miss two quizzes OR drop the two lowest of the 16 scores if they completed all 16 chapter quizzes. The total score of 14 completed quiz scores will be taken out of a total of 210 possible points. Homework Assignments All homework assignments will be due by 11:59pm (EST) on the designated due date (always on a Sunday). After Midnight the drop box will indicate late papers submitted. No late homework assignments will be accepted without 20% late penalty. Discussion Board Forums Students will be required to participate in weekly discussion forums by providing a short reaction to discussion questions and/or assignments addressing the weekly lessons and readings during the first part of the week (initial short answer reactions are always due by Thursday by 11:59pm at the latest without penalty) and providing peer review reactions during the second portion of the week (all remaining posts due on Sundays by 11:59pm at the latest without penalty). Points will be deducted based on the discussion forum rubric. Make-ups and Rewrites: There are no opportunities for "make-ups" and rewrites in this course. Page 7 of 9

8 VIII. EXPECTATIONS Attendance and Participation: This is an online course. As such, students are required to log into the course as frequently as possible. Because of the demands of the course, it is very difficult to be away from such access for more than one or two days. In this completely online class ALL s, announcements, assignments, quizzes and discussion will be facilitated via the Blackboard Learning Management System. This course is given in asynchronous time. That means that we do not have to be online at the same time. It is an intentional formatting that allows students maximum flexibility in completing course requirements. However, this is NOT a self-paced course and thus there are time requirements and deadlines. Assignment conferences will have opening and closing times. It is essential that you have reliable Internet and access during this course. Virtual office hours (via live chat using Wimba) will be held at TBA times and days (based on student feedback the week leading up to the course) and by appointment so that flexible schedules may be accommodated. Academic Integrity: Because academic integrity is a cornerstone of the University's commitment to the principles of free inquiry, students are responsible for learning and upholding professional standards of research, writing, assessment, and ethics in their areas of study. Written or other work which students submit must be the product of their own efforts and must be consistent with appropriate standards of professional ethics. Academic dishonesty, which includes cheating, plagiarism and other forms of dishonest or unethical behavior, is prohibited. A breakdown of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty is presented in the CMU Bulletin ( Student Rights and Responsibilities: Each member of the Central Michigan University community assumes an obligation regarding self conduct to act in a manner consistent with a respect for the rights of others and with the University's function as an educational institution. As guides for individual and group actions within this community, the University affirms the general principles of conduct described in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Disciplinary Procedures at IX. SUPPORT SERVICES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS Global Campus Library Services (GCLS) CMU offers you a full suite of library services through its Global Campus Library Services (GCLS) department. Reference librarians will assist you in using research tools and locating information related to your research topic. The library s Documents on Demand office will help you obtain copies of the books and journal articles you need. Check out the GCLS website at for more information. Reference librarian contact information: 1. By phone: (800) By oclsref@cmich.edu 3. By online form: Documents on Demand office contact information: 1. By phone: (800) By docreq@cmich.edu 3. By fax: (877) By online form: Writing Center The CMU Writing Center is a free online service for all CMU students, providing help with grammar, citations, bibliographies, Page 8 of 9

9 drafts, and editing of academic papers. Suggestions and feedback are typically provided within two business days. For additional information and to submit work, visit ADA CMU provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities and services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should contact Susie Rood, Director of Student Disability Services at (800) , extension 3018 or her at at least 4 weeks prior to registering for class. Students may find additional ADA information and forms at Note to faculty: CMU Administration will notify you if applicable; otherwise, the student will provide a "Notification Letter to the Instructor" outlining the accommodations the student is approved to receive. X. BIBLIOGRAPHY None Page 9 of 9

10 Center Information Central Michigan University s Global Campus CMU Online (800) or (989) Fax (989) cmuonline@cmich.edu Website Online Resources CMU Computer Help Desk Pre-Class Checklist Online Learning Resource Center Drop/Withdrawal Policy: Page 10 of 10