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Austin
Community College |
SUMMER 2012 29 May – 6 July
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Dr. Ed
Mullen |
Distance Learning
TEXAS STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Section
03353
GOVT 2306
ONL
6 –
Week Course
29 May – 6 July
Required Reading: Brown, Langenegger, et al. Practicing
Texas Politics.
2011-2012 edition. Houghton-Mifflin,
2011.
Grading criteria: Grading will be based on
examinations and participation in the on-line discussion sessions.
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Each
examination (4) |
12.5%
each |
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Discussion
Boards (10) |
5% each |
Testing: All
testing will be done at an A.C.C. testing center. Examinations must be
taken in the time allotted on the course schedule below. Tests will be
available at CYP, EVC, NRG, PIN, RGC, RRC, RVS, South Austin, and San Marcos. If you need to test at some other remote site,
please notify the instructor by the first day of class. For testing procedures
and hours, see the test center website at http://www2.austincc.edu/testctr/. You must have a valid ACC ID card to take the tests. See the Registrar at your campus for
details if you need an ID card.
Office hours
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PINNACLE
OFFICE: |
Pinnacle
415; |
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Fax 254 698 3204 |
Telephone:
512-223 8136 |
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F by appointment |
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Virtual
anytime. |
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ORIENTATION INSTRUCTIONS: You
must enter ACC's classroom management website, Blackboard, add a password.
Instructions for students
are located at: http://irt.austincc.edu/blackboard/stlogin.html
Attendance Policy
Your Òattendance"
consists of your timely participation in the discussion sessions on line and
taking the exams on schedule. Failure to participate in the discussion
sessions in a meaningful way (see below) during the appropriate period will
result in a 5% grade point loss for each session missed.
Withdrawal Policy
The instructor will not
withdraw you. If you wish to drop the course, you must take action.
The last day to withdraw from this course is 28 June. Incompletes will be
approved only for the most dire reasons. See Dr. Mullen before the
withdrawal date.
Academic Freedom
"Each student is
strongly encouraged to participate in class discussions. In any situation that includes discussion and
critical writing, particularly about political ideas, there are bound to be
many differing viewpoints. Students may not only disagree with each other
at times, but the students and instructor may also find that they have
disparate views on sensitive and volatile topics. It is my hope that
these differences will enhance class discussion and create an
atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be encouraged to think and
learn. Therefore, be assured that your grades will not be adversely affected by any
beliefs or ideas expressed in class or in assignments. Rather, we will
all respect the views of others when expressed in discussions."
Scholastic Dishonesty:
As described in the ACC Student Handbook,
scholastic dishonesty constitutes a violation
of college rules and regulations and is punishable according to the procedures
outlined in the Handbook.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an
exam (either providing answers to or stealing answers from another student), plagiarism,
and collusion. Plagiarism includes use of another author's words or
arguments without attribution. Collusion is defined as the unauthorized
collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of
any course requirement. If a student commits any of the above actions,
the instructor may seek disciplinary action in the form of an academic penalty
that may include a course grade of 'F'. Such disciplinary action will be
at the discretion of the instructor."
Office for Students with
Disabilities:
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with
documented physical, cognitive, or psychological disabilities. Students with
disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for
Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority
of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the
start.
Goals and
Objectives:
This course is an introduction to
Texas state and local government.
It consists of learning through discussion and readings. The course
includes an introduction to a framework for analyzing Texas government and
politics, and the constitutional basis, the processes, and the institutions of
Texas government and politics. It
studies procedural aspects of Texas government with particular attention to
current issues and problems. It
emphasizes methods by which citizens can affect processes on all levels of
government. The objective is to
compare the intent of the original Constitution with the realities of modern
economic and political life. The
student will analyze the effects of government structure and regulation on our
society, compare those effects with the original intent, and determine why
differences exist and how they affect the studentÕs world.
Course
Requirements and Information
The course will be conducted on-line with student
self-readings, on-line discussions, and examinations in the testing
centers. The course begins with
this on-line orientation to be completed not later than the first week of
class. Full credit for the Government course will be given, just as if
this were a classroom course.
During the course, you will be required to read the
orientation and participate in class Discussions (held on-line). You will
be graded on examinations taken in a campus testing center most convenient to
you, and by the frequency and quality of your participation online.
Examinations
Examinations are all
multiple choice (sorry). They must be taken in the allotted time
schedule. They vary in length and cover the chapters shown below.
They are 25 questions long. The questions are detailed. That is,
they require specific information, not generalities. There are no make-ups or repeat chances so be
prepared when you walk in.
There are Practice Exams
on Blackboard posted in the ÔCourse DocumentsÕ section. They do not count toward your grade but they will
help you to prepare for the exams that do count. You will find the Practice Exams in your class on Blackboard
under Course Documents. Click on
the Unit symbol (UNIT
1), then page through using the arrows in the upper right
corner until you reach the exam.
When you complete the exam, click on ÔSubmitÕ at the bottom. Your grade will appear on the grade
sheet BUT IT DOES NOT COUNT TOWARD YOUR COURSE GRADE!!!
This is a very short course. You are
responsible for meeting course deadlines, keeping up with the readings, posting
discussion notes, and taking examinations on time. You must be vigilant
to stay on schedule! Neither sympathy nor excuses will be given nor
accepted.
My
Sympathy Policy:
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(We are
all solely responsible for our own results.) |
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"It
seems a shame,' the Walrus said |
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'To
play them such a trick. |
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After
we've brought them out so far, |
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And
made them trot so quick!" |
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"I
weep for you,' the Walrus said: |
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'I
deeply sympathize.' |
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Lewis
Carroll |
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This can be an exciting and interesting opportunity
for you. I am always available online to help. I want you to succeed and to
learn. To succeed, you need only participate when required and do your best
work.
PCM
Course Requirements and Information
1. Complete this online
orientation and email the instructor at ejmullen@austincc.edu. The email signifies that you have completed and understood the orientation. In that email, please provide the following information:
Name.
Section number.
2. Register in ACC's classroom management web site, Blackboard,
change your password, in the ÒToolsÓ
menu.
3. Read your textbook on the schedule outlined
below. Use the course lesson plans posted in Course Documents on Blackboard, to guide your reading.
Respond weekly to the discussion material posted on Blackboard. Take the
examinations on schedule at an A.C.C. testing center.
4. This course consists of Lesson Plans for each unit,
practice exams, online discussion postings, and examinations at the testing
center. To succeed in the course you must participate in all facets.
5. Read the newspaper daily
or read the news online. In this way, you can compare the textbook to
real life. Wider knowledge of current events will improve the quality (and
grades) in your Discussion Board participation. Here are some news links:
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/.
MSN: http://www.msn.com/.
Austin 360: http://www.austin360.com/.
Texas Monthly: http://www.texasmonthly.com/.
6. Read the text and stay on
schedule.
7. Participate in the online
discussions. Late posting will not be graded.
8. Take your examinations on
time each week at a testing center. Examinations must be taken in the time
allotted on the course schedule below. Tests will be available at CYP,
EVC, NRG, PIN,RGC, RRC, RVS, South Austin, and San Marcos. If you need to test at
some other remote site, please notify the instructor by the first day of
class. For testing procedures, see the test center website at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/.
DISCUSSION BOARDS
Each unit of the course
will have discussion forums("message boards") centering on questions related to the
subject matter of the unit. Students are
expected to participate in each forum for each unit of the course.
These forums can be accessed by clicking on the Communication icon on the left side of the course Blackboard home
page. Among other things, these forums allow you to interact with your classmates. Participation in each unit's forums will be graded on a 100-point
scale, for a total of 100 possible course points each Discussion Board. The deadline to participate in a unit's forums
is posted in this orientation. Normally, each discussion board will run for about one week or less, depending on the
length of the course in which you are enrolled. I will not grade postings submitted after
the deadline has passed.
What I
want from you is informed and reasoned observations. What does
"reasoned" mean? It means that you considered the question being
addressed in the forum, and you contributed a thoughtful answer (or you
responded thoughtfully to an observation posted by another student). It does
not mean that you gave the" right" answer (there is no right answer
in discussion forums), but it does mean that you provided a reasonable and
thoughtful response.
How will I grade participation in the forums? I
will try to balance several things as I grade the forums. I will look to see if
the comments are thoughtful and coherent,
if they are responsive to the
questions asked in the forum, if they contribute
something new to the discussion, if they reflect an effort to move the discussion along, if they reflect an understanding of the readings, and so forth. I will gauge whether
the student is just posting something to get that particular requirement out of
the way, or whether the student read the other comments and tried to advance
the discussion in someway. In addition, while quality counts over quantity, a
student who only posts one brief message to one forum will not receive as many
points as someone who makes an effort to participate in more than one of the
unit's forums or who participates more than once in a single forum. Bringing in information from other
sources is also helpful.
Working with Blackboard
As with anything found
through the course Blackboard page,
participation in the discussion forums
will require a username and password.
Once you gain access, you should change your password to ensure your privacy.
The discussion forums will
be accessed from the Communication icon
of the course Blackboard home page. Go to the ACC Online page (then bookmark that page!) and logon. Once you have logged on, the PCM courses that you are currently
enrolled in will come up on screen. Find this course and click on it, then
click on the Communications icon. Check out the other icons for information
about the course, your fellow students, how to use Blackboard.
Lesson
plans for each lesson are found in the Course
Documents tab. You will find the lesson plans and the Practice Exams in
your class on Blackboard under Course Documents. Click on the Unit symbol (UNIT 1), then page through
using the arrows in the upper right corner until you reach the exam. When you complete the exam, click on
ÔSubmitÕ at the bottom. Your grade will appear on the grade sheet BUT IT DOES NOT
COUNT TOWARD YOUR COURSE GRADE!!!
Examinations must be taken within the time period
scheduled for each test. You may not take them early or late. You may
take each exam only once.
On-Line COURSE SCHEDULE
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UNIT 1 |
Texas Background, Federalism, Local Government. |
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Chapter
1 |
Environment
of Texas Politics |
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Discussion
Board 1: |
29 May
– 1 June |
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Chapter
2 |
Federalism
& Texas Constitution |
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Discussion
Board 2: |
2 – 5 June |
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Chapter
3 |
Local
Governments |
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Discussion
Board 3: |
6
– 9 June |
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Examination on Unit 1 in Testing Centers 2 - 10
June |
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UNIT 2 |
Elections, Parties, & Interest Groups. |
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Chapters
4 AND 5 |
Political Parties/Elections |
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Discussion
Board 4: |
10- 13 June |
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Chapter
5 |
Interest
Groups |
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Discussion
Board 5: |
14 - 17 June |
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Examination on Unit 2 in Testing Centers 12
– 18 June |
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UNIT 3 |
The Legislature & The Executive Branch |
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Chapter
7 |
The
Legislature |
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Discussion
Board 6: |
18 - 21
June |
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Chapter
8 |
The
Executive |
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Discussion
Board 7: |
22 - 25
June |
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Chapter
9 |
Public
Policy & Administration |
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Discussion
Board 8: |
26
– 29 June |
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Examination on Unit 3 in Testing Centers 24
– 30 June |
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UNIT 4 |
The Legal System/Fiscal Policy |
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Chapter
11 |
Law,
Courts, & Justice |
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Discussion
Board 9: |
30 June – 3 July |
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Chapter
12 |
Revenues, Expenditures, and Fiscal Policy |
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Discussion
Board 10: |
4
– 6 July |
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Examination on Unit 4 in Testing Centers 30 June
– 6 July |
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