SAMPLE ONLY
Austin Community College Syllabus
PCM Texas Government 2306
Professor: Veronica
Vega Rodriguez
Office Location: Riverside
Campus, Building A #2270
Contact Information: 512-223-6390 vrodrigu@austincc.edu
Office Hours: APPOINTMENTS VARY EACH SEMESTER
***This is a sample
syllabus. Each semester there may be
changes to course requirements, the textbook, etc. When students sign up for the course they
will receive their current syllabus in class or via blackboard on the first day
of class.***
Course Description – This course
is an introduction to Texas state and local government. The course includes an introduction to a
framework for analyzing Texas government and politics, the constitutional basis
for Texas government and politics, the processes of Texas government and
politics, the institutions of Texas government and politics, and the policies
of Texas government and politics.
Course Goals -
1. To understand the nature of the Texas political systems as it
relates to its citizens, interest groups, and political institutions.
2. To
understand the principles in which the Texas political system is based upon, how these principles are expressed in the
Texas Constitution, and how they guide the functioning of our institutions;
specifically, the Texas Legislature and the Governor.
3. To
understand the Texas political process as it relates to governmental institutions
with a basic understanding of the role of these institutions in the political process
and how these institutions influence the process. It is important that students have an
appreciation for political parties, interest groups, as well as, the importance
of political participation in the political process.
Student Prerequisites: Curiosity,
initiative, adaptiveness, and a willingness to examine ideas and facts
critically. Most importantly you should have self-discipline to stay on task
& read every day.
You must
have availability to a reliable computer that has internet connection,
an email account, and word processing skills.
Computer glitches are always possible, so it is best to always have a
backup plan. Problems of students with
their home computers included their computers freezing up, students sent their
work to my email, but not in WORD format
(which is the ONLY format I am able to take), they had some problem with
blackboard….etc. There are NO late
assignments or work allowed, so the reasons above or any other technical
problem that arises is not an excuse for late work. That’s why you have a schedule that tells you
in advance when items are due. When a
student chooses to work on items the day of the deadline then the student runs
the risk of running into the above problems, whereas, if the student would work
on assignments ahead of time then they are saving themselves.
If you have some technical problem have a
backup plan – ACC computer labs, a friend or family member’s computer, public
libraries, & maybe a last resource would be a Kinko’s.
Course Elements - Students are required to have one textbook. The
required book is:
Kramer,Newell, Prindle.
“Texas Politics.” 10th edition. Wadsworth Thomson Learning,
2009.
ISBN # 978-0-495-55510-0
Textbooks can be purchased
on-line at amazon.com, ebay.com, half.com, or allbookstores.com. You may also go to an ACC Bookstore or a Bevo
Bookstore. Textbooks may be reserved
online at http://wwwaustincc.bkstore.com
and you can have them held at any ACC Bookstore location. Make sure that you are ordering or
buying the correct textbook. The
best way to do this is to use the ISBN #978-0-495-55510-0. If you buy an older textbook it would not
have the same information or the information could be old. It is best to buy the textbook that I require.
COURSE SCHEDULE WILL BE AVALIABLE FIRST DAY
OF CLASSES
TESTS accounts for 45% of
your total grade.
1. You will have 4 tests. See the Course Schedule for test deadlines. You will be allowed 1 extension for a test, only
one test! You must contact me at
least 24 hours in advance to let me know you need an extension of one test
--- either email me, call me & leave me a voicemail --- explaining why you
need the extension. If you give proper
advanced notice then you will have a 72 hour extension, no more. If you can not
give me at least 24 hour notice you must provide documentation to show that
you could not give me advance notice.
There will be NO extensions on assignments, projects, discussion
boards, just on ONE TEST (& only allowed within the above guidelines).
v
Your exams will
consist of multiple choice questions. When
it comes to multiple choices you are to choose the best response. Make sure you
do not over analyze the question because they will be straight forward. Remember to read each question carefully; DO
NOT rush through these tests.
v
The schedule
(given the first day of classes) will have your deadline for taking your test,
but you may take the test within the time frame given, example if a test has
the dates March 4-10, this means that the test will be available for you to
take on March 4 & the last day you may take the test is the 10th. PLEASE
DO NOT WAIT till the last minute, stay on top on your work.
v
FOR TEST #4 you CAN NOT take it at
Fredericksburg or San Marcos because they take longer
to get to me to grade & I will not be able to make deadline to turn in
grades. So make sure you make
arrangements NOW because for TEST #4 you can not take it in San Marcos or
Fredericksburg.
IMPORTANT
--- FOR TEST #4 EXTENSIONS YOU CAN ONLY HAVE 24 HOURS. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE
CLOSENESS TO END OF SEMESTER.
v
To take your test
you will need an ACC photo ID. You can
get an ID from any campus Admissions & Records Office. You should also look at the policies and
procedures for ACC Testing Centers at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/policies.htm.
v
DON'T FORGET
YOUR #2 PENCIL!! When you take the exam you will first have to
fill out a “Student Test Request & Grade Form”. Make sure you fill out all the information
carefully. When you finish the exam it
will be graded by the Testing Center Personnel.
You will receive a Feedback Sheet which will include your score. Keep these sheets for your records,
this is important. Human errors can occur, so keep your feedback
form in case there is an error from the testing center or myself.
v
Grades will be
posted on Blackboard. It will take me a
few days to get to me, so don’t worry if you do not immediately see your grade. I am working on putting test grades up
faster, but REMEMBER you will already have your test grade from your feedback
form. That form is the most important,
so keep it just in case there is a discrepancy.
And if there is a discrepancy (very rare) then after your test grade is
posted on blackboard you may contact me immediately.
You may take your exams at
the Testing Centers on the Riverside, Rio Grande, Northridge, Pinnacle, Cypress
Creek, Eastview, or South Austin Campuses of ACC, or you can take them at San
Marcos or Fredericksburg High Schools.
There is now testing available at the Round Rock Higher Education
Center. For times and locations go to http://www.austincc.edu/testctr,
each campus differs in times so please make sure you check with them first to
see if it meets your needs. If the
deadline for a test is Friday, but you take it at San Marcos or Fredericksburg
& the testing center is not open on that day then it is your responsibility
to make sure you know the testing centers hours and days. You also do not have
to take your tests at the same Campus, you can always use the one most
convenient to you. Remember TEST #4 make arrangements to take it anywhere but San
Marcos or Fredericksburg.
Paper Project is worth 20% of your total grade
2. You
will be required to write a paper that is 3-5 pages in length. You may only be penalized on the length of
the paper if it is not at least 3 FULL pages long. Your paper must be 12-point font and double spaced. As in any research paper a bibliography
is required, if you do NOT include a bibliography 10 points will
automatically be deducted.
I do have the ability to scan
your papers to check for plagiarism.
Plagiarism has become a rampant problem throughout many colleges &
univerisites, & ACC is no exception.
I have had to fail many students for plagiarized work. It is very important that you put quotes
& citations where it is needed. Go
to this website & read some of the FAQ’s regarding plagiarism & also
click on the link to Standard Documentation Formats
which will show you how to do foot notes & end notes, etc. Here’s the website http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html
You are required to have at
least 3 credible sources; WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A CREDIBLE SOURCE.
DO not throw this paper together at the
last minute. You are to treat this
assignment & all others as professional college reports. You will be
deducted points if I am having to correct your grammar & spelling on much
of your papers.
I do have the ability to scan
your papers to check for plagiarism.
Plagiarism has become a rampant problem throughout many colleges &
univerisites, & ACC is no exception.
I have had to fail many students for plagiarized work. It is very important that you put quotes
& citations where it is needed. Go
to this website & read some of the FAQ’s regarding plagiarism & also
click on the link to Standard Documentation Formats
which will show you how to do foot notes & end notes, etc. Here’s the website http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html
**YOU MUST follow the above instructions or points
will be deducted. Or if you chose to plagiarize then you will fail.**
Your essay is a political issue debate over
specific questions which are relevant to political controversial issues of the
day. Give an overview of the history of the political issue. You may include court cases, new articles, or
any other relevant periodicals. A good
paper will look at both sides of the issue. You are welcome to give your own
opinions in your paper, but keep them limited.
This is a research paper, but I believe it is a fun one because it deals
with key political issues that must be examined with open dialogue. I do not discount your own ideas, but back
them up. So, you are to give an
introduction with a history or background of the issue, then answer yes to the
question & no to the question, & then finally give a conclusion where
you summarize all your points on both side.
This is essentially a debate on paper.
You are allowed to choose one of the
following questions:
A) Does the Religious Right Threaten Our
Freedoms?
B) Should Texans push the United States to Put
More Restrictions on Immigration?
C) Is Justice for Sale in Texas?
D) Could Online Voting be a Means to Increase
Voter Turnout?
E) Is Capital Punishment
Justifiable?
F) Should we have allowed Gay
Marriage to be made illegal in the Texas Constitution?
G) Should Marijuana for medicinal
purposes or otherwise be legalized?
Discussion Board Forums are worth 15%
3. Discussion Boards will be presented on blackboard
for you to respond to a particular topic I give related to the chapter or
chapters you are to be reading. The
Discussion Boards are required, not optional.
You may access the Discussion Boards through Blackboard by clicking on
“The Discussion Board” button on your Blackboard Course Page for this class. You
are to participate in a minimum of 4 of the 6 discussion boards, the due
dates will be listed on course schedule. So, you must have responded to each
discussion board by the deadline. On the
course schedule you have the dates the discussion board will be posted &
when the last date is to respond. You must give your answers ON
BLACKBOARD/DISCUSSION BOARD. I will not accept any discussion boards
that you email or intercampus mail to me. The purpose to discussion boards is to have
conversations with fellow students, just like you would in a classroom setting.
If you choose to respond to
more than the 4 required discussion boards then the one (1) of extra boards may
replace your lowest grade. So, that if
you do 5 total discussion boards I will only
average your 4 highest grades.
If you do all 6 discussion
boards then I will average your 4 highest grades & will count one of your
discussion boards as extra credit. This
would mean that I would not take into account your lowest discussion board
grade out of all 6. I would take your
top 5 out of 6 discussion board grades.
This may sound confusing, so please talk with me if you are unsure.
For each of the four units
there will be several discussion boards in which you discuss various issues
with your classmates. These discussion
boards may be on the unit itself or it may be over current events related to
the unit. You should keep abreast of
current events; it may also help you with your paper. Newspapers are free online; you can get the
Austin American Statesmen at http://www.statesman.com/.
Here is also a website that has a list
of all cities in Texas that have local newspapers, http://www.usnpl.com/txnews.php
& even though this is a Texas Government course what happens in national or
American politics can be crucial to Texas, so you can also rely on my favorite
newspaper the New York Times. You can
get the Times free at http://www.nytimes.com.
Discussion board questions
are already posted, except for one.
However, you will not be allowed access to them until the dates on the
schedule. Students are suppose to go
through the discussion boards together, as the boards act as a conversation
would in a regular lecture course. So, you will not be allowed to skip ahead on
discussion boards.
Discussion Boards are a great
opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow classmates, without being in the
classroom. Before you respond to a blackboard you should do two things: a) read your classmates’ response and think about what you want
to say BEFORE you respond; b) read your response back to
yourself carefully before clicking the submit button to make sure your comments
are respectable & appropriate.
Each student is required to
participate in the discussion boards with thoughtful contributions. Responding simply, example: “I agree with
what he/she said”- will not be given a grade.
You are to make a valuable contribution to the discussion by adding
something to what has already been said or an original idea. Here’s how I will grade your responses:
a) Do you under the issue, so
does your post on discussion board seem to reflect an understanding of the
issue at hand?
b) Whether you are responsive
to the issue itself.
c) Whether your postings are
thoughtful, if you understand & are able to respond to your classmates’
comments & then provide a thoughtful response to them that helps to move
the discussion along. Do not “beat a dead horse” with responding with “I
agree”.
d) If a student posts more
than once that student may receive a higher grade then a student who responds
only once. BUT substance is more
important than frequency.
Assignments are worth 20%
4. You will have 4 assignments related to the units. The assignments can be found in the folder marked
“Assignments”. First, click on your
course & then you will see the folder on the left-hand side. You have due dates listed in Course Schedule.
When you go into the Assignments folder
you will see that for each assignment there is first a set of instructions --- make sure you read everything
presented for each assignment. Then the
next bullet will have the actual assignment.
Make sure you read both bullets.
If there is a form for the assignment, then copy the
form to your computer and complete it as your work through the exercise. Then save the worksheet on your computer
& email it to me as an attachment or simply copy the completed work into an
email. If you submit the paper
as an attachment it must be in WORD 2003 format or save it save it as .rtf
(rich text format). I cannot open any
“wordperfect” documents. I
will send an email reply that it has been properly received; as long as you
have properly turned it in you should have no trouble. I will look at the date stamp to verify the
day it was turned in, so I will respond to you that I received it ASAP. It is your responsibility to make sure I
receive your work by the deadline. You
may also bring the work to RVS Campus & get it stamped in the Copy
Room/Administration Room on the 2nd floor in Building A. If you turn it in at RVS IT MUST BE STAMPED
WITH THE DATE. Please submit your work
only ONE way. Make sure your name is on
the paper to receive credit.
ACC PROVIDES ME WITH
MICROSOFT 2003 --- you must make sure what you send me is compatible. If I can not open your document then you run
into a LOT of problems --- what if I don’t open it till the next day, then your
work would be late & that is unacceptable.
JUST AS WITH YOUR ONE RESEARCH PAPER --- no plagiarism
will be tolerated. You are to double space, 12 point font all
your assignments. You are to put quotes & citations when
it is needed. No bibliographies are required for the assignments, unless I
specifically ask for it. However, you
still must provide quotes & citations when it is needed. Any
information that you provide in your assignment that is NOT specifically yours
MUST, MUST be cited. (where did you get information from, i.e. website
address, book page & author, etc.)
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PLEASE ASK.
DO NOT ATTACH ITEMS to blackboard. The only way
that I will receive work is if you email
it to me as an attachment, & only if necessary you can put your work in
the body of an email, but these usually come out sloppy. I REALLY PREFER ALL YOUR ASSIGNMENTS &
PAPERS TURNED IN AS ATTACHMENTS!
I do not
want you to attach your work to blackboard, I won’t accept the work!
I will
not accept papers past the due date. If your work is due on a Sunday & you
email it to me at Midnight – it is the next day (Monday), so it is late.
To
Study for this Course: One important element of this class will be your
link to ACC Blackboard. Blackboard will
provide
Ø Announcements Which will give any immediate announcements
Ø Course Information Here you will
find your syllabus, course schedule
Ø Study Assistance: You will find
information to help you study
Ø Assignments: Here you will find
the 4 assignments for the units
MAKE SURE TO ALWAYS CHECK BLACKBOARD, DAILY!
To study for exams & to do well in this course you
should:
v Read the entire chapter including
the highlighted boxes, graphs, charts, and side notes.
v Take particular note of key
terms and concepts that are set in boldfaced print and are also listed at the
end of each chapter.
v Each chapter concludes with Key
Terms and Review Questions. Take time
to examine these. You may find it
helpful to write out the answers.
v Take the 4 exams by their
deadline.
v Complete the 4 assignments
v Participate in at least 4
discussion boards.
v Complete the assigned paper.
v Also, please feel free to
contact me at any time if you need any assistance. You should also feel free to come to my
office, if needed, for one on one discussions.
v Any work that involved research,
which may include but is not limited to the assignments & paper, you should
have a bibliography. A bibliography
provides information as to where you received your research & without a
bibliography you could be considered cheating. You should have a bibliography for research paper. And make sure you have citations and/or end
notes when needed for work that is NOT yours.
v Since we are dealing with
computers there is always the likelihood that something could go wrong. In order to make sure that you get your work
in on time you should send your work off before the deadline. I
will not feel sympathy for a student who is doing work the day it is due &
then has some type of computer glitch.
The longer you wait to work on items you are leaving the window open for
things to go wrong.
RESOURCES:
Distance
Learning: http://dl.austincc.edu/ Many questions can be answered
at the Distance Learning website. It
includes information on testing centers, resources, technology support, and a
host of other topics of concern to distance learning students.
Library:
Students
taking Distance Learning courses qualify for access to specialized library
resources and services including an online library registration form and a
real-time remote reference chat option.
Visit the "Library Services for Distance Learning" link on the
main Library Services web page at http://library.austincc.edu. Distance learning students also may use the
standard off-campus library resources and services available to all
currently-enrolled students.
Computer
Labs: http://irt.austincc.edu/collegecomputers/ and http://irt.austincc.edu/ict/computing/studentdescrip.html
Learning
Labs: http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/
Distance
Tutoring: http://dl.austincc.edu/students/smarthinking.htm
Testing
Center: http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/
A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=60-69 F=59
& below
I= Incomplete, these are
rarely given & only used in extreme cases.
Assignment Percentage
of Grade
4 Exams 45%
1 Paper 20%
4 Assignments 20%
4 Discussion
Boards 15%
Orientation (2
pts towards a test if you turn it in by course schedule deadline, if turned in
after
-2
points will be deducted from a test)
Total 100%
Scholastic Dishonesty:
Acts prohibited by the
College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic
dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty
includes but is not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarism (using
another author’s words or arguments without attribution), and collusion (the
unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for
fulfillment of any course requirement).
** I take this very
seriously, as does the college! I will
not tolerate any copying & pasting.
I do have the ability to check if you have cut & pasted your work
from the internet or a text. If I find
you to be cheating by cutting & pasting I will immediately report you to
the college & drop you from the course.**
Academic Freedom: Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in discussion
boards freely, without prejudice from me or others. In your writings or discussions you should
always use critical thinking, particularly about political ideas, where there are
bound to be many differing viewpoints.
Students may not only disagree with each other at times, but the
students and Professor may also find that they have contrasting views on
sensitive and volatile topics.
It is the Professor’s hope
that these differences will enhance blackboard discussions and create an
atmosphere where students and Professor alike will be encouraged to think and
learn from each other. Therefore, be
assured that students’ grades will not be adversely affected by any beliefs or
ideas expressed in discussions or in assignments. Rather, we will respect the views of others
when expressed in blackboard discussions.
You are free to state opinions, but remember that I must grade you on
evidence & knowledge of the subject.
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 of the
semester.
Incompletes: Incompletes
are rarely given & only for extreme circumstances. If you are in need of an incomplete I will
need documented evidence that you have an extreme situation that would qualify
for an “incomplete”. I will not even
consider an incomplete without documentation.
If you qualify you will have a strict deadline to complete your work.
Important Additional
Information:
The Texas State Coordinating Board of Higher Education
requires that in order for an Open Campus course to be certified, instructors
and students need to have AT LEAST TWO CONTANCTS with each
other during the semester. The first
contact will be for your orientation, where you give me information about
yourself. Your second contact will be an
evaluation of how the student feels the class is going. I will have all
students contact me to see how they feel they are doing in the course. I will give further information at a later
time through announcements on blackboard.
DON’T hesitate
to call or email if you have concerns or questions. However, on the weekends I will check email
less, so it is best to contact me via cellphone.
All your work
--- ALL assignments --- must have your name, assignment #, & your course synonym. If this is not on your work, extra credit or
assignments, then I will deduct 2 points.
(NOT 2306, but your course synonym)
ALWAYS put
your name (first & last) & PCM TX Govt. in your subject line of your
emails. This way I will know that I need to look at
these emails before I look at any others.
Again, ALWAYS PUT YOUR NAME & PCM TX
GOVT. IN SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAILS. You do not need to provide the numbers after
Govt, simply put PCM TX GOVT.
When leaving
me a message, either on my private number or work number make sure to 1st
say your name (first & last) & that you are in my PCM TX Govt.
course. Again, I am asking this because
my PCM students may need my immediate attention & so I will get in touch
with you quickly.
It is the student’s responsibility to drop the
class. I will drop students who do not
complete their orientation information by (date provided in course schedule) or
if a student does not meet the requirement to contact me twice. A student
may withdraw any time during the semester until (date
provided in course schedule & ACC online system). To withdraw from a class, you must do it
officially by filling out the required form at Admissions & Records. Otherwise, the responsibility of officially
withdrawing rests entirely with the student.
If you stop taking the course and do not officially withdraw you will
then receive a grade of “F”.
REMEMBER THERE ARE NO LATE ASSIGHMENTS OR PAPERS ACCEPTED.
YOU MAY BE ALLOWED AN
EXTENSION FOR ONE TEST, provided that you contact me 24 hours in advance
& leave me a voicemail or email as to why you need extension. If you can not contact me with at least 24
hour notice for an extenstion then in order to make it up you must have some
documentation showing that you couldn’t notify me (doctor’s note, emergency
room report, etc). NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS
RULE!
If there is an emergency then you will need to provide
some type of paperwork or documentation --- i.e. doctor’s note, hospital note,
car accident report, police report, obituary from newspaper.
BIGGEST
MISTAKE THAT STUDENTS MAKE ---
before you turn in any of your work please make sure you have re-read through
the syllabus to make sure that you are following my directions. I am a big stickler for following
directions. This is my biggest pet
peeve: students who do not follow directions.
I may take points off for not following directions – or your work may be
considered un-gradable for lack of following directions.
You have all my contact information. You may contact me any time, through email or
phone. It is best that you call me if there
is an urgent situation.
***I reserve the right to change my
syllabus, schedule, or orientation information at any time. If any changes are made students will be
informed.***
PCM TEXAS COURSE SCHEDULE PROVIDED FIRST
DAY OF CLASS