SAMPLE ONLY
Austin Community College Syllabus
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.
Politics is not just something we watch on TV or read about, it is something we do or don’t do. You don't purchase this course and "consume" it. The Professors don't deliver a product to you. Instead, the students and the professors engage together in a semester of learning.
Class discussions often move freely from assigned readings to the latest news. Because our subject matter includes issues and events that are unfolding as we discuss them the lecture may become modified.
If you would prefer not to
engage in respectful & spirited discussions about issues that can (and
probably will) arouse strong feelings, and, most of all, if you are not willing
to give it a try, then this is not the course for you. You should consider dropping the course.
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 and through class discussion as well as in written assignments. You must have respect for your classmates & the Professor.
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
Essay accounts for 20% of your total grade.
Essay- Students are required to write a 5 page (min.)
essay, typed, 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. You are required to have at least
4 credible sources. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A CREDIBLE SOURCE.
I prefer MLA style for
bibliography. See websites below for
assistance. You can also go to the ACC
library for handouts on bibliographies & citations.
STAPLE ALL WORK & include
a coversheet or points will be deducted.
Your coversheet and your bibliography are not counted towards your 5
pages.
THE PAPER IS DUE IN CLASS,
ANY THING TURNED IN AFTER THIS CLASS TIME HAS FINISHED WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE! Students will
not be allowed to leave class to finish or work on their paper. There will be 5 points off if you turn in
your paper after class or later in the day on the due date up till 4pm. After 4pm of the due date you might as well
turn it in the following day because you will receive 10 points off. And students will be deducted 10 points off
for every day that it is late (weekends count, each day as 10 points off). So, you will be allowed to turn in your essay
late, but each day is 10 points & you will not be allowed to go past 5 days
(50 points).
NEVER put papers under
Professor’s door. Late work is to be turned into room #2209
in building A (where faculty boxes are located). Make sure you give it to a staff member so
that they will have it stamped the date/time.
If you turn in late work without a stamped date/time then whatever day I
pick it up will be the day….and there are times I pick mail up days later. And
no stamped date/time is minus 5 points off.
**I do not count your last
page as a 5th page if the page is not complete, meaning that if your
last page is only half a page then your paper is 4.5 pages long, not 5.
**YOU MUST follow the
above instructions or points will be deducted
Your essay is a political issue debate over specific questions which are relevant to political controversial issues of the day. Your paper should include an introduction giving an overview of the history of the political issue. You may include court cases, new articles, or any other relevant periodicals. After your introduction you must look at the issue from both sides of the argument. A general example would be the issue of abortion, you should look the reasons women should be granted the right to have an abortion and then you should give a work up of the reasons women should not be given the right to have an abortion. Then you are to give a summary of both sides of the argument. You are welcome to give your own opinions in your paper, but keep them limited. Your opinions may be given in your introduction and in your summary.
You are allowed to choose from one of the following questions:
A) Does the Religious Right Threaten American Freedoms?
B) Should the United States 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) Has the Patriot Act given
the Government the right to act like “big brother’?
G) Should Gay Marriage be
Legalized?
H) Should Marijuana for
medicinal purposes or otherwise be legalized?
Participation/Roundtables
are worth 15%
Roundtables- In
order to facilitate discussion and encourage engagement all students will
participate in roundtables. Students
will sign up for a date to present an article & discuss it with the
class. The entire presentation should
last no more than 5 minutes. After the
student has presented their news article we will open up to the class for any
questions or comments. More information is to follow.
SEE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON
BLACKBOARD FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Participation: There may be
in-class assignments. These grades will
go towards your participation/roundtable grade --- worth 15% of your entire
grade. It is imperative to come to all
classes, if you miss an in-class assignment then you MUST have documentation
(dr’s note, court report, accident report) in order to make up the
assignment. And some assignments may not
be possible to make up due to the nature of the assignment.
Lastly, you will receive a
grade for your overall participation in the class. This means asking questions, getting involved
in conversations, & attendance.
Interest Group Presentations are worth 20%
Interest Group
Presentation – Students will
be broken into groups & together will choose an interest group. Then they must do the following work &
present their findings to the class. Aside from answering the questions below
you are to present your information in a creative manner.
You may present it in a play
format, as a game show, news reporter, etc.
A power point presentation alone or poster boards are not the
type of creativity I have in mind, points may be deducted. If you are not sure about what I am looking
for PLEASE come talk with me.
1) You must interview (either
by phone, in person, or e-mail) a member of the organization. If you are unable to get an interview you
must speak with me immediately.
2) Research the history of
the interest group
3) Why was the group
started? If there was an individual who
started the organization give biographical information of the founder.
4) Do people know about your
organization? What do think of this
organization, what do they know about it?
(You could tape interviews with people, or show stats) BE CREATIVE.
5) Who are the members? Also,
who are the supporters (political leaders, celebrities, other interest groups)? You should be both specific and general in
naming members. A general example could
be that that the group appeals to educated, middle class, professionals.
6) What are any current or
past cases of litigation that the group was involved in or supported?
7) You may provide any other relevant
or interesting information related to the group.
8) What issue is the primary
concern or chief issues of the group? If you want to make your presentation
more informative, creative, and impressive you should use a debate style tactic
to explain what the group stands for, and also discuss what the controversial
issues are against the group. FOR
EXAMPLE: If you chose a pro-life
group you should make arguments that the organization gives to support their
cause and on the flipside make counterarguments from the pro-choice movement.
Interest groups:
1. NAACP – texasnaacp.org 2. League of Women
Voters – lwvtexas.org
3. LULAC – txlulac.org 4. NRA: Texas
State Rifle Assoc. – tsra.com
5. Sierra Club –
sierraclub.org/Austin 6. Am. Civil
Liberties Union – aclutx.org
7. Justice For All – jfa.net 8. MALDEF - maldef.org
9. Equality Texas –
equalitytexas.org 10.
Christian Coalition – texascc.org
11. Texas Moratorium Network
– texasmoratorium.org
12 NARAL Pro-Choice Texas –
prochoicetexas.org
13. Common Cause –
commoncause.org
14. Texas Alliance for Life -
texasallianceforlife.org
TESTS: Tests are worth 20%
Tests: You will have 4 tests which will be scheduled ahead
of time (see course schedule), along with which chapters you will be tested
over. These tests will have True/False,
matching terms to definitions & multiple choice questions. You will have at least one test that will
have an essay component. Again, these
tests will be over only the chapters we have covered, notes on blackboard/taken
in class, & any handouts given for the unit. Tests may include questions we may have not
directly discussed, so it is of the most importance that you read the
chapters. You may also be tested on
items not covered in the text, but were covered in the lecture, so it is very
important to attend class. Bring a scantron (green) for each test & a
pencil.
Final are worth 25%
Final Exam - The
final exam will cover the chapters discussed in class. Students will be advised
to review study guides & past exams for the final. Questions in the final come from notes &
the text. NO MAKE-UP ALLOWED! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Make Up Policy: You will be
allowed to make-up ONE test, and only ONE test.
You must give me at least 24 hours notice that you will need to make up
a test. You will need to leave me a
voicemail explaining why you need to make up a test or send me an email. Make sure that you leave that information 24
hours in advance or you will not be able to make up your exam. If you do not provide a 24 hour notice then
you will need documentation --doctor’s note, court letter, hospital note, etc.
to show you could not provide a 24 hr notice.
Also, without documentation there is a penalty for a taking the test
late, you will be deducted 5 points --- no exceptions. Make up exams will be taken at the end of the
semester, the week before finals. I will
have tests available in the testing center or you can come to my office to take
it.
THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UPS
ALLOWED on Interest Group Presentations, Roundtables, or the Final. You are
allowed one exception to one test, read requirements above. THERE
IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE, YOU KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHEN YOUR PRESENTATION,
ROUNDTALBLE & ESSAY IS DUE, SO DO NOT COME QUESTION ME ON THIS. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
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”. It will be hard for
me to consider an incomplete without documentation. If you qualify you will have a strict
deadline to complete your work. I will
look at these on a case by case basis
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
Final Exam 25%
Essay 20%
Interest Group Presentation 20%
4 Tests 20%
Participation/Roundtables 15%
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).
Academic Freedom: Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in
class discussions. In any classroom
situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, 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 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 class discussion 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 class or in assignments.
Rather, we will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom
discussions.
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 three weeks before the start of the
semester.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
FOR MY CLASS: Attending lectures is just as important as any
assignments. Your tests come from the
text & lecture notes. You should not
miss more than 4 days (which is equal to 2 weeks of class), as this will affect
your grade. You are graded on your
participation & attendance on a daily basis, & of course if you are not
in attendance it affects your grade. If
you miss class & we have a group project you will not be allowed to make
this up --- UNLESS YOU HAVE DOCUMENTATION.
For each day that you are
absent after 4 days you MAY be deducted ½ a point from your overall final
grade. The only exceptions will be
documented proof – doctor’s note, court record, funeral program, etc. If you have problems you need to come see me,
email me, or call me immediately. If I
don’t hear from you or have any documentation then the above will be applied.
Over 6 absences is seen as
excessive --- you should speak with me immediately. I reserve the right to drop a students for
excessive absences (that is someone who has no documentation or hasn’t spoken
to me about their attendance problem).
TARDINESS
When students are tardy it is a distraction to both professor & the class. Sometimes I am in the middle of a lecture & become thrown off by students entering the class late.
If you accrue more than 3
tardies this will constitute an absence. Attendance, as per the syllabus, may play a
part in your overall final grade. It is
imperative to be on time, attend class, & avoid whenever possible leaving
early.
LEAVING CLASS EARLY:
If a student is leaving early
then they must notify the professor before class begins. If a student only
attends 45 minutes of class or less than a student will be counted as absent
for that day.
As already stipulated in your
syllabus attendance is as important as any of your other work. I do reserve the right to drop students for excessive
absences, as defined in the syllabus.
When students leave the class early it often times can be a distraction
to both professor & the class. It is
not fair to all if a student leaves early & is allowed to be counted
present for the class, while the other students are attending the entire class
lecture.
EMAILING
ASSIGNMENTS/TYPED WORK
I will not accept any work
through email. All assignments, as per the syllabus, are due
during class time & any thing else is late & may not be accepted. If the syllabus says that you may turn in
late items you must turn them into my faculty box in room #2209, building
A. All late work must be time/date
stamped by a staff member in room #2209.
All work that you turn in,
all of it, MUST BE TYPED, double spaced, with 12 pt. font. In college all your work should be typed
unless told otherwise by professor.
Additional
Information:
IMPORTANT
NOTE: Absences can affect your grade either by lowering it with excessive
absences or it could be raised a few points if you have 0-1 absence.
You may refer
to me as Professor Rodriguez or Ms. Rodriguez. Please DO NOT refer to me by my first
name.
.
Students are expected to have respect for their fellow
classmates, as well as their Professor.
I will not tolerate sleeping in class or reading other course material.
If improper behavior occurs I will be forced to ask you to remove yourself from
the class and count you as absent for that class.
It is the student’s responsibility to drop the class.
Do not count on me to drop you from class.
Do not expect me to remember that you were no longer in the course, if
your name is on the roster at the end of the semester I will give you an “F”.
·
All work, no
matter how big or small, should always be typed. College is your job & it is
unprofessional to turn in work that is handwritten & not typed. All college
work should be typed unless you are told otherwise
·
There will be no
accommodations made for students for vacations or time off. Dates are set & I can not make individual
accommodations for students.
·
The syllabus
& course schedule are tentative.
Items may change, but only when it is in the best interest of the
students. Students will be told
immediately when a change does occur.
·
All students who
are signed up for this course have access to blackboard. I will have all the course lecture notes that
I use in class available for you on blackboard.
You will be able to review & print these notes for your use in class
& to study. See information below.
BLACKBOARD
We will be using Blackboard, http://www.acconline.austincc.edu/,
for this course. You should look at this
website as soon as possible to become comfortable & familiar with it. I would encourage you to first look at the
Student Guide. The Student Guide will be
listed when you go to the above website.
There it will tell you how to log on.
The course can be found listed on Blackboard once the semester begins.
You must first log in at http://acconline.austincc.edu. To log in you are to use your user name which
is your ACC Online Services ID. You can
find this out by reviewing the “Student Guide” & clicking on “What’s My
User ID?” Your password is your birthdate (mmddyy). I will have your lecture notes and much more
on blackboard. I may post Announcements
on blackboard which will tell you about extra credit opportunities or notify you
that class will be cancelled. It would
be great if you make it a regular part of your work to check blackboard.
When you first log on you must enter an up-to-date email address. This is very important because this allows me to send emails to all students based on the email address provided in blackboard, & if you send me an email from the blackboard page I can not reply to it. To add your email address go to the main Blackboard page for this class & click on “Tools” then click “Personal Information” and then “Edit Personal Information.” Please make sure to do this because if you email me your email address it will do no good. I can not keep track of all 125 + student’s email addresses, but if you put it on blackboard than all I need to do is click on your name & I can email you fast & easy.