SAMPLE ONLY
Austin Community College Syllabus
American Government 2305
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 United States national government. The course includes an introduction to a
framework for understanding United States government and politics, the
constitutional basis for U.S. government and politics, the processes of U.S.
government and politics, the institutions of U.S. government and politics, and
the politics of U.S. government and politics.
We will consider issues that are the focus of contemporary political debate in the United States, surrounding issues of crime & punishment, elections, party politics, etc. 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.
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 Goals -
1. To understand the nature of the American political systems
as it relates to its
citizens, interest groups, and political institutions.
2. To understand the principles in which the American political
system is based
upon, how these principles are expressed in the
Constitution, and how they guide
the functioning of our institutions.
3. To understand the 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.
Course Elements - Students are required to buy one textbook. The
required book is:
Losco & Baker. “AM GOV.”
2008 edition. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008.
ISBN # 978-0-07-296547-6
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
This is an important year
because we will be deciding on a new President.
I want to make sure that all my students in my American Government
classes are prepared to cast an informative vote. You will be writing a paper over the
Presidential race. You must write about
Barack Obama (Democratic candidate) & John McCain (Republican candidate. Then you must pick a 3rd party or
independent candidate --- Green Party, Libertarian Party, or an independent
candidate.
The idea of the paper is to
compare these candidates – their backgrounds, family life, policies, political experience,
etc. Then after you have taken a good
look at these candidates you are going to decide at the end of the paper which
one you would most likely vote for & why.
You should look at each
candidate’s background growing up (anything that peeks your interest as a
voter), their current family background & life. Where did they go to get their
education? Most importantly, where do
they stand on the issues? You should
include where the candidates stand on: immigration, war in Iraq, terrorism,
& abortion. You can speak to other
issues, but at a MINIMUM make sure to cover the 4 listed above.
Also, try to show how the candidate really sticks out from the other on policy
solutions, & if they don’t have a major difference in policy solutions then
talk about why that is important.
So, generally speaking you
tell me as a voter what you believe is relevant as you are becoming informed on
the presidential candidates. At the end
of your paper & research I want you to tell me who you would most likely
vote for & tell me why, using your research that you gathered.
Do not give me a bare bones
paper. This is a research paper &
will be critiqued as such. This means
that I am interested in your research information, & as per the instructions,
at the end you can give your own feelings & opinions. GIVE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION!
DO NOT PLAGARIZE! I have the
ability to scan your paper to check for copied & pasted work. If you plagiarize any part of your paper then
you will be given a zero for the assignment & reported to the College.
Here is a website you can use
to help avoid plagiarism:
http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/
http://mercersburg.edu/academics/academic_support/research_guidelines/proper_citing/MLA_Style.asp
DEBATE: Debates are worth 20% of final grade
Debate - In order to facilitate discussion and encourage engagement
all students will participate in a debate.
These discussions are for the class to debate and discuss current issues
in World and/or American politics. The
debate will deal with issues from my “Talking Sides” textbook. The textbook is on “Reserve” in the
library. You may check it out & make
notes or copies of your argument/issue.
You are REQUIRED TO HAVE at least 3 additional sources of
information for your debate, i.e. newspaper articles or books on the subject. This is an oral/group grade. The only thing you MUST turn in is a
bibliography.
You will have to turn in a
BIBLIOGRAPHY where you will list the “Taking Sides” text as one of your sources
used & then you will provide three additional sources. WIKIPEDIA is not
a credible source.
Students will be broken up
into groups of 4-5 students to analyze and discuss specific debate topics. Topics include controversial political topics
of abortion, gun control, capital punishment, etc. The group will decide what topic they want to
debate & then will have an assigned date to present. (FURTHER INFO GIVEN LATER IN CLASS ON DATES)
The debate is not a
Lincoln-Douglass debate, it is more informal. These discussions are for the class to debate
and discuss current issues in World and/or American politics. I will explain further in class.
EVERYONE must be present or the
group grade may be affected, unless I receive notice in advance (at
least 24 hours). You can not
change date of the debate or your issue.
All students are required to verbally participate in the debates. So, you can not have one person who did the
research & the others debate. ALL students in the group are to equally
participate or points will be deducted.
A group bibliography is REQUIRED in class on the day of the debate. The
bibliography should have everyone’s name (first & last) on it from the
group, the issue (ex: “Is Capital Punishment Justified?”), & the date. If these instructions are not followed then
you will be deducted points. If you do
not have your biblio the day of the debate (must be turned in during class
time, not one minute less) then 5 points
will be deducted for the after class through 4pm. After 4pm students will have 10 points
deducted per day.
FINAL: Final is worth 25% of final grade.
Final- 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!!
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 1 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.
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. You will receive a handout a
bit later that explains what I am looking for.
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.
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 Debates, Roundtables, Final or Exams (you are allowed one makeup
test with a possible penalty). THERE IS
NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE, YOU KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHEN YOUR DEBATE & FINAL
IS DUE, SO DO NOT COME
QUESTION ME ON THIS. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! 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).
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%
Debates 20%
4 Tests 20%
Roundtables/Participation 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.