US and Texas
Government 2301--Web

Instructor:	Dr. Brian K. Dille
Office:	Deaderick Hall 209
Office Phone:	915/335-6592
Fax:	915/335/6667
E-mail:	bdille@odessa.edu
Surface Mail:	Odessa College 201 West University Odessa, Texas 79764
Office Hours:	Mon/Wed/Fri: 8:30-9:00 a.m., 10-11 a.m. Tuesday/Thursday: 9-10 a.m.
Blackboard:	Click here to go to the Blackboard login page.  The OC webmaster will enroll you in this course on Blackboard.  Once that is done, you will only need to login each time, click "Courses", then "Government 2301", and you will be in my course for test-taking, assignments, announcements, etc.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To present the basic concepts of politics that will better enable you, the student, to understand American and Texas government and politics.

2. To motivate you, the student, to take an interest in and understand issues and problems facing the United States, Texas, and Odessa or city which you live in.

3. To stimulate you, the student, to exercise your privileges and obligations as a U.S. citizen, through participation in local, state, and national political activities.

DROP POLICY

You are responsible for dropping this class if you quit doing the work. The instructor will not do so . Failure to drop results in an F.

We will have four discussion group topics in this course. The discussions are not 'at will' but are considered an integral part of your learning.  The selected topics will be posted online with specific instructions and due date. You will receive a grade for your discussion and responses to the other students' comments. Please see the discussion topics for detailed instructions. To enter into the discussion area you will go to Blackboard.   You must participate in all four discussion topics.  At the end of the discussion period, you must post your final "Summary" of the discussion topic on Blackboard.  Click on the "Communication" button and then on the "Discussion Board" and then on "Send Files" to post all assignments.  Please follow the instructions as given.  If you have any questions, please contact your instructor.

There will be four exams, each worth 100 points. They will consist entirely of objective questions.  A 200 point final exam will be given all objective questions. You must schedule the final exam to be taken on the assigned day in either the OC Testing Center or a secure testing facility. Arrangement must be approved by the instructor.

I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A VALID REASON FOR MISSING AN EXAM. YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE CHANCE TO TAKE A MAKE-UP FOR AN INVALID REASON.

If you are unable to take a test during the assigned time period, you need to contact the instructor ASAP. Failure to do this will result in a loss of a letter grade on the exam. Otherwise, there are no make-ups. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF YOUR REASON FOR MISSING AN EXAM IS INVALID AND IF I SUSPECT IT IS, YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE CHANCE TO TAKE A MAKE-UP.

Four discussion topics will be posted and mandatory for all students to participate in as part of the discussion grade. Each question will be worth up to 50 (fifty) points. Discussion topics will be posted for a total of two weeks and your responses are due by 1 p.m. on  Friday of the second week.

Four Internet assignments will be required. Each will be worth a total of 50 (fifty) points. Two of the mandatory Internet assignments are listed in Unit 6, one on political parties and the second on liberalism/conservatism. The other two Internet assignments can be selected from any of the others assignments listed under web activities.  Your internet assignment will be due by 1 p.m. on Friday of the second week on that unit.  

Unit objective sheets are included in the lecture notes.  They will serve both as guide to what the instructor considers important from the texts, lecture notes, research, and discussions, and what the student is expected to know at the completion of the unit. They will also serve as a good study guide for the exams because the exam questions will be drawn from these objective sheets.

Additional projects (research papers, book reports, etc.) beyond those assigned are optional. Topics or book must receive instructor approval. A written description must be submitted by the seventh week of class ( ). Projects are due one week before the last scheduled class  A "Project Handout" explaining specific rules to follow and describing how the project will be graded will be posted on line. A project does not and cannot be substituted for a test grade. The project grade will be counted as an additional grade to be averaged in with all other grades.

Ten points for a current voters card will be given and added to your total point count before the course grade is averaged.

Online exams and papers are basically open book.  However, I would prefer that you attempt to complete them without using the text or lecture notes.  Exam taking should be done alone and not a collaborative effort performed with other students in the class or who have previously taken the class.  Cheating or plagiarism will result in the grade of 0. Remember, on your essays and papers, cite your sources and URL sites.

OPTION 1: Work in a candidate’s or party’s campaign and hand in a 2-3 page-typewritten report of the work done, knowledge learned, and conclusions drawn.

OPTION 2: Work for an interest group and contribute your time and efforts to their cause and activities - letter writing, picketing, lobbying, petition drives, etc. (A list of interest groups - including local ones - are posted outside my office, DH 209.) Hand in a 2-3 page-typewritten report of the work done, knowledge learned, and conclusions drawn.

Arrangements must be made in advance,
with prior instructor approval.

As to which option is chosen and what campaign or interest group is being worked with and the instructor must be able to verify hours worked, for whom, and the nature of the work. A letter from the candidate or the organization you worked for must be mailed to the instructor for verification of your work.

 

FORMAT FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS--WEB ASSIGNMENTS & DISCUSSION TOPIC SUMMARIES

• All Assignments are to be posted in Digital Drop Box or sent to me by email as an attachment

• All assignments must be written in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect.  

When posting an assignment in the Digital Drop Box (or emailing it to me as an
attachment in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect), please include the following
information in the body or text of your assignment and use the following format:

1. Name
2. Last 4 numbers of your soc. sec. number (ex.: #0138)
3. Unit # (ex. 1)
4. Type of Assignment (ex.: web or discussion Summary)
5. Title of Assignment (ex.: ACLU)
6. Date Submitted (ex.: Jan. 17, 2003)
7. Course (ex.: Govt. 2302 Web)

How well you do in college is connected, at least in part, to how well you can adjust to the various expectations attached to your new role as a college student. Teachers will judge you by how well or poorly you conform to their expectations of a successful student. These guidelines do not represent those of all instructors, but it pays you to know, in general, what behaviors define a good student. Obviously, I may have slightly different expectations that you should ask about if they are not made clear to you early in the semester. What follows is a general description of what I expect from my students:

1. Good students behave in ways that enhance the learning experience for everyone in the class.
   

2. Good students are engaged in the class, often actively participating in discussion.
   

3. They use appropriate language in discussion: no profanity or foul language.
   

4. Good students practice personal and academic integrity.
   

5. They do not cheat on tests or other assignments.
   

6. They do not plagiarize on assignments: hand in the work of others as their own.
   

7. They do not lie or make excuses.
   

8. They complete assignments, projects, papers, and exams in a timely manner.
   

9. Good students respect the dignity and opinions of all people.
   

10. They do not compromise or demean the dignity of others by taunting, teasing, insulting, sexually harassing or discriminating.
    

11. They encourage the equal rights and treatment of all students, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, ethnic heritage, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and/or political ideology.
    

12. They recognize it is their responsibility to communicate any problems or concerns to the appropriate Odessa college personnel, such as instructors, counselors, and coaches. This includes extended absences, health problems, job conflicts, emergencies, incarcerations, family problems, and documented learning disabilities.
    

13. They follow appropriate procedures if they a grievance. After discussing the problem with the instructor, coach, or counselor first, they proceed in a hierarchical order as diagramed below, following the steps outlined in the Student Right to Due Process, available in full text from the office of the Vice-President for Student Life.
    

Grievance Policy - Chain of Command

Student -> Instructor -> Department Chair -> Division Dean ->
 Vice President -> President -> Board of Trustees

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