Syllabus

 

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 

OFFICE HOURS

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

 

GRADING CRITERIA

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

Attendance (15%) You are expected to be on time and attend every class.   Excessive absences will lower your grade.  Owing to the contingencies of life, you are permitted 4 absences, after which each subsequent absence will lower your final grade by one letter grade. If you are absent, there is no need for documentation explaining the absence- all absences will be treated the same (no difference between “excused” or “unexcused” absences). Please refrain from justifying or explaining every missed class. Attendance is a minimum requirement for college courses. Additionally, if you do not stay for the entirety of the class, you will be counted absent. Due to the nature of our dialectic learning in class being mentally present as well as physically present is required.

 

Group Online Discussion (10%): Weekly Discussion boards online, I will post asking a question for that week and you are expected to contribute at least one post on each question. In addition, you must respond to at least one other posting made by another student. This ends up being a total of two postings for each week (not each class, each total week) so one per class meeting.

 

Exam  (25%) The midterm exam will cover the assigned content and readings from the first six weeks of the term as well as lecture content. It will be taken in person and the grades posted a week from the date of the exam.

 

Investigative Report Project (25%) You are expected to write a short Research Paper in the form of a critical review, and an explanation of one of three selected research questions that I will post online for you to select from. Your research is meant to be done independently and the writing resources at NCTC would be very helpful for you to utilize.

  The requirements are as follows

1)  your response must discuss the course material and provide evidence for the view you agree, or disagree with. Evidence is defined by providing reasons, that you can clearly state and provide a citation for your reasoning from the text. For example, if I state that “Aristotle believes…..____” I must provide the area where the author has stated that belief.

 

2) Citations must be done in MLA format, search for MLA online and there are free resources for you to use. Please use Times New Roman Font for all postings and at least 12 points in size. The bibliography requires you find four academic sources to use in your paper and write a clear thesis which is acceptable. For instructions, I am happy to meet to discuss what this looks like and read your thoughts in advance. 

 

Final Exam (25%) The final exam will cover the content and readings assigned after the mid-term; the final exam is not cumulative for the entire semester but will include information that is fundamental to the course. It will be at NCTC at the set time listed by the University. 

 

Grading policy: this course is graded according to the requirements specified and weighted above. Letter and numerical grades are translatable on the following scale:

 

A = 90%+

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69%

F = 0-59% 

I do round grades depending on your attendance. For example, if you had an 89.6 in the class at the end of the semester and had only missed two classes I would round up to an A. This is done at the instructor's discretion. 

Classroom Policies:

Late Assignment Policy: Late papers, exams, and homework will not be accepted.  Turning in assignments is your responsibility as a student at NCTC if they are not turned in at the correct time do not bother. Your major project falls under these requirements and late submission may result in an automatic failure of the course.

Missed Exam Policy: If you know in advance expected absences for religious observances or other reasons, please make arrangements with your professor before the exam date. 

 

Classroom Behavior: Respect must be shown for both the instructor and your fellow classmates at all times. This includes being on time for class, not leaving early, having your phone on silent (or off), refraining from disrespectful comments in an online discussion, and any other actions that may be distracting to the instructor or the class. Any disruptive, rude, or inappropriate behavior can and will result in grade penalizations and the loss of a daily attendance grade. I understand everyone has bad days, but inappropriate comments will be accepted from anyone. This class requires that we discuss complex moral problems with maturity and respect for differing opinions. 

 

Class Cancellation: In the event of a class being canceled (either in the event of the university closing or just a particular meeting of this class being canceled), you should assume that any readings, assignments, or exams due on the day class are canceled will instead be due at the next scheduled class meeting. All reading materials are expected to be discussed and consumed prior to class meetings. Any necessary adjustments to the schedule will be announced at the next regular class meeting and posted on Blackboard. This syllabus may be changed at any time to be updated on the Canvas NCTC. 

 Readings are expected to have been completed prior to class, this is done so that we can use them as a resource for the class to progress. If you have not gotten into the habit of doing reading prior to classes it is my suggestion you plan two hours of reading time for each hour of class. 

Schedule: Fall 2019

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgment by the faculty member.  Approved college-sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to the absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. The student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course objectives.   Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL).

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The counselor also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify. Please do not hesitate to request adjustments to class materials. CC captioning, or enlarged print is available for any student who requests it.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______       

 

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

X         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

 

o         Government/Political Science

o         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

o         American History

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

X             Critical Thinking

X          Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

X          Personal Responsibility

X          Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

o           Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

X          Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

 

Academic Dishonesty Policy: I believe that education serves a higher purpose and as such takes plagiarism very seriously and will penalize students who commit it to the full extent of the NCTC policy. Plagiarism falls into the category of furthering the weakness of one’s own ideas and is intellectual theft. No exceptions will be made on this matter and zero or removal of the class is the usual outcome. I suggest doing the work to avoid these this penalty. As philosophy places emphasis on ethics, you are expected to conform to the academic requirements of the institution for all work in this class.

Do not do it your papers will be submitted to Turnitin and if you plagiarize I will know.

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS