Course title: Contemporary Social Problems
Course prefix, number, and section number: SOCI 1306. Sec.380
Semester/Year of course: Fall 2025 1st 8 weeks
Semester start and end date: August 25, 2025-October 18, 2025
Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous online
Class meeting location, days, and times: Online
Lab meeting location, days, and times: None
Semester credit hours: 3
Course Description: Application of sociological principles and theoretical perspectives to major social problems in contemporary society such as inequality, crime and violence, substance abuse, environmental issues, deviance, or family problems.
Course prerequisites: None
Required course materials: Social Problems: John J. Macionis. 9th edition. Pearson.
Name of instructor: Dr. Cherly Furdge
Office location: Online
Telephone number: 940-498-6238
E-mail address: cfurdge@nctc.edu
Office hours for students:
Monday: 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Thursday: By Appointment only
Friday By Appointment Only
Note: Webex meetings must be scheduled. Due to other duties, I may not always be available during the times above. If you would like to on a day that states “By Appointment Only”, you must schedule this appointment 24 hours in advance.
Should these offices hours need to be adjusted, you will be notified a head of time and given an alternative time.
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to change this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced in person and/or in writing as soon as possible.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
9 Chapter Quizzes 10%
4 Exams 15%
4 Discussion Forums 15%
Mid-Term 20%
Final Exam 20%
Concept Paper 20%
Final grade scale: 90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
59 and Below F
Late work policy: No assignments will be accepted late. You must read your syllabus to ensure you are submitting your assignments on time. All assignments will not be reflected on the to-do-list. To see all assignments, you must click on module and go to the weekly modules to see all assignments
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: Cheating or collusion is prohibited. There are no group assignments in this course. Each student is responsible for their own assignment. In the event you are caught cheating, the first time, you will receive a warning and a zero for the assignment. Should you get caught cheating again, you will be dropped from the course and receive an F.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is taking by your participation in the discussion forums, meeting with the instructor and completing other assignments. Simply logging in does not constitute attendance. If a student has not completed any assignments in four (4) consecutive weeks, he/she will be dropped from the class.
Withdrawal Policy
A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is: September 29, 2025
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Describe how the sociological imagination can be used to explain the emergence and implications of contemporary social problems
- Explain the nature of social problems from at least one sociological perspective, e.g., critical, functional, interpretive, etc.
- Identify multidimensional aspects of social problems including the global, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of social problems
- Discuss how “solutions” to social problems are often contentious due to diverse values in society
- Describe how the proposed “solutions” to a social problem, including social policies, may bring rise to other social problems
Core Objectives:
Critical Thinking
Communication
Empirical and Quantitative
Social Responsibility
COLLEGE POLICIES
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all the rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
ADA STATEMENT
NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodation. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.
STUDENT SERVICES
NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair/Coordinator: Charles Adams
Office location: Flower Mound Campus, room 107B
Telephone number: 972-899-8361
E-mail address: cadams@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Mary Martinson
Office location: Gainesville Campus
Telephone number: 940-668-4209
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu