Course title: Contemporary Social Problems
Course prefix, number, and section number: SOCI1306
Semester/Year of course: SP 2026 2nd 8 weeks
Semester start and end dates: March 16th -May 6th
Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous
Class meeting location, days, and times: online
Lab meeting location, days, and times: N/A
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: Macionis, John J. Social Problems. 7th edition. Pearson. ISBN 978-0134206325
Barnes and Noble Lion Book Bundle gives immediate access to the textbooks from the first day of class by adding charge to your initial tuition was applied to cover this expense.
While the Lion Book Bundle is designed to help NCTC students easily obtain their course materials at a discounted price it may not fit every student. If you do not wish to participate in the program, you must opt out each semester. You can change your program status 30 days before the semester begins.
SPRING 2026 opt-out window:
Opens December 15th, 2025
Closes January 16th, 2026 (10:59 pm CST)
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: By Appointment only
Tuesday: 11:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Thursday: By Appointment only
Friday By Appointment Only
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.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
9 Chapter Quizzes 10%
4 Exams 15%
3 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
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 March 23, 2026
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
Personal Responsibility
Social Responsibility
COLLEGE POLICIES
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.
AI STATEMENT
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and other such technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority defines the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies’ rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all the rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
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 D. Martinson
Office location: Gainesville Campus, Room 1409
Telephone number: 940-668-4209 ext. 4377
E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu
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.