Syllabi for LaFear

POS 2112

Part 1: Course Information

Course Description

 This course will provide an in-depth study of the state, county and municipal government with emphasis on contemporary political issues. Gordon Rule course which requires demonstration of college - level writing skills through multiple assignments. A minimum grade of C is required if used to satisfy the Gordon Rule Requirement

 

 

Major Topics/Issues

 

  • County and municipal governing structures
  • Direct and representative democracies
  • Diversity in American communities
  • Education policies and reform
  • Expanded civil liberties and civil rights
  • Federalism: shared governance
  • General purpose and special purpose governments
  • Interest groups
  • Land use and eminent domain
  • Political participation in state and local communities
  • State and local governing power
  • State executive structures
  • State judicial structures
  • State legislative structures
  • State tax systems
  • The US Constitution and state constitutions                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Prerequisites/Corequisites

                        ENC 1101 or ENC 1101H or IDH 1110

 

Textbook & Course Materials

Governing States and Localities (8th Edition) Kevin B. Smith and Alan Greenblatt. Sage Publishing. 2017. ISBN: 978-1544388601

This book is available for purchase at Valencia bookstore. Ebooks are acceptable. 

 

 

Part II: Course Expectations

TVA Statement

Part of your VCC experience will be related to acquiring the core VCC values of thinking, valuing, acting, and communicating.  This course will further that process in the following ways:

 

  1. Each student will come to value the role of the individual in American politics
  2. Each student will be enouraged to think about how American politics affect them
  3. Each student will be asked to communicate their own beliefs and values regarding American politics
  4. Each student will be encouraged to act upon their political beliefs and aspirations regarding American politics (in a peaceable manner)

 

 

Course Grading Scale

90-100: A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

0-59 F

 

Evaluation Process

 AssignmentsStudents taking this course in person will be assigned a variety of classroom assignments throughout the course. These will be completed either as an individual or collaborative group assignment. Work turned in one day late will be subject to a 10% point deduction from assignments' overall point value. Work turned in after five days late will be subject to a 50% point reduction. Exemptions from this policy will be given upon verified absences such as documented illness, family emergency, and school-related events. Students with excused absences will be given one day for every day missed to make up for missed work. Students who exceed the allotted number of excused absences must provide documentation (doctor’s note, etc.) to avoid late work penalties

 

 Students taking this course virtually will have the entire week to complete an assignment. These assignments will be conducted individually with the opportunity to communicate with classmates through virtual discussion. Work turned in after the due date will be subject to a 10% point reduction from the assignments' overall point value. Work turned in one week late will be subject to a 50% point reduction. Exemptions from this policy will be given upon verified absences such as documented illness, family emergency, and school-related events. Students with excused absences will be given one day for every day missed to make up missed work. 

 

 Weekly Quizzes: 40 %

Chapter quizzes will be weekly assignments. Quizzes will consist of multiple-choice, T/F, fill-in-the-blank, and written responses. Please follow your course schedule for specific due dates. Please read over the entire module to find specifics for each assignment. Late work will not be accepted. At the end of the term, the lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

Current Events: 15%

 Directions will be posted on the discussion boards. The purpose of these discussions is to connect current events to the text. 

Short Papers: 30%

Papers will be used to determine whether the students can apply terms from class to real-world issues. All papers must be in MLA formatting and must be between 550-750 words.

Final Exam: 15%

The final exam will be similar to the weekly quiz format.

 

Attendance and Withdrawal Policy

 Enrollment in this course is your responsibility. I will not withdraw you due to attendance violations.

 

For in-person students, attendance will be completed as a separate grade. 

 

Per Valencia Policy 4-07 (Academic Progress, Course Attendance, and Grades, and Withdrawals), a student who withdraws from class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of “W.”  A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline.  Students who stay in the class after this deadline are responsible to complete all work required for the course; e.g., homework, projects, tests, etc. If you choose to stop attending (this includes virtual attendance) the class after the withdrawal deadline, you will be held responsible for all work missed, including the final. Any work that is not completed by the appropriate deadline will receive a zero. Hence, the final grade for the course will be determined by taking into consideration the percentages obtained by work that was turned in and the zeros given to work that was not turned in on time. Students can still be withdrawn by the college for violations of the college’s code of conduct policies. Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of “F.”  For a complete policy and procedure overview on Valencia Policy 4-07 please go to: http://valenciacc.edu/generalcounsel/proceduredetail.cfm?RecordID=75 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.).

I do not withdraw students from the course for attendance violations.  Please make sure you withdraw yourself if you so choose.  Failure to attend (virtually or otherwise) will result in zeros but not a withdrawal.

https://catalog.valenciacollege.edu/academicpoliciesprocedures/courseattemptscoursewithdrawal/Links to an external site.Links to an external site.

 

Makeup Policy for Exams/Assignments

 There will be no makeup for group activities completed in class (this is why attendance is part of your grade, attendance = participation). Quizzes and papers are accessible from home and are expected on time. If there is any reason you cannot complete a Canvas assignment from home, please inform me BEFORE the assignment is due so we can come up with an alternative. 

Computer/Equipment Requirement

 Students should verify computer software and hardware requirements. Links to an external site. to ensure coursework can be submitted successfully.  Since all assignments are submitted through Canvas (unless otherwise noted), access to a computer or tablet is required for this course.  Students are encouraged to download the Student Canvas App (Links to an external site.) onto their mobile devices. Students have free access to computers at all Valencia campuses.

You are not required to bring a computer to class, but you must have access to one for at-home assignments.

Technology Access/Skills

 Access- If you do not have access to a computer off-campus, there are many computer labs on campus.Links to an external site. you can use it to participate in this course. 

Most public libraries also have computers with internet access that you can use for free.

 Technology Requirements-  You will need to have an up-to-date browser, operating system, and some additional software on your computer to take this class. Check this Distance Learning pageLinks to an external site. for hardware & software requirements. Some of the documents in this course will be available to you in PDF form. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer, you can download it by going to Adobe Reader (Links to an external site.)

 Students should demonstrate competency in the following areas:

 

  • using a word processing program (for examples, Pages, MS Word, TextEdit) to type, revise, and edit course assignments
  • using Canvas to submit assignments and upload file attachments
  • navigating the electronic library databases
 

 

Part III: Course Competencies & College Policies

The course seeks to strengthen students’ skills applicable to Valencia’s Student Core Competencies: ThinkValueCommunicate, and Act.

 

 College Policies

No Show Policy

Class attendance is required for face-to-face classes beginning with the first class meeting. If you do not attend the first class meeting, you may be withdrawn from the class as a “no show.” Class attendance is required for online classes; students who are not actively participating in an online class and/or do not submit the required attendance activity or assignment by the scheduled due date must be withdrawn by the instructor at the end of the first week as a "no show". If you are withdrawn as a “no show,” you will be financially responsible for the class and a final grade of “WN” will appear on your transcript for the course.”

 

 Withdrawal Policy

Per Valencia policy.Links to an external site. a student who withdraws from class before the established deadline for a particular term will receive a grade of “W. A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline.

A faculty member will withdraw a student up to the withdrawal deadline for violation of the class attendance policy. A student who is withdrawn by faculty for violation of the class attendance policy will receive a grade of “W”. After the withdrawal deadline, faculty will not withdraw a student and the student will receive the grade earned at the end of the course. Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of “F.” If you do not intend to complete the course, you must withdraw yourself prior to the withdrawal date.

 

 College Student Conduct Policy

Valencia is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning but also to the development of responsible personal and social conduct. As a registered student, you assume the responsibility for conducting yourself in a manner that contributes positively to Valencia’s learning community and that does not impair, interfere with, or obstruct the orderly conduct, processes, and functions of the college as described in the Student Code of ConductLinks to an external site..

 

 Academic Honesty

All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia College. Academic dishonesty.Links to an external site. includes, but is not limited to, acts or attempted acts of plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, facilitating academic dishonesty, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.

All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students' individual thoughts, research, and self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged. If a student is caught submitting plagiarized work a first offense will result in a zero score on the assignment, a second offense will result a class grade of F.

Part IV: School Services

Students with Disabilities

Valencia is committed to ensuring that all of its programs and services are accessible to students with disabilities. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)Links to an external site.  determines reasonable and appropriate accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities based upon the need and impact of the specific disability.

Any student requiring course accommodations due to physical, emotional or learning disability must contact the instructor and provide a Notification to Instructor form by the end of the second week of class. To obtain a letter of accommodation, contact OSD at 407-582-2229.

 

 Baycare Student Assistance Services

Valencia College strives to ensure all our students have a rewarding and successful college experience. To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship problems dealing with school, home or work. BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (SAP).Links to an external site.services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470. If needed, the counselor may refer the student to appropriate resources or to speak face-to-face with a licensed counselor.

Part V: Fall 2022 Scheduled

August 22, 2022- December 11, 2022

August 22

Intro to State and Local Government

August 29

Federalism

September 5

State Constitutions

September 12

Finance

September 19

Political Attitudes and Participation

September 26

Political Parties and Interest Groups

October 3

State Legislatures

October 10

Governors and State Executives/Bureaucracy

October 17

Court System/Crime and Punishment

October 24

Local Government and Metro Politics

October 31

Education System

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November 7

Health Care and the Welfare System

November 14

The Environment and Climate Change

November 21

Break for Thanksgiving

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November 28

TBD

December 5

Final Exam