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Return to the
Sociology
Courses Page
Finalized 12/15/07
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Instructor: Craig T. Robertson, Ph.D. Office: 558 Stevens Hall Office Phone: 765-4530
Office Hours: Monday:
11:00-Noon and 3:00-4:00
E-mail: Always use the
Blackboard (Bb) e-mail system for this class. Under "Browse
for Recipients..." select me as "All Section
Instructors". This symbol Dept. of Sociology Website: http://www2.una.edu/sociology Check out the website to learn more about the department, the major, the faculty, our courses, careers, etc. As part of the academic major, minor and general studies curriculum, this course serves as an introduction to Sociology. Sociologists study human behavior and the organization of society guided by the assumption that human behavior is shaped by the groups to which we belong and the social forces external to us that shape our behavior. The science aims to understand what these specific forces are, explain how they affect social groups and make valid predictions concerning how they shape future group behavior. Using scientifically generated knowledge, sociologists hope to control human behavior through the creation of sound public policy (i.e., whatever governments choose to do or not to do in the process of allocating valuable resources). Thus, because of the unique approach applied to the study of human behavior and the insight it yields, you are likely to find Sociologists working in many occupations including social service agencies (often as licensed counselors), urban and rural planning, the criminal justice system (as police and probation officers), marketing agencies, survey research, the ministry, and in administrative management. This course will introduce you to this scientific discipline by examining its history, the work of its early and contemporary contributors, essential concepts, research methods, theory and applications. I hope you will come to see how sociology can assist you in improving your understanding and quality of social life as we explore the following points:
Tischler,
H. L. (2007). Introduction
to Sociology (9th. ed.). Florence,
KY:
Thompson Wadsworth. Course preparation: You will receive advanced notice of reading assignments and are expected to completely read all assigned work prior to attending class. You will find PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and exam guides on Bb that I hope you will use for both class preparation as well as for examination study purposes. Attendance: UNA's attendance policy is adopted in this class. Course credit cannot be earned if your excused or unexcused absences exceed four weeks of scheduled class time. I will call roll each day so see me after class to ensure an accurate class roll was taken if you come to class late. Do not make a habit of coming to class late or leaving early. Assignments:
During the semester you will have the opportunity to complete 3-4 extra-credit assignments. These
optional assignments are worth 5 points in value and will allow you to apply course material to real world
settings. The assignments will be
posted on Bb and should be submitted through Bb's
"Assignments" feature. Although
these assignments are extra-credit, failure to submit them on time will
result in an automatic 80% grade before I begin grading the work.
All late assignments must be submitted the next day.
No work will be accepted after this grace period. Submit assignments with a cover sheet indicating your name, a title for your work, the due date, my name and the name of this course. All work must be typed (unless otherwise stated), grammatically sound and paginated. Your work will be graded on the basis of content, grammar, and adherence to the previously mentioned guidelines. I expect students to write ethically. To prepare work in an ethical manner you will not copy work produced by other students and you must not plagiarize (review this link: http://www2.una.edu/library/plagiarismstudentguide.htm). Any information drawn from works published by others must be appropriately cited within the body of your work and then referenced as part of a bibliography page using the APA style. In addition to these extra-credit assignments, I will assign in-class work to be completed that day or, on occasion, the next class meeting. You must attend class to receive credit and partial credit is not possible. These assignments generally count 10 points each. Quizzes:
I will give "open notebook" 10 point quizzes during the first
10 minutes of class at my discretion.
You Exams: You will take three multiple choice/true-false exams. Exams are scheduled below but if we deviate from that schedule I will aim to give you fair notice of rescheduling (i.e., a week's notice). All make-up exams are given at my discretion on the last day of class before dead day. The first exam counts 100 points, the second counts 100 points and the third (comprehensive final) counts 170 points. Study guides will be posted to Blackboard for your exam preparation. Make-up
Policy: Make-up Policy: Make-up quizzes and exams are
given at the discretion of the instructor under extenuating
circumstances, and requests for make-up quizzes and exams must be made
by the student within three days of the Learning Disabilities Policy: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the University offers reasonable accommodations to students with eligible documented learning, physical and/or psychological disabilities. Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities as compared to an average person in the population. It is the responsibility of the student to contact Developmental Services prior to the beginning of the semester to initiate the accommodation process and to notify instructors within the first three class meetings to develop an accommodation plan. Appropriate, reasonable accommodations will be made to allow each student to meet course requirements, but no fundamental or substantial alteration of academic standards will be made. Students needing assistance should contact Developmental Services (RM. 111 in the GUC or 765-4214). The following grade point scale (A=90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, and below 60%=F) is employed. No grades are dropped in this course and there is no extra-credit work beyond your process assignments. Course averages may be calculated at any point in the semester by adding together the total number of points you accumulate and then dividing that sum by the total number of points that could have been earned. For example, if a student made 8 out of 10 on a quiz and 45 out of 50 on an exam, the student's grade would be 53 out of 60 or 88.3%. You, or any other person interested in your grades, may check your grades through Bb's "My Grades" feature. Where do my course points come from? 1st.
Examination = 100 pts. Date and Event/Subject (Dates for examinations are tentative) 1/9
- Classes begin It
is my goal to make this course worth your time and effort.
Therefore, I will do all that is reasonable and within my power to ensure that you learn
and succeed. If you are
concerned with any aspect of this course please contact me.
You owe it to yourself to talk with me as I can only help if
I know there is a problem. |
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appear by the e-mail icon in Blackboard signifying that you have
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