Syllabus

PSC 2301-C-01 State & Local Government (4 units)                                Patricia Andrews, MA

Spring 2018– 10:50-12:05 T/Th                                                       http://SLG2019.blogspot.com

Room: Cuvilly 7                                                                                              pandrews@ndnu.edu

Course Summary

This course is an introduction to the structure, functions and inter-relations of state and local governments, emphasizing real-world problem solving through personal engagement.

Texts

Bowman & Kearney, State and Local Government: The Essentials

Additional readings as assigned by Community Partner (CP) and in class

Learning Outcomes

Students will…

1.     Understand how state, local and regional government units are run, recognize the influence of global forces on these units, and identify their connections to local developments (PLO 1)

2.     Understand how decisions made at these levels shape society and political discourse (PLO 5)

3.     Demonstrate knowledge of the recurring issues and systemic problems that arise at the state, local and regional levels (PLO 4)

4.     Demonstrate knowledge of the inter-relationships between state, local, regional and federal units of government (PLO 1)

5.     Weigh, interpret and evaluate the actions of actual state, local and regional governmental units, and the agencies doing their work, as well as the student’s own experiential engagement with his or her CP, and present a sustained argument supported by evidence (PLO 6 & MVE ILOs 2, 3, 4 & 6)

6.     Use the tools of social science research to formulate an ethically, spiritually or socially meaningful research topic relating to their engagement experience, collect and analyze original evidence, and present their results to the class and, if desired, to the CP (PLO 6 & MVE ILOs 3 & 7)

Requirements

Consistent attendance, reading and note-taking are always essential to college success. Students’ preparedness will be assessed at every class session through quizzes, blog posts and class participation. 

1)    Students will produce a minimum of 32 pages of written work. All formal papers must be submitted in MLA format. Late papers will be penalized by one full letter grade.

2)    An online reading and Community Engagement reflection journal will be kept on a regular basis.

3)    Oral communication opportunities develop confidence and skill in public speaking. Students will be responsible for specific formal and informal contributions.

4)    This class incorporates a Community Engagement component. A minimum of 15 hours of field work and 30 hours of related activities will be required. Students will choose their Community Partners and define mutually beneficial engagement projects under the guidance of the instructor. Community Partners may, if they wish, participate in the evaluation of student learning.

Evaluation

A total of 1000 points is possible, broken down into the categories below. Students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on a regular basis throughout the semester.

      Exams                                                                                   2 @ 50 points = 100

      CE Assignment & Related Blog/Online Journal Entries                             = 200

      Reading & Related Blog/Online Journal Entries                                         = 100

      Speaker Reflection Essay                                                                            =   50

      Research Project & Paper                                                                           = 150

      Attendance                                                                                                  = 200

      Participation                                                                                                = 200

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center (SSC), located in the Campus Center, is dedicated to supporting students’ academic success at NDNU. The SSC includes writing and subject tutoring, test proctoring for students with accommodations, and facilitates the math placement test. The goal of the SSC is to promote student learning and academic innovation. Professional staff members, peer tutors, academic advisors, and faculty work together to promote a supportive educational environment. Services are available both on a drop-in basis and by appoint-ment. Tutorial assistance is offered in lower and upper division English courses. Rudimentary English language assistance is offered to international students who may need assistance writing papers or general English assistance.  Some subject tutoring is offered at the SSC. Please check your NDNU student e-mail for subjects and schedules.  These are also posted on the SSC and Writing Center doors. 

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical) be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the DRC as soon as possible. Accommo-dations are not provided retroactively.  The DRC is located at St Joe’s 117. Please contact us at DRC@ndnu.eduor 650-508-3670.

Counseling Services   (650)508-3714     Counselingservices@ndnu.edu       New Hall E18 / E19

The mission of Counseling Services is to promote and enhance the overall wellbeing of students so that they may reach their potential for personal growth and academic success. Counseling Services is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm, and currently enrolled students are welcome to call, email or drop-by to schedule an appointment.

Course Evaluations/Teaching Effectiveness Surveys

Spring 2019 Full-semester and Term 2 courses

Teaching Effectiveness Surveys (course evaluations) will be available online through Campus Portal from April 22 – May 10, 2019. Your feedback regarding courses and faculty is very important to NDNU, to your faculty and to me as the instructor for this course.  Your feedback helps us review and improve their teaching, helps departments/programs review and improve program content, and is used by the university in making decisions about tenure, promotion, and hiring decisions for part-time faculty. Directions: To access, please enable pop-ups in your browser (uncheck pop-up blocker), then in Campus Portal look for the "You have an active survey" link in the left sidebar. Click that link to open the Course Evaluation Surveys page, which has a link to a survey for each course in which you're enrolled.  Your feedback is very important!  Please complete your evaluations for all your courses promptly.  Remember: Your responses are anonymous.

Academic Honesty

NDNU’s core values include learning, integrity, and honesty, values we live out in all areas of our learning community. Academic honesty means you are able to demonstrate your own knowledge and skills and receive feedback on your learning that can help you improve. By taking responsibility for your own work and avoiding actions that could give you an unfair advantage over others, you are contributing to the NDNU learning community and developing professional skills and values that will serve you well into the future. Academic honesty is one of the most important values of a university community, and breaches of this trust have serious consequences. Please see the Student Handbook for a detailed discussion of Academic Conduct expectations.

Average Student Workload Expectations:  Class time consists of 45 hours & students are expected to attend. Students are expected to engage in an additional 15 hours with a Community Partner & approximately 120 hours of out-of-class homework over the 15 weeks, or approximately 8 hours per week. The average estimated workload distribution for this class is: Hours in Class (45), Reading (40), CP Related Activities, including Hours with CP (45), Written Work (45), and Exam Preparation (5).

Program Learning Outcomes – Political Science

Students will…

1.     demonstrate knowledge and understanding of American governmental institutions and processes that enable him or her to be an active and effective citizen;

2.     acquire familiarity with and understanding of the variety of political systems in the world at large, their social and historical contexts, and their relation to the global political order;

3.     identify and critically examine the major political theories and ideologies;

4.     employ historical perspectives to evaluate contemporary domestic and international conflicts and issues;

5.     analyze political and policy problems and formulate policy options; and

6.     use the tools of social science research – statistical and qualitative – in formulating a research topic, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results.

Institutional Learning Outcomes for Mission, Values and Engagement

Students will…

1) reflect on the heritage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in the context of student’s own values and belief systems;

2) develop relationships that honor the dignity of each person;

3) connect ethical implications of professional and liberal arts course content to the promotion of justice and peace through personal decisions and actions;

4) apply classroom learning to address community and social problems, using the Reflection-Action-Reflection model;

5) demonstrate understanding of the value of diversity;

6) assess the role of community-building activities and collaborative decision-making processes; and

7) demonstrate spiritual or ethical leadership skills in working toward a more just society.