Recitation Syllabus

Sociology 3034: Perspectives on Violence

Fall 2006

 

Teaching Assistant:     Pavla Harris, M.A.

Office:                         Ketchum 35

Office Hours:              Wednesday 1-2 pm at UMC, near Celestial Seasonings - stop by for a                                                                                 cup of coffee or tea!

                                    Friday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Ketchum 35 (basement)

 

Important note: I will usually not be available immediately before or after the lectures for consultations due to scheduling conflicts with other classes. If the above office hours fall into your other classes/activities, please, contact me, and I will be more than happy to meet with you at a different time/place. I apologize if I seem in a hurry to leave after the lecture, but many of my other classes/seminars/meetings are back-to-back and on a tight schedule. Thanks!

 

Email:              pavla.harris@colorado.edu

 

Lecture:           T, R:    2-2:50 p.m.      EKLC E1B20

 

Recitations:     Recitation 1 (Section 011):     W        12-12:50 p.m.  EDUC 143

                        Recitation 2 (Section 012):     W        2-2:50 p.m.      EDUC 134

                        Recitation 3 (Section 013):     F          12-12:50 p.m.  MUEN E118

                        Recitation 4 (Section 014):     F          2-2:50 p.m.      HLMS 259

 

Final Exam:     Wednesday, December 20th, 10:30am – 1:00pm

 

Examinations: Dates will be announced in lectures. Four exams are planned, in addition to the                              final. Grading of the final and the exams will be explained by Dr. Watterworth in                          lectures.

 

Term paper due in recitations: Recitations 1 and 2:    November 15, 2006

                                                            Recitations 3 and 4:    November 17, 2006

 

Grading: 1000 points total:     600 (60%) from the lecture part of the course

                                                400 (40%) from the recitation part of the course

                       

The recitation sessions for SOCY 3034: Perspectives on Violence supplement the lecture, allowing students to discuss and expound upon the themes brought up by Dr.Watterworth and the readings. In addition, they give the TA and the students the opportunity to explore some themes not addressed in the lecture or the readings. Since recitations require discussion, student participation is required for a successful class and attendance in recitations is mandatory. If you are unable to attend a lecture or a recitation, it is your responsibility to obtain all relevant materials from your classmates.

 

During recitations, we will often discuss sensitive topics. We ask that you show respect for others’ opinions and treat each other courteously. If you ever feel that your opinions or ideas are not being respected during discussions, please bring it to the attention of the TA/professor.

Readings:

In addition to the readings required for lecture there are several additional texts required for recitation, mostly articles that will be e-mailed to students during the course of the semester. Many of the articles will refer to current events so it is impossible to provide them to students ahead of time.

 

Announcements, due dates, class readings, and assignments might all be sent to your CU e-mail (no alternate e-mails will be included), so please, check your webmail account regularly, at least once a week.

 

Supplemental readings:

There is a package of selected high-quality readings available on reserve. The majority of the articles can be found by searching “SOCY 3034” at http://libraries.colorado.edu/search/r. These reading are strongly recommended for use in your term paper assignment, but not required for the course.

 

Assignments and Grades:

The 40% recitation grade will be dependent mainly on your term paper grade with regard to your recitation attendance and participation, especially in borderline cases. If you happen to be on a cusp, a history of informed class participation can raise you into the higher grade.

 

Term papers will be graded on the following scale:

 

Grade

Number Grade

Description

A

95

Exceeds all required elements of an assignment, and the quality of the work is considerably greater than what was required.

B

85

Meets all required elements of an assignment, and the quality of the work is better than what is required.

C

75

Meets all required elements of an assignment, no more, no less.  Quality of assignment is satisfactory.

D

65

Fails to meet all required elements of an assignment, and/or the quality of the assignment is less than satisfactory.

F

55

Only meets some of the required elements of an assignment, and/or the quality of the assignment is considerably lower than satisfactory.

Zero

0

Fails to meet any of the required elements of an assignment, and/or the quality of the assignment is abysmal.  Assignment is late or incomplete.  Assignment is not turned in at all. Assignment shows signs of plagiarism.

 

 

Extra-Credit

Extra credit assignments are available and will be submitted in recitations. You may select from the assignments below:

 

1.         CU sponsors a number of guest speakers throughout the semester. Attend a talk given by a guest-speaker and write a two-page summary. In your summary, be sure to show how the content of the talk relates to at least one of the concepts we cover in class. You may attend a total of two talks for credit. Up to 20 points each.

 

2.         CU students often hold rallies on campus during the semester.  Attend one of the rallies and write a two page summary.  In your summary, be sure to show how the rally relates to at least one of the concepts we cover in class. You may attend a total of two rallies for credit. Up to 20 points each.

 

3.         Voluntary presentation of your final paper to your recitation section: up to 75 points. The presentations MUST be scheduled BEFORE the papers are due. No late sign-ups will be             available except in extraordinary circumstances due to the limited amount of time in   recitations. I don’t expect all students to volunteer, however, so there should be enough           time for those who want to present. This is a wonderful opportunity for those students             who would like to practice their presentation skills for conferences, job interviews etc.       Please, be prepared to answer your colleagues’ questions. Multimedia presentations -     movie clips, PowerPoint etc. - are welcome and encouraged, but not necessary. Due to           the limited availability of multimedia technology in some of our classrooms it is            necessary to make requests to the IT department at least a week in advance (I will do that             as long as I know what it is that you need.)

 

4.         Best Notes Competition. You need to take notes in lectures anyway - why not try for the extra credit for them? After the end of each section of the class (start - first exam, exam     1-2 and so forth) you may submit your typed notes for consideration - the best ones (most   accurate and comprehensive) will be awarded 25 points! E-mail or hard copy.

 

Grade Cutoffs

 

Average

0%

60%

63%

67%

70%

73%

77%

80%

83%

87%

90%

94%

Letter Grade

F

D-

D

D+

C-

C

C+

B-

B

B+

A-

A

GPA

0.00

0.07

1.00

1.30

1.70

2.00

2.30

2.70

3.00

3.30

3.70

4.0

 

 

Add/Drops

Class-size limits are set according to departmental guidelines and the fire code, both of which specify the number of students that can be enrolled in each course. Therefore, please do not ask the professor/TA if you can be added to the course. Use the PLUS system to verify if you have been dropped or added.  The address is: http://plus.colorado.edu.

 

Disability Accommodations

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to the instructor a letter from Disability Services so that your needs may be addressed.  Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.  Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, or www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices.

 

Religious Holidays

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments, or required attendance. If you need to miss class for a religious holiday please submit a letter to the instructor before the end of January.  For a copy of CU’s policy regarding religious holidays, visit: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.

 

Classroom Behavior

Students and faculty each have the responsibility to maintain an appropriate learning environment. Students who do not adhere to behavioral expectations will be asked to leave the class and will forfeit their attendance points for that day. Severe or repeated infractions of behavioral expectations will be subject to further discipline. Instructors have the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions. See CU’s behavioral polices at www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student

 

Academic Integrity

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).  Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/

 

Sexual Harassment Policy

The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff, and faculty. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises that create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at: http://www.colorado.edu/sexualharassment/ .

 

 The professor and the TA reserve the right to change the syllabus at any time as needed.