Module 1

Module One

 

Welcome to fall and to your Intro to American Government class. Because there are only two of you in the class, we are formally considered to be working in Independent Study format. However, I will be giving you activities and assignments, which will be all online and conducted through weekly Modules, to help you structure your study. I encourage the two of you to study together in a covid-safe manner if you are able.

 

A couple of general tips and guidelines for success in this online class:

 

* Please be sure to check your NDNU email frequently so you don’t miss important communications.

 

* All assignments and course activities will be contained in weekly Modules, beginning with this one, and these will be sent to you via email and also posted on the class website, located at:

 

https://ndnuiag.blogspot.com

 

* Unless otherwise stated, all Modules will be posted on or before Mondays, and assignments will be due on the following Sunday at 11pm. For this first week, for example, Module 1 is being posted no later than Monday, August 31, and Module 1 assignments are due by 11pm on Sunday, September 6. Please plan your study time accordingly so you don’t get behind.

 

1) Your first assignment for this week is to create your own blog, which is where you will post your assignments and the three of us will have opportunities to interact together. Here are instructions for creating your own blog site:

 

 

How to Set Up Your Online Reading Journal – aka Your Blog!

 

 

1) Go to www.blogger.com.

 

2) If you already have a Google account, use it to log in. If you do not, follow the on-screen instructions to create one. Make sure you write down your Google account name and password for later use.

 

3) Once you’ve logged in to blogger.com, follow the on-screen instructions to create a “new blog.”

 

            The title of your blog can be anything you want

            The unique part of your address should be something simple like gregsworldhistoryblog

            Your full blog address will be:

                        http://__________.blogspot.com

                        example: http://gregsworldhistoryblog.blogspot.com

 

            If you are asked whether you want to register or monetize your blog, etc., just say no.

 

4) Now that your blog exists, open up your email account and email the blog’s address to me. Remember, your address begins with http:// and ends with .blogspot.com, just like the blog address of the class website. My email address is pandrews@ndnu.edu.

 

5) Log out of your blog and log back in again to make sure it all works OK. Then click on the pencil to make your first post as described later in this Module.

 

6) You’re done!

 

2) Your second assignment for this week is to introduce yourself to each other, and to me. This introduction will be your first post in your new blog. Share a little about yourself… your major, academic interests, personal interests, background… whatever you want to share about yourself. Say something also about your interest in our subject – American Government… we are certainly living through unprecedented times when our whole system of government is showing certain vulnerabilities and also some strengths. What are your thoughts on the current state of American government? What are you curious about? What do you hope to learn about it this semester? How will you use that knowledge in your life and work? You don’t need to answer all of those questions, just go with the ones that get you started on your introduction.

 

I’ll go first. I’ve been teaching in the History and Political Science department at NDNU for 20 years. Like so many in the NDNU community, I’ve been saddened to see the university lose its vigor and make plans to shut down. I’m honored to continue to serve in this final year of undergraduate studies, but you might find me getting a little emotional about it once in a while. I have personal as well as professional interests in American government because I still believe, through all our challenges, that our democratic institutions provide the most well-considered structure for a dynamic, free society that has the potential to keep moving forward in response to changing realities, and always as guided by the will of the people. The key thing about democracy, then, is to be sure those people whose wills are guiding the future are competent to make intelligent and forward-thinking choices. Some say that will never happen for long because people get complacent, and that complacency leads to a lack of involvement and/or poorly-informed decisions. Are they right? I hope we’re better than that.

 

3) Finally, I’m attaching (and posting) the syllabus for this class again so you have it handy. Textbook information has also been available through the campus bookstore for some time already, so hopefully you have had no trouble acquiring a copy of our textbook and can do your first reading about basic political terminology and traditions in Sidlow, Chapter 1: The Contours of American Democracy. After reading Chapter 1, please make a second post in your blog describing 2 to 3 concepts that you learned from the reading and whether you found these interesting, confusing, revealing, thought-provoking, etc. Your post should be approximately one page of writing (more or less 250 words).

 

I look forward to working with you through this class. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email and ask them.

 

Patti Andrews

Syllabus

PSC 1000-01 Intro to American Government (3 units)          

Fall 2020 -- Online                                                 

Instructor: Patti Andrews      

Office hours by Zoom by arrangement                                                                                            

Email: pandrews@ndnu.edu

 

 

Course Summary

This is an exciting time to be studying the basic principles of American style democracy. Our political system is both emulated and ridiculed, often by the very same people. This is true of people within our own borders as well as those observing from without. What are the foundations, structures, strengths and shortcomings of this political system that has the capacity to spark such wide-ranging and conflicted commentary? I look forward to exploring these and other questions with you this semester.

 

Texts

Sidlow, et al., America at Odds

Additional readings as distributed

 

Learning Outcomes. Students will…

·     Demonstrate knowledge of the institutions, structure and working of American government,

·     Understand the historical origins of the Constitution & the relation of politics to government,

·     Develop appreciation of their roles as citizens by analyzing and discussing contemporary policy issues, and examining how change has been achieved in the past, &

·     Acquire the ability to analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of political issues.

 

Requirements

This is a participatory class. You can participate in a number of ways – reading, thinking and engaging in online class discussions, both written and verbal, are the most obvious. Engagement in any form of democratic process outside of class will enhance your participation points. Midterm and final exams will assess your retention of the material as well as your ability to apply that material to real-world scenarios. 

 

Evaluation

               Exams                                                          2 @ 100 points = 200           20%

               Reading Analysis (RA) Paper                                                  200           20%

               Weekly Modules                                                                       200           20%

               Research Project (RP)                                                               200           20%

               Online Presence & Participation                                               200           20%

Students are encouraged to keep track of their performance throughout the semester.

Student Success Center  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Success Center (SSC) remains dedicated to supporting students’ academic success at NDNU and has transitioned its services online. The SSC continues to provide online writing and subject tutoring.  Please contact Laura Mizuha, Assistant Director of Writing at lmizuha@ndnu.edu for additional information in both areas.

 

The goal of the Student Success Center is to promote student learning and academic innovation. Professional staff members, academic advisors, and faculty members work together to promote a supportive educational environment, which now includes professional online subject and writing tutoring support.

 

Disability Resource Center

Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.   Students who are experiencing conditions that are temporarily disabling (i.e. scheduled surgeries, hospitalizations, injuries, etc.) are strongly encouraged to contact the DRC.  Our desire is to assist you with managing the impact of these circumstances.    

 

Please meet with the DRC staff through a virtual meeting in order to: verify your eligibility for any classroom accommodations; and, for academic assistance related to your disability.   Accommodations are not provided retroactively.  The DRC can be reached by email at DRC@ndnu.edu.  

 

Counseling Services  Counselingservices@ndnu.edu       

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. If you are a currently enrolled student and would like to discuss your mental health needs, please feel free to email Counselingservices@ndnu.edu to schedule an appointment. We are currently offering telemental health services only with the following hours: Monday - Wednesday 10am-6pm and Thursday from 10am-4pm.

 

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.

 

Course Evaluations/Teaching Effectiveness Surveys: Term 2 and Full-Semester Courses

Teaching Effectiveness Surveys (course evaluations) will be available online through Campus Portal from December 7 - 23, 2020.   Your feedback regarding courses and faculty is very important to Notre Dame de Namur University, 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.