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If you're not doing as well as you'd like in your course, I strongly urge you to read your syllabus!

Introductory Sociology Syllabus

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I. Course Description

SOCI 1301 Introductory Sociology

Introductory Sociology is the study of the concepts and principles used in the study of group life, social institutions and social processes.

II. Expected Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

After successfully completing this course, a student is able to:

1. apply the scientific method to the study of a social problem.

2. interpret societal phenomena using each of the major sociological theories.

3. analyze the effects of socialization on societal outcomes.

4. analyze the effects of social stratification on societal outcomes.

5. analyze and interpret a variety of materials, place concepts in a larger context and make a case for his/her interpretation.

6. produce clear, correct and coherent communication appropriate to the purpose, occasion and audience.

7. analyze and interpret various forms of communication, formulate a thoughtful response based on the ideas and information presented and understand complex instructions.

8. think and analyze at a critical level, relying on reason, evidence and objectivity.

9. demonstrate media literacy, using a variety of technological tools to communicate, solve problems and acquire information.

What will you learn in this course?

Units	Topics	Student Learning Outcomes (see numbered outcomes above)
1	the discipline historical development major theoretical perspectives	2, 5-9
2	scientific theory and inquiry the research process types of sociological research	1-2, 5-9
3	culture socialization	1-9
4	status roles groups organization	1-9
5	deviance control	1-3, 5-9
6	stratification differentiation power	1-9
7	institutions functions	1-9
8	CAPSTONE	1-9

III. Course Policies

Communication Policy

1. Please note that there are two sections on the Online Courses page -- Using Email in College Courses and Online Participation Policies -- the contents of which are part of this syllabus and the policies of this course. You are required to read both sections. I will expect you to know and follow the policies those sections contain.

2. This syllabus contains very specific instructions on how to complete and how to submit every assignment. The chart in the Course Schedule section below shows all assignments and their due dates. The unit pages give the details on how to complete and submit the assignments. Please do not assume you already know what to do. If you ignore the syllabus instructions you run the risk of performing poorly in your course. Your syllabus isn't window dressing for your course. It is a serious document covering important policies and requirements.

3. Unless otherwise instructed, submit each assignment in the body of a new email. (Refer to the Online Participation Policy section of the Online Courses page for details.) I do not accept:

   1. assignments in attached files

   2. assignments in forwarded emails

   3. assignments in reply emails

   4. faxed assignments

   5. mailed assignments

   6. several assignments in one email

4. Always use SOCI 1301 as your subject line. The subject line must look exactly as I have typed it here - capital letters, one space and the course number - with nothing else in the subject line. I get a hundred or more emails each day and so have very strict spam controls on my software. My software deletes emails with any other subject line before they reach me. If you send an assignment in an email with an incorrect subject line, it will not reach me. It won't help if you tell me that you really did send your assignment and/or really did send it on time. When you send an assignment isn't as important as when I receive it. I consider an assignment to be on time if it is correctly completed and in my Inbox by midnight of the day assigned. That won't happen if you use the wrong subject line. If you are unsure about your subject line in an email you've already sent, it's easy to check. Most email software has a folder labeled something like Sent Items that shows every email you sent by date and time. Go to that folder and find the email you sent me. If the subject line you used is incorrect, you'll know that I never received it. In that case, paste your assignment into a new email using the correct subject line and send it again.

Academic Integrity Policy

Institutional policies are in effect. All your work must be your own, unless I authorize collaboration, in which case you must, in writing, acknowledge the help you have received. Presenting as one's own work the words, ideas or expressions of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism and neither your institution nor I tolerate it. The claim of ignorance is no excuse.

The web is a marvelous resource for today's students. I encourage you to use web resources in preparing your work. However, you must list any sites used at the end of your work. Too, using web resources does not mean you can simply copy-and-paste from a site, even if you give credit to the site. If you have a friend that has taken this course from me, you are welcome to ask him/her for help in the course but I caution you against turning in your friend's work as your own.

Your work must be precisely that ... your ideas in your words. At the least, I will refuse to accept your assignment. At the worst, colleges frequently expel students for academic dishonesty. It's a huge risk for a limited return.

Drop Policy

At the beginning of each semester I follow institutional policies regarding student drops. At the end of the late add/drop period, I send the administration the name of any student with whom I have not yet had contact. The institution drops those students and provides that information to any student loan/grant agency that might be affected. After that initial period, I assume each of you will take responsibility for your decisions and your performance in your course. If you stop participating, you will earn whatever points you had accumulated at that time. If you don't want that to happen, you need to complete the course or initiate a drop yourself by contacting the college through which you registered. You can find a more detailed explanation of how to do that in the Online Participation Policy section of your syllabus.

Grading Policy

The grading scale for your final course grade is as follows: A = a total of 90 points or above; B = a total of 80-89 points; C = a total of 70-79 points; D = a total of 60-69 points; F = a total of 59 points or below. I do NOT average grades or use percentages. I simply add up the points you earn for the assignments you complete. The assignments add up to a potential of 100 points as follows.

I reply to all assignments with the number of points you earned for that assignment. You should keep up with your points and take responsibility for tracking your total during the course. There's no reason for you to be confused, unsure or clueless about the number of points you've earned at any time during the course.

In general, I am responsible for giving you prompt, clear and useful feedback and for helping you become a better student and writer and a more critical thinker. You are responsible for:

o   Reading assigned sections of the Margin Notes,

o   Watching assigned presentations,

o   Correctly completing all assigned activities by the due dates given,

o   Completing any additional reading or activities assigned, and

o   Completing a final exam.

Policy on Late Assignments: Except for the final exam, I will accept late assignments but I will deduct 1 point per day late, including holidays and weekends. Be careful about turning in late assignments, though. Even if your work is outstanding, a 10-point assignment turned in 10 days late will earn 0 points after late points are deducted. Don't waste your time and effort ... stick to the schedule below and get credit for your work.

Specific assignments and the due date for each are in the Course Schedule below.

IV. Recommended Text

Text Recommended, Not Required

Understanding Sociology, 5^th Edition
ISBN 978-1-60229-597-1
Basrico, Brown, Cashion, Eshleman
Horizon Textbook Publishing

Textbooks usually are much cheaper if purchased online. You have to be careful to purchase the correct text, though, so I have given your text's ISBN above. You are also welcome to use an older edition of the text. But ... if you buy an edition other than the one I've listed above, you will be responsible for matching up the appropriate material in the units below to the chapters in the text you buy and for any "holes" in the coverage.

Buy a Print Text Online

Go to http://gettextbooks.com. Type or paste the ISBN above into the search box and click GO. You will get a list of online merchants with your text for sale, sorted by price. Choose the link for the merchant of your choice.

If you prefer, you can go straight to an online merchant's site and use the ISBN to see if your text is for sale. The following are some of those I've found to be dependable.

www.amazon.com

www.efollett.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.directtextbook.com

www.ebay.com

If you prefer to rent your texts, go to www.chegg.com.

Buy an Online Text

These texts may be available from Course Smart in an eBook or eChapter format. To search using the ISBN or for more information, go to www.coursesmart.com and type or paste the ISBN in the search box.

Sell Your Text

If you decide to sell your text at the end of the semester, check the offers at .

V. Useful Resources

In your syllabus are a number of resources available to help you with your coursework. If you use them they will make your course easier.

1. I've included links and tips through out the Unit pages and Margin Notes. Look for those as you do your work and use them.

2. On the main Sociology page (one level up from this page) are a number of general discipline links.

3. At the bottom of the first page of your Margin Notes (linked at the top of this page) are a number of specific discipline links.

4. At the bottom of the Unit I page are several links dealing with study skills, online skills and downloadable software.

5. Linked to the Unit 2 page is a Work Samples page containing examples of past students' submissions for each assignment.

6. On the Student Tools page (linked at the top of the main Online Courses page) are a large number of links covering a wide variety of useful topics.

7. On the Writing & Research page (linked at the top of the main Online Courses page) are links and advice on how to write papers and do research for your courses.

8. I have hundreds of links on my E-Links pages that you are welcome to use. At the top of this page use the Up link and continue linking up until you reach my home page. At the top of my home page, click on E-Links.

VI. SOCI 1301 Course Schedule

VII. Online Final Exam Instructions

When you are ready to take your final exam, use the following link. (Don’t try to type it into your browser. Instead just click on the link below.)

http://my.ewebtest.com/slea_takeassessment.asp?k=100707045043h6jff4cy7msw4jav84

When the login screen pops up, use the following password.  The password is case-sensitive so make sure you type it exactly as shown. (Or, copy and paste it if you prefer.)

SOCI1301424

You may only access the exam one time. Once you have entered the password and been given access to the exam questions, you will not be allowed to access the exam again.

At the beginning of the exam are boxes for your first and last name. These are required fields. The software will not allow you to submit your answers until you’ve entered both your first and last name. If you finish the exam, try to submit your answers and get a message about “required fields,” chances are you forgot to enter your first and last name at the beginning of the exam.

[ONE CAUTION: Occasionally a student will decide to cheat by logging into the final without entering his/her name or with a fake name. It's true that if someone does that, he/she will probably be able to log in again later with a real name. There are two problems with that. First, the correct answers aren't available, only the questions … and anyone can get the questions from the final exam review, without the risk of failing when caught cheating. Second, any time someone logs into the exam – whether with a fake name, a real name or no name – the software records the ISP of the computer that person used. It takes me about 5 minutes to copy-and-paste a suspicious ISP into a small program that provides the exact street address for the computer associated with that ISP. It doesn't matter if the computer belongs to the student, a best friend, a grandmother or the college … it's easy to establish the cheater's identity. I can't stop someone who is determined to cheat but in this case cheating would be stupid ... it won't help much and I will know who that person is.]

Your exam is timed, with a timer on the exam page that keeps track of the time you’ve used. You must submit your answers before the time is up. Once you hit the Submit button at the bottom of the exam page your answers are locked and cannot be accessed.

Once you have submitted your answers you will get a score ranging from 0 to 20. This is the number of points you earned, not the number of correct answers. Since each question is worth 0.5 points, a score of 20 points means you correctly answered all 40 questions. A score of 15 points means you correctly answered 30 questions. Etc.

You must finish the exam (hit the Submit button) by midnight of the due date given in your syllabus. If you submit your answers after that time, they will not be recorded and you will receive a zero for your exam.

I strongly encourage you to use the final exam review. (It's linked at the top of this page.) Pay attention to the review and you will have no problem doing well on the exam. Good luck!