Contemporary Political Theory Requirements
Course Requirements:
1.Participation (10% of final grade).
The participation grade is composed of the following elements:
a) In this course we learn about difficult theoretical concepts, which we need to discuss to grasp them. Students are expected to come regularly to class to be able to participate in such discussions. You must show up in class, as I take attendance at the beginning of each class session. Each class missed after two classes reduces your participation grade by 1/3 of a letter grade (if you participation grade is an A it turns into an A-). Also, you must show up on time to class and remain in the classroom until the end of the session (with the exception of an emergency). Three times late to class or leaving class early (more than five minutes) counts as one missed class. Coming in late and getting up during a session or leaving early disturbs the class in progress.
b) Students must come to class prepared and actively participate in classroom discussions. Being prepared implies first, that you have read all the assigned texts before our class meets; second, that you are prepared to answer all of the questions that are posted on blackboard for each session (all the questions for each session are posted at the beginning of the semester). You can find these questions under a folder titled “Questions for Discussions;” third, you are ready to refer to passages in the texts to support your statement.
e) Precondition for active class participation is bringing all the required readings for the day to class. You need to download and print those texts that are not in the books and that you can find on blackboard and bring them to class. If you do not have your texts you cannot refer to passages to support your class contribution or answer a question adequately.
f) You attentively listen when your peers and the professor speak and do not chat with your neighbor. Such behavior is central for productive class discussions.
g) Extra credit: you can improve your class participation grade by joining campus wide lectures, which pertain to the themes that we are discussing and which I recommend. Some of these lectures are already on your schedule others will come up during the semester. For each lecture you attend you get 1/3 of a letter grade in extra credit on your participation grade (if your final participation grade is an A- it turns into an A). You will need to sign in on a sheet that shows that you participated in the lecture and you will need to bring me a minimum one and maximum two page reflection (typed and double-spaced) on the lecture to class the latest one week after the lecture. These lectures are voluntary and recommended.
2.Two Essays (each 20% of final grade, 40% total)
Two essays of approximately 1000 (minimum) to 1300 (maximum) words each (typed, double-spaced), which are due on March 10 and April 14. You must answer the question that is posed on the syllabus under these dates. You need to submit the paper both as a hard-copy in class on the due date and on-line under the drop boxes titled “Paper I” and “Paper II.” You will find a written guideline on how to write a scholarly paper, and the writing-rubric that I use to assess a student paper on blackboard. We will discuss these general guidelines as well as the written guidelines and the writing rubric in class on March 1. In general, students need to first, provide a clear statement of their question and thesis; second, outline a thorough reconstruction of the thinker’s arguments; third, engage in a critical evaluation of the discussed thinker; and fourth, provide a clear conclusion. Students also need to properly cite and use textual evidence to support their arguments.
You receive feedback on your papers, and you will have the opportunity to revise each paper (but only one time each) in order to earn a higher grade. Revising papers though is optional. The deadline for turning in the revised version of the first paper is April 28, and the revised version of the second paper on May 6.
3.One Midterm (15% of final grade), and a Final Exam (20% of final grade), which take place on February 16 and May 6. You will receive a study guide in the form of questions one week prior to the exams, which are drawn from those questions that we have already discussed in class. Each of the exams will be composed of questions that I randomly choose from the study guide. You answer the questions in the form of an essay in a “blue book.” I will provide the blue books on the day of the exams.
4.Oral Group presentation (10% of final grade).
On Thursdays, we will have one student group composed of 3 students be responsible for presenting (maximum 10 minutes) a critical response to all of the readings for this day. I expect all students to participate in a common effort and meet at least two times prior to the presentation. A critical response implies: 1) A brief summary of the main ideas/arguments found in all of the readings for a session; 2) A longer presentation of your group discussions about the text, which can for example, imply a critique of the argument, an application to a current political problem, and a comparison to other authors we have discussed; 3) the proposal of two questions for classroom discussions. The questions need to be based on your group discussions and not the questions posed by the instructor; 4) the distribution of an outline (max. one page) of the group presentation to all members of the class prior to the presentation; 5) the presenters aim to speak freely about the main points of the outline, instead of reading from a written text; 6) if you use power-point for your presentation (optional), make sure that you use large font and there is not too much text on each slide to allow us to follow you easily, and that the power-point presentation differs from the handout.
We will be discussing the oral presentation rubric that I use to grade your presentations on January 14. You can find this rubric on-line under “Presentation Guidelines.”
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5.Oral Presentation of Final Paper (5% of final grade); (maximum 5 minutes) on either April 26 or April 28. The presentation implies; 1) A brief summary of the main ideas/arguments you make in the paper 2) A longer elaboration how you defend this argument; 3) the distribution of an outline (max. one page) of your presentation to all members of the class prior to the presentation; 4) you aim to speak freely about the main points of the outline, instead of reading from a written text; 5) if you use power-point for your presentation (optional), make sure that you use large font and there is not too much text on each slide to allow us to follow you easily, and that the power-point presentation differs from the handout.
General Course Policies:
1) The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus if necessary.
2) You must complete all assignments to receive a positive grade for this course. As an example, if you decide to only write one paper instead of two, you will receive an F for the course.
3) Every kind of entertainment, which is not related to the class, is not accepted—please refrain from using iPods/Pads, MP3 players, laptop computers, etc. Mobile phones must be switched off during class. Please take your notes in a notebook.
4) Late Paper Assignments: Late assignments will be penalized 1/3 of a letter grade for each day that they are late (e.g., a B+ becomes a B if one day late). Extensions will be granted only if you have made arrangements with me at least 24 hours in advance of the due date and only in exceptional circumstances.
5) Missed Presentations: A make-up presentation will be granted only if you have made arrangements with me at least 24 hours in advance of the due date and only in exceptional circumstances.
6) There will be no make-up examinations given unless you are excused from class for an official university activity or some extraordinary situation arises.
8) The final grading scale closely follows the standard university scale.
WSU Reasonable Accommodation Statement
Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities or chronic medical conditions. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit the Access Center website to follow published procedures to request accommodations: http://www.accesscenter.wsu.edu. Students may also either call or visit the Access Center in person to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. Location: Washington Building 217; Phone: 509-335-3417. All disability related accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. Students with approved accommodations are strongly encouraged to visit with instructors early in the semester during office hours to discuss logistics.
WSU Academic Integrity Statement
Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Any student caught cheating on any assignment will be given an F grade for the course and will be reported to the Office Student Standards and Accountability. Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (identified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 504-26-010(3) and -404) will receive [insert academic sanction (e.g., fail the course, fail the assignment, etc.)], will not have the option to withdraw from the course pending an appeal, and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010(3). You need to read and understand all of the definitions of cheating: http://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=504-26-010. If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed in this course, you should ask course instructors before proceeding.
If you wish to appeal a faculty member's decision relating to academic integrity, please use the form available at conduct.wsu.edu.
Safety and Emergency Notification
Classroom and campus safety are of paramount importance at Washington State University, and are the shared responsibility of the entire campus population. WSU urges students to follow the “Alert, Assess, Act,” protocol for all types of emergencies and the “Run, Hide, Fight” response for an active shooter incident. Remain ALERT (through direct observation or emergency notification), ASSESS your specific situation, and ACT in the most appropriate way to assure your own safety (and the safety of others if you are able).
Please sign up for emergency alerts on your account at MyWSU. For more information on this subject, campus safety, and related topics, please view the FBI’s Run, Hide, Fight video and visit the WSU safety portal.