From: Patty Oneal [poneal@csusm.edu] Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 6:24 PM To: Julie Levinson Subject: 2006 fall syllabus Course Objectives The purpose of this course is to examine various types of human relationships using sociological and psychological concepts and theories. Our goal will be to gain understanding about what facilitates high relationship quality as well as what creates relationship dissatisfaction and conflict. We will start with a focus on understanding how self esteem, values and morals, and communication styles are developed. We will then apply these concepts to your own individual development and the sociological principles that have impacted you. The course will then shift into an in-depth analysis of the various types of relationships that develop through the life course including gay and lesbian, marital, step families, parental and work related. A guiding theme of this course will be the causes of stability and change in relationships through the life course. Grading Criteria General Criteria Course grades will be assigned according to the general definitions established in the CSUSM catalog. The grade of "A" will be reserved for work that is truly exceptional--when the student consistently demonstrates outstanding mastery of the learning objectives. A grade of "B" will be assigned to students who consistently produce work that meets, and often exceeds, the stated learning objectives. A grade of "C" will be assigned to students whose work meets the minimum level of mastery expected of students who wish to earn a bachelor's degree in sociology. Grades of "D" and "F" will be assigned to work that minimally meets or fails to meet the course learning objectives, respectively. Specific Criteria for Grading Course Activities Discussions Students will be participating in two discussion forums per week. Students must first read the lecture and readings for the week before doing their posts. The first post will be a response to questions posed in the lecture or readings. The deadline for the initial post will be Tuesdays at midnight. Students must then respond to another student's post. The reply post is due by midnight on Fridays. The exception to the schedule is when there is a holiday and then the dates will be altered a little bit. Make sure you always check the calendar to know when assignments and posts are due. Discussion participation grades will be based on: (1) the quality of students' responses to the discussion questions posed by the instructor; (2) the quality of students' interactions with other students; and (3) the rate of participation. Discussion participation will account for one-half of your overall grade. High quality responses to the instructor's questions will demonstrate that students have read the assigned material and are using that material to broaden their perspectives. Better responses will tie the material in some way to examples drawn from the student's own experiences. The best responses will also teach the rest of us something through innovative critique and/or extension of the theoretical ideas in novel ways. We will break the class into two groups for the discussions to be more manageable. You must read all of the other students’ posts in your group only. High quality interaction with other students will involve seriously engaging each other and adding new ways to look at the material. One of the main reasons I use the discussion forum is to help students gain insight from fellow classmates. When I teach this course in the classroom I find that students often learn the most from each other. I want the same to happen as we discuss theories and issues on-line. Many of the questions will be of a highly personal nature due to the course content. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you remain respectful of your classmates’ opinions and experiences. You are free to disagree with other students but will receive no credit if you are critical. An example would be to say “I disagree with…” instead of “you are wrong about” or “your response was stupid” etc! The best grades will go to those students who consistently help others better understand the material. Please note that I don't consider a reply that merely indicates that one "liked" another's post or ideas to be of particularly high quality. What did you like about the post? What did it illuminate for you? How did it change the way you think about the course material? What new questions did the post inspire in you? Students will also be graded on the consistency with which they participate. Missed discussion forums (or making one's initial post after the deadline) will result in a deduction of 5 points from the discussion grade or 10 points if the student also fails to meet the deadline for the second post. I also expect students to read all of the other students' in your group (and my) posts. Low rates of reading other students' posts will result in lower grades on the discussions. Points will be distributed for discussion participation as follows: There are 10 points possible each week. Sometimes there will only be one discussion question and sometimes you will have more than one when there is more than one topic presented, or when there is a discussion question listed for the lecture and for the readings. Responses to other students will be required for each discussion question unless otherwise noted. The maximum number of discussion points one can earn is 150. Scores of 9or better = an A, 8is a B-, 7 is a C- and 6 is a D-.Scores below 5 correspond to a failing grade. Here's an example: a student who earned an average of 8 points per week would end up with 120 discussion points--corresponding to a "B- grade for the discussion component of the course. Discussion participation points earned will be posted at least once every two weeks in the student grade book. Assignments There will be four papers due as well as the final examination. There will also be an introductory assignment that will be similar to a discussion question. However, you will use the “assignments” tool to turn it in so that you can make sure you know how to use this function. The introductory assignment will be counted in with your discussion points for the first week. The assignments will be further explained in the “Assignments” tool on the homepage. You should always wait to work on an assignment until the week before it is due since it will include information from the modules that we are currently studying. The point distribution is as follows: Self esteem analysis: 30 Communication analysis: 30 DeAngelis assignment: 20 Parenting analysis: 30 Final exam: 40 Final Examination The essay exam grade will be based on: (1) the degree to which students answer the questions asked; (2) students' abilities to draw from readings and lectures in framing the responses to the essay questions; (3) the clarity and organization of the paper; and (4) attention to spelling and grammar. Students will have one week to complete the final exam once the questions are posted. The essay exam will be worth 40 points. After I complete grading the essays, students will be able to view their grades and my comments by using the papers tool. Essay grades will also be posted in the student grade book. Academic Integrity All essays and discussion salon entries must reflect the student’s own independent work. While it is perfectly acceptable to discuss issues and questions related to each essay and discussion assignment with other students (as well as to study collaboratively), papers must be written and conceptualized by each student independently. In addition, any written work taken or paraphrased from any source other than the student’s own thought processes must include a proper source citation. Students who do not abide by these guidelines will receive a failing grade for the course. Required Texts You have two required texts for this class. You must use the texts to complete several of the assignments. There are also required readings each week which will be posted with each lecture. We do not start using out texts until later in the semester but I would advise purchasing them now since they may not be available if you wait. Barbara DeAngelis Are You the One for Me? Dell Publishing Jane Nelson and Lynn Lott Positive Discipline for Teenagers. Prima Publishing MAKE SURE YOU GET Positive Discipline for Teenagers and not Positive Discipline.