CIVIL LIBERTIES—–GOVT 150—–FALL 2009—–MR. SIENKO
August 24, 2009 — lennyesq | Edit
”Course Information for Students”
(Syllabus)
Course Description: This course examines the role of the judiciary in the American system of government as it relates to such issues as race, poverty, privacy, gender, religion, speech, press, assembly and the rights of the accused under the Bill of Rights and the 14th and 15th Amendments. Other issues of current interest to students, including, but not limited to, national security and terrorism, may also be considered.
Course Objectives: The course will stress provocative questions arising in everyday life and evolving answers provided by our courts, especially the US Supreme Court. Students will master and apply the techniques of constitutional analysis while gaining an understanding of the relationship of the individual to the state. Students will examine various civil liberties issues, critique and debate competing viewpoints, and present policy recommendations with reasoned explanations. All students will select a major civil liberties issue related to his/her interests and field of study and develop a lengthy research paper on this issue.
The course will focus on building student skills and competency in analytical thinking, research, expository writing, and information literacy. Evidence of these skills will be provided through a series of oral and written exercises –some will be short, in-class exercises, some will be brief essays, one will be a research paper of high quality.
The goal of this course is to help you think, write and speak clearly and knowledgeably about key topics in civil liberties as they affect you, your chosen profession, and society.
Books: the following book is required for purchase
Harold J. Sullivan, Civil Rights and Liberties-Provocative Questions & Evolving Answers (“Sullivan”), Prentice Hall (2nd Edition-2005 or more recent, if available).
Students will also be expected to read materials available through the worldwide web.
STUDENT CONDUCT IN THE CLASSROOM: The instructor in the classroom and in conference will encourage free discussion, inquiry and expression. Student performance will be evaluated wholly on an academic basis, not on opinions or political ideas unrelated to academic standards. However, in instances where a student does not comply with the Code of Student Behavior or with an instructor’s reasonable conduct expectations in the classroom, such non-compliance can affect the student’s evaluation and be cause for permanent removal from class or dismissal from College.
NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION LAW – ABSENCES FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS: Section 224-A allows a student to be excused from any examination or study or work requirements because of religious holidays. Each student must notify the instructor in advance so that an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements he or she may have missed because of such absence may be given.
INCLEMENT WEATHER: SUNY Delhi is a residential campus and stays open unless the governor closes the College. Simply stated, class will rarely be cancelled. However, if the instructor cannot be present, students will be notified by email.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability requiring accommodations in any class, contact and meet with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. The office is in 221 Bush Hall in the Resnick Learning Center and the office number is 746-4593. Your request for accommodation will be discussed and if determined to be reasonable, you will be provided with the verification letter that must be returned to your course instructor.
Grading: There will be three short written exercises assigned over the course of the semester to prepare the student for the research paper. The first of these exercises will be the student’s choice of an editorial or an autobiographical sketch. The second exercise will involve research on a subject of which the student has no prior knowledge. The final exercise will require the construction of a “works cited” page for the research paper. These exercises collectively will account for 37.5% of your grade. Students will also be expected to participate fully in class discussion (this includes Socratic dialog with the professor). Class discussion will account for 12.5% of the grade. A final research paper is also required. Students will be expected to develop a paper topic in conjunction with the professor. The research paper will account for 50% of your grade.
These various assignments are designed to promote the students’ ability to write coherently, think critically about civil liberties issues, and conduct in-depth research and analysis on an important issue. NOTE: You will be expected to begin work on your final papers early in the semester. It takes time to develop a topic, define a central theme, and conduct substantive research. Approval of a topic, a tentative outline, a reading list and rough draft and a brief written presentation are all expected of the student! A list of due dates for these will be distributed in class.
Attendance: Class participation and discussion are vital in this course and can only help you and the class as a whole. Learning and civil liberties are not spectator sports. Students are required to attend each class and must notify the instructor in advance if they find it necessary to miss a class. Your attendance and participation are mandatory.
Be prompt! Please do not arrive late for class. Faculty will not lock tardy students out of class, but faculty may equate two or more instances of tardiness to an absence. Habitual lateness that significantly disrupts the learning process may result in a student being withdrawn from class by the instructor according to Section 1.36-1.
If you are chronically absent, you will fail the class. Specifically, those who miss more than five classes will receive an F.
Other Requirements and Procedures: It is expected that students are familiar with the fundamentals of American government at least at the level of an introductory college text. All reading assignments must be completed in advance of class meetings. Some of these readings may be difficult…PLEASE…stay with it! If you’re having difficulty keeping up, please inform the professor as soon as possible. The professor will provide the class with a multitude of references via e-mail and the world wide web. These references are intended to supplement the required text. Be prepared to discuss any supplemental materials forwarded to you.
Please keep informed about current civil liberties issues! This should involve reading a newspaper and/or news web site on a daily basis. You may also wish to pay frequent visits to the course web site and interactive course blog at:
The instructor may be reached via email at:
