Instructor:  Bill Lockhart, MA - Sociology - UTEP; BA - Sociology and Anthropology - UTEP
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:00-2:30; 3:45-5:30; 6:45-7:15 PM; Tue & Thu 2:15-4:00 or by appointment
Office Number:  106, Faculty Office Building
Phone Number: 439-3732; Fax Number:  (505) 439-3802
E-mail: lockhart@nmsua.nmsu.edu
Class Time; Classroom: Mondays & Wednesdays - 2:30-3:45 PM;  Classroom: CB 703

Textbook
Bell, Inge and Bernard McGrane
 1999 This Book is not Required.  Revised Edition.  Pine Forge Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Class Description
 This course leads the student through a series of explorations into the realities of the Academy.  It takes a compelling look at the statuses, roles, and purposes involved in the academic world (e.g. students, professors, administrators, etc.).  The student will explore new ideas about education, grades, media, upward mobility, careers, and many other subjects that affect the course of academic and post-academic life.

 As in all my classes, one main objective will be the overriding mission of the class:  stimulating the student to think independently.

  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him (or her) drink.  The secret is to make the horse thirsty!

Course Objectives
After completing this course the student will:
1. have a greater understanding of the actual workings of universities and colleges as shown by the student’s participation in class discussions.
2. better understand issues occurring in the Academy as a social phenomenon as shown by the student’s reaction papers.
3. be able to plan and execute a project connected with higher education in conjunction with the professor.  Comprehension will be shown by the student’s grade on the project.

How to Do Well:
1. Read the reading assignments before coming to class.  This is a discussion class; we will be discussing what you think about the material to be read for the day.  If you have not read the assignment, your participation will be limited at best.
2. Attend class and participate.  Since this is a discussion class, I expect you to participate; in order to participate you must be in class.  Your attendance will be monitored and will be considered in the final determination of your grade 
3. Do the assignments.  You cannot expect anything other than an "F" if you do not turn in the assignments. 
4.  For a 100 or 200 level course, it is expected that for every 1 hour you spend in class, you will spend 2 hours outside of class; that means each week  you should spend 6 hours on this course outside of class .
5. Like any class, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
6. We have and need few rules.  NMSU-A students are adults and almost always act like it.  Students behaving inappropriately will be asked to stop the offensive behavior.  If this is ineffective, the student will be asked to leave the classroom.

Smoking is not allowed in the classrooms.  I personally suggest that you never smoke at any time or at any place for the rest of your life.

Food and drink are allowed in the classroom subject to two rules: 1) do not spill anything; and 2) if you violate Rule 1, clean it up immediately.

Note:  ALL material turned in must be computer-generated.  Hand-written and type-written papers are obsolete and will be unacceptable.  All students have access to the computer lab, and assistance is available.  See 'Computer Instructions' below.

NMSU-A MISSION STATEMENT
 The mission of the Alamogordo Branch of New Mexico State University, a comprehensive community college, is to:

provide quality education that includes academic, technical, vocational, developmental, and career-oriented skills;
 
promote student competence, confidence, and success by providing personal enrichment programs through continued response to the cultural intellectual, and economic needs of the community; 

maintain active ties and continuity with the main campus; 

afford equal opportunity for individuals who meet admission criteria to receive educational services within the community without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Miscellaneous:
1. Keep ALL your papers until you receive your final course grade.  This is always a good idea for every class you take.  This way, if you have a disagreement with your final grade, you will have evidence to present. 
2. Syllabus.  This contains everything you need to know about the course; keep this in your notebook and refer to it often.  I will not remind you when papers are due; turning your papers in on time is your responsibility.  (I reserve the right to change this syllabus in writing or by announcement.)   
3. Cheating/Plagiarism.  The result of engaging in either of  these activities is grade of zero for that assignment.  You are expected to do all of your work by yourself.  For more information on what is and what is not plagiarism (examples included), see the "Guide to Academic Honesty" on reserve in the library.

EMERGENCIES
 If someone in your family needs to contact you in an emergency, use the following telephone numbers:
  DAYTIME 439-3700

  EVENING 439-3751

 To expedite finding you in the evening, the person calling should know the class that you are attending, e.g., Math 115.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
 If you have, or believe you have, a disability and would benefit from accommodations, you may wish to self-identify.  You can do so by providing documentation to the Counselor for Special Population, Jim Payne, located in the Student Services Building, (439-3720).
 If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the Counselor for Special Populations.
 Fee free to call Doris Lynch, ADA Coordinator at extension 3716 with  any questions about the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  All medical information will be held in strict confidence.

COURSE SCHEDULE
 Aug 23
 Introductions and organization

 Aug 25 & 30
 Chapter 1 - Grades: Can You Perform Without the Pressure? (distribute Advisor handout)

 Sep 1
 Chapter 2 - Support Your Local Teacher [Initial Visit]

 Sep 6 & 7 – Labor Day – no classes – enjoy!

 Sep 8  
 Handout – An Advisor Without Advice [Reaction Paper #1]

 Sep 13   
 Chapter 3 - An Academic Question

 Sep 15 & 20
 Chapter 4 - Everybody Hates to Write [Project Proposal Due, Sep 15]

 Sep 22 & 27    
 Chapter 5 - Wisdom and Knowledge [Book Report Proposal, Sep 27] (distribute Ethics handout)

 Sep 29    
 Chapter 6 - Pursuing Wisdom in the Academy [Reaction Paper #2]

 Oct 4
 Handout – Situational Ethics and College Student Cheating [Progress Report #1 & Visits]

 Oct 6 & 11
 Chapter 7 - Adventures in Desocialization

 Oct 13 & 18  
 Chapter 8 - Media Me (distribute student/professor relationships handout) [Reaction Paper #3] [Progress Report #2, Mar 13]

       Oct 20
 Chapter 9 - Students, Media Mythology, and Making a Difference

 Oct 25 
 Handout – Student/Professor relationships

 Oct 27 & Nov 1
 Chapter 10 - The Painful Avenues of Upward Mobility [Book Report Due, Nov 1]

  Nov 3
 Chapter 11 - The Career: Friend or Foe? (distribute college admission handout)

 Nov 8
 College Admission (handout) [Progress Report #3]

 Nov 10
 Chapter 12 - Love (distribute Excellence handout)

 Nov 15
 Chapter 13 - Trouble with Parents [Reaction Paper #4]

 Nov 17
 Excellence (handout)

     Nov 22
 Chapter 14 - Graduation–What They Forgot to Mention [Written Final Projects]

 Nov 24-26 – Thanksgiving holiday – Enjoy!!

 Nov 29
 Chapter 15 - Directing Your Own Development [Reaction Paper #5]

 Dec 1
 Wrap-up!

 Wednesday, December 8, 2004: 2:30-4:30 PM - Oral Presentation of Projects
 

(NOTE: We will not be able to discuss everything in each of the chapters.  However, I do want you to be exposed to the information.  It is entirely up to you what aspects of the book we will discuss.  This schedule is tentative.  If we find that we want/need to spend more time on a topic than is allotted, we can do that; we do not have to cover a certain amount of material before the test because there are no tests.)

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT DATES
Last day to drop this course with a “W”:   October 15, 2004
Last day to withdraw from the university: November 15, 2004

ATTENDANCE (1 point for each class including first day and 2 points for final - total of 30)
These are attendance points.  Points will not be awarded for absence, regardless of the reason.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

QUESTIONS (1 point for each acceptable question turned in - total of 40)
For each reading assignment, you will need to turn in two (computer-generated) thought-provoking questions or one question and one discussion statement.  These questions/statements are NOT to be simply about the information given.  Your questions are to show that you have not only read the material, but that you have also THOUGHT about what you have read.

These questions/statements will be used as a springboard for discussion.  For this reason, these will not be accepted late.  (If you know you will be missing class, you may turn them in before the class meets.)  After all, what good is a question that is to be used in class discussion after class is over?

REACTION PAPERS (4 out of 5 @ 10 points each)
See the course schedule for due dates.

These papers are to be 2 to 3 pages in length.  FOLLOW THE COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONS found later in this syllabus.  Yes, they must be computer-generated.

Pick something out of the chapter(s) or class we have covered and discuss it.  (If you cannot find anything here, feel free to check out one of the chapters we are not covering.)  The following are a few suggestions on what to write:  What do you think about a particular topic?  Is there something in the news or something a friend has experienced that directly relates to something in class?  How does it relate?  Is there something that was discussed in class that you had a thought about but, for whatever reason, did not mention?  Basically, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, show me that you have THOUGHT about it.  (Do not summarize; I have read the book, and I have been in class.  Tell me what you are thinking.)  These papers must have something to do with what we have covered in this class.  If the connection to the course seems unclear, make it clear in your paper.
          
Points are taken off these papers for spelling and grammatical errors (see computer instructions), for being too short, for having nothing to do with the content of the course, and for excessive summary.

There are five opportunities to write papers.  I will drop the lowest score, therefore 30 points are possible.  So, you can miss one; that score of zero will be dropped.

Book Report  (100 points) and Proposal (10 points)
See the course schedule for due dates.

A. Book Report format
 1. Paper will be 5-7 pages in length.[Note: One or two lines on a page does not equal a page.  Five pages is a minimum.  Four-and-a-half pages will cost you points]
 See Computer Instructions for further information

B. Topic
 1. Students may choose any single book from the list provided by the instructor.  If you want to choose a book that is not from the list, it must deal with a provocative topic about  social, political, or academic life in the US and must be approved by the instructor prior to submission of the paper proposal.

 2.  One-page book report proposal
  a. the proposal will include:  1) the book you have chosen (including all bibliographic data; 2) why you chose this particular book and its subject matter; 3) specif data about where you will obtain a copy of the book (e.g. name of library; location of library; call number of book, etc.); 4) a backup source for the book with all data supplied above.  The librarians at the Townsend Library will help you find the above information.
  b. example of bibliographic data required:

  Kohn, Alfie
   1986 No Contest: The Case Against Competition.  Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

  c. examples of where a book may be obtained:
  Townsend Library, NMSU-A, Alamogordo, New Mexico.  HM291 K634 1986
  Second copy at:
  Revised edition, 1992.  New Library, NMSU (Main Campus), Las Cruces, New Mexico.  HM291 K634 1992

 3. Your proposal is NOT written in stone.  If you plan to change your proposal, turn in a revised proposal at least 3 days prior to the due date.  Five points will be taken off your class paper for not doing what you said you were going to do as stated in your proposal (original or revised), not turning in a proposal, or turning in a late (less than 3 days prior to the due date) revised proposal.

C. Subject Format
 Each book report will include:
 1. a 2-3 page summary of the book’s contents.  These books contain a great many subjects, and it is difficult or impossible to cover them all in 2-3 pages.  Use a broad overview but emphasize sections that are important to you.
 2. a 2 or more page discussion about why the book is relevant to topics we have discussed or will be discussing in class.  Each of the following questions must be addressed in at least half a page:
  a. What are the author’s qualifications and why she or he wrote the book?
  b. What were the author’s biases?  Did he or she present the other side of the story?
  c. What kinds of sources did she or he use, and were they valid?
 3. a 1-2 page discussion about specific information that you learned from the book and why it may be important in your personal or professional life

D. Grading
 Papers will be graded on:
 1. originality, comprehension of the subject, and thoroughness;
 2. presenting all the items required above;
 3. how well the above required items are presented;
 4. correct use of English (spelling & grammar);
 5. correct paper format.

Interlibrary loan:  You can request up to 5 books on any one subject through our library's interlibrary loan service.  You may check the catalogs of other libraries via the internet.  It takes 10 to 14 days to receive a book through interlibrary loan.  

Project (100 points), Project Proposal (10 points), and Progress Reports (3 at 10 points each)
As you can see by the number of points, this is one of your major projects.  These will be individually designed projects.  Each student will be required to propose a project that is connected to the class goals; however, students may choose to act as a group (with instructor permission).  As soon as your proposals are submitted, each student must meet with me to discuss the feasibility of her/his proposal.  Projects will vary a great deal and may include a paper, a presentation, a video, a combination of all three, or some other format.  These are to use the creativity of the individual.  Grading criteria will vary depending on the scope and type of project.

For most projects (there may be exceptions): use at least eight (8) quality sources for your presentations. [Note: quality sources mean scholarly sources: in most cases, newspaper articles and articles from popular magazines are not quality sources.  If you think you have exceptions (and there are exceptions where such sources are excellent), talk to me.]

Three progress reports must be turned in at regular intervals (see schedule).  Contents will vary according to the needs of each individual project.

COMPUTER INSTRUCTIONS 
1. For every 4 errors (spelling errors, grammatical errors, any of the "handy things to remember", margins, font size, etc.) you will lose 1 point.  
2. Double-spaced (not triple-spaced); if it is not, it is counted as an error, and I guess at how long the paper would be if it had been spaced correctly.  If I estimate that it would have been
short, I will subtract points for it being short.
3. Twelve-point font; if it is not, it is counted as an error.   Use standard fonts - nothing fancy!
4. Margins should be about 1" all the way around.  I am very flexible on this; I just do not want unreasonable (e.g. 3") margins!  Don not full-justify.
5. Pages must be numbered.  Students may select where the numbers appear on the page, but location must be consistent.
6. Handy things to remember:
 a. In general, "effect" is a noun; "affect" is a verb.  Consult your dictionary.
 b. It is "would have" not "would of."
 c. "A lot" is correct, "alot" is not.
 d. "Good" describes nouns; "well" describes verbs.
 e. Use complete sentences.  I also expect correct use of commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes.
 f. Do not use the "universal masculine."  Use 'he or she' or 's/he,' 'herself/himself,' etc.  Better yet, phrase your sentences so that it is not necessary to use 'she or he.'
 g. Indent paragraphs 5 spaces.  Do not skip lines between paragraphs. 
 h. Do not use contractions (e.g. can't, won't, you'll, etc.) in formal papers.
 i. Spellcheck your work.  Do NOT use spellcheck as a substitute for point 'j.' 
 j. PROOFREAD!
7. A good general rule to follow is:  write, proofread, re-write, have SOMEONE ELSE proofread, re-write.
8. If you have ANY questions about writing or would like help with writing your papers (or would like someone to proofread your paper), I strongly encourage you to use the Writing Center (439-3713).  If you do, give yourself more than 1 hour before class.  They need time to read your paper; you need time to make the corrections.  (Ultimately, your paper is your responsibility; if the writing center aides miss things, it is your responsibility.  Have your paper proofread by more than one individual.)
9. Staple your paper or contain it with a paper clip; do NOT use folders or plastic binders.  I know they are supposed to make your paper look better, but I find them annoying; they are cumbersome.  
10. In the upper left corner of the first page put your name, class title and number, the date the paper is due, and, if different, the date the paper was turned in.  
11. Do not use a title page or abstract.
12. Use only Times New Roman font in 12-point size. All other fonts are unacceptable.

You are correct.  This is not an English class.  One reason English classes exist is so that you will be able to write in classes like this.  You are a college student; I expect you to write like one.

LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY  (This policy applies to all your assignments.)  
If you turn an assignment in one class period late, 10% of the total worth will be subtracted from your grade.  
Assignments that are more than one class period late will NOT be accepted.   There are NO exceptions to this policy.  If you leave town, come back a week later, and ask me when you can turn in your late assignments, I will say you cannot.  Period.  If you know you will not be in class to turn in your assignment, you can turn it in before the class meets to my mailbox in the Faculty Office Building.  Your assignment must be turned in by 8:30 PM to be credited for that day.

If you are going to be out of town when an assignment is due, you may fax it or e-mail it if you are unable to turn it in early.  As long as I have it when it is due, I am happy.  See instructor information at the beginning of the syllabus for the fax number and e-mail address.    

Since you know at the beginning of the semester when assignments are due, there should be NO late papers.  BUT, I understand that things come up (you run out of ribbon; your computer eats your paper; your pet dragon, Puff, dies).  For these reasons, I have this late paper policy (and why I drop the lowest reaction paper score).  This means that if you let the paper go, figuring you will just turn it in late, and THEN Puff dies, I cannot help you.

There are few things more confusing than having 15 students from different sections turning in papers at different times over a 3-week period.  How fair is it for me to extend the deadline for some?  If someone tells me that their car died and they could not get an assignment in, is that a legitimate excuse?  How do I know that they are telling the truth?  Should I make them prove it?  How?  What about the person who says they just forgot?  Is that a legitimate excuse?  If not, then how much would you like to bet they will lie next time and tell me their car died?  Rather than play judge and jury, I give you one class period leeway, regardless of the reason. 

GRADES
Project: 100 points
Project Proposal: 10 points
Progress reports: 10 points each for a total of 30 points
Book Report: 100 points       
Book Report proposal: 10 points 
Reaction papers: 10 points each for a total of 40 points
Questions: 1 point each for a total of 40 points
Class attendance:  1 point for each day (+2 points for the final) for a total of 30 points

Total possible points - 350

Grade breakdown:
   A = 315-350
   B = 280-314
   C = 245-279
   D = 210-244
   F = <210

I reserve the right to distribute extra points for outstanding class participation or other outstanding or extra work completed during the semester.

GRADE POSTING POLICY
I do not post grades.  I encourage you to keep track of the points you earned on your own.  NEVER throw any of your classwork away until you have received your final grade (if then), and it is correct; most instructors have no problem changing a grade provided you have proof that the grade you received was incorrect.  At the end of the semester, you will know your final grade before you leave the last class, if you want to know then.

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR GRADES

NMSU is no longer sending grades through the mail.  You can access them through the internet.  Go to the NMSU-A homepage <http://alamo.nmsu.edu> and follow the instructions.