1. describe the process of theory development.
2. understand the nature of micro, middle, grand, and meta theory.
3. the uses of theory in sociology, in other academic disciplines, and in everyday life.
4. describe and apply the elements of theory, including concepts, variables, theoretical statements, and models.
5. assess a theory. 
6. formulate a theory.
7. explain how social change has come about as a result of population and other demographic changes, urbanization, & the social movements.
8. explicate and critique the early years of sociological theory
9. explicate and critique the later years of sociological theory
10. explicate and critique structural functionalism, neo functionalism, and conflict theory
11. explicate and critique the varieties of neo Marxian theory
12. explicate and critique symbolic interactionism
13. explicate and critique ethnomethodology
14. explicate and critique exchange, network, and rational choice theories
15. explicate and critique contemporary feminist theory
16. explicate and critique the integration of micro and macro theory
17. explicate and critique the integration of agency and structure in sociological theory
18. explicate and critique contemporary theories of modernity
19. explicate and critique structuralism, post structuralism, and post-modern social theory
20. understand the value of their own power of effective, reading.

1. an understanding of the field of sociology as reflected in its' 3 perspectives, theories,  concepts, development
2. the nature and process of the social science research process
3. an ability to create a Research Journal
4. an ability to Design a Research Project
5. an ability to create a Survey, an Interview Schedule, & other Research Instruments
6. an ability to create an Ethical Research Proposal as designated by a Human Subjects Review Committee
7. an ability to Analyze the Data collected from said Research Instruments & present in a Senior Thesis Research Paper
8. an ability to Present the Research Design, the Methods, the Data, & the Results
9. an effective social science writing style
10. and effective social science presentation style
11. the value of their own power of effective, reading.
12. the value of their own power of effective, written communication.
13. the value of their own power of effective, oral communication.
14. the value of their power of effective, creative thinking.
15. the value of their own power of making ethical choices..

If you need course adaptation or accommodation b/c of a disability or if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. To make inquiries regarding disability services, please contact Whitney Wells, ADA Coordinator, at 276-328-0265 or wew3x@uvawise.edu, or visit Academic Support Services in Zehmer Hall.

If you need course adaptations or academic adjustments b/c of a documented disability, if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. My office location & hours are found at my Office Hours Link

Regarding disability services, students are expected to take an assertive role in communicating w/ faculty & staff about their need for reasonable accommodation.  If you need accommodations due to a disability or if you have emergency medical information to share w/ me, please make an appointment to talk w/ me as soon as possible. Students w/ disabilities must register w/ Disability Services to discuss accommodations: Whitney Wells, Zehmer 152, 276-328-0265 or wew3x@uvawise.edu

Students registered w/ Disability Services will present faculty w/ an accommodation notice which should be reviewed & signed. I, the prof, will work w/ those students on an individual basis to meet their needs. If an agreement is not reached on an appropriate accommodation, I will contact the office at 276-328-0265 for assistance.

If a student does not present a letter from the ADA Coordinator & does not have a visible disability, the faculty member should refer the student to Disability Support Services (Zehmer Hall, Room 152) prior to making any accommodation.

Any information about a student's disability should be kept confidential.

Testing services are provided by Disability Services as assistance to faculty. Students may receive extended time (time plus half), audio testing, word processors, etc.  Students receiving this accommodation should sit w/ faculty to develop a plan (a form will be provided) for pre & post delivery of the test, answering questions during the test, allowable materials, etc. I will deliver tests in person, via mail, via student or via email (ada-online@uvawise.edu). All tests are kept in a locked cabinet and destroyed after delivery. The office provides students w/ paper & all backpacks & mobile devices are outside of the testing room. Word processors do not have internet access, unless necessary for online courses or components.

Bobbi VanHuss is the administrator for the office, but she is the main contact for testing appointments. She can be reached at blv5j@vuawise.edu or 276-328-0186.

Additional information about making your course materials accessible is available in our office and online at http://www.uvawise.edu/ada/facstaff_info or http://www.uvawise.edu/ada/faq
 

	Office Hours:	Link
	The UVa - Wise Guide for Accommodating Students w/ Disabilities	Link
	Whitney Wells, ADA Coordinator	Link

To view the UVa-Wise’s Sexual Misconduct/Harassment policy, please visit: http://www.uvawise.edu/compliance/TitleIX

If you have questions or concerns, please immediately contact your Title IX Coordinator listed below.

Tabitha Smith, Title IX Coordinator
Office of Compliance and Conduct
1 College Avenue
Wise, VA  24293
Office: 276-328-0131 | Cell: 276-870-5065 | Fax: 276-376-4876 | Email: tabitha.smith@uvawise.edu

The office is located on the first floor of Cantrell Hall.

Please note that I am a Title IX Responsible Employee, ie a Mandatory Reporter, which means that if you disclose any relevant experiences, eg, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, & the like, that occurred to you or someone else, I am legally obligated to report this information to our Title IX coordinator. 

Given that this course has all of its written work, notes, projects & so on, on the web, & given that all assignments, other than exams, are submitted in digital format, it is required that the student be able to operate effectively in the computer / web environment.  The student should be proficient in emailing, word processing, web searching, & spreadsheets.

I am here to help you succeed in the course.  Please come see me, or email me if you have any questions or concerns. 

There is also help available from the College: 
Student Support Services seeks to support students in the ultimate goal of graduating and the services provided through these offices allow students to attain both success and access. 
Disability Services ensures that anyone who has a disability will have everything they need to succeed. 
The Writing Center focuses on interdisciplinary writing supports at all levels.
The Tutoring Center offers free tutoring to all UVa Wise students and additional academic supports for students. 

Some of the people available to help you are: 

Marcia Mitchell
Director
276.328.0177
m_mitchell@uvawise.edu

Whitney Wells
Counselor and Director of Disability Services
276.328.0265
wew3x@uvawise.edu
http://www.uvawise.edu/student-life/diversity/disability-support-services/
Maggie Robinson
Academic Coordinator
276.328.0283
mer8g@uvawise.edu

Linda Couch
Office Specialist
276.328.0177
los5s@uvawise.edu
 
 

Student Support Services

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/student-support-services/

Link

Student Support Services is designed to increase retention and graduation rates of eligible students and help foster a campus environment supportive of eligible students.

Eligible students are enrolled at The University of Virginia's College at Wise and meet one or more of the following criteria:
    First generation college student
    (neither parent/guardian has a bachelor's degree)
    Limited income
    Physical or learning disability

Students must also:
    Be U.S. citizens or meet residency requirements for Federal financial aid
    Demonstrate a need for academic support
 
 

Disability Services

http://www.uvawise.edu/student-life/diversity/disability-support-services/

Link

Disability Support Services works to assist all qualified students with disabilities in the pursuit of their educational objectives. We attempt to coordinate the students’ needs with services and resources available within our college system, and to ensure accessible educational opportunities for students according to their individual needs.

Our philosophy is that the individuals we serve are students first, and their disabilities are secondary. The office strives to coordinate services that will enable students with disabilities to act as independently as possible in a supportive atmosphere that promotes self reliance. It is the students’ choice whether or not they utilize the available services.

The need for equal access to education in college campuses was mandated by the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 states that reasonable adjustments in post secondary programs must be made in order for persons with disabilities to fulfill academic requirements. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, extending equal protection to persons with disabilities in the private sector, public institutions, employment, communications and public accommodations. On September 25, 2008, the President signed the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADA Amendments Act” or “Act”). The Act emphasizes that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad interpretation of the term “substantial limitation.”
 
 

The Writing Center

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/writing-center/

Link

The UVa Wise Writing Center is dedicated to assistance in writing for all classes
and for anyone who enjoys writing.

The Writing Center is located in Zehmer Hall 144b, at the hearth next to Student Support Services. The center offers services with the following:

    face to face consultations
    assistance with Powerpoint presentations
    assistance with any form of written presentation

Always bring the assignment.
Each computer in the center has access to the internet.
 
 

The Tutoring Connection

http://www.uvawise.edu/academics/academic-support/tutor-connection/

Link

The program seeks to promote independent learning that students may use throughout their academic careers. Tutors are qualified individuals who possess proven academic backgrounds, foster strong study habits, and are endorsed by faculty. All tutoring services are provided free of cost to students enrolled in courses offered by the College.

The Tutor Connection is located on the first floor of Zehmer Hall beside the Writing Center. UVa Wise students in need of tutoring can drop by the office and fill out a tutor request form or click on the forms link to the left to print out the form.

Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. weekdays with additional evening hours arranged as needed. Except for designated holidays, the Tutor Connection is open year round. Summer hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

COURSE OVERVIEW: 
All assignments are due on Fridays at 2 PM of the week they are assigned on the course home page except Thanksgiving week.  No late assignments are accepted. See the section below for more info on this policy.  It is suggested that you work ahead to foil any snafus life inevitably supplies.

All the following  assignments are discussed in greater depth below.  The requirements for this course are in class projects, discussion forums (2 posts each required), a draft proposal, a literature review, 1 essay quiz (1 essay), objective quizzes, 1 research paper.  Prepare & save your essays, other assignments, & research paper off line, then paste them into Moodle.  You may be required to resubmit them if Moodle eats it. 

In class projects are discussions or writing assignments done in class.  Discussion forums are carried out in Moodle.  A draft proposal is a short summary/intro to your research paper.  In the Literature Review the student summarizes & evaluates sources.  There is 1 Essay Exam during each term.  Your essay should strongly reflect info from the Course Notes & from the Readings provided.  General use of the internet is allowed to supplement this material, but usually it is found that an essay response which relies on the internet is incomplete since the Course Material is more comprehensive.  The Objective Quizzes are carried out in Moodle.  In order to do well on the tests, consider the following methodology:   Read the Course Reading & the Lecture Review Notes.  Take notes from them.  For each chapter there is an Objective Quizzes.  A good method for the quizzes is to use the search function.  There are Discussion Forums for each chapter.  You are required to make 2 postings on 2 different days w/ 60 words for each. The research paper is a senior thesis project.  All these assignments are discussed in greater depth below. 

The Moodle course home page has info on the course organization that you will need to know, ie due dates, etc. The course will be organized as a hybrid online course & seminar, emphasizing the readings and discussion.  Students are expected to assist in creating a collegial, professional setting similar to one they will find in their career.  This may be done by completing all readings in advance and coming prepared to discuss and analyze the issues presented in the readings. As a capstone course, there are four major aspects to consider. 

First, this course is intended to complete and crown the Sociology Major's education.  The student's readings for her or his research project are to explore two areas in sociology:  sociological thought, and sociological though directly related to the student's research project.   The research, writing and presentations of this course directs the student to conduct analysis in their area of specialization in such a manner that they become familiar with the research in that field in the context of their overall sociological education. 
The student will understand the social sciences holistically by exploring its' perspectives, major theories & theorists, its' major concepts and its' socio historical development. 

Second, this is a writing intensive course.  Nearly all the assignments have a strong writing component designed to enable the student to expand their writing skills in a social science context. 

Third, this is a research based course.  The primary task is to propose a research project, create several research instruments, & conduct actual research. 

Fourth, the research is to be grounded in and expand sociological analyses.

Fifth, this course is designed to integrate theory and practice

Finally, this is an oral presentation intensive course.  The major assignments have a strong presentation component designed to enable the student to expand their speaking skills in a social science context. 

Students are expected to take time to stay informed on the news and current events of the day in order to enhance their ability to analyze the social problems examined in class.

See the other sections of this syllabus for further discussion of these and other course requirements.
Assignments are all due at 2 PM  on Friday of the week indicated on the Moodle Course Home page, except Thanksgiving week. 

Quizzes are given online & are due at 2 PM  on Friday of the week indicated on the Moodle Course Home page, except Thanksgiving week. 
 

4.1.  IN CLASS PROJECTS:
We will conduct in class activities periodically.  They are usually discussion questions or in class writing activities.  You are graded on effort.  One need only turn in an 'executive summary' for the group conducting the project.  It is expected that all work done in the course, especially in projects, be conducted in a professional, scholarly, & respectful manner.  Please note that I am a Title IX Responsible Employee, ie a Mandatory Reporter, which means that if you disclose any relevant experiences, eg, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, & the like, that occurred to you or someone else, I am legally obligated to report this information to our Title IX coordinator. 

4.2.  MOODLE DISCUSSION FORUMS:  PLEASE DISGUISE SITUATIONS, PLACES, ETC, & DO NOT USE REAL NAMES

Online forums allow students to participate in course discussions w/ fellow class members.  For each forum you are to:  1.  make at least two separate entries in the forum, 2. on different days, 3.  of 60 words each, 4.  where your 1st post is a comment on the question/issue of the week & your 2nd post is a response to another student, 5. by the due date & time.   Please use the Subject Line & indicate whether your post is: MY COMMENT, or RESPONSE TO... Students are always concerned w/ 'how much... how long should my answer be?' About 60 words should be good for each of your two entries (posted on two separate days) should be enough. Or you may post 3 or more entries of 35 words each on separate days.

Note, I, Patrick Withen, may appear as "Sample Student" in the course, esp the discussion boards. I do this so I can check to see what the course looks like from a student perspective.

In this & all of the forum questions that follow, please use the following ethical guidelines. Do not use actual names of anyone you know. Maintain anonymity in relation to all persons, places, things, & time. Use your experience, knowledge, understanding, what you have seen in the media, etc. If you feel you have no experience, etc. for the question, use your scholarly creativity to answer the question.  Though not required or expected, if you use outside sources, cite & reference & follow all referencing guidelines.  If I determine these guidelines were not followed, I will remove the post & it will have to be re-done to earn credit. Note, I, Patrick Withen, may appear as "Sample Student" in the course, esp the discussion boards.  I do this so I can check to see what the course looks like from a student perspective. 

OTHER ASSIGNMENTS:

Prepare & save ALL assignments off line, then paste or upload the file into Moodle.  You may be required to resubmit them if Moodle eats any of them. 

4.3.  LITERATURE REVIEW 
See more info below.  The Literature Review is a short paper where the student summarize the main points of the writing, offers a positive or negative evaluation of the writing, show how the source links or is related to the other sources, & show why the source is important by showing how the source relates to your research question & what questions are unanswered 

4.4.  DRAFT PROPOSAL 
This is a proposal / summary of what the student will research & write on for her/his fall & spring research papers, ie the Senior Thesis.  See more info below. 

4.5.  SOCIO HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:  A short paper which provides a socio historical analysis of the topic of the research paper. 

4.6.  ESSAY QUIZ:  An essay should be 300 words  in the body (excluding question, honor code, refs, etc).  It is expected that essay answers discuss the material found in the appropriate course review notes section.  Once this is accomplished, feel free to add outside sources & your own ideas.  The goal here is to establish a base of knowledge on which to develop intelligent opinions/discussion.  Include the Honor Code in full & essay question at the top of the essay.  There is no time limit on essays.  And you may open & close it as much as you like as long as you do not click the submit button.  But do not forget to submit the essay when you are done.  You will only receive a 1 or a 0 for a grade until I grade the essay at which times comments will appear in your grade book, along w/ your final grade. 

Essay answers receiving full credit will be drawn from the text readings, the course review notes, & other course materials.  The use of sources other than the course readings, course review notes, & other course materials is not required, but if you choose to do so, you should use primary sources such as peer reviewed journals, books, or reputable web site.  No "open" internet sources such as Wikipedia, Answer.com, etc. are allowed.  If you use such sources APA formatted in text citations &  a reference list will be included, eg (Author, date) & a Bibliography.  To maintain academic integrity, and to promote authentic student engagement, I recommend that students answer subjective questions by using their own words. I will assign a zero (0) grade to responses to subjective questions that include (but are not limited to) any of the following: (a) text that is substantially similar to that found in other students’ subjective responses, &  (b) quoting or paraphrasing w/o attribution from work or ideas that appear in internet or print sources, including course notes & textbooks.  Cite appropriately.  Include the Honor Code in full & essay question at the top of the essay.

Spelling & grammar will impact your grade. 

1. You may open this essay multiple times, but you may only submit it once.
2. You may print the essay & prepare your answer off line.  Alternatively, you may enter & save your answers for a portion of the assessment & continue at a later time. 
3. Your textbook & other reference materials, esp the course notes, may be used to complete this assessment.  No citation is necessary for using the course notes. 
4. Your answer to each written response question should contain a minimum 200-300 word response. 
5. Make certain to proofread each written response carefully before clicking on the submit button.
6. General encyclopedias are not acceptable sources.  Examples include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, Encarta, & World Book. 
7. Make certain that all of your sources (including your textbook) (but not the course notes) are referenced at the end of the written response & that directly quoted info w/in your written response is cited to show the difference btwn your ideas & the exact words of your sources. 
8. It is required that these references & citations from the texts or outside refs be put in APA Style because you will be using this style in other papers, projects, case studies, & article reviews. 
9. Once the question has been answered, click the "Submit" button located at the bottom of the assessment.
10. If you have questions regarding your sources or general questions regarding the assessment, please contact me. 

4.7.  ANALYSIS PAPER:  There are several possible, types of analyses: narrative, descriptive, socio hist, comparative, SWOT, statistical, sociological, critique, a future orientation, & others. 

4.8.  OBJECTIVE QUIZZES:  The quizzes are open book, & open notes, & it is expected that students do their own, original work. 

Each quiz has 40 multiple choice & true false questions w/ a time limit of 40 minutes.  It is only possible to go forward; It is not possible to go back to questions. 

Your grade will appear after the quiz closes for everyone.  You may then click on the grade to review the quiz & see the correct answers & any feedback provided. 

Note that each question usually begins w/ a phrase such as "In relation to..." This indicates the section of the course review notes from which the question is based.  If the question does not begin w/ "In relation to...", it begins w/ just the name of the section of the Course Review Notes where the answer is found.  For example, "In relation to Durkheim, ..." indicates the question is drawn from the section on Durkheim.  Try the following methodology:  The challenge is to find the answer in the Lecture Notes.  Print off the first page of the Lecture Notes from each lecture that the test is over.  Then, when you read a question & it says, for example, "In relation to the Scientific Method...," then you need to look at the chapter summaries to see which chapter the question is from.  Then copy a unique word or phrase from the question, & use the 'Find Function' in your browser to locate the text in the Lecture Notes.  This should help you find the answer.  If this method fails, you still know the section from which the question was taken & you can read this to find the answer.

As the syllabus indicates, there are no make ups allowed.  So since all assignments are available, it is suggested that you work ahead to avoid any of life's inevitable snafus.  If you have technical, or other difficulties before the assignment closes, inform me via email:  include your name, the name of the course, the assignment name, & that you wish to have it reset.  I am almost always able to reset any assignment when I am given 24 hrs notice.  However, if you notify me w/in the last 24 hrs before the assignment is due, I may or may not be able to reset the assignment (I cannot be online all the time).  In which case, you must take the zero.  For most assignments, this is not many pts since there are so many assignments in the course. 

4.9.  RESEARCH PAPER: 
The research paper is discussed in full below.  For the fall the paper is to be 5550 words for the fall or 6150 words for the spring. 

HONOR CODE POLICY.

The first discussion Forum asks each student to sign the Honor Code Pledge for the course. 
Please include the Honor Code in full on the essays & the research paper.  (These words do not count toward the minimum word requirement for any assignments.)
All assignments are open course notes, open readings, but the student shall do their own work. 
Penalties for violation of the Honor Code or academic integrity range from a penalty for the assignment to failing the course & may include Honor Court sanctions. 

Rea, Louis M. and Richard A. Parker.  1997. Designing and Conducting Survey Research:  A Comprehensive Guide.  Second Edition.  Jossey Bass, A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco. OPTIONAL. 

Ritzer, George.  Modern Sociological Theory.  2011.  8th ed.  McGraw Hill, NY. 

Zeitlin, Irving.  Classic Sociological Theory. 2007.  7th ed.  Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. 

There are materials available on reserve in the library & on the internet in the Methods Web page of the Supplements section of the Dr. W's Web site.  These materials may assist the student in formulating her / his topic for their Senior Seminar Research Paper.  It is suggested that students retain & utilize several textbooks:   Intro to Sociology,  Social Problems, Statistics, & Methods. 

The Obj Quizzes are multiple choice, & true false.. 
Please include the Honor Code, in full, on all assignments, quizzes, projects, EVERYTHING.

Each objective quiz consists of 35 multiple choice & true false questions.  You have 45 minutes to complete them.  Quizzes are available on Moodle on the dates indicated on Moodle & the Course Outline & Review Notes List during class time. 

Two hints on how to do well on these quizzes.: 

First, each question begins w/ a phrase that indicates where in the Course Review Notes the answer is found.  That is, each question begins w/ the phrase: "In relation to ..." then it says the name of the Course Review Notes section where the answer may be found.  For example, True False:  "In relation to decision making, decisions made under stress are always weak."  This question is found in the Course Review Notes section entitled Decision Making.  If the question does not begin w/ "In relation to...", it begins w/ just the name of the section of the Course Review Notes where the answer is found.  For example: True False:  "Durkheim believes that the division of labor is a primary shaper of modern society"  This question's answer relates to the section on Durkheim in the Course Review Notes. 

Second, use the search function to find the answers to questions because the questions nearly always come directly from the course notes.  Copy a unique word or phrase from the question, & then if you search for it in the appropriate Course Review Notes section, you should be able to find the answer. 

Prepare & save ALL assignments off line, then paste or upload them into Moodle.  You may be required to resubmit them if Moodle eats any of them.

An essay should be two, average length, hand written pages long, i.e. about 200 to 300 words..  Be sure & answer all parts of the question.  Write clearly.  Spelling & grammar count.  Give examples, be thorough, cover all major points from the course readings & course review notes, then add your own opinion if so inclined.  Good luck! 

 Note that each question (essay & objective) usually begins w/ a phrase such as "In relation to..."  This indicates the section of the course review notes from which the question is based.  For example, "In relation to Durkheim, ..." indicates the question is drawn from the section on Durkheim.  It is expected that essay answers discuss the material found in the appropriate Course Review Notes section.  Essays should strongly reflect info from the Course Review Notes & from the Readings provided.  General use of the internet is allowed to supplement this material, but usually it is found that an essay response which relies on the internet is incomplete since the Course Material is more comprehensive

Essay answers receiving full credit will be drawn from the text readings, the course review notes, & other course materials.  The use of sources other than the course readings, course review notes, & other course materials is not required, but if you choose to do so, you should use primary sources such as peer reviewed journals, books, or reputable web site.  No "open" internet sources such as Wikipedia, Answer.com, etc. are allowed.  If you use such sources APA formatted in text citations &  a reference list will be included, eg (Author, date) & a Bibliography.  To maintain academic integrity, and to promote authentic student engagement, I recommend that students answer subjective questions by using their own words. I will assign a zero (0) grade to responses to subjective questions that include (but are not limited to) any of the following: (a) text that is substantially similar to that found in other students’ subjective responses, &  (b) quoting or paraphrasing w/o attribution from work or ideas that appear in internet or print sources, including course textbooks. 

Each of the course components listed below is evaluated according the the criterion listed in the syllabus section on that component. See the sections below for specific discussion on each component. 

Drafting Essay Exams    http://www.writers-place.com/drft-ess_exams.htm

Link

In general, no late assignments are accepted. 

All assignments are due by 2 PM of the due date indicated in Moodle & should be composed in Word, Excel, or SPSS as required, & put in the drop box in Moodle.

Prepare & save ALL assignments off line, then paste them into Moodle.  You may be required to resubmit them if Moodle eats any of them.

Since all other assignments are available long before they are due, no excuses are allowed.  If the student waits until the last to complete the assignment & runs into trouble, no excuses are allowed.  Each assignment in this course is available to work on at least three weeks in advance.  None of the assignments are that lengthy, but there are many of them.  Thus each of the assignments may range in worth from 2%  to 10% of the course value.  Given the number of assignments, & the lengthy availability of time for the student to work on each assignments, there are no excuses accepted, nor are any make-up assignments.  Because the student has three weeks to work on all assignments, if the student waits until the last moment & has problems & cannot turn it in, that student must suffer the penalty.  Thus to avoid any late penalties, I suggest students adopt a professional outlook & attempt to turn in all assignments early.  This allows the student to avoid any of life's many travails that may affect your timely completion of these assignments such as crashed computers, lost books, illness, & the other very real things that inevitably come down. 

Furthermore, because each assignment's due date is clearly stated in the syllabus, only extraordinary excuses are acceptable.  The student should plan ahead & anticipate that there may be difficulties which could delay timely completion of the assignment. 

If you have technical problems w/ submissions 24 or more hrs before the due date, I can reset your assignment, or work w/ you to fix the problem.  If you wait until 24 hrs before the assignment is due, I may not be able to help you in that short amount of time, therefore submit early.  No excuses accepted. 

A final word intended not to scare he student, but make the student aware of the importance of completing the course.  If one fails the course, the only option is to repeat the course a year from now.  The course is never offered as a summer course or an independent study.  So graduation is also postponed until successful completion of the course.  Incompletes are only accepted under the most extraordinary circumstances & it is expected that the student shall have completed all of the course except the last forum, the paper, & the final.  The paper must be turned in regardless of circumstances & it is expected that it is largely complete. 

The first discussion Forum asks each student to sign the Honor Code Pledge for the course. 
Please include the Honor Code in full on the essays & the research paper.  (These words do not count toward the minimum word requirement for any assignments.)
All assignments are open course notes, open readings, but the student shall do their own work. 
Penalties for violation of the Honor Code or academic integrity range from a penalty for the assignment to failing the course & may include Honor Court sanctions.