International Relations
By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.
- Confucius
Fall 2009
International Relations Online
Tentative Course Syllabus
Instructor: Amanda Bigelow
Office: D307
Phone: 224-0203
Email: amanda_bigelow@ivcc.edu
Web Page: http://www.ivcc.edu/bigelow
Office Hours: M and W 1-3, T and Th 9-9:30,
10:45-11, and 12:15-1:15 or by appointment.
ATTENTION
This is an online course that will require you to
have knowledge of and access to a reliable computer and internet server.
If you have not taken an online course before, it is highly recommended
that you sign up for an online
orientation. You should also
take the course orientation provided on my web page.
You will also need to use blackboard to complete exams.
You must be knowledgeable of the contents of this course syllabus and you are expected to complete all of the course assignments on time without the direct supervision of the instructor. You are encouraged to maintain regular communication with the instructor throughout the semester, especially when you have questions regarding course content or protocol. It is assumed that you have a reliable computer and internet connection and that you can competently use a computers to send/receive emails (with or without attached files), to conduct internet research (using various search engines), and to do word-processing.
BLACKBOARD ACCESS
You will be accessing Blackboard to facilitate the
completion of all of your course assignments. It also provides you with the
opportunity to participate in interactive discussions with the instructor and
your classmates outside of the classroom. If you are an IVCC student, you should
follow the instructions listed below to gain access to Blackboard. If you are a
student enrolled at another educational institution, then you should have
received separate login instructions from the college prior to the start of the
semester.
You will be enrolled as a Blackboard user by the instructor and you will have access to the system beginning Sunday, August 16. To access Blackboard go to the Blackboard webpage (ivcc.blackboard.com) and click the login button. You will then be able to login by providing your username and password. Your username consists of the first 3 letters of your last name and last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (see the example below). Your password is the first three digits of your SSN. Once you have successfully logged in to the system for the first time, you should use the Change Password option in the Personal Information section of the Tool box (located on the left-hand side of the Blackboard welcome screen. If you have difficulty accessing the system, you should email the instructor for assistance.
Example: Jane Doeber (Social Security Number 123-00-4567)
Her username for Blackboard would be: doe4567
Her password for Blackboard would be: 123
However, if you registered as a new student on/after
August 10th, then you password will be your student i.d.,
which is the 7 digits to the left of the last two
digits on the right of your Student i.d. card.
Optional Orientation:I will be holding an informal orientation at Jeremiah Joe’s Coffee Shop in Ottawa on Wednesday, August 19th at 7:00 p.m. One cup of coffee or tea is on me. We will have a chance to meet each other, discuss the course, and answer any questions you may have. I hope to see you there! J
Text: Rourke, John T. International Politics on the World Stage , McGraw-Hill/Dushkin 0-07-340388-1 can be purchased or rented in person through the IVCC bookstore or by phone with a credit card by calling 815 224-0311
Information on the
textbook rental program can be found at
http://www.ivccbookstore.com/site_rental.asp?mscssid=124FC272454240A0A567CFE005F2DE5B
Course Objectives:
*To prepare the student to
become a member of the global community by becoming more aware of the
international system of governments, global interdependency and the strengths
and limitations of current international organizations and state governments.
*To illustrate the inequalities that exist in the world today, analyze how the
American system of government and the international community may perpetuate
these inequalities, and look for solutions to the problems of inequalities in
the world community.
*To give the student an understanding of the nature and scope of political
science both theoretically and historically.
*To make the student aware of her/his social and cultural biases in order to
learn critical analysis skills
*To assist students in demonstrating a competent
understanding of International Relations in the following ways:
*Ability to compare and contrast the traditional and modern approaches to the
study of International Political institutions.
*Ability to describe and compare the philosophies underlying various
intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations
*Ability to describe and analyze the social and political issues besetting the
global environment in the 21st Century.
*Ability to understand the role that each of has to play in the world and
how we as individuals can make a difference.
Grading:
Black Board
Participation: 40%
Because this is a
nontraditional class we will not be interacting with each other in a normal
classroom environment. Still, I think discussion and class participation
are vital to your success in this class. With this in mind I have set up a
blackboard discussion for this class. Each week I will be asking questions of
the class that you must answer in your own words after having completed the
necessary readings and any other research that pertains to the topics.
You will be graded on your
participation on blackboard.
At a minimum, you must answer the questions that I ask and respond (by
this I mean make thoughtful commentary, and you must cite your sources, and your
sources cannot include wikis, blogs, or other unreliable sources.
The best rule is to verify a source in 3 independent sources in order for
it to hold any credibility, although this in and of itself is not a guarantee
that the information is factual) to the comments of at least two other
students in the class per question.
Those who answer early in the week and
who put more effort into their answers will receive the most points.
You should be prepared to check in on blackboard several times throughout
the week to see what is transpiring and to make additional comments as needed.
If I post a reply to your response you need to read it and make comments.
Blackboard postings are worth 40%
of your grade so you should be prepared to spend ample time each week
participating in the online discussions.
Comments must be posted by
Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
in order to
receive credit.
I will periodically check in on blackboard to see if my assistance is
needed and to redirect the conversation if I think it is going in the wrong
direction or if an alternative point of view should be proposed.
Blackboard should be used only for the specific purpose of responding
to weekly posts and not for personal reasons or to promote a personal agenda.
Also, this is an academic institution where all sincere viewpoints are
welcomed, however, this does not give you license to verbally attack or
intentionally offend your fellow classmates.
If you disagree with a person’s point of view, please do so respectfully
and by using critical thinking, not by issuing personal attacks, sarcasm, or
insults. Any student
who violates these class policies will be removed as a user from blackboard, and
will subsequently fail the course.
Study questions
- 10%
Listed in the syllabus are several study questions for each week.
The questions should be submitted in the digital drop box by 11:59 on the
due date listed in the course syllabus.
Doing the study questions is very important as they serve as a partial
study guide for exam preparation and can be used on the exam.
If you take the time to create good answers, then you should be able to
pass the exams without any problems. My notes for
this class are available online and some answers may be found in there.
Otherwise, you should look to the text or online for the answers (my
notes and the text should be relied on first before going to the internet).
If you are unable to find the answer to a question, email me. These
questions, along with class notes, blackboard discussions and reading
assignments, will be the basis for exams.
Exams – 50%
There will be three
exams throughout the semester. The
dates and topic materials are listed in the syllabus.
All exams will be online and you must be well-prepared, meaning that you
have a thorough understanding of the materials presented in the notes, readings,
blackboard discussions and study questions.
It is also imperative that you
have a reliable computer and network available to you when taking the
exams, since they are timed and you only have one chance to take them.
Once you begin an exam, you must complete it!!
If for any reason you begin an
exam and do not complete it, you will not be given a second chance to take it so
please make sure you are prepared and that you are using a computer that will
not fail you. I recommend
that you use a computer that has something other than dial-up access, especially
if you are using the same line to receive incoming phone calls.
The college computer labs have reliable networks so you may want to
consider coming to campus to take exams if you have any doubts about the
reliability of your home computer.
Academic dishonesty:
Plagiarism or cheating in any
form will not be tolerated. All
words or ideas that are not your own must be cited in all of the work that is
submitted for this course.
Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing may receive a failing grade for the
entire course. Additionally, a report of the transgression will be
filed with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Academic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to the following examples: 1) Posting
material in blackboard that you obtained from another source without giving
credit to that source. Even if you paraphrase from another source, you
must give credit. When using the exact words of someone else, you must use
quotations and cite. However, you should very rarely do this since you
will not learn as well if you don't put things in your own words. 2) Answering
questions in your homework based on materials you obtained from another source
without giving credit to that source. Even if you paraphrase from another
source, you must give credit. When using the exact words of someone else,
you must use quotations and cite. However, you should very rarely do this
since you will not learn as well if you don't put things in your own words. 3)
Putting any material on an exam that is not in your own words. Even if you
put something in your homework that is not in your own words, on an exam it MUST
BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. 4) Using websites or other sources other than your
notes or the text to take your exam. 5) Turning in any work that is not
your own or having someone else do the work for you.
Final grades:
The grading scale for this course will be as follows:
90-100%=4.0
80-89%=3.0
70-79%=2.0
60-69%=1.0
I round grades up at .5 and down at .4 so every point counts in this class. Also, please be aware that the final grade is not based on total points, rather on weighted grades. The weighting is as follows: 40% for Blackboard, 50% for exams, 10% for study questions. The final weighted grade in Blackboard is the correct grade.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you are a student with a cognitive, physical or
psychiatric disability you may be eligible for academic support services such as
extended test time, texts on tape, note-taking services, etc.
If you are interested in receiving academic support services, please
contact the Special Populations Office at 224-0284 or stop by office B204.
You can also visit their website at
www.ivcc.edu/disability. You
are also encouraged to discuss your individual needs with the instructor so that
your educational experience is a productive one.
COURSE WITHDRAWAL
In
the event that you must withdraw from this course, you are expected to follow
established college procedures outlined in the college catalog.
The final date to withdraw from this course is Friday November
6th, however, I must receive your request by Thursday
November 5th at 11:59 p.m. in order to process the request on time.
A Note About Respect:
IVCC is an academic institution where
all sincere viewpoints are welcomed, however, this does not give you license to
verbally attack or intentionally offend your fellow classmates or professor.
If you disagree with a person’s point of view, please do so respectfully
and by using critical thinking, not by issuing personal attacks, sarcasm, or
insults. Any student
who violates these class policies will be removed from class at the
discretion of the instructor and will receive a failing grade for the semester.
Class Assignment Schedule
Week 1: August
17-23
Reading Assignment –
Critical
Thinking and
Cognitive Dissonance
Discussion Board in Blackboard
Week 2: August 24-30
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 1 – Thinking and Caring About World
Politics and lecture notes.
Discussion in Blackboard
Study Questions (Due August 30 by 11:59
p.m.)
Week 3: August 31-September 6
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 (p. 62-86) – Individual and
State Level Analysis and lecture notes.
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due September 6th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 4: September 7-13
Reading Assignment:
Chapter6 – National States: The Traditional Structure and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Sept. 13th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 5: September 14-20
Reading Assignment: Chapter 4 – Nationalism: The
Traditional Orientation and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Sept. 20th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 6: September 21-27
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 2 – The Evolution of World Politics and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Sept. 27th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 7: September 28-Oct. 4
Exam I:
Materials covered in weeks 1 through 7 - Must be completed by Sunday Oct.
4th at 11:59 p.m.
Week 8: October
5-11
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 3 (p. 87-95) – System-Level
Analysis and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Oct. 11th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 9: October 12-18
Reading Assignment: Chapter 5 – Globalization and
Transnationalism: The Alternative Orientation and
lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Oct. 18th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 10: October 19-25
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 7 – Intergovernmental Organization: The Alternative Structure and
lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Oct. 25th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 11: October 26-Nov. 1
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 12 – National Economic Competition: The Traditional Road and
lecture notes.
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due by Nov. 1st at 11:59 p.m.)
Week 12: November 2-8
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 13– International Economic Cooperation:
The Alternative Road and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Nov. 8th by 11:59 p.m.)
Exam II: Materials covered in weeks 7 through 12 - Must be completed by
Sunday, Nov. 15th at 11:59 p.m.
Week 13: November 9-15
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 8 – National Power and Diplomacy: The Traditional Approach and
lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Nov. 15th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 14: November 16-22
Reading Assignment:
Chapters 10 National Security: The Traditional Road and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Nov. 22nd by 11:59 p.m.)
Thanksgiving Break:
November 23-29
Week 15: November 30-December 6
Reading assignment:
Chapters 9 & 11 – International Security: The Alternative Road and
International Law and Justice and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Dec. 6th by 11:59 p.m.)
Week 16: December 7-14
Reading Assignment:
Chapter 14 – Preserving and Enhancing Human Rights and Dignity and lecture notes
and 15 – Preserving and Enhancing the Biosphere and lecture notes
Blackboard Discussion
Study Questions (Due Dec. 14h by 11:59 p.m.)
8. What is the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Study Questions (Due Dec. 14th by 11:59 p.m.)
Exam III, Weeks 13 through 16 - Must be completed by Tuesday, Dec. 14th at 11:59 p.m.