APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT COURSE APPROVAL
February 27, 2014
Presenter: Associate Professor Mindy Thomas, J.D.
COURSE:
●School of Liberal Arts
●Department of Politics
●Politics 100
●Writing Research and Analysis for the Politics Major
HISTORY OF COURSE: Approved by UEPC as an experimental course
and taught Fall 2013. The course has been developed for the new College
“Writing Across the Disciplines” course now required in each department.
The instructor has worked closely with the Writing Center and the CCC to
develop course compliance with College requirements.
DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL: Yes, please see email from Chair
Hisham Ahmed, 2/20/14.
CIRCULATION OF COURSE PROPOSAL TO CHAIRS AND
DIRCTORS: Yes, please see email form SOLA Dean Steve Woolpert,
2/26/14.
APPROVAL OF COURSE PROPOSAL BY THE DEAN: Yes, please
see email from SOLA Dean Steve Woolpert, 2/26/14.
COMPLETION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES REVIEW: Yes, please
see February 2014, Library Resources Review from Reference and
Instruction Librarian Susan Birkenseer.
APPROVAL OF COURSE PROPOSAL BY DEPARTMENT CHAIR:
Yes, please see email from Chair Hisham Ahmed, 2/20/14.
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PERMANENT COURSE PROPOSAL, ADDITIONAL ISSUES:
●Prerequisites: at least one introductory course from lower division
required courses: Pol. 01 Comparative Politics; Pol. 02 American
Politics; Pol. 03 Political Thought, or Pol. 04 International Politics.
●Learning Objectives: After taking this course, the student will be
able to demonstrate:
1. clear and accurate understanding of political science in all four
areas of the major;
2. ability to produce effective written and oral communication in all
four areas of the major, including competent citation, clear and careful
organization around a competent thesis, professional format,
grammatical presentation, analytical accuracy and intellectual depth;
3. mastery of basic and more complex forms of argument in political
science, including knowledge of types of political science writing,
competent presentation of, and support for, objective and persuasive
analysis in all four areas of the major;
4. effective engagement in the creative processes of intellectual
political science writing, research, and analysis, including techniques
for brainstorming, collaboration, revising, flexibility in thinking and
research, and reflecting on feedback;
5. Competent, upper division level research skills in all four areas of
the major.
●Relation of course objectives to departmental learning
outcomes: This course aims to help students develop the skills and
content specified in our departmental outcomes by advancing their
abilities to at least a minimum competency level for the variety of
upper division work in the major. Our major is based on knowledge in
four subfields of political science: theory, international relations,
American politics, and comparative politics. The departmental
learning outcomes contain specific competencies related to all four
subcategories and also those related more to particular subfields. For
example, all our courses emphasize “effective analysis of significant
political science issues,” and a “commitment to civic engagement.”
But not all our upper division courses in the four subfields would
emphasize equally “principles and theories of American constitutional
democracy.” The course objectives for Politics 100 allow a more
flexible focus on each of the four subfields that is most appropriate to
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the particular writing, research and analysis skills to be taught as we
move toward achieving the departmental learning objectives.
●Justification for the Course: There are three general justifications
for the course: (1) compliance with the new College Core
requirement that all departments have a Writing Across the
Disciplines course for their majors consistent with CCC standards for
WID courses; (2) our own departmental interest in supporting our
students to more effectively progress from lower division writing,
research, and analytical skills to writing, research, analytical skills
appropriate to our upper division courses and curriculum, and (3) our
own department interest in improving appropriate academic response
to departmental data that suggesting about half of our students go
directly into the work force after college and about half go on to post
graduate work in a variety of fields.
●Assignments for the Course: (1) Eleven detailed assessment tools
moving from basics skills and concepts to more sophisticated skills
and concepts in all four sub fields of the major; (2) included among
the eleven assignments are at least 16 pages of different kinds of
analytical writing in the field; (3) the eleven assignments cover
citation use and form, peer editing, organization and outlining, reading
for detail and accuracy, research techniques and effectiveness,
accuracy of data reporting, and so forth; (4) there is a culminating
scholarly paper of 8-10 pages with research required, and supported
by appropriate citation and attribution; (5) the overall total of written
analysis required for the course is approximately 26 pages.
●Course Credit and Grading: 1 unit, with standard College grading,
i.e., there is no pass/fail option allowed for this course. Students spend
at least 3 hours outside class for every hour in class. The course
instruction includes a combination of lecture, oral and written handson exercises, and discussion
●Student Population: The course is designed to be taken in the
sophomore year of the major. It is required and designed specifically
for Politics majors. However, other students can be allowed to take
the course if there is room in the class and the instructor gives
permission. The enrollment is restricted to twenty students.
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●Relationship to Present College Curriculum: the course is
required for all students with a Politics Major who entered as of Fall
2012 and after. This is a requirement of the new Core Curriculum. No
modifications in other departmental courses are required because of
this course and no other departments of the College are impacted by
the course.
●Extraodinary Implementation Costs or Measures: None
●Course Description for the Catalogue:
“Being able to do effective college research, writing and
analysis does not depend solely on skills we are born with – it
also involves learned skills that are acquired through practice.
This course will help students master these skills and related
concepts in a “building blocks” system that moves from
learning and practicing basic skills and concepts to learning and
practicing complex skills and concepts. The class is taught in a
small group setting with lots of individual support, and it aims
to foster the student’s transition from lower division to upper
division research, writing, and analysis. The course provides
insights into all four areas of the Politics major by examining
such subjects as the nature of political and legal justice, the
legitimate basis of democratic government, gay marriage,
conspiracy, terrorism, human rights, government corruption,
immigration, and the effects of drugs, guns, and money on
national and international politics.”
●Sylabus for Course: Please see attached syllabus.
●Review of Experimental Offering: The course seemed to work
well in general, as planned. One specific issue that arose was that of a
possible follow-up to the research and library resources session
conducted at the beginning of the course. Our department support
Librarian did an excellent introductory session at the beginning of the
course and we are thinking a follow up session would be appropriate.
This added session could be tailored toward particular needs that arise
during the course in reference to research and library skills.
Discussion of this is already underway and it is anticipated it would
occur about mid way through the course.
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