SOSC 80 – Community Based Learning in Social Sciences (Winter 2011)
2010-2011 Wellstone Fellows for Leadership and Social Justice
Introduction and Overview: This is a 4 unit quarterly class in Community Based Learning in Social
Sciences. Throughout the year you will develop the skills needed to be outstanding community and
political organizers.
This project is intended to train and sustain you as student organizers in the development of your
organizational, political, and community based work. The initial step in this process for will be for you as
interns to identify internship placements/projects in which you will be afforded an opportunity to learn
grassroots political organizing consistent with the goals of supporting community college funding.
Your goal will be to learn the mechanics, logistics, financing, and retail organizing of grassroots
campaigning. Even while learning the leadership and organizing skills for grassroots community college
advocacy, you will also be providing leadership to the local, regional and statewide coalition of
community college students mobilizing support for access and funding for community college budgets.
This class will meet each quarter on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:15. Please make sure your
schedule stays clear during this time all year long.
While the real focus of this class is on your learning important organizing and leadership skills, this is still
a college level class in which a grade will be issued. The grade for this class will be based on the following:
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
967 and up
934-966
900-933
867-899
834-866
800-833
C+
C
D+
D
D-
767-799
700-766
667-699
634-666
600-633
You can earn points by completing the assignments listed below:
ASSIGNMENT
POINTS
VERIFIED INTERNSHIP HOURS- UP TO 50 POINTS PER WEEK (up to 5 points
per hour of internship) Signed time card must be turned in on time each week.
WEEKLY JOURNALS- UP TO 20 POINTS PER WEEK-- completed with response
to weekly homework questions, log describing weekly and quarterly goals,
actions taken, progress towards goals, and reflective learning.
SKILLS WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION/ORGANIZING – UP TO 10 POINTS PER
HOUR
500
CLASS PARTICIPATION -up to 10 points per class period, including completion
of assigned readings and/or homework
120200
INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS WITH INSTRUCTOR- up to 20 points per
consultation
PLANNING FOR YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN YOUR OTHER CLASSES AND
YOUR OVERALL DE ANZA ACADEMIC PATH (33 points each for 2 progress
reports and 1 consultation with academic advisor or counselor)
EXTRA CREDIT- various assignments to be negotiated on an individual basis.
100
TOTAL
1199 +
e.c.
200
100
99
100
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Extended Assignment Descriptions
1. INTERNSHIP: By the end of week 2 of the quarter, you must complete an internship plan
approved by the Fellowship Director that will do the following:
 provide you with a balanced set of political organizing skills that will give you
experience in community, student, electoral and legislative advocacy organizing at the
grassroots level
 help build a broad movement at the local, regional and state levels in support of
community college funding and access
 provide you with a minimum of 10 weekly hours of verified political organizing
internship work for 12 weeks each quarter for the fall, winter and spring terms of the
2010-2011 academic year.
This internship plan must be re-submitted each quarter for re-approval by the instructor.
You must also provide weekly verification of your internship hours through a signed time
card with a short description of how your time was spent.
You can earn up to 10 points per verified internship hour, up to 50 points per week. To
insure continuity of your internship hours, missed internship hours in one week must be
made up within one week on either side of the week in which the hours are missed. That is,
extra hours can be carried over from one week to the next, but only for one week on either
side of the week in which they are earned. (For purposes of your 10 required internship
hours, you can count up to2 hours each week for attending the SOSC 80 class, but these 2
hours will not count towards your class grade in this category of work.)
2. WEEKLY JOURNALS: Each week, you will provide a written journal. This will include:
 reflections of assigned homework questions,
 written updates on your internship work including descriptions of your 10 hours of
internship work,
 discussion of and updated on your quarterly and weekly goals (sometimes in
consultation with the instructor),
 actions taken,
 progress towards prior week’s stated goals and overall quarterly goals, etc.
You may earn up to 20 points per week for the weekly journal, up to 200 points for the
quarter.
3. CLASS PARTICIPATION: Show up to class on time for each class period having read or
otherwise prepared for class and actively participate in the class session. 50% credit
deducted for tardiness and/or leaving early. 100% credit lost for phone going off in class.
Up to 10 points per class period, including completion of assigned readings and/or
homework, up to 200 points for the quarter.
4. ORGANIZING SKILLS WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION/ORGANIZING: In consultation with
instructor, participate in and help organize special organizing skills training workshops
each quarter, including but not limited to De Anza College’s Campus Camp Wellstone
training in the spring of 2011.
You may earn up to 10 points per hour of participation, up to 100 points for the quarter.
5. INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS WITH INSTRUCTOR : Arrange out-of-class consultation
meetings with the instructor. Up to 20 points per consultation per week, up to 100 points
per quarter.
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6. PLANNING FOR YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN YOUR OTHER CLASSES AND YOUR OVERALL
DE ANZA ACADEMIC PATH
 First, provide permission for the course instructor (Wellstone Fellowship Director) to
discuss your academic plans and progress with your instructors and academic
advisor/counselor.
 Then, create or update an academic plan for your long-term educational goals and meet
with an academic advisor/counselor each quarter to insure you are on track.
 Finally, provide 2 academic progress reports from your instructors for each of your classes
you are taking (at week 4 and week 8)
33 points each for 2 sets of progress reports and written verification of your quarterly
consultation with academic advisor or counselor.
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