It is the student’s responsibility to read this syllabus entirely and ask questions if anything is unclear.
This course utilizes e-reserves, email and Blackboard as a regular part of the course.
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Department of Social Sciences and Human Services
Human Services Program
HUM 411/985: Social Welfare Programs and Policies
Fall 2012
Tuesdays 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Room M1212
and Blackboard online: one hour weekly
THIS IS A HYBRID DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE
This course is designated Writing Intensive
Assistant Professor Debra Greenwood
dgreenwood@bmcc.cuny.edu
(Do NOT add me to your personal email list!)
Office: N-626
Phone: 212-220-8000 X 7259
Office hours: Wed 12 – 2 pm, Thu 3 – 5 pm
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of historical and contemporary social welfare policy
issues/programs and to sharpen students’ ability to analyze these issues and programs.
Prerequisites: POL 100; ACR 095, ENG 095, ESL 095.
Professionalism:
In HUM 411, there is an additional expectation of professional behavior from the student. You have chosen to take
courses that will lead eventually to a professional position, and at some point you will engage in field internships in
professional settings as a part of the curriculum. Class time is an opportunity to practice those professional skills. Please
see the syllabus section labeled “Professionalism” for classroom expectations.
This course is a “hybrid” Distance-Learning course:
E-learning is a flexible and exciting way to learn. You will log on to Blackboard during the time of day that suits you best.
Much of your coursework, including some class participation, is completed through the Internet. There are three types of
E-learning approaches at BMCC: 100 percent online, hybrid (typically 33 – 67% online, the rest in class), and web
enhanced (meets in person but utilizes online resources).
This course is a hybrid course; we’ll meet in person on campus for 67% (1.5 hours) of the course, and in an asynchronous
online instructional environment (Blackboard) for the remainder of the course.
Required text:




Segal, E. 2009. Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: a Values Perspective. Tompkins: Brooks-Cole.
Second edition. ISBN- 0495604194. ISBN13- 9780495604198 Available on reserve in the library
McKnight, J. The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits. ISBN-13: 9780465091263 (on Blackboard)
Amidei, N. So You Want to Make a Difference: Advocacy is the Key (on blackboard)
Other readings as assigned in class
Student Learning Outcomes:
Learning Outcomes
Measurements (means of assessment for
goals listed in first column)
Communication Skills - Students will be able to write, read,
listen and speak critically and effectively (general education).
Debate paper, Blackboard discussions,
class discussions, quizzes.
Social and Behavioral Sciences - Students will be able to
apply the concepts and methods of the social sciences (general
education).
Debate paper, Blackboard discussions,
class discussions, quizzes.
Values - Students will be able to make informed choices
based on an understanding of personal values, human
diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility
(general education).
Blackboard discussions, class discussions.
Complete (a) formal writing assignment(s) of at least 10-12
pages in length that has/have gone through the revision
process (e.g. research paper, content-related report, essay)
(writing intensive).
Blackboard discussions, debate paper.
Generate pieces of informal writing in response to a variety of
prompts, concepts, situations or reading assignments (writing
intensive).
Blackboard discussions, debate paper.
Students will be able to discuss the history of social policy
development in the U.S. (course specific).
Blackboard discussions, class discussions.
Students will be able to define a number of key concepts on
social welfare policy including universal and residual policies,
and public assistance and social insurance (course specific).
Students will be able to discuss contemporary issues of social
welfare and analyze the impact in terms of social justice
(course specific).
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 Greenwood
Debate paper, Blackboard discussions,
class discussions, quizzes.
Blackboard discussions, debate paper,
quizzes.
2
Important BMCC Policies
While I support all BMCC policies, the following policies refer directly to the classroom and are therefore important to
discuss as a class. It is your responsibility to read and fully understand these policies. They can be found in the BMCC
student handbook.
College Attendance Policy:
“At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the number of hours a class meets in one week. For
example, you may be enrolled in a four-hour class that meets two times per week. You are allowed five hours of absence (not five
days). In the case of excessive absences, the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade” (p. 166, Student
Handbook).
This particular course (HUM 411) meets for 2 hours and 30 minutes per week – 1.5 hours in person, and one hour online; this means
that BMCC policy only allows you to miss 3 hours and 30 minutes of class/Blackboard, which is the equivalent of roughly three
class periods.
Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of
Services for Students with Disabilities. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.
BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement:
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the
ideas or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing as well as direct
quotations require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not
necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are
advised to consult with instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full
policy can be found on BMCC’s website, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. (see Student Handbook, page 168).
My policy on plagiarism: on the first incident, the assignment will not be graded; it will receive a zero grade. The second incident
will result in a failing grade for the course.
Children on Campus:
“…[Y]oung children who are not registered in the child care center should not be brought to the campus, and, of course, may not
attend classes with their parent or guardian. There may be occasions when brief visits by children of students may be necessary.
Children may visit college offices and facilities, other than classrooms, for limited periods of time when their parent or guardian is
conducting routine business at the college” (p. 166, Student Handbook).
Food and Drink in Classrooms:
“Food should not be eaten in classrooms and hallways. Food should be consumed in the cafeteria on the second floor” (p. 167,
Student Handbook).
Elevator:
“Elevators may not be used by students. This rule is waived only for students who have chronic or acute physical disabilities or who
are non-ambulatory. Students should utilize the escalators and stairways” (p. 167, Student Handbook).
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 Greenwood
3
If you see someone who is disabled, a professor with audio-visual equipment, or food/maintenance staff with equipment waiting for
the elevator, please step off the elevator and take the escalator/stairs. The elevator situation has become quite severe with the
additional student enrollment this academic year.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 Greenwood
4
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PASS THIS COURSE?
Do not thank me at the end of the semester for ‘giving’ you an ‘A.’ Do not ask me at the end of the semester why I ‘gave’ you
a ‘D’ or an ‘F.’ I do not ‘give’ students grades – students EARN their grade.
So how does a student earn a passing grade in this course? (Please note: a ‘passing grade’ is not necessarily synonymous with
an ‘A’ grade.)









Attend class regularly
Be on time for class
Respect your professor and fellow students
Comply with BMCC policies, especially those listed within this syllabus
Participate in class or group discussions and activities
Give equal time to fellow students rather than monopolize discussions
Complete any in-class or additional, ungraded assignments
Be present for, and receive a passing grade on, all quizzes (I do NOT give makeup quizzes)
Turn in all written assignments on time (I do NOT accept late assignments) and receive passing grades for those assignments.
Assignments are due by midnight sharp on the due date unless otherwise specified. You may not use class time to complete
an assignment; please plan ahead for computer issues.
That’s it – it’s that simple.
Graded Course Assignments (details of these assignments are provided later in this syllabus):
How do I figure out my grade for the semester?
Easy. You simply add all the points you earned and divide that number by the total possible points for the semester.
For example:
Assignment
Let’s say a student earned the following points:
Maximum possible points
Professionalism
Blackboard discussions (6 x 10)
Quizzes (3 x 25)
Debate paper
Total possible points for semester
15
60
75
40
190
Professionalism
Blackboard discussions
Quizzes
Debate paper
Total points earned
10
50
65
30
155
The student earned a total of 180 points. Divide that 180 by the total possible points for the course: 155/190 = .8157. Turn this into a
percentage by moving the decimal two places to the right and rounding: 82%. Then use the BMCC grading policy, which can be
found online at: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/academics/grades/grading-policy/4_gradesystem.html. I have included it here as well.
BMCC Grading Policy:
Points/%
100-93
92-90
89-87
86-83
Letter
A
AB+
B
GPA
4.0
3.0
Points/%
82-80
79-77
76-73
72-70
Letter
BC+
C
C-
GPA
2.0
Points/%
69-67
66-63
62-60
59-0
Letter
D+
D
DF
GPA
1.0
0.0
You can see that 82% is the equivalent of a letter grade of ‘B-.’ This is the grade that the student in this example would earn for the
semester in this course.
I do not give grades over the phone or via email. They will, however, be posted on Blackboard as soon as they are available.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 Greenwood
5
UNIT I
Values, History, Basic Concepts
WEEK
Aug 28
Week 1
In Class (IC)
90 minutes
Introduction to the
course, content and
structure.
Handout instructions to
log on to Blackboard.
On Blackboard (Bb)
60 minutes
Notes/
Assignments due
1. Log onto Blackboard – see handout. Now is the time
to troubleshoot any problems logging on – do NOT
wait.
2. Read the Syllabus and Course Map carefully; be sure Say hello on Bb
you understand all course expectations.
3. Edit your email and personal information so it is
accurate.
4. Breaking the ice: Write a brief post on Bb
discussion board; tell us a little bit about yourself,
and say hello to your fellow students.
Basic concepts and values
Chapter 1, Segal
Sep 4
Week 2
History
Chapter 2, Segal
Elizabethan Poor Laws
Participate in Bb discussion.
Delivery system
Chapter 4, Segal
Read from the McKnight book: John Deer and the
Bereavement Counselor, pp 3-15.
Sep 18
No In-Class Session
Participate in Bb discussion based on last week’s
McKnight reading.
Sep 25
No In-Class Session
Read from the McKnight book: Do No Harm, pp 101114.
Oct 2
Week 4
Budget, taxes,
employment
Chapter 9, Segal
Participate in Bb discussion based on last week’s
McKnight reading.
Sep 11
Week 3
Review the charts discussed in class on the federal budget
expenses and revenue, and listen to the following
podcast: Where do our federal tax dollars go?
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3144
Oct 9
Week 5
Small group review – 45
minutes
Quiz – 45 minutes
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
Bb discussion
Bb discussion
Bb discussion
Quiz 1
6
UNIT II
Policies and Programs Addressing Poverty
WEEK
In Class (IC)
90 minutes
On Blackboard (Bb)
60 minutes
Oct 16
Week 6
Social insurance
programs
Chapter 7, Segal
Read from the McKnight book:
The Need for Oldness, pp 26-35.
Oct 23
Week 7
Poverty and public
assistance programs
Chapter 8, Segal
Participate in Bb discussion based on last week’s
McKnight reading.
Notes/
Assignments due
Bb discussion
Video: Watch A Day’s Work, A Day’s Pay, on
electronic reserves in the library.
Oct 30
Week 8
Nov 6
Week 9
Food policy programs
Reading: The Politics of
Food Policy and Rural
Life, Karger & Stoesz (on
Bb)
Listen to the following podcast: Food insecurity
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3052
Health insurance
programs
Chapter 11, Segal
1. Read from the McKnight book: the Medicalization
of Politics, pp 55-62.
2. Listen to the following podcast: How the health
reform law reduces the deficit, parts 1 and 2
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3
194
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3
198
Draft of debate paper
due by midnight on
the 30th via
SafeAssign
Bb discussion
Participate in Bb discussion.
Nov 13
Week 10
Small group review – 45
minutes
Quiz – 45 minutes
Quiz 2
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
7
UNIT III
How Policy is Made, Advocacy
WEEK
Nov 20
Week 11
In Class (IC)
90 minutes
How policy is made;
who makes policy; stages
in policy making process
On Blackboard (Bb)
60 minutes (see due dates)
Notes/
Assignments due
Video: Watch Unbought and Unbossed, on electronic
reserves in the library. Read the discussion guide first
(available on Bb) for background information.
Reading: Politics and Social
Welfare Policy, Popple &
Leighninger (on Bb)
Agency & legal advocacy
Nov 27
Week 12
Readings:
Agency Advocacy, Mark
Ezell (on Bb)
Reading: Legal Advocacy,
Mark Ezell (on Bb)
Participate in Blackboard discussion about last week’s
video.
Bb discussion
Policy advocacy
Dec 4
Week 13
Reading: Legislative
Advocacy, Mark Ezell (on
Bb)
Final debate paper
due by midnight on
the 4th via
SafeAssign
Policy advocacy, cont.
Dec 11
Week 14
Reading: Community
Advocacy, Mark Ezell (on
Bb)
Dec 18
Week 15
Small group review – 45
minutes
Quiz – 45 minutes
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
Quiz 3
8
PROFESSIONALISM and ATTENDANCE
Professionalism
You have made a conscious, informed choice to be a member of this class, and a student in the Human Services program.
It is expected that you will use the opportunity to practice – and demonstrate – professional behavior. Professional
behavior includes, but is not limited to:

















Attending class
Arriving on time for class and not leaving early
Reading assigned readings prior to class
Completing any in-class or additional, ungraded assignments
Participating in class and group discussions and activities
Giving equal time to fellow students rather than monopolize discussions
Listening respectfully when others are speaking
Coming prepared with textbooks, paper, writing utensils
Keeping private conversations with fellow students outside of the classroom
Staying awake in class
Taking care of personal business before or after class (not during)
Turning off cell phones for both calls and texts
Putting cell phones and all other electronic devices away before entering class (including laptops)
Not eating or drinking during class (water is allowed)
Not packing up personal items to leave before class is over
Cleaning up your space when you leave
Communicating appropriately to the professor in person and via written communications
Attendance
Regular attendance is necessary to successfully complete this course. An absence is an absence; there is no ‘excused’
absence policy. It is your responsibility to be sure you have been marked present and on time each day; you cannot
come to me later and insist that you were present on a particular day earlier in the semester.


Students with more than three absences will note an adverse affect on their grade; students with more than five
absences may receive a failing grade for the course.
If you miss class, it is your responsibility to follow up on any material you may have missed. Check the syllabus,
Blackboard, with fellow students, or make an appointment to meet with the instructor – but do so in a timely
manner. Class time will not be used to cover past material for students who were absent.
This class will begin and end on time. Being tardy, or leaving early, is disruptive to the learning process. Coming in
before class, leaving your personal belongings at your desk, and then leaving (for any purpose) does not constitute being
on time. There is no ‘five minute leeway.’


If you are not in your seat and prepared to begin when roll is taken, you are late.
If you leave class before it is over, you will be marked as if you were late.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
9
ASSIGNMENTS
This course utilizes e-reserves, email and Blackboard as a regular part of the course. Class videos are available for
viewing on the library e-reserves. All assignments are submitted via SafeAssign on Blackboard, unless otherwise noted.
You can use any personal email address you prefer for communication, but you will still need to check your student email
account weekly, as that is the email account to which announcements on Blackboard are sent.
The following link will help you to access Blackboard: http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/it/blackboard/gettingstarted.html.
The following link will help with accessing e-reserves (the password is dgreenwood):
http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/services/studenteresinfo.html
Emails to your professor are considered to be professional communication. You should take care to explain yourself
fully, use complete sentences, include your name and put something appropriate in the RE: line.
VERY IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:

All assignments are due by midnight on the due date specified in the syllabus. Be sure you allow ample time for
computer crashes and Blackboard issues.

Late assignments are not accepted for points/grade; I will read and give feedback, but the assignment will receive
zero points. There is a late assignment contract which can be used once (not for quizzes) over the course of the
semester.

Keep your copy of all quizzes, papers, and assignments until after final grades have been submitted at the end of
the semester. Also, keep computer copies of all formal writings and copies of emails with the date and time
stamp if you contact me for any reason. These are your backup documents to support yourself if there is a
discrepancy. This is your responsibility. Always back up your work to a second, safe place, and save changes
daily; the worst can, and will, happen – ensure that your work is not lost in cyberspace.

The writing assignments are a mix of formal and informal writing assignments. For formal assignments, papers
should follow standard APA formatting, including: typed and double spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font,
with one-inch margins all around. See page 18 of your syllabus to see how the finished paper should look. You
should spell-check your paper and work toward correct grammar and punctuation.

The sources for your papers should be cited correctly, and there should be a reference page. Please see page 17 of
your syllabus for citation examples, or your library website: http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/citing/citingapa.html,
or this quick guide: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
10
Directions for Submitting Assignments via SafeAssign on Blackboard
First, you must complete your assignment as you normally would, using a word processing program such as Microsoft
Word, and save your assignment as an electronic file. As you save your document, name it with your last name and the
name of the assignment i.e. GreenwoodPR1. Naming it that way insures that you will find the correct file on your
computer or flash drive when you attempt to submit it through SafeAssign.
1. To submit your assignment:

Log in to Blackboard as you would normally and click into our course main page



From the main page, click into the
tab on the left side of the page
Find the correct assignment – be sure you have the correct assignment
Click on ‘View/Complete’
\

You will see a screen that looks similar to an email format: a text box (in case you want to let me know
something about your submission), and a link box.

Click into the link box, search the drive (either your computer’s hard drive or your flash drive), find the
file/assignment you wish to submit, and click ‘open.’
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
11

Scroll down to the next section and be sure check (click on) the box to allow Global Reference Database


Scroll down and click the
button
You should see a message at the top of your screen saying that the paper was successfully submitted; click
2. To double-check that your submission was successful:


Click back into the Assignments, tab, and click the correct assignment as though you were going to submit it for
the first time.
When you ‘View/Complete’ this time, you should see the following message: "You have already completed
this SafeAssignment. Click OK to review your results."

Click
and it will take you to a View Safe Assignment page that shows the date and time you
submitted your assignment
3. To triple-check that your submission was successful:

From the main course page, scroll down and click into ‘Course Tools’ in the sidebar on the left

Scroll down and click into ‘My Grades’

From there, you can see every assignment you’ve submitted. If it has not been graded yet, you will see a green
checkmark where the grade should be; if it has been graded, you can see the points you earned.
4. If your double-check above did not give you a message stating that your submission was successful, or if you got an
message stating that your submission was not successful:



Resubmit your assignment using the instructions above
Make sure you click the submit button at the bottom of the page
Be sure your paper is in one of the accepted formats listed: .doc, .docx, and .rtf documents are the best. Do NOT
use .pdf, as I cannot edit PDF documents.
 When in doubt, or when Blackboard seems to not be functioning, email me your paper as an attachment, with a
message telling me why you are doing so. That will serve to count as turning the assignment in on time. You
must then go back and submit the assignment via SafeAssign at your first opportunity.
I will grade your paper right in the document and email it back as an attachment to the email address you provided on
the first day of class. You need to download the paper to your own computer or flash drive, then open the file and
scroll to the end of the paper for your grade and any feedback I’ve provided.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
12
QUIZZES
There will be three quizzes during the semester, which will be taken during class time – they may consist of multiple
choice, true/false, and/or fill in the blank questions. Each question is worth one point, for a total of 25 possible points.
The quizzes cover material discussed since the last quiz – they are not comprehensive.
Quiz 1
March 13
Segal chapters one, two, four, and nine
Quiz 2
April 24
Segal chapters 7, 8, and 11
Reading: The Politics of Food Policy and Rural Life
Quiz 3
May 22
Reading: Politics and Social Welfare Policy
Reading: Agency Advocacy
Reading: Legal Advocacy
Reading: Legislative Advocacy
Reading: Community Advocacy
STUDY AIDES:
There are study guides available on Blackboard for the quizzes. You may feel free to use them as necessary.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
13
BLACKBOARD DISCUSSIONS
Learning goals:



Students will articulate course/text concepts to peers via written communication
Students will critique peers’ articulations of course concepts
Students will utilize ongoing discussion exchanges in exams and written assignments
Each week, you have from Monday morning until midnight Wednesday to post your own thoughts. Then you have from
Thursday morning until midnight Friday to comment on one of your peers’ posts. I will read and assess the discussion
over the weekend.
DISCUSSION BOARD EXPECTATIONS
These are informal writing assignments; the content is the key here – writing skills are secondary. This means that you
earn points for the content of your post, not your writing. However, you still need to use basic grammar and composition
to be understood – even in informal writing. If your reader can’t understand what you’re writing, the content means very
little and will not be helpful. “Netiquette” is important as well. Do not write in all caps, for example. When replying to a
peer’s post, focus on the content – do not attack the person or make personal references.
Note: Discussion at a critical level means discussing things such as your opinion of the point mentioned, why you hold
that opinion, what you see wrong with the point mentioned, how you see the point consistent/ inconsistent with what you
have learned so far, implications for the future, consistencies/inconsistencies within the article or reading itself, and so
forth. In other words, critiquing an article means analyzing the good and/or bad aspects of the article and justifying your
analysis. Do not just tell me what the article or reading states; I already know this.
The following points are what will be assessed in your original postings to the Discussion Board and your replies to others
postings. Each of the six discussions is worth up to 10 points; following is the grading rubric:
Points Possible
Original Posting:
1. Mentions at least 2 specific points from the article or reading. (2 points)
3. Relation of information in article or reading to personal experience. (1 point)
4. Discussion at a critical level, not just recitation of facts from the article. (3 points)
5. Length of posting approximately 300 words. (1 point)
7 points
Reply to Others' Postings:
1. Discuss one point you like/agree with, and one point you dislike/disagree with, and why. (2
points)
2. Length should be about 1/2 page in length (approximately 100 words). (1 point)
Total
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
3 points
10 points
14
DISCUSSION BOARD TOPICS
Week of
Assignment
Sep 4
This week share an experience that you or someone you know has had with a social welfare program. It could be
related to applying for the program, how the program affected you, or how others treated you when they
discovered you were a part of the program. Identify the program, and describe the experience. Was it a positive
experience, negative, or a little of both? What do you think might have improved the experience?
Sep 18
Reading: week of Sep 11. Discussion: week of Sep 18.
In John Deere and the Bereavement Counselor, McKnight suggests that “we can assess the degree of impediment
incorporated in modern service technologies by weighing four basic elements.” Briefly summarize the four
elements in your own words, and discuss why you think they might be important to consider in discussions of the
provision of social services.
Oct 2
Reading: week of Sep 25. Discussion: week of Oct 2.
In Do No Harm, McKnight focuses on adverse affects of human service interventions. He suggests that there are
“four structurally negative characteristics of the human service tool.” Briefly summarize those four characteristics
in your own words. Think about the questions at the end of the chapter, and also consider whether you think the
field of social work might have developed any assessment tools to address McKnight’s concerns.
Oct 23
Reading: week of Oct 16. Discussion: week of Oct 23.
In McKnight’s The Need for Oldness, he states that “the economic use of classifying “oldhood” as a problem
serves two purposes.” What are those two purposes (in your own words), and how are they significant to the field
of social work?
Nov 6
Reading and discussion: week of Nov 6.
In McKnight’s the Medicalization of Politics, he lists seven specific functions of what he calls “the system.” Pick
four of those functions and describe them in your own words. Why do you think it is important to understand?
One extra point will be given to the first person to post who adequately defines the word "hegemony" in their own
words, with an example.
Video: week of Nov 20. Discussion: week of Nov 27. Choose one of the three following discussions:
1.
2.
Nov 27
3.
Chisholm says doesn’t want to be remembered as the first black female Congresswoman or the first black
woman presidential candidate; she says she wants to be remembered as a catalyst for change. What do you
think she meant? Do you think she was a catalyst for change? In what way(s)? How does this play into the
advocacy readings for this week?
By running for public office, Chisholm was trying to change the system by working from the inside. At the
time, others who shared her views on key issues believed that the only way to bring change was to oppose or
reject the system altogether. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of those two approaches? Which
do you think is most important and why?
The Black Panthers, a controversial organization, endorsed Chisholm. If you were the candidate, would you
welcome such support, denounce it, or simply ignore it? Chisholm’s response to those who questioned the
value of the endorsement was: “Ask yourselves, why did you have the development of such a group as the
Black Panthers in this country? Ask yourselves why they came into existence in the first place in this
country?” In your view, would this response satisfy critics? Why or why not? How might Chisholm’s
response help people think more deeply about issues of racial and economic justice?
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
15
DEBATE PAPER
Learning Goals:
 Students will identify and discuss opposing views regarding social welfare policy
 Students will apply course/text concepts to current policy issues
 Students will discuss the complexity of social welfare policies and programs
The following debates are from Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context on the BMCC library website. For each debate, you will need
to read two articles to get both opposing viewpoints. The debates were selected because they complement the course content. You
may choose to write about either the Social Security program or welfare reform. Choose one topic, and read the two articles for that
topic. The readings are available on Blackboard.


Social Security: Read Lifting the SS wage cap will increase revenues and Lifting the SS wage cap will not save the system
Welfare Reform: Read Welfare reform has helped people out of poverty and Welfare reform has increased poverty
Your three to four page paper will include the following points at a minimum. You may add more if you wish, as long as the
following are adequately – and clearly – addressed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
briefly summarize each of the two opposing viewpoints in the debate in your own words (look for the main points; do not
rely on direct quotes) – roughly one page. Identify each author as you summarize him/her.
identify at least one key point that both authors make and compare (if they agree) and/or contrast (if they disagree) the
viewpoints on that one key point – about one page.
identify at least one concept from our class readings and/or discussions that applies to the debate, summarize the concept, and
state why you think it applies– about one page.
provide your personal opinion about the subject (you are not graded on your opinion, but on how well you express that
opinion) – about one page. Your paper should be objective (no personal opinions) until the end. Your personal opinion
should be based on the readings, any outside sources, and personal experience.
This assignment provides you with an opportunity to explore some of the concepts from class through an alternate source of
information – in this case, the debates – while further practicing your writing skills. You will hand in a draft of the paper on October
30; I will provide feedback, you will revise your paper, and the final paper will be due December 4. The draft is not graded; you will
receive ten points for submitting it on time. The final paper will be graded. Be sure to follow the correct format, cite your sources in
the paper and provide a reference page at the end. Remember, the more effort you put into the draft, the more feedback I can provide,
and the better your final product will be.
You may earn up to 40 points for this assignment; points are awarded as follows:
10 points
Draft – the draft isn’t graded, but you can earn up to ten points for turning it in. Points will be based on how much
of the draft you have completed. For example, if you complete about 25% of the draft, you will earn 2.5 points. This
means that you can no longer simply turn in a couple of sentences and earn the whole ten points; however, you do
not earn points based on content or writing skills, as you do in the final paper. If you turn nothing in, you lose a
potential ten points. Most students earn a higher grade on the final assignment when they submit a
comprehensive draft for me to provide feedback.
Final paper points (30) are awarded equally (six each) in each of the following areas:
Summary of views
Were you able to demonstrate that you understood the broader points of both viewpoints?
Key point & compare/contrast
Did you identify what the key point was and either compare or contrast it between the two
viewpoints?
Application of course concept
Did you describe the concept and explain how it applies to the documentary?
Personal opinion
Was your personal opinion well articulated and based on what you’ve learned so far?
Writing quality
Did you edit for spelling, grammar, punctuation; did you cite/reference correctly; did you
follow the assignment directions correctly?
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
16
LATE ASSIGNMENT CONTRACT
Assignments are due on the date stated in the syllabus – late assignments are not accepted. However,
occasionally life does interfere with a written assignment due date. This late assignment contract allows you to
turn in one assignment late during the semester – but only one, so use it wisely. You will propose a new due
date for the assignment in question, within reason. If you fail to turn in the assignment by the date you suggest
below, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
On the date the assignment is due, you must turn in this contract, completed and signed. If you are absent on
the date an assignment is due, you must email me prior to class time and inform me that you intend to use the
contract for that particular assignment. If you fail to use this contract appropriately, then the assignment is
deemed late and will not be accepted.
Student Name:_________________________________________________________________________
I understand that assignments are due on the date indicated on the course syllabus. However, I would like to
turn in the following assignment on the following date because:
Assignment: __________________________________________________________________________
New (proposed) due date: ________________________________________________________________
Reason: ______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I understand that if I do not turn in this assignment by the above date, it will not be accepted by the
instructor and I will receive a zero for this assignment.
Student signature:______________________________________________________________________
Date: __________________________________
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
17
Referencing and Citing Sources
From the BMCC Library Website
Research Help: Citing Sources – APA
Reference Page:
Print Book example:
Baron, R. A., & Kalsher, M. J. (2002). Essentials of psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Reference Book example:
Harik, E. M., & Harik, I. (1999). Lebanon. In World Book Encyclopedia (Vol. 12, pp. 170174). Chicago: World Book.
Print Journal Article example:
Park, S. M. (1996). Research, teaching, and service: why shouldn't women's work count?
Journal of Higher Education, 67(1), 46-84
Journal Article from a Database example:
McDavid, V. (2000). Lines and patterns. American Speech, 75(3), 233-235. Retrieved
September 10, 2004, from Project MUSE database.
Journal Article on the Web example:
Zhang, N. L., & Kocka, T. (2004). Effective Dimensions of Hierarchical Latent Class Models.
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, 21. Retrieved September 23, 2004, from
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/project/jair/pub/volume21/zhang04a.pdf
Print Magazine Article example:
Ballinger, C. (2000, May). Changing time: improving learning. High School Magazine, 7(9), 5-8.
Magazine Article in a Database example:
Dobb, E. (2002, May). Should John Walker Lindh go free? Harper's Magazine, 304(1824), 31-41.
Retrieved Sep. 9, 2003, from EBSCO Academic Search Premier database.
Citations in the Text
Examples that Refer to a Whole Work examples:
Zeilik (2002) argues that...
In his recent book, Mazur (2002) describes...
Baron and Kalsher (2002) found that...
Examples for Citing Part of a Work examples:
“The need for community in schools is universal because children are social beings with basic needs for
belonging, and friendship” (Schaps, 1985, p. 192).
You can find more information about citing and referencing at the BMCC Library:
http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/citing/citingapa.html
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
18
Jane Smith
Assignment: example of written assignment format
HUM201-121
This page is intended to serve as an example of the format you should use for written assignments. The
assignments should be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides of the paper.
You should use Times Roman font, size 12. Indent the first line of the paragraph, but do not leave extra lines
between the paragraphs.
Each paragraph should look just like this. This uniformity does several things: it encourages students to
follow written directions; it allows for an even ‘playing field’ among all students, regardless of their access to
new computers and programs; and it helps your professor to more easily read and grade multiple student papers.
Don’t forget to proofread your work and check for spelling and grammatical errors as well – students
should strive to put their best foot forward in any assignment, whether it is a quiz, a presentation, or a written
paper. Also, note the page numbers at the bottom of each page – please include page numbers in your written
assignments.
Don’t forget to cite the sources of material that you read and summarized for your paper like this (Smith,
2008). And don’t forget to include a reference page at the end of the paper; it should be a separate page
following your written work. Your references should be listed completely, so that your reader could find the
same article/text/webpage with little effort. Please see the page just previous to this one, titled ‘Referencing and
Citing Sources,’ for help with citations and references. You may also ask your professor if you have a question
on this, or any, subject.
One last piece of advice: back up your written work to an external source regularly. If you keep
your school papers on your hard drive, please copy your work to a disc, flash drive, or external hard drive every
time you make changes to your work. If you keep your work on a disc, copy it to another external source –
preferably one you can keep at another location. Expect the worst to happen at the worst possible time, and be
prepared. ‘The computer ate my paper’ is not an acceptable excuse for failing to turn in an assignment on
time.
HUM411-985
Fall 2012 - Greenwood
19