Course Syllabus

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Exploring Contemporary Issues

Exploring Contemporary Issues Syllabus
Summer 2018 

Instructor: Jason Surendranath
E-mail: j.surendranath@bellevuecollege.edu
Office Location: R230 (By appointment only)

Class Times: Monday - Friday, 2:00- 3:50
Class Location:


Textbooks and Course Materials

  • Contemporary Topics
  • Lined notebook paper (8 ½” x 11”) for notes and assignments
  • Black or blue pen, and/or pencil for taking notes, group work, and tests
  • One binder or folder for handouts and notes
  • Recommended: An English-English dictionary (paper or electronic)


Course Description

This class will consist of listening to/watching a variety of media sources on contemporary topics, and then discussing these issues in groups and responding in writing. Topics may include, but are not limited to: politics, international affairs, social problems, environmentalism, and science. There will be a heavy focus on current events, so daily reading and/or watching of the news outside of class is highly recommended. Listening practice will include both academic and colloquial English usage, so students will be exposed to a variety of accents and speech styles. Students will use and develop their critical thinking skills throughout this course, so expect to be challenged. Teamwork is also central to the activities we will complete, especially in the final walking tour project.

Course Outcomes  

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

Discussion

  • Analyze, paraphrase, and summarize current events in conversation
  • Clearly express and support an opinion
  • Synthesize information from a variety of sources


Presentation

  • Share ideas and organize, divide, and complete tasks as part of a team
  • Recognize audience expectations and level of knowledge
  • Prepare and deliver an effective lengthy presentation
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of a presentation


Listening

  • Take notes on main ideas and details from a listening, and use the notes to answer questions

 
Grading
In order to pass this course, you must receive a minimum overall grade of 75% (C-). Your final grade is a combination* of your scores on the following items:

Homework                                                                 25% 
Attendance & Class Participation                         30% 
Quizzes & Tests                                                       15% 
Presentations and Group Projects                        30%

*50% of your grade will come from listening assessments and 50% of your grade will come from speaking assessments.


Important Note: Students who do not take the final exam will have their course grade lowered one full letter grade.

Early or late final exams will not be given.


Grading Scale

100 – 96 %   A   (excellent)          

95 – 93          A-

92 – 90          B+

89 – 87          B   (good)

86 – 84          B-

83 – 81          C+

80 – 78          C  (satisfactory)

77 – 75          C-

0 – 74%         D   (repeat class, good effort)

0 – 74%         F   (repeat class, unsatisfactory effort)


Attendance
It is important for you to come to every class session, come to class on time, and stay for the entire class period.  Attendance will affect your final grade. 

▪  Students who miss class 15 times or more will receive a grade of “F” and will be dismissed  from the program at the end of the quarter.

▪  Students who miss class 12, 13 or 14 times will receive a grade of “F.”

▪  Students who miss class 10 or 11 times will receive a grade of no higher than a “D.”

▪  Three tardies (arriving late) of 5 minutes or more will equal 1 absence.


 



    Help with Canvas
    Please go to the following website for information about Canvas, or you can visit the Service Desk at A109: http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/servicedesk/help-desk-location-hours/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

     
    Classroom Learning Atmosphere

    Classroom Expectations

    • Come to class every day on time, prepared, and ready to participate.
    • Put away your cell phone when class starts. Using your cell phone during class is distracting to you, your classmates, and the instructor. If you must use your phone for an emergency, please ask to leave the class first and make the call outside the room.
    • Please turn in your homework or give your presentation on the day it is due. If you are absent that day, please turn it in on your first day back. If your homework or presentation is late, the grade will be 10% lower each day. Homework will not be accepted more than five days late.
    • Take all quizzes, tests, and exams on the days scheduled. There will be no make-up quizzes, tests, or exams (except in extreme circumstances).
    • Don’t talk when someone else “has the floor” and is talking (whether this is the instructor or a classmate)
    • You may eat and drink in the classroom, quietly, but don’t make a mess.
    • If you need to leave the room, please ask me first.
    • Please only speak English in class. If you don’t use the language, you cannot improve your fluency!
    • Participate actively and ask questions! Questions help you and your classmates learn! Speak as much as you can and listen to others thoughtfully. No question is stupid, so never hesitate to ask when you’re not sure.
    • Respect, encourage, and support your classmates. We want this classroom to be a safe and comfortable learning environment. Never make fun of anyone for the way they speak English; we are all learning together and we will all make mistakes as we learn.

     

    What to do if you miss class:

    I recommend exchanging email addresses and phone numbers with at least one other student in class. If you are sick, you can contact this student to take lecture notes for you and collect any handouts. But this does not mean asking your classmates to do the assignments for you. Your work is your own responsibility.


    ELI Awards & Scholarship

    Did You Know? The English Language Institute awards Perfect Attendance and Academic Achievement certificates at the end of each quarter. Come to class on time every day, work hard all quarter long, and you just might receive one of these certificates! Top performing students may also be eligible for a departmental scholarship towards a future quarter in ELI.

     

    Classroom Environment

    The college's "Affirmation of Inclusion” is posted in each classroom and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically. This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society: we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise. In an on-line course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom. In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions.

    Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself. Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior. The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc. In on-line courses, “flaming’ anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior. Such behavior interrupts the educational process. When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours: we recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters.

    When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned. Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once. Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class.

     

    Values Conflicts

    Essential to a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression which might conflict with one’s personal values. By being exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of information upon which higher education depends.

    TO THIS END, you may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such as books, films, and art work, which may, in whole or in part, offend you. These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential to the course content. If you decline to engage the required material by not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit. This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or assignments. Consult the syllabus and discuss such issues with the instructor.

     

    Academic Honesty

    The principle of academic honesty underlies all that we do and applies to all courses at Bellevue College. One kind of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example. In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal. Bellevue College instructors have access to commercial plagiarism detection software, so please be advised that any work you submit may be tested for plagiarism.

    Participating in academic dishonesty in any way, including writing a paper or taking a test for someone else, may result in severe penalties. Dishonestly produced papers automatically receive a grade of "F" without the possibility of make-up. The Dean of Student Services will also be notified of such conduct, and repetition of the behavior will result in progressively more serious disciplinary action (for example, an instructor may recommend that the student fail the course for a second offense or even that a student be expelled for a serious offense, such as stealing an exam). Grades lowered for plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty may be appealed through the regular channels, and any further disciplinary action taken by the Dean may also be appealed through existing processes.

     

    Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

    This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

     

    This 22-minute video also provides a good overview of how to avoid trouble when using sources: From the college home page select SERVICES, then LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER, then DATABASES, then FILMS ON DEMAND.  At their site, search by title for PLAGIARISM 2.0: ETHICS IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

     
    Religious Holidays

    Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean.

     

    College Anti-Discrimination Statement 

    Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; creed; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; gender identity or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates.

     

    Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

    As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I am required to share with the Title IX Coordinator any and all information regarding sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g. dating violence, domestic violence, stalking) that may have occurred on campus or that impacts someone on campus. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting the BC Counseling Center at (425) 564-2212. The Title IX Office can be contacted at 425-564-2441 and more information can be found at www.bellevuecollege.edu/titleix/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

     

    For further information and contacts, please consult College Anti-Discrimination Statements (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

     

    Important Links 
    Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC
    All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account.  Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: Create Email (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

     

    BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Technology Help Desk (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

     

    Disability Resource Center (DRC)

    The Disability Resource Center serves students with disabilities.  A disability includes any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.  Common disabilities include physical, neurological (e.g. Autism, ADD), and mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety).  If you are a student who has a disability or if you think you may need accommodations in order to have equal access to programs, activities, and services, please contact the DRC.

     

    If you require assistance in an emergency, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan for while in class and contact the DRC to develop a safety plan for while you are elsewhere on campus.

     

    If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you.  Contact Autism Spectrum Navigators (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (ASN). Email and phone number is on the web page.  ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.

     

    The DRC office is located in building B Room 132.  You can contact the DRC by stopping by B132, calling our desk at 425-564-2498, emailing drc@bellevuecollege.edu, and Deaf students can reach us by Skype (account name DRCatBC).  For more information about the services we offer, including our Initial Access Application, visit our website at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..


    Accessibility

    The online elements of this course are designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.


    Public Safety and Emergencies

    Public Safety is located in the D building (D171) and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400).  Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center.  Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at RAVE Alert Registration (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

    If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.


    Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation.  Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else.  Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.

     

    If a major emergency occurs, please follow these three rules:

    1) Take directions from those in charge of the response - We all need to be working together.

    2) Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to) - Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene.  Instead, follow directions from those in charge.

    3) In an emergency, call 911 first, then Public Safety.

    Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you have safety questions or concerns at any time. You may also visit the Public Safety (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. web page for answers to your questions.


    Academic Calendar

    The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule.

    Course Summary:

    Course Summary
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